Brethren, do I now invite you to this work, without God, without the consent of all antiquity, without the consent of the Reformed Divines or without the conviction of your own consciences? See what our late Assembly speak occasionally, in the Directory, about the visitation of the sick, It is the duty of the Minister not only to teach the people committed to his charge in public, but Privately and Particularly to admonish, exhort, reprove and comfort them upon all seasonable occasions, so far as his time, strength, and personal safety will permit. He is to admonish them in time of health to prepare for death: And for that purpose, they are often to confer with their Minister about the estate of their souls, &c. Read this ⟨image 16⟩over again and consider it. Hearken to God if you would have peace with God: Hearken to conscience if you would have peace of conscience. I am resolved to deal plainly with you, if I displease you: It is an unlikely thing that there should be a heart that is sincerely devoted to God in the breast of that man, that after advertisements and exhortations, will not resolve on so clear and great a duty as this is. As it is with our people in hearing the word, so it is with us in teaching: An upright heart is an effectual persuader of them to attend on God in the use of his Ordinances; and an upright heart will as effectually persuade a Minister to his duty: As a good stomach needs no arguments to draw it to a feast, nor will easily by any arguments be taken off: And as a child will love and obey his parents, though he could not answer a Sophister that would persuade him to hate them: so I cannot conceive that he that hath one spark of saving Grace, and so hath that love to God, and delight to do his will, which is in all the sanctified, should possibly be drawn to contradict or refuse such a work as this: except under the power of such a temptation as Peter was when he denied Christ, or when he dissuaded him from suffering, and heard an half excommunication, Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou favourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men, Mat. 16. 22, 23. You have put your hand to the plough of God: You are doubly sanctified or devoted to him, as Christians, and as Pastors; and dare you after this draw back and refuse his work? You see the work of Reformation at a stand;
Brethren, do I now invite you to this work, without God, without the consent of all antiquity, without the consent of the Reformed Divines or without the conviction of your own consciences? See what our late Assembly speak occasionally, in the Directory, about the visitation of the sick, It is the duty of the Minister not only to teach the people committed to his charge in publike, but Privately and Particularly to admonish, exhort, reprove and comfort them upon all seasonable occasions, so far as his time, strength, and personal safety will permit. He is to admonish them in time of health to prepare for death: And for that purpose, they are often to confer with their Minister about the estate of their souls, &c. Read this ⟨image 16⟩over again and consider it. Harken to God if you would have peace with God: Harken to conscience if you would have peace of conscience. I am resolved to deal plainly with you, if I displease you: It is an unlikely thing that there should be a heart that is sincerely devoted to God in the breast of that man, that after advertisements and exhortations, will not resolve on so clear and great a duty as this is. As it is with our people in hearing the word, so it is with us in teaching: An upright heart is an effectual perswader of them to attend on God in the use of his Ordinances; and an upright heart will as effectually perswade a Minister to his duty: As a good stomach needs no arguments to draw it to a feast, nor will easily by any arguments be taken off: And as a child will love and obey his parents, though he could not answer a Sophister that would perswade him to hate them: so I cannot conceive that he that hath one spark of saving Grace, and so hath that love to God, and delight to do his will, which is in all the sanctified, should possibly be drawn to contradict or refuse such a work as this: except under the power of such a temptation as Peter was when he denyed Christ, or when he disswaded him from suffering, and heard an half excommunication, Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou favourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men, Mat. 16. 22, 23. You have put your hand to the plough of God: You are doubly sanctified or devoted to him, as Christians, and as Pastors; and dare you after this draw back and refuse his work? You see the work of Reformation at a stand;
