Christs Alarm to Drowsy Saints, Sermon 12
REVEL. 3. 1.
And art Dead.
THeſe words are a part of the Epiſtle, that Chriſt ſent to the Miniſters and Church of Sardis. Ye have heard the inſcription, to the Angel of the Church in Sardis write. Ye have heard too of the ſubſcription, Theſe things ſaith he that hath the ſeven ſpirits of God, and the ſeven Starres. We are come to the Subject matter, and therein firſt to the reproof in generall, I know thy workes: and ſecondly to the partculars of the reproof. The firſt particular was this, Thou haſt a name that thou liveſt: all theſe have been delivered already, now followes the ſecond particular reproof, And art dead. Here the queſtion is, what Chriſt meanes by dead. By dead, he does not mean dead in errors and hereſies, though theſe be called deadly poyſons, and may make a Church dead. For the truth is called the word of life, Phil. 2. 16. and wholeſome Doctrine, as the Apoſtle cals it, and ergo errors and hereſies, theſe poyſon & dead any people that drink them in. But this cannot be the meaning here, for we ſee no ſuch thing here laid to their charge, it ſhould ſeeme this Church was an orthodox Church; neither by dead does he meane prophane wicked manners, though they make a people dead too, as we ſee the prodigall Sonne that had been given to prophane and diſſolute courſes, his Father ſayes, he was dead in thoſe dayes, Luke 15. 24. Yet this cannot be the meaning neither; for this Church had a name to live, and it had this name among the Churches of Jeſus Chriſt, which had more wit, then to Judge them to be alive, if they had been ſo palpably wicked; no, it ſeemes they were an excellent Church to ſee to, a good Miniſtry to ſee to, but both dead; ſo then this is the meaning. For all their ſeeming to be alive, they were indeed dead; as the Apoſtle ſayes of himſelfe, before he was quickned by Chriſt Jeſus, He was dead▪ ſin revived, and I dyed Rom. 7. 9. yet he was as jolly a good man as any other, and yet he confeſſes he was dead; ſo they were dead for the moſt part; and thoſe that were not all out dead, yet they were deadhearted, and without life in Gods wayes. For as it was with the Moraller Heathen they did the things contained in the Law, yet they were dead; ſo a people may doe the things contained in the Goſpell too, and yet be dead; people may beleeve; yet as Iames ſayes, their ſaith be dead ſaith, Jam. 2. 26. namely when their faith is without works, ſo people may have goodly works, for the morall part of them, and yet doe them with a dead heart; to be ſober and temperate, and loving, and chaſte and civilly humble, and meek and diligent in their calling▪ and known to frequent all the ordinances of God, in publik & in private, theſe are outwardly good works▪ and yet may be in the number of thoſe works that the Apoſtle cals dead works, Heb. 6. …. namely when there is no life of God in them. Thouſands deceive themſelves in this, when they have a kinde of faith, and a kind of particular faith, and ſuch works as theſe flowing from their faith, they think this to be a lively faith▪ no, no, a man may be dead for all that. This truth will not ſink into mens minds; fancies, fancies ſay they▪ theſe are nothing but the whimſes of a company of giddy …raines; what would they have? if this be not true religion we wonder what is; thus they jear theſe things but beloved tis certain; for it is not enough to beleive, except we do it with life, he that liveth, and beleeveth in me Joh. 11. 26. faith without life is but equivocally termed faith; ſo it is not enough to hope in God, except we doe it with life; he hath begetten us againe to a lively hope ſays Peter. So it is not enough to be a member in Gods Church, a Stone in Gods building, except we be lively Stones, Ye alſo as lively Stones ſayes he, 1 Pet. 2. 5. The like I may ſay of all the duties of Religion, it is not enough to doe them, but we muſt doe them with life, as to pray, to pray with a dead heart is nothing; no ſayes David, Lord quicken us and we will call upon thy name, Pſal. 80. 18. In a word not to heape particulars; we cannot walk in any of Gods wayes aright as long as we walke in them with a dead heart, as the pſalmiſt ſayes; Lord quicken thou me in thy way, Pſal. 119. 37. it is a poore thing to walk in Gods wayes onelyonly for the matter of them; That indeed a dead heart may doe, there's no duty that God bids a man doe, unleſſe it be them that conſignifie life, but fleſh and blood may doe it, for the matter of it, if there be matter and forme in it. True, ſome duties are ſimple that fleſh and blood cannot doe, as to love God, to delight in God, to have communion with God himſelf; to take God for ones Portion and Lot, and inheritance, & to be all in all to him, theſe are ſimple acts, they are not compounded of matter and forme. But when a duty is compounded of matter and forme, fleſh and blood may doe the matter of it, whatſoever it be; now then as the eſſentiall forme is the life of the matter, ſo the matter without it is a dead matter; and the doing of it dead.
Well then now we ſee what is meant by dead; the next is, what is the meaning of Thou? Thou art dead, the word hath a double relation, the one to the Miniſter of the Church in Sardis; thou art dead, thy Miniſtry is dead; the other to the Church in Sardis it ſelfe: thou art dead, thou art a dead people. Firſt it hath relation to the Miniſtry, thou art dead, thy Miniſtry is dead, there's no life in it at all; hence the Doctrine is this, that a dead Miniſtry is as good as no Miniſtry at all, for this our SaviourDect. meanes, in regard of the Angell of the Church in Sardis q. d. thy Miniſtry is little better then no Miniſtry; it is ſtark dead well neare, it is not lively at all, there is little or no warmth to be had by it. Like the Miniſtry of the Scribes that had no authority nor power at all in it Mat. 7. 29. As Luther ſaid when he heard a cold Sermon, cold, cold, cold, ſayes he, this is cold Preaching, here is no heat at all to be gotten; as God ſayes of the Miniſtry of Laodicia; Thou art luke-warme, Rom. 3. 16. that is, as there was no heat in his people, ſo there was no heat in his Miniſtry; this is little better then no Preaching at all, it is even as good as nothing. Firſt, becauſe true preaching is lively preaching when the Miniſter is a ſtirring Miniſter, as Peter ſpeakes, I think it meet to ſtirre you up, a Pet. 1. 13. when the Miniſter is earneſt to ſave the peoples ſoules; as the Lord ſayes, I earneſtly proteſted to your Fathers, Jer. 11. 7. He ſpeakes of the Miniſtry of Moſes and the prophets down along untill the Prophet Jeremies time; they did not onelyonly witneſſe the word of God unto the people, but they did it in a lively and earneſt manner; as Paul did, I have ſtriven to Preach the Goſpell, Rom. 15. 20. marke he belaboured him in the Pulpit, he lay about him ſoundly, that his Miniſtry might have life in it. Saint Luke ſhewes, that he had ſweaty Handker-chiefes, Act. 19. 12. foreign, as Hugo ſayes upon the place, it ſeemes he ſwet much in preaching, and ſo Chriſt compares Miniſters to Harveſt men, that labour in Gods Harveſt; ye know Harveſt men are hot at their worke, ſo Miniſters ſhould be Harveſt men, they ſhould be hot at their worke. Thus ye ſee dry and dull Preaching is little better then no preaching at all, it is contrary to the manner of preaching, contrary to the practice of all true and right preachers.
Secondly, a dead Miniſtry is called no Miniſtry; the2 Scripture calls it no Miniſtry in effect. The Scripture is the beſt Judge what is a true Miniſtry, and what is not? now the Scripture makes a dead Miniſtry, and no Miniſtry all one: the Scribes and the Phariſees, ye know were partly morall men moſt of them, as we may ſee by Pauls Teſtimony of himſelf, and they were orthodox Miniſters, as our Saviour witneſſes of them in the maine, for our Saviour bids people heare them, yet their Miniſtry was little better then no Miniſtry; as the Text ſhewes, the people that ſate under their Miniſtry, are ſaid to be as ſheep having no Shepheard, Mat. 9. 36. they preacht as if they did not preach; people might come to their Sermons and be neere a jot moved; nay, ſuch as came with a deſire to be quickned, could get no quickning at all under them, Matthew ſayes they ſate under darkneſſe yet for all them. Theſe are Idoll Sheepheards; wo to the Idoll Shepheards, Zach. 11. 17.
Thirdly, a dead Miniſtry does doe little or no good;3. though it be never ſo true, yet it is very unfruitfull; it does not awaken any of the auditory, it does not ſtartle any of the hearers, it does not rowze up mens hearts, it does not grapple with the obſtinate, it does not pull down the proud, neither does it carry life at all with it, neither is it ſitted to work upon the conſcience; you may ſee an example of this in the Angell of the Church of Sardic. a dead Miniſter, a dead people, as he was dead himſelfe, ſo his people were dead too; a lively Miniſtry does a great deale of good, it even is the ſaveur of life unto life unto thoſe that be of God, or elſe the ſavour of death unto death, unto thoſe that be not of God, 2 Cor. 2. 16. it ever workes one way, either it makes people rage, or it fats people up, or elſe it drives people home unto God; which way ſo ever it works, it is a ſweet ſavour unto God, it glorifies God; but a dead Miniſtry does neither, it is a flat weapon and cuts not, it is a blunt Sword and wounds not; may be it hath the true words of God, but they are not in a wiſe work mans hands to make them as Goads and ſharp Nayles; partly good points, but not pointed to prick any bodies heart; it is ſaid when Paul Preacht, ſome went away converted, others went away blaſpheming, Act. 13. 45. 48.
Fourthly, a dead Miniſtry, God ſeldom goes along4. with it, nay, that's the life of a Miniſtry, when the Miniſter ſeekes God to goe along with him; now a dead Miniſtry God goes not along with it, a lively Miniſtery Chriſt goes along with it, So I am with you to the end of the world, Matth. 28. 20. if there be any of Chriſts ſheep in the pariſh, a lively Miniſtery does aſſuredly one time or other finde them out; thoſe that are not Chriſt his ſheep, a lively Miniſtry hewes them all downe, ſlayes all their Souls, ripens them apace for hell and for the pit. But a dead Miniſtry, the Lord does not goe along with that, the Lord does not Crowne it.
Fifthly, a dead Miniſtry prophanes the word of God, it makes it ſeeme nothing worth; it does not hold forth5. the glory of the Lord, nay, it hides it, & keeps it from being ſeen, either by dwelling upon Generals, and whats that but hiding? for people will confeſſe the word in generall, they ſee it the generall, all their blindneſſe is in particulars, there they ſlip away, like Fiſh out of a broad Net; or elſe by delivering it ſo coldly, that people think it no great matter; a lively Miniſtry holds forth it lets out God into the conſcience, it gives people to underſtand they come upon life and death, it makes people looke about them, it makes people conſider all that ever they have done, it ſlaſhes the word of God into their hearts, as a light to diſcover all their wayes; it gives them a view of their Chriſtian eſtate, either one way or other; as it is ſaid of Pauls Miniſtry, The word of the Lord was glorified by it, Act. 13. 48. But a dead Miniſtry prophanes it, it vailes the glory of it, it lets people ſit quiet under it; it diſeaſes no ſinner, where as if it glorified Gods word, it would either trouble them, or turne them.
The uſe of this is, firſt here we ſee the reaſon why aVſe 1. dead Miniſtry is not houted at but applauded in the world; why, it is as good as no Miniſtry at all; it does not make the devill roar, it lets people ſleep in their ſins; whereas a lively Miniſtry can hardly come into a pulpit but preſently he is halfe a martyr, Briers and Thornes were with Ezechiel, Ezek. 2. 6. lively Miniſters cannot give the world any good content; they fought againſt Jeremy, they played the wolves againſt the Apoſtles of Jeſus. Iohn the Baptiſt was counted too ſterne and auſtere, and Luther ſayes it is impoſſible for a man to be a true lively preacher of Gods word and not be perſecuted; there's an utter antipathy between the world and ſuch a one, the world and ſuch a Miniſter can no better agree together then light and darkneſſe; ſuch a Miniſtry ſtands in the worlds light, it makes the world ſee their works are evill, it detects, it ſhames, it oppoſes their ſinnes that the world tumbles in, as Chriſt ſayes, I have given them thy word, and the world hates them becauſe they are not of the world, Joh. 17. 14 & therefore there cannot be a lively Miniſtry any where, but the world hath a ſling at it; but now let a man have a dead Miniſtry, thats let alone, that may ſtand long enough; that never comes home to men to ſhew them their ill eſtates, the devils dawbers, the devils upholſters, that doe not pluck mens pillowes away from under their armeholes, that deale gently with men, and they may do what they liſt for all them, theſe are the worlds minions, and applauded at all hands; what a thing is this? whereas a dead Miniſtry is the undoing of mens ſoules; it lets men periſh and never drawes them back.
Secondly, this may ſerve to reprove us, that areUſe 2. the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, I deſire to ſpeak to my ſelf, eſpecially that we are no more lively in our Miniſtry; that our Miniſtry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick skin age: we complaine of much deadneſſe now a dayes; alack how if we be found guilty of it, that we preach no more quickningly! I confeſſe, bleſſed be God we have ſo much lively preaching left yet among us, that woe be to them that are dead and have to grace of life. But O that our Miniſtry had more lively-hood in it; that it were more exciting, and provoking. Iſ the Apoſtles of Chriſt complained of dull hearers, Heb. 5. 11. how many dull hearers have we! why then ſhall we make our ſoules guilty of their dulneſſe? the deader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Miniſtry, or elſe we cannot ſay we are pure from their blood don't we ſee how many people are very neer the Children of wrath; how they cannot be ſaved except they be juſtified and ſanctified in Jeſus Chriſt; how few are ſo; how hard a thing it is to awaken mens hearts; nay, the world and the cares of this life, carry their minds quite and cleane away; how ſcarce any almoſt ſeriouſly conſider their latter end? don't we ſee how the devill tempts, how the fleſh and the world reigne in moſt, and how little religion we have up and down? the Saints ſcarce, the wicked many; times very bad, the ſhortneſſe of life, the irrecoverable eſtate after death? the immortality of the ſoule, the paines of hell, and the joyes of heaven, and how that without holineſſe no man ſhall ſee God, how ſhould we beſtirre our ſelves to beat theſe truths into mens minds, that they may be bethinke themſelves and flee from the wrath to come? The cold preaching of ſuch weighty things cleane cozens the world, ſo that they hardly conceive any great matter in the buſineſſe; live and dye, & periſh for ever in their ſinnes, and we give them ſuch faint warnings, that no wonder ſo few do take any warning; we found the trumpet too too low, that ſcarce any almoſt prepare themſelves; we come into the pulpit, but we doe little or no thing there, may be we preach good doctrine, but we doe not preſſe it to the quick, that the conſcience may feele; we doe not bleed for our peoples ſecurity, and though they do not heare, how little does our ſoul weep in ſecret or melt in publik? Bucolcerus that admirable lively preacher, was wont to ſay, that a Miniſter ſhould preach flebiliter, obſecratorie, anxie, humiliter, expectore, cum gemitu; that is, a Miniſter ſhould preach mournfully over peoples ſoules, beſeechingly, anxiouſly, humbly, heartily, groningly; as it is ſaid of our Saviour Chriſt, he groned for the peoples unbeliefe; now when our Miniſtry is deadiſh, as though we cared not much whether people doe our doctrine or no, whether they be damned or no; this is a lamentable thing. The poore ſoules of our hearers may ſay to us, as the diſciples of Chriſt ſaid to Chriſt, and more juſtly, they ſaid it unjuſtly to him, Maſter careſt thou not that we periſh? Mark 4. 38. he was aſleep, and they awakened him, Maſter careſt thou not that we periſh? more juſtly may our people ſay ſo to us, O ſirs, doe not ye care that we periſh? they may even come and awaken us, Sirs, Care ye not that we periſh? doe not you ſee how dead we are, how heardned, how Ignorant of God, how empty of grace, how backward to that which is good; how prone to looſe our ſoules; and doe not you care that we periſh? why doe not you labour more to quicken us, and move us, and to drive us out of our by wayes, that we may come into the right way and live? when Archippus was ſomewhat dead in his Miniſtry, Saint Paul bids the people of Coloſſe to goe and awaken him; ſay to Archippus, Take heed to the Miniſtry which thou haſt received in the Lord that thou fulfill it, Col. 4. 17. well then.
Thirdly, another uſe is an uſe of exhortation, that weUſe 3. labour for a quickning Miniſtry, that our Miniſtry be a reviving ordinance of God; that we may as Eſay ſay, though Iſrael be not gathered, yet ſhall I be glorious, Iſa. 49. 5. ſo though our people be not quick end yet ſhall we be glorious, we have done what in us lyes for to quicken them.
Conſider firſt, this is the end of all true Miniſters1. preaching, that they may bring life into the hearers hearts; as the Prophet ſayes, Heare, and your ſoules ſhall live, Iſa. 55. 3. wherefore elſe doe we preach, but that the dead may heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live? people are alive to that which they ſhould be dead unto, and they are dead to that which they ſhould be alive unto, they are alive to the world, and the things of the world, and dead to God and all goodneſſe, dead to the humbling of their ſoules, dead to the ſeeking of God, dead to Prayer, dead to the holy communion of the Saints, dead to holy comfort and meditation, and what ever elſe may doe their ſoules good? now wherefore doe we preach, if not to quicken up your hearts, that your ſoules may live for ever; they have knowledge already, more knowledge then they are quickened up to; our maine intention then ſhould be to quicken them up to doe what they know; are we not ſowers of ſeed? why then we ſhould moſt labour ſo to plow and harrow and till the ground, that our ſeed may quicken; this is the very end of preaching, that our hearers may heare and live.
Secondly, as it is the end of all true Miniſters preaching2. ſo it is the nature of all true and right preaching; either to quicken, or to be a fitted inſtrument of quickening; when David heard the word, it quickened his heart, thy word hath quicken me, Pſal. 119. 50. and indeed it is never heard nor preacht aright, unleſſe it be in a quickning way; & therefore let us not think it is only the taking of a Text, and the ſpeaking of good and wholſome truths, but let us ever remember what right preaching is, that our Miniſtry be quickning, that God may affect our ſoules, and accompany our words, and teach us how to go beyond the policy of mens hearts, and direct us how to drive the truth home to the quick, to anſwer the evaſions of fleſh and blood, and ſo put his live coale into our ſpeeches, that our Sermons may be warming.
Thirdly, let us conſider this is onelyonly profitable preaching;3. we may preach all the dayes of our life, and our people ſtird no more then a mill-poſt, unleſſe our Miniſtry be quickening; they may heare what we ſay, but unleſſe we could quicken their hearts, they will forget all again; it may be they may remember the doctrin, but I meane they will forget to doe what they heare; it is the quickening that makes any remember to practiſe; as David ſays, I will never forget thy precepts, for with them theu haſt quichened me, Pſal. 119. 93. we can never forget that friend whom our hearts doe moſt dearely affect; ſo when our Miniſtry doth quicken and affect peoples hearts, they will never forget what they have heard; The quickening of the come in the earth, makes it the faſter in the earth, it twiſts about the earth, it gets a rooting if it quicken; ſo it is with our Sermons, if they be quickening, they get about peoples ſoules, and will not out againe; otherwiſe they are never the nearer.
Fourthly, let us conſider this kinde of preaching onelyonly4. will yeeld us true comfort; when our Miniſtry is lively in our pariſh, as Paul was at Epheſus; when we can ſay to our people, You hath God quickened by us, as he ſayes, you hath he quickened, who were dead, Eph. 2. 1. I dare ſay it was a great comfort to his ſoule, to ſee that his Miniſtry was quickening; nay, if our Miniſtry be quickening, though none be quickened by it, but two or three, nay, though none at all, yet we ſhall have comfort; whereas when we have preacht 1000 times in a dead hearted manner never labouring to creep into mens conſciences, nor to be Miniſters of life, we ſhall have no comfort on our death-beds; nay our owne hearts will tell us, we have preached often indeed, but we never preached Chriſt Jeſus, we never flung our hearts among our people, as one ſaid of the good Biſhop E…lt…n, he flung his heart among his people. But when our conſciences can ſay, we are not hearty for God, we are not earneſt to ſave our peoples ſoules, we did not goe the way to doe them good; this will lye as lead upon our boſomes when we dye.
Fifthly, a dead Miniſtry, is but the bare name of a5 Miniſtry, it is little better then meer voyce; as the Lacedemonian in Plutarch ſaid, when he heard how ſweetly the Nightingall ſang, O thought he, ſurely that Bird is good meat if I had it; and ſo when he took it, and eat it, and found but little meat in it, he ſaid, voxes & praeterea nihil; now I ſee thou art meere voyce and nothing elſe; ſo a dead Miniſtry it may have a great name of a good Miniſtry, and a man may deſire to live under it, O let me live under ſuch a Miniſtry, but when he comes to it, and thinks to receive much benefit by it, he finds it to be little better then a name.
Sixthly, a dead Miniſtry is not a ſigne to our people;6 Miniſters ſhould be ſignes to the people, thus Ezechiel is unto you a ſigne, according as he hath done, ſo ſhall ye doe. A voyce, Ezek 24. 24. true, Iohn the Baptiſt was a voyce, Iſa. 40. 3. I but he was more then a voyce, he was a burning and a ſhining light, there was life and heat in his Miniſtry, he was not a meere voyce. But when ones Miniſtry is but a meere voyce, little good comes of ſuch a Miniſtry.
Fourthly, another uſe is for direction; to ſhew whatVſe 4. a lively Miniſtry is, and how we may have a true lively Miniſtry, that is in one word to preach with affection; as Quintilian ſays of Eloquution, affections are the ſoule and life of Eloqution; ſo I may ſay of preaching, affections are the life of preaching; now by affections, I doe not meane feigned and forced affections, they are no affections indeed, but when a man preaches ſo for the matter and manner indeed, affectionate matter, and with a true affected heart, that he may move the hearts of men; as one ſays the world is now full of knowledge, as a drunkard is full of wine, that his ſtomack is not able to digeſt; ſo I ſay, people have more knowledge, then they can well digeſt, the ſtomack wants heat to concoct it for their good; as Rodolphus Agricola ſpeakes, any man that hath learning may teach; but to move the heart and affections, it requires more a great deale. This is lively preaching, when a Miniſter ſets himſelf to be in mens boſoms; what alively preacher was the Apoſtle Paul, you may ſee by his dealing with Agrippa, he made the Kings heart even yearne againe with his ſpeaking; the King confeſt how his ſpeaking worked within his boſom, almoſt thou perſwadeſt me to be a Chriſtian, Act. 26. 28. ſo you may ſee by the Galatians, his preaching did not onelyonly convert many of them, but thoſe whom he did not convert, he did wonderfully work upon their hearts, that they could have be contented to have pluckt out their eyes, & have given them to him, Gal. 4. 15. ſuch a lively preacher was he in the ſecond of Judges, that when he preacht, he ſet all the people a melting, a weeping, like little children that had been beaten Judg. 2. 4. 5. I grant it may be the beſt and livelieſt Miniſters under heaven cannot do ſo now, peoples hearts are more hardned. But yet though we cannot undertake to move any one mans heart, that's the worke of God, yet our Miniſtry may be lively.
Firſt, by labouring to make the things that we preach1. as it were lively before peoples eyes; as the Apoſtle preached Chriſt crucified, even as if he were crucified before his peoples eyes, Gal. 3. 1. ſo Moſes had a very lively Miniſtry; the Text ſayes, he ſet before them life and death; he laboured to preach with that evidence, as if he had ſet before their eyes life & death, heaven and hell, good and evill; when a Miniſter preaches in the evidence, and the demonſtration of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. 4. when he labours to bring the Goſpell plainly to mens hearts; a man may teach the Goſpell, but it is not preaching, except he ſet it lively forth, and labour to make people ſee it, this is the truth, and this is your ſinne againſt that truth, this is the doctrine, and thus you faile in the doctrine, this is the threatning of God, and thus you lye under the threatning; otherwiſe they heare a Sermon, as if it did not concern them.
Secondly, coming to particulars; generals are but2. dead; we ſee they leave people dead, people have a hundred tricks to put them off; but when a preacher comes to particulars, he either quickens or ſlayes, he convinces either to life or to death; when a Miniſter layes the truth at every mans doore, he preſſes it upon every mans heart, he meets with many a put off, he makes every conſcience, ſay I am the man, except they be aſleep or their minds are a wooll-gathering, he darts into his hearers faces, a view of their particular eſtates; he toucheth their copy-hold, he confutes their falſe pleas, and knocks off the fingers that would be applying of a promiſe when it does not concern them, & puts it onelyonly upon the ſoule to whom it does belong. This is lively preaching, that gives to every ſoule his due, terror to whom teror, comfort to whom comfort belongs; milk to the Babe, ſtrong meat to the grown, oyle to the bruiſed, and a ſword into the hard heart, a whip for the Horſe, and a Bridle for the Aſſe, and a rod for the fooles back, Prov. 26. 3. application is the life of preaching; this ſerves to condemne ſuch a one, this ſerves to confute ſuch a one, this ſerves to comfort ſuch a one, when a Miniſter does as Paul ſayes, divide the word aright, 2 Tim. 2. 15.
Thirdly, by worrying of people out of their ſinnes,3. when a Miniſter will not let people be quiet in any of their ſinfull courſes, when he labours daily to vex their guilty conſciences, and to turne them from day to day, as the two witneſſes did, Rev. 11. 10. that they may ſay, we cannot be quiet for this man, he makes me ſit upon thornes; when a Miniſter labours to make hell to have every vile wretch, and heaven and the promiſes to have every honeſt heart, &c.
Fourthly, by being pittious and affectionate towards the4 poore people, to let them ſee how we pity their condition, as we ſhould doe what we can to make them feele their damned eſtate, as alſo with bowels, and compaſſion, labour that they may ſee we doe pity them, & therefore preaching ſometimes is called lamentation in Scripture, Ezek. 19. 1. it may be people then may ſay, what a beaſt am I; how does our Miniſter pity us! he mourns over us, and bewayles us; what a wretch am I, that I doe not bewayle mine own caſe? O beloved, what a wofull thing is it, that any of us ſhould periſh, to be damned for ever in hell! to lye in eternall paines! what a pity is this? is it not much better ye ſhould embrace the good word of God and beleeve and take Jeſus Chriſt, and be willing to doe any thing he would have you to doe, then to lye by it for ever in the paines of hell, for the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon? alas it is for want of bowels, that we doe no more good.
Fifthly, by being deeply affected with the word of5 God, laying nothing on peoples backs, but what we lift up upon our owne ſhoulders; ſpeaking the truth from the bottom of our hearts, uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite ſpirit. O if we could drop our Sermons as dew down from heaven on our people; this would be lively preaching indeed as the Prophet Ezekiel did, he dropt the word of God upon Ieruſalem, Ezek. 21. 2. ſo if our Sermons did come droping downe from us, as if they dropt downe from heaven. O how coldly doe our Sermons come from our mouthes, we doe not preach as if the word came downe from heaven, as if our hearts were no higher then our pulpits.
Laſtly, by getting the Lord to goe along with our Miniſtry; for it is not our preaching it ſelf that hath any life; no, it is but a dead letter, as Micha ſayes, I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, Mich. 3. 8.