The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

2. Hence. What necessity is there of preaching the Law, to discover and open sin, with the effects thereof, if this be the way of the Spirits working, to convince first of sin, and Ministers be [Greek or Hebrew], 1 Cor. 3.9. workers with God, why should not they work as God works? To preach the Law, in order to Christ; to labour to make men that lye in their spiritual Lethargies to know and feel their disease, that they may see the need of, and embrace the blessed Physician; is not this rational? I think all men naturally stand under a Covenant of works, and to make men know what that state is, I think is very requisite, if ever we would make them feel the necessity, and know the worth of a Covenant of Grace; yet I know not how it comes about, of late years this kind of preaching is laid by: When I consider the people, then I can see their reasons why they love it not; but when I think of the Ministry, I know not why Ministers should so gratify the corruptions of people. So the Law were rightly preached, I never knew it offend any godly and judicious Christian. I remember my Father-in-law told me, that Bishop Usher having once an Ague, and being in Essex, when Mr. Thomas Hooker preached, it so fell out, that my Father-in-law went to visit him a little before his fit should come, they both lying on the bed discoursing, I wish, said the Bishop, that Mr. Hooker were here to preach the Law home to my Conscience: that fit they talked away; he missed it. By this we may read the Spirit of that highly learned and pious Bishop. Thousands of Christians have wished they had felt more of it, to Gospel-ends; but to slight it as some, cry out against it as others, such will hardly approve themselves to be persons well skilled in the work of Conversion. That some Ministers may be imprudent in their preaching of the Law, and not carry it with that wisdom that doth become them, I deny not; but for the Principle it self, that the preaching of the Law is necessary to make ⟨p. 52⟩men know their sins, and their woeful condition by sin, that thereby they may be glad to listen after, and embrace the Gospel, I think this cannot be denied by any judicious Divine.

2. Hence. What necessity is there of preaching the Law, to discover and open sin, with the effects thereof, if this be the way of the Spirits working, to convince first of sin, and Ministers be 〈non-Latin alphabet〉,