The wells of salvation opened, or, Words whereby we may be saved

6. Ministers must preach the words of salvation Warmly; and that both with a warm love to the Souls they preach unto, and with a warm sense of what they preach upon their own spirits.

1. They must preach with a warm love to Souls, as the Apostle with other Ministers to the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. 2.8. So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us, Ministers ⟨p. 78⟩should preach the Gospel with such ardent affection to Souls, and thirsting desires after their salvation, so as to be willing to pluck out their hearts, and give them to their hearers, if this would promote their salvation; they should be ready to spend themselves and be spent, and not think much to consume themselves with fervour of heart towards, and for the good of poor souls.

2. Ministers should preach with a warm sense of what they preach upon their own spirits, as those that have been under the impressions of the Word, and have experienced the powerful operations thereof unto their own salvation. Moreover, they should get their hearts affected more and more with the words which they preach, that they may preach the more feelingly; that they may speak as if they were in earnest, as those that believe and know those things to be true which they deliver unto others. Cold or lukewarm preaching usually makes little impression upon the hearers; when the Word doth little affect the heart of the Minister, it doth seldom affect the heart of the people. When Ministers preach Sermons as Scholars speak Orations, in which they have no concernment, only to show their good language and ingenuity, they may possibly gain applause amongst some of a slight and trivial spirit, but they are not like to gain souls; the Word must come from the heart that is likely to reach the heart. Ministers must preach warmly if they would preach affectingly.