Use 2 1The second use discovereth unto us the fearful estate and miserable condition of those that have lived a long time under a powerful ministry, and yet have not found their souls fitted and prepared for the Lord by the same; it is a fearful suspicion that God will never confer any good to that soul: he that hath lived under a powerful ministry many years, and yet is not wrought upon and framed to the truth o• God, it cannot be certainly concluded, but it is greatly to be suspected, that the means will never profit that man, Look as it is with the Master Carpenter,2 when he hath turned every piece of timber, and taken what he will for his turn, he tells them that be under him, Let this be hewed, and this be framed and made fit for the building; afterward he finds one piece broken, and another cracked, and another knotty: Why what? saith he, here is no squaring of it, these pieces are fit ⟨p. 89⟩for nothing but for the burning, they are fit for no place in the building. Oh take heed, when Gods ministers have been cutting and hewing, now exhorting, now persuading, now cutting the heart with reproofs, and yet find here a cracked heart, and there a stubborn soul, that will not be squared to the Word, least then the Lord should say; These will never be fitted and prepared for me, they are fit for nothing but for the fire. Oh take heed of it, he that will not be fitted for grace shall be made a fire brand in hell for ever: and therefore go home you that have lived under a powerful ministry, and are not yet prepared, go home, I say, and reason with your own souls, & plead with your own hearts, and say, Lord, why am not I yet humbled and prepared? shall I stand at this hacking and hewing, and never be framed? Such a man, and such a man, that was stubborn, was wrought upon, the Lord hath brought him upon his knees: there was another drunkard so wicked, and so profane, that all the world gave him for lost many days a gone, and yet the Lord hath brought him home, and he is become a broken hearted Christian. Nay, if the Devil himself had had those means that I have had, and any hope of mercy, he would have been bettered by it; those reproofs, those instructions, those admonitions which I have had, would have done the ⟨p. 90⟩Devil himself good. But what shall I think that am not fitted and prepared for Christ by this great means?
Vse 2 1The second use discovereth unto us the fearefull estate and miserable condition of those that have lived a long time under a powerfull ministery, and yet have not found their soules fitted and prepard for the Lord by the same; it is a fearefull suspicion that God will never conferre any good to that soule: he that hath lived under a powerfull ministery many yeeres, and yet is not wrought upon and framed to the truth o• God, it cannot be certainly concluded, but it is greatly to be suspected, that the meanes will never profit that man, Looke as it is with the Master Carpenter,2 when he hath turned every peece of timber, and taken what he will for his turne, hee tells them that bee under him, Let this be hewed, and this be framed and made fit for the building; afterward he finds one piece broken, and another crackt, and another knottie: Why what? saith he, here is no squaring of it, these peices are fit ⟨p. 89⟩for nothing but for the burning, they are fit for no place in the building. Oh take heed, when Gods ministers have been cutting and hewing, now exhorting, now perswading, now cutting the heart with reproofes, and yet finde here a crackt heart, and there a stubborne soule, that will not be squared to the Word, least then the Lord should say; These will never be fitted and prepared for me, they are fit for nothing but for the fire. Oh take heed of it, he that will not be fitted for grace shall be made a fire brand in hel for ever: and therefore goe home you that haue lived under a powerful ministerie, and are not yet prepared, go home, I say, and reason with your own souls, & plead with your own hearts, and say, Lord, why am not I yet humbled and prepared? shall I stand at this hacking and hewing, and never be framed? Such a man, and such a man, that was stubborne, was wrought upon, the Lord hath brought him upon his knees: there was another drunkard so wicked, and so profane, that all the world gave him for lost many dayes a gone, and yet the Lord hath brought him home, and hee is become a broken hearted Christian. Nay, if the Devill himselfe had had those meanes that I have had, and any hope of mercy, he would have beene bettered by it; those reproofes, those instructions, those admonitions which I have had, would have done the ⟨p. 90⟩Devill himselfe good. But what shall I think that am not fitted and prepared for Christ by this great means?
- 1Fearful is their estate, whom a powerful Ministry works not upon.Fearefull is their estate, whom a powerfull Ministery workes not upon.
- 2Simile.
