An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…

2. And as to our own Preaching, I confess we have little cause to boast of it. For my own part God knoweth I have seldom come out of the Pulpit without some grief and self-accusation, that I should stand there to speak as a Minister of Christ about so great a matter as the everlasting Salvation of the peoples souls, and that to men that are almost dying, and must shortly be all in an unchangeable state, where there is no more time of preparation for their final doom, and yet that I should speak with no more wisdom, life and fervency. That I do not every time importune the hearers with the greatest seriousness that my soul can reach unto, and with tears beseech the impenitent to consider, and with earnestness awaken stupid souls, at least to some regard of their Salvation, (though I were never so much derided for all this with all the reproaches that blinded malicious wit can invent) The Lord knoweth that if it had not been for the undeniable necessities of the world, which hath not enow that are fitter than my self, (though very unworthy) I had never entered into the Sacred Ministry; and after I was entered I had soon repented of it. We have upon our selves so penitent a sense of our own neglects, that hindereth us from flying in the face of those that silence us. We use not to others (whatever we now say to your selves) to talk of your faults herein so much as of our own. And we daily beg of God to pardon us, that we speak no more wisely and importunately in so great a case when we had time. And that we did not watch more diligently over the peoples souls, and teach them publicly, and from house to house day and night, in season and out of season, even with tears. And we daily pray that those that come in our ⟨p. 71⟩places may be better than we have been, and may take warning by us, to be more studious and laborious.

2. And as to our own Preaching, I confess we have little cause to boast of it. For my own part God knoweth I have seldom come out of the Pulpit without some grief and self-accusation, that I should stand there to speak as a Minister of Christ about so great a matter as the everlasting Salvation of the peoples souls, and that to men that are almost dying, and must shortly be all in an unchangeable state, where there is no more time of preparation for their final doom, and yet that I should speak with no more wisdom, life and servency. That I do not every time importune the hearers with the greatest seriousness that my soul can reach unto, and with tears beseech the impenitent to consider, and with earnestness awaken stupid souls, at least to some regard of their Salvation, (though I were never so much derided for all this with all the reproaches that blinded malicious wit can invent) The Lord knoweth that if it had not been for the undeniable necessities of the world, which hath not enow that are fitter than my self, (though very unworthy) I had never entered into the Sacred Ministry; and after I was entered I had soon repented of it. We have upon our selves so penitent a sense of our own neglects, that hindereth us from flying in the face of those that silence us. We use not to others (whatever we now say to your selves) to talk of your faults herein so much as of our own. And we daily beg of God to pardon us, that we speak no more wisely and importunately in so great a case when we had time. And that we did not watch more diligently over the peoples souls, and teach them publickly, and from house to house day and night, in season and out of season, even with tears. And we daily pray that those that come in our