EPiffie°fS; Paul to } CHAP. 2.2 deliucred in the miniflerie, be they old or young,rich or peore, one of 341 other,mufl yeeld obedlencevnto ir. For feting the Scripture is furnish- ed to teach all men all their duties, and the miniflerie ordained by God to difcouer the wifedomeof God;old menmuff not difdaine to fit down at Chrills feere;nor youngmen to 'famehow to redreffetheir main M ; nor f.j. the rich to becomerich in God, nor the poore to become poore inJpirit, nor r.rim c.t6. the maller to acknowledge a mallet in heauen, nor the feruant to becom the feruant of Chrifl. s. Todelire fit infirudtion in the miniflerie, and 2 come to vs as the people, Publicans, fouldiers , to John, (Meer , what tnk,;. JIwllwedoe ? See A&R.a.37. and 16.3o. 3. Topray that we may deliverfit doctrine, Eph.6. t 9. andfor me, that utterance may beeginea tofpeake as I ought. Noman but would delire andcall for a fit plaifier or potion for his dodie ; but whenwe labour againfi mens particular fianes direétly, and fpeake aptly to their confciences , like vnruly and inconliderate pa- tients, they fret and llorme, if wecome any thing neere the quicke of their galled confciences. Noman but in troubleof spirit, or terrour of confcience, would heave fromvs words of comfort: but there is a deale of proud flefh, which would vnreniooued for ruerhinder their found cure,which when it is confumed, we are readie to fupple with words as loft as oyle:but till then men muft pray for wifedome to daunce to our pipe. and as we mull set our felues againfi thefones of all ages and cal- lings, fomull they themfelues againfi their owne linnes. 4. Whereas ma- 4 ny thinke that chofe fumes are leafl to be firiuen againfi, which are inci- dent to the age or fexe : and that wee lay intolerable yokes on youth, which muff haue the fwinge:and for old men becaufe their age carrieth them to teatiines and frowardnes,therfore they may better be forborne; these may hence fee their error : neither is thisany other then to flreng- then the hands of (inners, and a giuing of fcopeto natùrall corruption. Ifmen indeede were fo humbled as that they were ready to defpairc, be- caufe they cannot overcome Inch corruption, then might we fay,that no temptation bath befallen them, but such as goothouer the common na- cure; but otherwifeto plead for any liberty in excufng finne, is an hard- ningof theheart, and abacke -byas to repentance. , Theelder men j Dear. Our Apofile exempteth not old men frombeing fübie& to the Noman in this doétrinc ofGod, becaufe of their age; but rather fendeth them firfl to a, fehoole,notwithllanding;all that knowledge and experience which they wh;chhe might pretend, z. Iolr..i 3. For Gods fchoole is as well for olde as for is 5 v2` xe' young, in whichmen arenot oncly tobeinitiated in the principles of rreligioa, butall'o to be lead forward vnto .perfeElionof wifedome ; and fetingnomancan attaine in this life veto perfc lion, therefore cucrie Y a man
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