When the Ministers tongue is as the pen of a ready Writer, and the peoples heart is like paper when it is oiled▪ that will take no impression. Oh improve in grace: If you have a barren ⟨p. 22⟩piece of ground, you do all you can to improve it, and will you not improve a barren heart? It is a great Encomium and honour to the Ministry, when people thrive under it; Need we, as some others▪ Epistles of commendation*? Paul esteemed the Corinthians his glory and his crown; hence, saith he, though other Ministers have need of letters of commendation, yet he needed none; for when men should hear of the faith of these Corinthians, which was wrought in them by Pauls preaching, this was sufficient certificate for him that God had blessed his labours, there should need no other Epistle, they themselves were walking certificates, they were his letters testimonial. This was an high Elogium; what an honour is it to a Minister, when it shall be said of him as once of Octavius, when he came into Rome he found the walls of brick, but he left them walls of marble; ⟨p. 23⟩So when the Minister came among the people, he found hearts of stone, but he left hearts of flesh. On the other side, it is a dishonour to a Minister when his people are like Labans lambs, or Pharaoh's kine. There are some diseases which they call, opprobria Medicorum, the reproaches of Physicians; and there are some people who may be called opprobria Ministrorum, the reproaches of Ministers: what greater dishonour to a Minister, then when it shall be said of him, he hath lived so many years in a Parish, he found them an ignorant people, and they are so still; he found them a dull, slothful people, (as if they went to the Temple, as some use to go to the Apothecaries shop, to take a Recipe to make them sleep) and they are so still; he found them a profane people, and so they are still▪ Surely there is some fault, or God doth not go forth with his labours; ⟨p. 24⟩such a people are not a Ministers crown, but his heart-breaking Oh let your profiting appear to all. 2God sends Paul and Apollo as blessings among a people, they are to be helpers of your faith▪ if they toil all night, and take nothing*, 'tis to be feared that Satan caught the fish ere they came at their net.
When the Ministers tongue is as the pen of a ready Writer, and the peoples heart is like paper when it is oiled▪ that will take no impression. Oh improve in grace: If you have a barren ⟨p. 22⟩piece of ground, you do all you can to improve it, and will you not improve a barren heart? It is a great Encomium and honour to the Ministery, when people thrive under it; Need we, as some others▪ Epistles of commendation*? Paul esteemed the Corinthians his glory and his crown; hence, saith he, though other Ministers have need of letters of commendation, yet he needed none; for when men should heare of the faith of these Corinthians, which was wrought in them by Pauls preaching, this was sufficient certificate for him that God had blessed his labours, there should need no other Epistle, they themselves were walking certificates, they were his letters testimonial. This was an high Elogium; what an honor is it to a Minister, when it shall be said of him as once of Octavius, when he came into Rome he found the walls of brick, but he left them walls of marble; ⟨p. 23⟩So when the Minister came among the people, he found hearts of stone, but he left hearts of flesh. On the other side, it is a dishonour to a Minister when his people are like Labans lambs, or Pharaoh's kine. There are some diseases which they call, opprobria Medicorum, the reproaches of Physicians; and there are some people who may becalled opprobria Ministrorum, the reproaches of Ministers: what greater dishonour to a Minister, then when it shall be said of him, he hath lived so many years in a Parish, he found them an ignorant people, and they are so still; he found them a dull, slothfull people, (as if they went to the Temple, as some use to go to the Apothecaries shop, to take a Recipe to make them sleep) and they are so still; he found them a profane people, and so they are still▪ Surely there is some fault, or God doth not go forth with his labours; ⟨p. 24⟩such a people are not a Ministers crown, but his heart-breaking Oh let your profiting appear to all. 2God sends Paul and Apollo as blessings among a people, they are to be helpers of your faith▪ if they toile all night, and take nothing
