2. Thou wilt find here a sweet mixture of law and gospel, [Greek or Hebrew], a bitter sweet, at the same time purging out thy corruptions, and yet deliciously affecting thy spiritual taste: Which if any be offended at, we shall only say this, Dat finis amabilitatem mediis, look to the end, and that will put a lustre upon the means. If the Word wounds, it is to heal; if it cast down, it is to raise up; thou mayst thank thy own corruptions, that call ⟨image 5⟩for corrosives, before lenitives can be applied. It is the proper work of a Chirurgeon to heal; that he lances, and bloods, and scarifies, is by accident, because of the malignant distemper of the patient. It is the proper work of a Carpenter to build; that he doth sometimes pull down, this is by accident. So if the Ministers of the Gospel do sometimes wound, and trouble you, is the fault theirs, or yours? If a Prince send a messenger to a condemned man with a pardon, on terms of confessing his crime, and humbling himself, and engaging to become a new man, and all this while the messenger cannot get him to acknowledge himself guilty, or desire pardon, but he stands out till another Warrant is sealed for his execution, who is in fault, the messenger, or the condemned man? the parallel lies plain. O how glad would the servants of Christ be that they might be always pouring out the precious ointment of the Gospel! oh how sweet a theme is the grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ! How sweet and delightful would our Ministry be, if we might always walk among these sweet perfumes? Do ye think Ministers are delighted to hear the shriek and groans of souls? when they are put to pain by sound and clear convictions? Nay, are they not rather astonished to converse every day with so many carcasses, that prick them, cut them, wound them, burn them, threaten, do what you will, feel just nothing? verily were it not out of faithfulness to God, and souls, they would not insist so much on such subjects. Certainly as it is ⟨image 6⟩the glory of a Chirurgeon not to make wounds, but heal them: so it is the glory of Ministers to heal wounded consciences.
2. Thou wilt finde here a sweet mixture of law and gospel, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, a bitter sweet, at the same time purging out thy corruptions, and yet deliciously affecting thy spirituall taste: Which if any be offended at, we shall onely say this, Dat finis amabilitatem mediis, look to the end, and that will put a lustre upon the means. If the Word wounds, it is to heale; if it cast down, it is to raise up; thou mayst thank thy own corruptions, that call ⟨image 5⟩for corrosives, before lenitives can be applied. It is the proper work of a Chirurgeon to heal; that he lances, and bloods, and scarrifies, is by accident, because of the malignant distemper of the patient. It is the proper work of a Carpenter to build; that he doth sometimes pull down, this is by accident. So if the Ministers of the Gospel do sometimes wound, and trouble you, is the fault theirs, or yours? If a Prince send a messenger to a condemned man with a pardon, on terms of confessing his crime, and humbling himselfe, and engaging to become a new man, and all this while the messenger cannot get him to acknowledge himselfe guilty, or desire pardon, but he stands out till another Warrant is sealed for his execution, who is in fault, the messenger, or the condemned man? the parallel lies plain. O how glad would the servants of Christ be that they might be alwaies pouring out the precious ointment of the Gospel! oh how sweet a theme is the grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ! How sweet and delightfull would our Ministry be, if we might alwaies walk among these sweet perfumes? Doe ye think Ministers are delighted to heare the screeke and groans of soules? when they are put to pain by sound and clear convictions? Nay, are they not rather astonished to converse every day with so many carcases, that prick them, cut them, wound them, burn them, threaten, doe what you will, feel just nothing? verily were it not out of faithfulness to God, and souls, they would not insist so much on such subjects. Certainly as it is ⟨image 6⟩the glory of a Chirurgeon not to make wounds, but heale them: so it is the glory of Ministers to heale wounded consciences.
