Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

8S 8 r APV., and wa(h my ínaflers difbes. Of the Miniflerie harke e'hat the Apoflle fayth: If I preach 1 haue nought to reioyce in , for necefsitie is put vpon me: IfI preach nottheGofpel; as who fhould fiy,Godbathmade me fo,woe is to me if I preachnot. If I doe it willingly .(fayt'hhe) then I haue my reward : that is, then am I fure that Gods fpirit is inme,and that I amBleat toeternall lifé. If I doe it againíl my will, theoffice is committed to me, that is, if I doe it not of loue to God but to get a liuingthereby, and for a worldly purpofe,andhad ra- therotherwife hue : then doe I that office whichGodbathput vpon me,but doe notpleafeGod. So then ifyoupreachednot, beam or. inpreachinghad not your heart aright, youminiller theoffice, and theythathaue the fpirit ofGod his word,yea,though it were fpoken byanAffc,and the woebelongeth toyou: but andifyoupreach willingly with a true heart and confcience toGod,then phallyou feele the earneftofeternall Iife,and the walking ofthe fpirit ofGod inyou,andyourpreaching is agoodworke inyou. Now I that mintíler in the kitchin,and ambutakitchin-boy,receiueall things at the handofGod,know that God bath put me in fuchanofice,fubmit my feife to his wiil,and fettle my mafter,not as aman,butas Chrift himfelfe, with apure heart accordingas Paule teachethme,putting my truft inGO D,andofhim feeke my rewarde. Moreouer,there is not agood deede done,but mine heart reioyceth therein, . yea,when Iheare that the wordofGod ispreached by you,and fee thepeople turne untoGod : I confent to thisdeede, my heart breaketh out inme, yea it fpringeth andleapeth in mybreaft that God is honoured,and in myheart I do the fame that youdoe with the likedelk6lation and feruencie offpirit.Nowhe that receiueth a Prophet, in thenarye of aProphet, receiuetha Prophets re- ward,that is, he thatconfenteth to the deedeofa Prophet andmaintaineth it, the famebath the fame fpirit andearnefl ofeuerlafling life, which the Prophet hath,and is ele&as theProphet is. Now, ifwe compare worke toworke, there is adifferencebetwixt waffl ngofdifhes,andpreaching thewordofGod:but astouching topleafeGod none at all. For neither that nor this pleafethGad, but as farce forth as Cod bath chofen a man,andbathput his fpirit inhim,and purified his heart by faith and trufl in Chrift. As the Scriptures call him car- nall which isnot renued by the fpirit andborne againe in Chrif3sflefh,audall leis workes like,euen theverymotions ofhis heart andminde,as his learning, do;firine,andcontemplation ofhie thìitgs,his preaching, teaching,and fludie in theScripture,building ofChurches,founding ofColledges,gìuing ofaimes, andwhatfoeuer hedoth,though theyfeeme fpiritual,and after the lawofGod neuerfomuch : So contrariwife he is fpirituall which is renued inChrift, and alhis worker -which fpring fro faithfeeme theyneuerfogrofí'e, as the wafhing of the Difciples feete donebyour SauiourChrifl,and Peters fifhing after the refs:rreion,yea deedes ofmatrimonie are pure fpirituall if they proceede of faith and whatfoeuer is done within the !awes of God though it bee wrought by the bodie, as the verywiping of#hoots and fuch like,howfoc- uergroffe theyappeare outwardly,yet arefanalified. Timmot h.

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