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

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.

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 shew 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.

7. Ministers must preach the words of salvation Earnestly. Ministers must be very earnest in their preaching with souls to endeavour after their salvation; they must use all the persuasive arguments and motives they can think of that they may prevail; tell them of the necessity hereof, of the manifold advantages, of the honour they shall attain hereby, and the unspeakable pleasures; tell them of the great evils they are under, and the greater evils they are exposed unto whilst they are out of a sate of salvation: And then they must urge arguments as fully, and press upon them as homely as they can; and use the greatest importunity with them, as if they were begging for their own lives, as if their own salvation and happiness were bound up with their hearers; they should take no denial, if possibly a grant may be obtained, they must call and cry, and pray, invite and woo, and entreat that sinners would come to Christ, that they may be saved by him.