Dearly beloved, there are two things in every Minister of Christ that are much exercised: his head and his heart; his head with labour, and his heart with love: his head with labour in the work of the Ministry. I• done aright, it is a work fitter for Angels than for men• it is our work to open the Oracles of God, even those sacred profound things that the Angels search into ⟨p. 35⟩and if God did not help us, we might soon sink under the weight of such a burden: and as a Minister's head is exercised with labour, so his heart is exercised with love, and it is hard to say which of the two exceeds: his Labour or his Love. Thus is it here in the Text, my dearly beloved: In these words, we have Saint Paul laying siege to these Corinthians, and labouring to make a happy victory, to conquer them with kindness, dearly beloved. Saint Paul's heart was the spring of love, his lips were the pipe, the Corinthians were the cistern into which this spring did run. This holy Apostle was a mirror and pattern of love, towards the sinning Corinthians: Paul's tears did drop towards the praying Corinthians, his love did burn: holy Paul was a Seraphin, his heart did burn in a flame of affection to his people: how many passages do we find scattered in his Epistles? he tells this people, which sometimes he did write to, and sometimes he preached to, He looked after their souls more then their silver, 2 Cor. 12. 14. We seek not yours but you: As a tender nurse cherisheth her child with the breast, so Saint Paul gave his people the breast-milk of the Word, in 1 Thes. 2. 8. This man of God did not only bestow a Sermon upon his people, but was willing to impart his very Soul to them, if it might save theirs, 1 Thes. 2. 7. We were willing to have imparted to you our own souls, because you are dear unto us: Such was Saint Paul's affection to his people, that without a complement he loved them more then his life, Phil. 2. 17. And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice with you all: that is, as if he had said, If it be so that my blood be poured forth as a sacrifice, if my death may be any way serviceable unto you, if it may help forward the strengthening and confirming of your faith, I am willing to die, I rejoice to do it:
Dearly beloved, there are two things in every Minister of Christ that are much exercised: his head and his heart; his head with labour, and his heart with love: his head with labour in the work of the Ministry. I• done aright, it is a work fitter for Angels than for men• it is our work to open the Oracles of God, even thos• sacred profound things that the Angels search into ⟨p. 35⟩and if God did not help us, we might soon sink under the weight of such a burden: and as a Minister's head is exercised with labour, so his heart is exercised with love, and it is hard to say which of the two exceeds: his Labour or his Love. Thus is it here in the Text, my dearly beloved: In these words, we have Saint Paul laying siege to these Corinthians, and labouring to make a happy victory, to conquer them with kindness, dearly beloved. Saint Paul's heart was the spring of love, his lips were the pipe, the Corinthians were the cistern into which this spring did run. This holy Apostle was a mirror and pattern of love, towards the sinning Corinthians: Paul's tears did drop towards the praying Corinthians, his love did burn: holy Panl was a Seraphin, his heart did burn in a flame of affection to his people: how many passages do we find scattered in his Epistles? he tells this people, which sometimes he did write to, and sometimes he preached to, He looked after their souls more then their silver, 2 Cor. 12. 14. We seek not yours but you: As a tender nurse cherisheth her chlld with the breast, so Saint Paul gave his people the breast-milk of the Word, in 1 Thes. 2. 8. This man of God did not only bestow a Sermon upon his people, but was willing to impart his very Soul to them, if it might save theirs, 1 Thes. 2. 7. We were willing to have imparted to you our own souls, because you are dear unto us: Such was Saint Paul's affection to his people, that without a complement he loved them more then his life, Phil. 2. 17. And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoyce with you all: that is, as if he had said, If it be so that my blood be poured forth as a sacrifice, if my death may be any way serviceable unto you, if it may help forward the strengthening and confirming of your faith, I am willing to die, I rejoyce to do it:
