For the excellency of Eloquence, and enticing words of humane Wisdom which in case were commendable to be used by him who is an Orator, or a Declamor in the School, in the […] becomes ever ⟨p. 207⟩Fruitless, and many times hurtful and prejudicial to the saving success of the Gospel: Hence the Apostle makes these as Opposite, 2 Cor. 2. 4. My Speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power: taking this for granted, as it appears in […] of the Speech, the pomp of enticing words […] […] be discovered if we would have the Spirit in the powerful work of it be demonstrated and made to appear, so much sweetness of words as may make way for the […] of the Gospel, may be admitted, and no more. And as all kind of Curiosity and […] is to be avoided, so all obscure and unusual […], dark Sentences and Expressions, strange Languages are much more to be rejected, as opposite even to the end of speaking, much more to plainness of the Preaching of the tuth. Words are appointed by God in his Providence, to be Carriers as it were, by whose help the thoughts of our minds and the savoury apprehensions of truth may be communicated, and conveyed over to the understanding of others, whereas by mystical and dark Sentences he that comes to hear, can by no means profit, because he cannot conceive, and so both Hearer and Speaker must needs miss their end, and lose their labour, since the one doth no good in his Speech, because he so speaks that the other can receive no benefit: He that hath a Pastoral heart must be so affected in dispensing the Doctrine of Grace, as Paul was in writing, Rom. 1. 7. to all that are, To all that be at Rome, so should he labour to reach out mercy and comfort to every soul in the congregation, by every sentence he delivers, as much as in him lies, whereas mystical cloudy discourses which exceed the capacity and understanding of most in the assembly, its not possible they should work powerfully ⟨p. 208⟩upon their Consciences. That which the Mind conceives not, the Heart affects not: Ministers should be, and, if faithful they will be as nurses to the people, they will prepare milk for the meanest and weakest, and meat for all; but never give dry crust or […] in stead of bread to any; for that was not to feed, but to starve the Child.
For the excellency of Eloquence, and entising words of humane Wisdom which in case were commendable to be used by him who is an Orator, or a Declamor in the School, in the 〈…〉 becomes ever ⟨p. 207⟩Fruitless, and many times hurtful and prejudicial to the saving success of the Gospel: Hence the Apostle makes these as Opposite, 2 Cor. 2. 4. My Speech and my preaching was not with entising words of mans wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power: taking this for granted, as it appears in 〈…〉 of the Speech, the pompe of entising words 〈…〉 〈…〉 be discovered if we would have the Spirit in the powerful work of it be demonstrated and made to appear, so much sweetness of words as may make way for the 〈…〉 of the Gospel, may be admitted, and no more. And as all kind of Curiosity and 〈…〉 is to be avoided, so all obscure and unusual 〈…〉, dark Sentences and Expressions, strange Languages are much more to be rejected, as opposite even to the end of speaking, much more to plainness of the Preaching of the tuth. Words are appointed by God in his Providence, to be Carriers as it were, by whose help the thoughts of our minds and the savory apprehensions of truth may be communicated, and conveyed over to the understanding of others, whereas by mystical and dark Sentences he that comes to hear, can by no means profit, because he cannot conceive, and so both Hearer and Speaker must needs miss their end, and lose their labor, since the one doth no good in his Speech, because he so speaks that the other can receive no benefit: He that hath a Pastoral heart must be so affected in dispensing the Doctrine of Grace, as Paul was in writing, Rom. 1. 7. to all that are, To all that be at Rome, so should he labor to reach out mercy and comfort to every soul in the congregation, by every sentence he delivers, as much as in him lies, whereas mystical cloudy discourses which exceed the capacity and understanding of most in the assembly, its not possible they should work powerfully ⟨p. 208⟩upon their Consciences. That which the Mind conceives not, the Heart affects not: Ministers should be, and, if faithful they wil be as nurses to the people, they will prepare milk for the meanest and weakest, and meat for all; but never give dry crust or in stead of bread to any; for that was not to feed, but to starve the Child.
