The prophecy of Haggai, interpreted and applied in sundry sermonsThe prophesie of Haggai, interpreted and applyed in sundry sermons

he said Ephatha a word of the Syrian tongue, which the Evangelist presently expounded (be opened) that so that might be known to be performed which was spoken by the Prophet Isay. 35. 5. Then shall the eyes of the blind be enlightened, and the ears of the ¹deaf be opened, when he was crucified in his grievous agony upon the Cross, he cried out with a loud voice in these words, Eli, Eli, Lama-saba•thani, the former of which words being ⟨p. 89⟩Hebrew, and the latter beings words of the Syrian language which Christ uttered and the Evangelist interpreted (My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, and this was done to show both the accomplishing of the prophecy of David Psal. 22, concerning his person and bitter passion, whence these words were taken, and also the bitter mocking of the Jews, who hearing him call Eli, Eli, said in a scoffing manner he calleth upon Elijah, and let him alone, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down, and so we find that both Christ and his Apostles did divers times in the New Testament use the Syrian word Abba Father, when they called upon God or spake of the voice of the spirit of Adoption in our hearts, whereby we cry unto God as unto our Father; a probable argument, as some do conceive that usually they did both preach and pray, in a known language, even in the vulgar tongue: all which being duly weighed and considered, we may easily perceive that it is much safer and better both for preachers, and hearers, that the word be delivered, not in words and sentences of a strange language, but to the best capacity of the hearers in a known tongue, for as we must not so preach, that we may seem to be learned, so neither may the hearers desire to hear otherwise our other things, then such as whereby they may go away better instructed and edified in the Faith and fear of God. And then if thus we speak and thus we hear, and if thus we deliver, and thus we receive the Lords message from the Lords messengers, as the people of God did in this place, we shall receive the pattern of wholesome words, and be better acquainted with the form of true godliness, we shall speak as the words of God, and receive the word that is brought us, not as the word of man, but as indeed it is, the word and Oracles of the living God. Such was the effect and fruit of Peters Sermon,