A77593:1328
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ
Ton anexichniaston plouton [sic] tou Christou. The unsearchable riches of Christ. Or, Meat for strong men. Milk [for] babes. Held for th in twenty-two sermons from Ephesians 3.8. By Thomas Brooks, preacher of the Word at Margarets New-Fishstreet.Ton anexichniaston plouton [sic] tou Christou. The unsearchable riches of Christ. Or, Meat for strong men. Milke [for] babes. Held for th in twenty-two sermons from Ephesians 3.8. By Thomas Brookes, preacher of the Word at Margarets New-Fishstreet.
London: printed by Mary Simmons for John Hancock, 1655
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is written of the Fox, that when he is very hungry after prey, and can find none, that he lies down, and feigneth himself dead, and so the Fowls light upon him, and then he catcheth them. Paul hungering after the welfare of the Corinthians souls, makes use of his heavenly craft to catch them. There's a great deal of wisdom required to hold out Christ unto the people, not only as a good, but as the ⟨p. 301⟩greatest good, as the choicest good, as the chiefest good, as the most suitable good, as an immutable good, as an independent good, as a total good, and as an eternal good. Christ must thus be held forth to draw souls to fall in love with him, and to work their hearts to run out after him. There's wisdom required to answer all cavils and objections that keep Christ and poor souls asunder. There's wisdom required to take souls off from all false bottoms, that they are apt to built upon. There's wisdom required to present Christ freely to souls, in opposition to all unrighteousness, and to all unworthiness in man. There's wisdom required to suite things to the capacities and conditions of poor souls, to make dark things plain, and hard things easy. Ministers must not be like him in the Emblem; That gave straw to the Dog, and a bone to the Ass, but they must suit all their discourses to the conditions and capacities of poor creatures, or else all will be lost, time lost, pains lost, God lost, Heaven lost, and souls lost for ever.
It is written of the Fox, that when he is very hungry after prey, and can find none, that he lyes downe, and feigneth himselfe dead, and so the Fowles light upon him, and then he catcheth them. Paul hungring after the welfare of the Corinthians soules, makes use of his heavenly craft to catch them. There's a great deale of wisedome required to hold out Christ unto the people, not onely as a good, but as the ⟨p. 301⟩greatest good, as the choycest good, as the chiefest good, as the most sutable good, as an immutable good, as an independant good, as a totall good, and as an eternall good. Christ must thus be held forth to draw souls to fall in love with him, and to work their hearts to run out after him. There's wisedome required to answer all cavils and objections that keep Christ and poore soules asunder. There's wisedome required to take soules off from all false bottomes, that they are apt to built upon. There's wisedome required to present Christ freely to soules, in opposition to all unrighteousnesse, and to all unworthinesse in man. There's wisedome required to suite things to the capacities and conditions of poore soules, to make dark things plaine, and hard things easie. Ministers must not be like him in the Emblem; That gave straw to the Dogge, and a bone to the Asse, but they must sute all their discourses to the conditions and capacities of poore creatures, or else all will be lost, time lost, paines lost, God lost, Heaven lost, and soules lost for ever.