even so it is here with the Ministers, little good will they do if they do only explicate, if they do only draw out the sword of the Spirit: for unless they apply it unto the peoples hearts particularly, little good may the people expect, little good shall the Minister do. A common kind of teaching when the Minister doth speak only hoveringly, and in the general, and never applies the word of God particularly, may be compared ⟨p. 74⟩to the confused noise that was in the ship wherein Jonah was, when the winds blew, and the sea raged, and a great storm began to arise. The poor Mariners strove with might and main, and they did endeavour by all means possible to bring the ship to the shore: every one cried unto his god, and cast their wares in to the sea, and all this while Jonah was fast asleep in the ship, but when the Mariners came down, and plucked him up, and said Arise thou sleeper, and asked him, Who art thou? whence art thou? what is thy name? call upon thy God, lest we perish. When they thus behaved themselves toward Jonah, then he was awakened and roused out of his sleep. The common delivery of the word is like that confused noise: there is matter of heaven, of hell, of grace, of sin spoken of, there is a common noise, and all this while men sit and sleep carelessly, and never look about them, but rest secure: but when particular application comes, that shakes a sinner, as the Pilot did Jonah, and asks him, What assurance of Gods mercy hast thou? what hope of pardon of sins, of life, and happiness hereafter? You are baptized, and so were many that are in hell: you come to Church, and so did many that are in hell: but what is your conversation in the mean time? Is that holy in the sight of God and man? When the Ministers of God ⟨p. 75⟩shake men, and take them up on this fashion then they begin to stir up themselves,1 and to consider of their estates. This general and common kind of teaching is like an indictment without a name: if a man should come to the assizes, and make a great exclamation and have no name to his indictment, alas, no man is troubled with it, no man fears it, no man shall receive any punishment by reason of it. So it is with this common kind of preaching, it is an indictment without a name.
even so it is here with the Ministers, little good will they doe if they doe onely explicate, if they doe onely draw out the sword of the Spirit: for unlesse they apply it unto the peoples hearts particularly, little good may the people expect, little good shall the Minister doe. A common kind of teaching when the Minister doth speake onely hoveringly, and in the generall, and never applies the word of God particularly, may be compared ⟨p. 74⟩to the confused noise that was in the ship wherin Ionah was, when the winds blew, and the sea raged, and a great storme began to arise. The poore Marriners strove with might and maine, and they did endevour by all meanes possible to bring the ship to the shore: every one cried unto his god, and cast their wares in to the sea, and all this while Ionas was fast asleepe in the ship, but when the Marriners came down, and plucked him up, and said Arise thou sleeper, and asked him, Who art thou? whence art thou? what is thy name? call upon thy God, lest we perish. When they thus behaved themselues toward Ionah, then he was awakened and rowsed out of his sleepe. The common delivery of the word is like that confused noise: there is matter of heaven, of hell, of grace, of sin spoken of, there is a common noise, and all this while men sit and sleep carelesly, and never looke about them, but rest secure: but when particular application comes, that shakes a sinner, as the Pilot did Ionah, and askes him, What assurance of Gods mercy hast thou? what hope of pardon of sinnes, of life, and happinesse hereafter? You are baptized, and so were many that are in hell: you come to Church, and so did many that are in hell: but what is your conversation in the mean time? Is that holy in the sight of God and man? When the Ministers of God ⟨p. 75⟩shake men, and take them up on this fashion then they begin to stirre up themselues,1 and to consider of their estates. This generall and common kind of teaching is like an enditement without a name: if a man should come to the assizes, and make a great exclamation and have no name to his enditement, alas, no man is troubled with it, no man feares it, no man shall receive any punishment by reason of it. So it is with this common kind of preaching, it is an enditement without a name.
- 1Simile.
