The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.HThe vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H

now there lay a poor lame man at the brink of the waters, and because he was not able to step in, every one stepped in before him, and no man would help him; mark how he complaineth in the seventh verse, I have no man, saith he, when the water is troubled to put me into the pool, but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me; he would fain have got in b• could not: the word of God is like this pool of Bethesda, when the word of God is opened, and plainly and familiarly discovered, when the spirit moveth upon the waters; why put a poor soul into the water, fling the soul of your child, or your servant, or your friend into the pool; persuade what you may, and compel those that are ⟨p. 110⟩under you to come unto the word of God, when the word of God is soundly revealed & delivered; why, put a poor soul into the waters, such a man hath a lame heart, he is lame in his practise, and lame in his praying, and lame in the performance of holy duties, he is a cripple from his cradle; why bring such of your neighbours and put them into the water, and entreat the Lord to work upon them, that the Angel may move from heaven and work conversion and salvation to the souls of them: secondly, as you must labour to bring them under the power of the word, so secondly, when God hath made known his word to the hearts of them, follow you the blow as much as in you lieth; if there be any exhortation, settle it; if there be any admonition, press it; if there be any reproof, apply it home unto their souls; strike thou while the iron is hot; if thy child were touched and enlightened by the word, when the Lord hath strucken his heart, follow thou the blow, when the Lord is pleased to smite his soul, bring thou the blow home unto the heart of him; remember that, Deut. 6.7. there saith the Text, these words which I command thee shall be in thy heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children; the word in the original is, thou shalt sharpen them, thou shalt teach them, that is, thou shalt sharpen them upon the souls of thy children, and upon the souls of thy servants; the Ministers do what they can, and you hear reproofs and exhortations, and when you go out of the Church, leave them in your stools behind you;

now there lay a poore lame man at the brinke of the waters, and because he was not able to step in, every one stepped in before him, and no man would help him; mark how hee complaineth in the seventh verse, I have no man, saith he, when the water is troubled to put me into the poole, but while I am comming, another steppeth downe before me; he would faine have got in b could not: the word of God is like this poole of Bethesda, when the word of God is opened, and plainly and familiarly discovered, when the spirit moveth upon the waters; why put a poore soule into the water, fling the soule of your child, or your servant, or your friend into the poole; perswade what you may, and compell those that are