CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

2. The Ministry is appointed for the conversion and regeneration of men, who naturally ⟨p. 559⟩are dead in sin, and averse to God. It was a subject the Prophets often preached upon, to return every one from his evil way to God; and John Baptist, yea Christ himself also preached repentance as well as faith. Hence Jam. 1. God is said, Of his own will to beget us by his Word; and so its called the washing of regeneration through the word, Tit. 3.5. That as the Spirit of God at first by moving on the waters, prepared and produced living creatures; Thus God by the Ordinances calls those who are like Lazarus dead in their sins, to come out of the grave and live. There is a resurrection of souls by the Prophets, when they lift up their voice like a trumpet, as well as there will be of bodies, by the trump of an Archangel; and indeed this is the proper effect of the Ministry: No moral Philosophy hath attained to the inward change of mens hearts: As Elijah, when he threw his mantle on Elisha, he left his Oxen and followed him: Thus when God by the Word preached doth lay hold on the heart of a man, he is a new creature, mind new, heart new, affections new, all is made new. Thus while Peter was preaching, there were three thousand converted; So that to take the preaching of the Word away, is worse then to take the Sun out of the heavens, that is but an instrument of heat and life bodily, this spiritually.

2. The Ministry is appointed for the conversion and regeneration of men, who naturally ⟨p. 559⟩are dead in sinne, and averse to God. It was a subject the Prophets often preached upon, to return every one from his evil way to God; and John Baptist, yea Christ himself also preached repentance as well as faith. Hence Jam. 1. God is said, Of his own will to beget us by his Word; and so its called the washing of regeneration through the word, Tit. 3.5. That as the Spirit of God at first by moving on the waters, prepared and produced living creatures; Thus God by the Ordinances cals those who are like Lazarus dead in their sins, to come out of the grave and live. There is a resurrection of souls by the Prophets, when they lift up their voice like a trumpet, as well as there will be of bodies, by the trump of an Archangel; and indeed this is the proper effect of the Ministry: No moral Philosophy hath attained to the inward change of mens hearts: As Eliah, when he threw his mantle on Elisha, he left his Oxen and followed him: Thus when God by the Word preached doth lay hold on the heart of a man, he is a new creature, minde new, heart new, affections new, all is made new. Thus while Peter was preaching, there were three thousand converted; So that to take the preaching of the Word away, is worse then to take the Sun out of the heavens, that is but an instrument of heat and life bodily, this spiritually.