I will give you one text or two more; in the 1 Thess. 2.13. You did not receive it as the word of Man; you looked beyond man: But how did you receive it? from God; and therefore it doth effectually work; that makes the effectual working upon the heart: when the people receive the word as the word of God. And the 4 Gal. 14. Mark how the Galatians received the Apostle, saith he there, And my tentation which was in my flesh you despised not, nor rejected: but received me as an Angel of God; even as Christ Jesus. Here he speaks in way of commendation of the Galatians, you receive me as an Angel of God, even as Jesus Christ, as if you had received Christ Jesus; and mark, the Apostle was in a poor mean condition in respect of his outward estate. [My tentation that was in my flesh] In my outward man I was very low; and this might have been a tentation to you for to have caused you to have rejected me when I spake. Oh! this hath been a tentation to many men because the preacher is an Earthen Vessel, though he hath brought the right treasure of the Gospel, yet this hath been a tentation. But saith he, it was not so with you, you received me; though poor, weak, a mean man that had scarce bread to eat: yet you received me as an Angel of God, yea beyond that: as Christ Jesus himself. But yet you shall observe in the next words, that it seems their hearts began to be drawn aside; i• the 15. vers. There was a time when I came first amongst you, when you were ready to have plucked out your very eyes for me, and you cried out; O! this blessed doctrine of the gospel that we now hear! but where is the blessedness? It seems that some false teachers had come, ⟨p. 287⟩and inveigled them, and had taken them off from the Apostle. Oh! Where is the blessedness you spake of? as if that were now gone: but that is the Duty of people, and then, and only then it is like that the Ministry of the word can do any great good: When, the people look upon it as if God spake, and Jesus Christ spake unto them. I will only conclude with this one thing; that till you do come to apprehend this, it is not like that ever any great good, to any purpose will be done; Its like it will be with you, as it was with Samuel; you know God called to Samuel; Samuel, Samuel saith God, he runs to Ely; saith he, my Son, I did not call thee, well, he went again and slept and God calls again; He did not know it was Gods voice;
I wil give you one text or two more; in the 1 Thess. 2.13. You did not receive it as the word of Man; you looked beyond man: But how did you receive it? from God; and therefore it doth effectually work; that makes the effectual working upon the heart: when the people receive the word as the word of God. And the 4 Gal. 14. Mark how the Galatians received the Apostle, saith he there, And my tentation which was in my flesh you despised not, nor rejected: but received me as an Angel of God; even as Christ Jesus. Here he speaks in way of commendation of the Galatians, you receive me as an Angel of God, even as Jesus Christ, as if you had received Christ Jesus; and mark, the Apostle was in a poor mean condition in respect of his outward estate. [My tentation that was in my flesh] In my outward man I was very low; and this might have been a tentation to you for to have caused you to have rejected me when I spake. Oh! this hath been a tentation to many men because the preacher is an Earthen Vessel, though he hath brought the right treasure of the Gospel, yet this hath been a tentation. But saith he, it was not so with you, you received me; though poor, weak, a mean man that had scarce bread to eate: yet you received me as an Angel of God, yea beyond that: as Christ Jesus himself. But yet you shal observe in the next words, that it seems their hearts began to be drawn aside; i• the 15. vers. There was a time when I came first amongst you, when you wer ready to have pluct out your very eyes for me, and you cryed out; O! this blessed doctrine of the gospel that we now hear! but where is the blessedness? It seems that some fals teachers had come, ⟨p. 287⟩and inveigled them, and had taken them off from the Apostle. Oh! Where is the blessedness you spake of? as if that were now gone: but that is the Duty of people, and then, and only then it is like that the Ministry of the word can do any great good: When, the people look upon it as if God spake, and Jesus Christ spake unto them. I wil only conclude with this one thing; that til you do come to apprehend this, it is not like that ever any great good, to any purpose wil be done; Its like it wil be with you, as it was with Samuel; you know God called to Samuel; Samuel, Samuel saith God, he runs to Ely; saith he, my Son, I did not cal thee, wel, he went again and slept and God calls again; He did not know it was Gods voice;
