A Christian Directory

§. 4. And it must needs be a very proud or stupid heart that can be so insensible of its own infirmity, sinfulness and necessity, as to think the weakest dullest Minister may serve their turns, and that they are able to keep up their life, and vigour, and watchfulness, and fruitfulness, with any little ordinary help: I cannot but fear such men know not what the power and efficacy of the Word upon the heart and conscience meaneth: nor what it is to live a life of faith and holiness, and to watch the heart, and walk with God. If they did, they could not but find so much difficulty herein, and so much backwardness and unskilfulness in themselves hereto, as would make them feel the necessity of the greatest helps; And it could not be but they must feel the difference between a clear and quickening Sermon, and an ignorant, heartless, dead discourse, that is spoken as i• a man were talking in his sleep, or of a matter that he never understood, nor had experience of.

§. 4. And it must needs be a very proud or stupid heart that can be so insensible of its own infirmity, sinfulness and necessity, as to think the weakest dullest Minister may serve their turns, and that they are able to keep up their life, and vigour, and watchfuless, and fruitfulness, with any little ordinary help: I cannot but fear such men know not what the power and efficacy of the Word upon the heart and conscience meaneth: nor what it is to live a life of faith and holiness, and to watch the heart, and walk with God. If they did, they could not but find so much difficulty herein, and so much backwardness and unskilfulness in themselves hereto, as would make them feel the necessity of the greatest helps; And it could not be but they must feel the difference between a clear and quickning Sermon, and an ignorant, heartless, dead discourse, that is spoken as i• a man were talking in his sleep, or of a matter that he never understood, nor had experience of.

§. 5. Alas, how apt are the best to cool, if they be not kept warm by a powerful Ministry? How apt to lose the hatred of sin, the tenderness of conscience, the fervency in prayer, the zeal and fullness in edifying discourse, and the delights and power of heavenly Meditations, which before we had? How apt is faith to stagger if it be not powerfully underpropped by the helpers of our faith? How hardly do we keep up the heat of Love, the confidence of Hope, the resolution and fullness of obedience, without the help of a powerful Ministry? Nay, how hardly do we do our part in these, in any tolerable sort, even while we have the clearest liveliest helps, that are ordinarily to be had? And can any that are not blind and proud, imagine that they are so holy and good, that they are above the necessity of such assistance, and that the weakest breath is enough to kindle the fire of holy Love and eal, and keep them in the fear and obedience of God? Alas, we are under languishing weakness, and must be dieted with the best, or we shall soon decay: we are Cripples, and cannot go or stand without our Crutches? And there must be some savour of the Spirit in him that will be fit to make us spiritual, and some savour of faith and love in him, that would kindle faith and love in us: and he must speak clearly and convincingly that will be understood, and will prevail with such as we; And he must speak feelingly, that would make us feel, and speak seriously, that would be much regarded by us, and would make us serious.