Infer. 2. Many persons, who lay aside other Business, spend much time, and take much pains to hear the best Preachers, but they either not proposing, or not pursuing a right end, renders all they do worse than nothing; and they drop into Hell, while they seem to be knocking at Heaven door. We read of five thousand Men, besides Women and Children; ⟨image 7⟩(may we not moderately reckon the Women and Children to double the number?)(b) these poor people when they came from home took Provision with them for several days, drank Water, lay several nights upon the ground in the open Fields, staid after their Victuals was s•ent, till they were scarce able to get home for faintness; all this appears by having Baskets so ready to gather up the Fragments; whereas in the Wilderness there was none to be bought or borrowed. But alas! How few of this Ten Thousand were then savingly Converted? We read not of any great numbers of Converts by Christs Preaching, for Christ but covertly and sparingly discovered himself to be the Messiah, least he should hinder the main thing he came into the World for, viz. to dye for sinners; for(c) had they known him, they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory. Besides, Christ told his Disciples,(d) their Preaching should be followed with the Conversion of more Souls, than his. Pause a little, and think, how many will tell Christ they have heard him Preach in their streets, and they have followed him into the Wilderness; they have there wanted their sleep in the night, and gone with a hungry belly in the day, for which Christ fed them by Miracle; and yet Christ will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity(e). Let me follow these Inferences with a word or two of,
Infer. 2. Many persons, who lay aside other Business, spend much time, and take much pains to hear the best Preachers, but they either not proposing, or not pursuing a right end, renders all they do worse than nothing; and they drop into Hell, while they seem to be knocking at Heaven door. We read of five thousand Men, besides Women and Children; ⟨image 7⟩(may we not moderately reckon the Women and Children to double the number?)(b) these poor people when they came from home took Provision with them for several days, drank Water, lay several nights upon the ground in the open Fields, staid after their Victuals was s•ent, till they were scarce able to get home for saintness; all this appears by having Baskets so ready to gather up the Fragments; whereas in the Wilderness there was none to be bought or borrowed. But alas! How few of this Ten Thousand were then savingly Converted? We read not of any great numbers of Converts by Christs Preaching, for Christ but covertly and sparingly discovered himself to be the Messiah, least he should hinder the main thing he came into the World for, viz. to dye for sinners; for(c) had they known him, they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory. Besides, Christ told his Disciples,(d) their Preaching should be followed with the Conversion of more Souls, than his. Pauze a little, and think, how many will tell Christ they have heard him Preach in their streets, and they have followed him into the Wilderness; they have there wanted their sleep in the night, and gone with a hungry belly in the day, for which Christ fed them by Miracle; and yet Christ will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity(e). Let me follow these Inferences with a word or two of,
- (b)Mat. 14.15. &c. and 15.32. &c.
- (c)1 Cor. 2.8.
- (d)Joh. 14.12.
- (e)Lu. 13.26, 27.
