IV. Attend a searching Ministry, 1 Pet. 2. 2. Desire the sincere milk of the Word. He that would attain Sincerity, must desire Gods sincere Word. A searching Ministry will make a sound Professor; a plain Minister, ⟨p. 165⟩will make a plain Christian. Lay your naked heart under the naked truth of God, and let him write on that blank paper, what he pleaseth. For the word of the Lord is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart. Such a Sword rightly welded will cleave an hair, and give a man as little rest in formality, as in profaneness. The word of truth, is the way to create the grace of truth; the sincere word, a sincere heart. The babe draws spirits with the milk, and that nourishes. And in the word truly dispensed, the spirit is conveyed; and if the spirit of truth step in with the word of truth, then the work is done, Psal. 143. 10. Thy spirit is good, lead me into the land of Uprightness. This good spirit will take you by the hand, and not only show you, but bring you into the land of uprightness. And go not so much to judge the Minister, as to be judged by the Sermon. Let the most of your severity be employed upon your selves, and the largest of your charity upon the Preacher. The humble sincere hearer doth mostly go home with the benefit, when the censorious person ⟨p. 166⟩goes away with the talk. And remember this; that as it requires more grace to hear and profit by a weak or offensive Preacher, so a warm and serious spirit will infuse heat and vigour into the most cold general Sermon, if not into the Minister.
IV. Attend a searching Ministry, 1 Pet. 2. 2. Desire the sincere milk of the Word. He that would attain Sincerity, must desire Gods sincere Word. A searching Ministry will make a sound Professor; a plain Minister, ⟨p. 165⟩will make a plain Christian. Lay your naked heart under the naked truth of God, and let him write on that blank paper, what he pleaseth. For the word of the Lord is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joynts and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart. Such a Sword rightly welded will cleave an hair, and give a man as little rest in formality, as in prophaness. The word of truth, is the way to create the grace of truth; the sincere word, a sincere heart. The babe draws spirits with the milk, and that nourishes. And in the word truly dispensed, the spirit is conveyed; and if the spirit of truth step in with the word of truth, then the work is done, Psal. 143. 10. Thy spirit is good, lead me into the land of Uprightness. This good spirit will take you by the hand, and not only shew you, but bring you into the land of uprightness. And go not so much to judge the Minister, as to be judged by the Sermon. Let the most of your severity be imployed upon your selves, and the largest of your charity upon the Preacher. The humble sincere hearer doth mostly go home with the benefit, when the censorious person ⟨p. 166⟩goes away with the talk. And remember this; that as it requires more grace to hear and profit by a weak or offensive Preacher, so a warm and serious spirit will infuse heat and vigour into the most cold general Sermon, if not into the Minister.
