Webster - BX9318 W43 1654

in drawingpoorfinnet.,, ?snto bis son: no more,we take that praife to our felves which is alone due to God. Now though it be fo, I fay, that this 'Organ is but a dead thing through which the life of =God paffeth, if we be any thing elfe in our meffage and (peaking to you but as men that have denied our 'elves, laid afide our own wifedome, ftrength, conceits and abilities, and all the wor- kings ofour own heads, ifwe benot dead to all things, that fo the Lordmay (peak through us , then 1 mayboldly fay we arenot thofe Inßruments and Embaffadours by which he entreats his people to be reconciled unto him : Therefore be pleafed to confider that place of the Apoftle in i Cor. 3.6. Ihaveplantad, andApollohash -watered : So then Paulmay be called a Planter, and Apolloa Waterer ; but doth he goe no farther ? nay, (faith he) Neither it he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth any thing;` but God that gives the encreaje ; thong they may improperly be called P L A N- TER S and WATERERS, yet neither is the Planter any thing, nor theWaterer any thing : So that it is clear, it is no otherwifebut thus; It pleafed God out of his own love -:and goodnefíe to co zdefcend fo lowas to fpeak the Words of Eternal Life St mercy byus,and toone another, that men of the fame Blood and Frailtie Ihould become Infìruments and no other, in the hand ofthe Lord, takingnoglory to them- felves in any thing; onely tobe as weak, and fraile, and dead Iniruments whereby the Lord will fpeak out the Words of Eternal Life. But this creature is to beconfider- ed as nothingat all ; neither is he thatplantethany thing, nor he that watereth, but God is all ; therefore, I fay, till it be fo with us, that we are dead to all our own wit and reafon, and all our under$anding ; till thefe are killedand dead, and we gland onely waiting upon the Lord, as Hrtbal k ik faith, Hab. 2, I. Iwill'landupon my watch, andfet me upon the Tower, and will watch tofie what he willfay unto me, andwhat I'hall an- fwer; I fay, when the foule is thus dead and filent to his own wit, to his own felfefeeking, to all his own opinions, of wifdom, orflrength or parts : I fay, there is no man which is a true Prophet or a Mcilmger from God till then : For all the Prophets andEmbafadoursfromGod come thus quali- fied 57 i Cor.3.6 Verf. 7. Cor. 3.7 Hab. z: i

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