A30242:492
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgess ...The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgesse ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for T.U., 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, It teacheth the People also to glorify God, not to rest in the parts, and gifts of men. As Michal said, Now God will bless me, because I have a Levite in the house. So we are apt to say, Now we shall go to Heaven; Now we shall have salvation, because we have such Preaching. It is not enough to be affected with, and admire the gifts of Ministers: They may ravish you, they may greatly move you; but you resting on these merely, find no success at all. As it is said, We do not know Christ after the flesh, 2 Cor. 5.16. After humane considerations: So neither are we to know the Ministry, or preaching after such carnal respects. That is admirable preaching, that is an excellent Sermon, which God makes spiritually to prosper in thy soul.
Secondly, It teacheth the People also to glorify God, not to rest in the parts, and gifts of men. As Michal said, Now God will bless me, because I have a Levite in the house. So we are apt to say, Now we shall go to Heaven; Now we shall have salvation, because we have such Preaching. It is not enough to be affected with, and admire the gifts of Ministers: They may ravish you, they may greatly move you; but you resting on these meerly, find no success at all. As it is said, We do not know Christ after the flesh, 2 Cor. 5.16. After humane considerations: So neither are we to know the Ministry, or preaching after such carnal respects. That is admirable preaching, that is an excellent Sermon, which God makes spiritually to prosper in thy soul.
Thirdly, Therefore God only gives the success, that so we may seek and pray to him, and do all those things that God may be pleased with. We may easily provoke God to turn Bread into Stones, and a pleasant Poole, into a Wilderness.