Englands spiritual languishing; with the causes and cureEnglands spirituall languishing; with the causes and cure

Christ must still be preached, that's the main truth, that keepeth in the life of Christianity; the more Evangelical dispensations are, the more powerful; our beloved must still be kept as a bundle of Myrrh next our hearts, 1 Cant. 13. still fresh and fragrant in the thoughts, all the comfort and support of a Christian dependeth upon that, this is the very spirit and flower of any Ministry, and therefore 'tis said Apoc. 19.10. the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy, it is not only the beauty, but the life of any dispensation; I know many think this needless, for as I said before, the indistinct, and undue preaching of Christ, is the cause of all the looseness and vanity into which Religion is degenerated. I but I add here, that this dispensation is still needful, the foolish world is apt to fly into extremes, some are all for doctrines of Christ, others will hear nothing of him, because these sweet truths have been so much misapplied. Popery got up by this pretence, they would not open that gap of free-grace to the people; Paul would preach the righteousness of Christ though many did abuse it, Rom. 3.8. some slanderously report that we say, Let us do evil that good may come thereof, whose damnation is just; the meaning is, some gave out that Paul taught that they might sin freely, that God might have the more glory in pardoning; which is expressed there, by doing evil that good may come of it; now saith the Apostle their damnation is just; that is, if they undo themselves with such a vile conceit, they may thank themselves, they never learned it from me; if poison be sucked out of the flower, thank the spider, and if precious liquor be soured, 'tis because of the uncleanness of the vessel. Musculus in one of his books had said, That no places were so profane and irreligious, as those where the Gospel had been preached; or words to that effect. And Contzen a Jesuit crieth out upon this, Hi sunt Evangelici Doctores, ¹see the fruit of Protestantism and Gospel-preaching! Many are of his spirit, malign and slander a Gospel-dispensation; Alas, we are not in the place of God, to prevent misapprehensions; it is our duty to keep this truth fresh in the thoughts, to offer it as a bundle of Myrrh to the Spouses bosom.

Christ must still be preached, that's the main truth, that keepeth in the life of Christianity; the more Evangelicall dispensations are, the more powerfull; our beloved must still be kept as a bundle of Myrrhe next our hearts, 1 Cant. 13. still fresh and fragrant in the thoughts, all the comfort and support of a Christian dependeth upon that, this is the very spirit and flower of any Ministery, and therefore 'tis said