'1 ii o ofInehreauai Hearing the Word. hear, and good dayes mend him not, nor bad dayes pair him : that can commend a Sermon, and fpeak of it I but that efficacy isnot known to him, neither doth he mourn for the want of it ; but the eternall efficacy thereof Is a ffianger to in i Thef. i. 5. Knowing, faith the Apoftle, your Elefiion of God; How did he know it ? For, faith he, Our Gofpel came not to you in word, but in power ; ye will re- joyce the hearts of your Minifters, when the word comes with power. Let me fay this, and fo I conclude. ' I remember the Lords threatning ; /will take away the ifaffe of bread, andyefhall eat , and fhall not beTatisfied 5 When the Lord fhall let men have the word , when the Lord fhall not take away the word, but the ftaffe ofthe word. Suppofe you poor Parents, Fathers, and Mothers; your Families fhould have, good Corn, but whenyou come to eat it, no ftrength at all, but ye dye and wear away ; and others that are about you, they have planted the fame Corn, and eat and are fatisfied ; What will ye do in this cafe ? Youwould let apart a day of failing and prayer, and fay, Good Lord, what a curie is upon me ? my poor children are dying before me, others have the fcaffe of Corn ; but my Family have no ftrength at all. Ye would mourn if it were thus with your poor Cattell. Oh, for poor Creatures to have the word, but the efficacyof it tobe taken away ; no bleffing, no power at alI. Oh poor Creatures, goand fay ! Oh thecurie of God that lies on me, the wrath ofGod that lyes on my fervants, it is a heavy plague. But Oh the fweetneffe and excellency of it, when a Chriflian fhall find everlafting yertue and ef- ficacy conveyed to him by the word. All you that arebefore the Lord this day, ye fhall fee an end, ofall perfettion ; but eternall things are not they worth fomething ? You fhall fee an endof all delights and contentments 5 but this fhall comfort you when you are a dying, that the word which you attended upon the Lord in, fuch peace, and fuch confolations I have found by it; and the efficacy of that word then remaines with you; nay, goes to heaven with you. I commendyou therefore to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up unto an eternallinheritance atone them that are fantlifi- ed, AdS 20. 32.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=