Thus Ministers must preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, but with plainness of speech. There is a light in the Gospel, the purest and most glorious that ever shined; wisdom of words doth darken and obscure this light, it doth •ully the truths which shine most when they are naked without such ornaments: It is like a bright Cloud between us and the Sun, which keeps off the greater light, like painting of a Diamond or a beautiful face. There is a power goeth along with the Word preached to convert sinners. Heb. 4.12. The Word is compared to a sharp, two-edged Sword, piercing and separating between the joints and the marrow, between sin and the soul, ⟨p. 71⟩which are more near than marrow is to the bone; but wisdom of words, or humane Eloquence doth guild as it were the edge of the Sword, which takes away its sharpness; or is like to a rich Scabbard, which delights the eye, and pleaseth the fancy, but keeps the Sword from entering the bowels and wounding the Conscience: It is in plain preaching that the Sword is drawn forth naked, which makes the sinner sly or yield. Plain preaching is the most effectual means to pull down the strong holds of sin and Satan, and to draw men unto a closure with Jesus Christ. Humane wisdom usually puffeth up both them that use it, and those that hear it. Humane wisdom is apt to beget an humane faith, which standeth in the wisdom of men; plain preaching begetteth faith which standeth in the power of God. There is no such edification as in plain preaching: In plain preaching, the bread of life and wholesome food of the Word is distributed; but humane wisdom is like hey and stubble, which is food for horses and not for men; so humane wisdom may please and best agree with natural and brutish men, but true Christians cannot feed upon it; it is no more suitable to their spiritual appetite than hey and stubble is to their natural. It is like Pictures in learned books, which may delight children, a Scholar doth not regard the Pictures, but the writing; the word of God doth feed and edify a gracious heart when it is preached plainly and homely; humane wisdom, or wisdom of words in preaching, doth take away much of the taste and relish, and doth hinder its virtue and operation. The Word is compared to milk, which must be sincere, ⟨p. 72⟩to food which must be simple and uncompounded, that it may nourish and strengthen the body:
Thus Ministers must preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, but with plainness of speech. There is a light in the Gospel, the purest and most glorious that ever shined; wisdom of words doth darken and obscure this light, it doth •ully the truths which shine most when they are naked without such ornaments: It is like a bright Cloud between us and the Sun, which keeps off the greater light, like painting of a Diamond or a beautifull face. There is a power go•th along with the Word preached to convert sinners. Heb. 4.12. The Word is compared to a sharp, two-edged Sword, piercing and separating between the joynts and the marrow, between sin and the soul, ⟨p. 71⟩which are more neer than marrow is to the bone; but wisdom of words, or humane Eloquence doth guild as it were the edge of the Sword, which takes away its sharpness; or is like to a rich Scabbard, which delights the eye, and pleaseth the fancy, but keeps the Sword from entring the bowels and wounding the Conscience: It is in plain preaching that the Sword is drawn forth naked, which makes the sinner slie or yield. Plain preaching is the most effectual means to pull down the strong holds of sin and Satan, and to draw men unto a closure with Jesus Christ. Humane wisdom usually puffeth up both them that use it, and those that hear it. Humane wisdom is apt to beget an humane faith, which standeth in the wisdom of men; plain preaching begetteth faith which standeth in the power of God. There is no such edification as in plain preaching: In plain preaching, the bread of life and wholsom food of the Word is distributed; but humane wisdom is like hey and stubble, which is food for horses and not for men; so humane wisdom may please and best agree with natural and bruitish men, but true Christians cannot feed upon it; it is no more suitable to their spiritual appetite than hey and stubble is to their naturall. It is like Pictures in learn•d books, which may delight children, a Scholar doth not regard the Pictures, but the writing; the word of God doth feed and edifie a gracious heart when it is preached plainly and homely; humane wisdom, or wisdom of words in preaching, doth take away much of the taste and relish, and doth hinder its vertue and operation. The Word is compared to milk, which must be sincere, ⟨p. 72⟩to food which must be simple and uncompounded, that it may nourish and strengthen the body:
