And further the word of the Ministry, must be looked upon as Gods in this regard; because otherwise there could not be any ground or bottom for faith by any thing that is delivered in the Ministry of the word. Now we know that the ministry of the word is the special ordinance that is appointed for the begetting of faith. faith comes by hearing, & hearing by the word preached. It doth not come so much by reading; no, not by reading of the book of God; by reading of the scripture: but by ⟨p. 290⟩hearing, and hearing the word preached. Now then you will say, indeed, The word in the Bible, that is the word of God; God speaks there, and Christ speaks, and we may bottom our faith upon what we read there, but we must have something to bottom our faith upon when we hear it preached by man, as well as when we read it, and it is clear by scripture; that God doth rather work by the hearing of it preached, than by the reading of it. Except we look upon it as the word of God and Christ, we have nothing to bottom our Faith upon, (for nothing that is humane can be the bottom, and ground of any ones faith.) It is not, what is the judgment of such a man, though he be never so learned, never so holy a man) that can bottom or ground my faith. But when I come to hear him, (so as I can hear God, and Christ speaking in him) then have I something, to ground my faith upon what he saith, therefore, here is the reason why so many go away, and are only taken at the present hearing, but their hearts are not grounded, and bottomed in the truth, because they hear man only, and do not hear God: But when people can say as those men that came forth from Samaria to the woman, in John 4. about the middle of the Chap. said, that when the woman came and told them; Here is a man that hath told me all that ever I did; is not he Christ? And they went out to him: But at length say they to her, (when they had spoken to him) Now we do believe; (not because thou hast told us, but because we have heard him our selves.) So may many a soul say, I have been often hearing of sermons, and I have been taken with the preaching of such a man, and I did believe what he said, and it went into my heart in some measure: Oh! but now saith a soul, I do not believe because he tells me this, but I have heard in his preaching, God and Christ himself, it hath not been he;
And further the word of the Ministery, must be looked upon as Gods in this regard; because otherwise there could not be any ground or bottom for faith by any thing that is delivered in the Ministery of the word. Now we know that the ministery of the word is the special ordinance that is appointed for the begetting of faith. faith comes by hearing, & hearing by the word preached. It doth not come so much by reading; no, not by reading of the book of God; by reading of the scripture: but by ⟨p. 290⟩hearing, and hearing the word preached. Now then you wil say, indeed, The word in the Bible, that is the word of God; God speaks there, and Christ speaks, and we may bottom our faith upon what we read there, but we must have somthing to bottom our faith upon when we hear it preacht by man, as wel as when we read it, and it is cleer by scripture; that God doth rather work by the hearing of it preacht, than by the reading of it. Except we look upon it as the word of God and Christ, we have nothing to bottom our Faith upon, (for nothing that is humane can be the bottom, and ground of any ones faith.) It is not, what is the judgment of such a man, though he be never so learned, never so holy a man) that can bottom or ground my faith. But when I come to heare him, (so as I can heare God, and Christ speaking in him) then have I somthing, to ground my faith upon what he saith, therefore, here is the reason why so many go away, and are only taken at the present hearing, but their hearts are not grounded, and bottomed in the truth, because they hear man only, and do not heare God: But when people can say as those men that came forth from Samaria to the woman, in John 4. about the middle of the Chap. sayd, that when the woman came and told them; Here is a man that hath tould me al that ever I did; is not he Chyist? And they went out to him: But at length say they to her, (when they had spoken to him) Now we do beleeve; (not because thou hast told us, but because we have heard him our selves.) So may many a soul say, I have been often hearing of sermons, and I have been taken with the preaching of such a man, and I did beleeve what he said, and it went into my heart in some measure: Oh! but now saith a soul, I do not beleeve because he tells me this, but I have heard in his preaching, God and Christ himself, it hath not been he;
