The gallants burden A sermon preached at Pauls Cross, the twenty nine of March,…The gallants burden A sermon preached at Paules Crosse, the twentie nine of March,…

1. The Word of the Lord is to the Prophets a heavy Burden till they are delivered of it: there is no rest in the bones to the surcharged Conscience, no more then to the pregnant Woman till she be eased: I confess, that Security, Vanity, abundance of Wealth, setting their shoulders to this Burden, make many a Prophet forgo all sense of the weight: Jonah laden with his Commission for Nineveh, lay as securely in the sides of the Ship, as if the God of Israel had laid no Burden on him: but himself was a Burden to the Ship, and the fury of the Waves, Winds, and his Anger that moves all, was not appeased, till the Ship was disburdened of Jonah, that had disburdened himself of the Message of God. Let me speak it with grief and fear; We are the sons of those Prophets, (I mean) their successors in Gods Ministerial work: and the ⟨p. 4⟩Word of the eternal God is no lighter a Burden to us then it was to them: nay let me add (that, which is not to be thought of without trembling) there is the Burden of a Curse threatened to them that neglect this Burden; Cursed is he that doth Gods business negligently. Least I should seem bitter in applying this too generally, let me freely speak what Paul applies to his own person, if he slighted this ponderous charge: A necessity (which is no less then a Burden) is laid upon me, and woe unto me, if I preach not the Gospel.

1. The Word of the Lord is to the Prophets a heauy Burden till they are deliuered of it: there is no rest in the bones to the surcharged Conscience, no more then to the pregnant Woman till she be eased: I confesse, that Securitie, Vanitie, abundance of Wealth, setting their shoulders to this Burden, make many a Prophet forgoe all sense of the weight: Ionas loden with his Commission for Niniueh, lay as securely in the sides of the Shippe, as if the God of Israel had layd no Burden on him: but himselfe was a Burden to the Shippe, and the furie of the Waues, Windes, and his Anger that mooues all, was not appeased, till the Shippe was disburthened of Ionas, that had disburthened himselfe of the Message of God. Let me speake it with griefe and feare; We are the sonnes of those Prophets, (I meane) their successors in Gods Ministeriall worke: and the ⟨p. 4⟩Word of the eternall God is no lighter a Burden to vs then it was to them: nay let me adde (that, which is not to be thought of without trembling) there is the Burden of a Curse threatned to them that neglect this Burden; Cursed is hee that doth Gods businesse negligently. Least I should seeme bitter in applying this too generally, let me freely speake what Paul applyes to his owne person, if he slighted this ponderous charge: A necessitie (which is no lesse then a Burden) is layd vpon me, and woe vnto me, if I preach not the Gospell.