Love to Christ, necessary to escape the curse at his coming

that though it be their Mother-tongue, transcends their Apprehension, almost as much as if he spake in an unknown Language, and so indeed is no better than an English Barbarian to the People.

What cursed Pride is this, to seek Applause from men, when he should be gaining Sinners to Christ? to seek to have their perishing breath, when he should seek to save their Immortal Souls? What cursed doing is this to stand in Christ's stead, and commend himself, instead of commending Christ? What though Christ be the Subject of his Discourse, when his Discourse upon that Subject is so managed, that it glides from Christ, unto himself, both as the Subject, and the End? In hatred to such doings, I was about to say, What cursed Preaching is this, wherein dying Self is sought to be advanced in the esteem of dying People; when Blessed Jesus should be so set forth, that he might be magnified in the hearts of all; be loved by all, be received by all; and immortal Souls so loving, and receiving of him, might be for ever saved and blessed by him? And what is the end of all? that he might be reverenced for his Parts, extolled for his profound adorned Language, and have the common Vogue of a man of more than ordinary Wisdom: A Wise man! and through his wisdom ignorant Souls do perish: a Wise man! and by his preaching with the enticing words of man's Wisdom, even by the preaching of the only Saviour, in the words which man's Wisdom teacheth, and not the Holy Ghost, the Devil goes away with, and makes a prey of the Hearers Souls, who in hearing do not hear, neither do they understand; not because the Hearers are such Fools, but because the Preacher is so wise. Let him pass for a Wise man in his own Conceit; let him be esteemed a Wise man by them that do admire him, because they do not understand him, nor the worth of Souls, nor the weighty ⟨p. 90⟩work and end of Preaching, but with me he shall never pass for a wise Preacher, who had rather be a Fool for Christ, than wise for my self; for in such a place and work in being wise (in the reproved sense) for my self, I should be found an egregious Fool. He that preacheth so that no man can rationally contemn him, and yet every man understand him, and thereby wins Souls to set their love on Christ, is a Wise man, and a Learned Preacher; when he that preacheth so, that few or none of the meaner Capacities, which are the greater number, can understand him, any further than to understand they do not understand him;