Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

Secondly, That if God bless the reading as he did the preaching of them, none of his surviving friends but may rejoice that in them ^*he being dead yet speaketh. Indeed those worthy men do it upon an higher account then some, others perhaps did like them from the Rhetoric, Language, or Learning Couched in them, It was the heavenly Art, the spiritual Efficacy and power, the soul-searching, soul-saving virtue that took with them, they found them to pierce the heart and Conscience, more then tickle the ear or fancy of their hearers. ^*The true praise of a sermon (saith one of note) is some evil left, some good done upon the hearing of it, one such fruit were a more ample commendation, then many mouths full of good words spent, and copies taken and printing, &c. and sure it is, on whom a sermon works aright, it leaves him no leisure to say much, or use many words, but makes him rather full of thoughts. Thus did these sermons the hearers, if you read the epistle prefixed, so that were it but for this to let the world see how much this Master of all learning condescended, and sought to profit rather then please, it were reason enough for their publication.

Secondly, That if God blesse the reading as he did the preaching of them, none of his surviving friends but may rejoice that in them ^*he being dead yet speaketh. Indeed those worthy men do it upon an higher account then some, others perhaps did like them from the Rhetorick, Language, or Learning Couched in them, It was the heavenly Art, the spiritual Efficacy and power, the soul-searching, soul-saving vertue that took with them, they found them to peirce the heart and Conscience, more then tickle the ear or fancy of their hearers. ^*The true praise of a sermon (saith one of note) is some evil left, some good done upon the hearing of it, one such fruit were a more ample commendation, then many mouths full of good words spent, and copies taken and printing, &c. and sure it is, on whom a sermon works aright, it leaves him no leisure to say much, or use many words, but makes him rather full of thoughts. Thus did these sermons the hearers, if you read the epistle prefixed, so that were it but for this to let the world see how much this Master of all learning condiscended, and sought to profit rather then please, it were reason enough for their publication.