The Godly Man's Picture

1 From the nature of Godliness; it is like fire, which assimilates and turns every thing into its own nature; where there is the fire of grace in the heart, it will endeavour to inflame others; grace is an holy leaven, which will be seasoning and leavening others with divine principles. Paul would fain have converted Agrippa; how did he court him with Rhetoric? Act. 26. 27. King Agrippa, believest thou the Prophets? I know that thou believest: his Zeal and Eloquence had almost captivated the King, ver. 28. Then Agrippa ⟨p. 265⟩said unto Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

1 From the nature of Godliness; it is like fire, which assimilates and turns every thing into its own nature; where there is the fire of grace in the heart, it will endeavour to inflame others; grace is an holy leaven, which will be seasoning and leavening others with divine principles. Paul would fain have converted Agrippa; how did he court him with Rhetorick? Act. 26. 27. King Agrippa, beleevest thou the Prophets? I know that thou beleevest: his Zeal and Eloquence had almost captivated the King, ver. 28. Then Agrippa ⟨p. 265⟩said unto Paul, almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian.

2 A godly man attempts the conversion of others, out of a spirit of compassion: Grace makes the heart tender; a godly man cannot choose but pity such as are in the gall of bitterness; he sees what a deadly cup is a brewing for the wicked; they must without repentance, be bound over to Gods wrath; the fire which rained on Sodom, was but a painted fire, in comparison of hell-fire; this is a fire with a vengeance, Jude 7. Suffering the Vengeance of eternal fire: now, a godly man seeing captive Sinners ready to be damned, labours to convert them from the error of their way,