Opened and Applied. 99 that fhalt niak,_e )'OU free. I can through Chrift,&c. Phi!+ I 3· .Ic is a ma:vellous mercy to tremble b~fore God, and fee, and know, and be affeCl:ed wich Gods wrarh ; but yec if chts be all, che heart will fink and flye from God; now che Gofpel reveals Chrill, and fo Joh.Io.I6. his fhetp hear and foll•w h1m; and the Gofpd comes co.hell I\ ith the Sp~ric, to a poo~ finner when he is blind, captive, bwken, mournmg, never fo mtferable; now che Gofpel penetrates thus low, and brings the Spirit with ic; ic makes rhe foul not only eo fee Chtil1, but gives ir him, and n?w ic i~ fafe. ,0~ (beloved!) if the ~pir~t b~ glorious, chen is che Gofpe~ glonous ;. 1t the Mtmitry of z.nen could brmg-1n, and draw with rhem thePnncesof thts world, and aU chetr wealch to ferve you, Angels i and cheir MiniHry, n.ay, bri~g Chrifl h.i~f~lf bodily t? you, how glori()US were j chis? bur what ts rh_ts to bnng the Spmt t?ro a Sty, rnco thy Soul ! Oh che!c-~ fore cake heedof ahghc eiteem of che Gofpei, ·as thofe M,.tth.zz.J. whtch were lhut our: Men mu(l: fpeak: fomeching; take heed you that have once eiteemed ic, of accountingic a common thing (it is nexc to the unpardonable fin) of accounting che Gofpel, ~iniO.ers, Truths, JuHificacion by Faith,&.-. common things ; but fee them glonous; the grearelt glory char ever was in rhe r world, did once lye hid underthe meanel1 outfide, vi-.. ]efus Chrill, an<! yet che Apo!Ues be~eld his _glory;. fo ~he Gofpel is z.noit glorioljs now, as being his glafs, and thts notwuhl1andmg xs moll: mean In the account of many-; Paul is in the eyes of the Corinthian Dod:ors amean man, his prefence was co;~- temptible, hi~ words mean alfo; men defpifed them. Secondly, hence fee what caufe they have to· fie, and go home to their botifes hmenring, that never found rhe Spirit conveyed by the minif!ry of the Gofpe!i111ife and'p01ver. Lam.I.I6. Ohth~ comforter that fh•uld refrefhmJ foul is far from me; if there be any hope of help, ic is by che Spirit ; and if rhe Spirit, it is by the Minitl:ry where rhe Gofpel is publilhed and thi! Spirit conveyed : Oh chinks many a one in bimfelf, I find no fuch zood ! thus long havel beard; andcbusofrdolhear, butlcome, andgoawayasl came, my heart never lhaken, my foul never broken, my fpiric never humbled, nor comforted,& c. and therefore what care I for Miniaers or Gofrel? ic is true, it u hid,. z C.r.•H· but rheniris from theti, that he loft only, whom Satan harh blinded ; ic may be the !all:_ medicine is now ufing; as it is with many that have the lal1 remedy applted when they bi! ~ck to dmh ; truly fo ic is here. · Heb;6.8. The tree ~r ground that /?rings forth bryars, is nigh to ~urjing; the condition is fad, as it is there expreit, it fo.. /t never fee good whengood c•mu, 'fer.17.6. Oh ic was a fad complaint of S11ul, Ohth( Lord a>tfwers me not! and of the people of God, We fee no vijion ; but you bave none, and lamem it not; if men in the old Law did nor meet with the Lord in rheir Tent doors, ic was no wontler, ic was not ufual fo-ro do ; but wf:ten at rh~ Tabernacle, if they met not there with him, it was fad then; fo here; if you meet not che Lord there where he dwells, ic is firange ; pot but chat Saints may find rh~ Lord abfent ; but I fpeak to them that find it not, and mourn noc for it; others fuall re~ joycewhen they mourn for rhe abf-:nce of the Lord. S E C T. VI. OF Confutadon ofthofe that rhink the<e is not that necefficyof the MiJ!i· V ft 1. il:ry ro convey r.he Spirit ; But F!rtt, think good Books may do the deed , and hence can p,rofit as much ac home as thereby ; bur rhefe Virgins are not direCl:ed to boo~s, ~ut N n n :z; perfons,
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