He affected Plainness together with Power in Preaching; not seeking Abstrusities, nor liking to hover and soar aloft in dark Expressions, and so shoot his Arrows, as many Preachers do, over the Heads of his Hearers.
It is a wretched Stumbling-Block to some, that his Sermons are somewhat strict, and as they term it legal. Some Souls can relish none but meal-mouthed Preachers, who come with soft and smooth and toothless Words: (Byssina verba byssinis viris:) But these Times need humbling Ministries, and blessed be God that there are any: For where there are no Law-Sermons, there will be few Gospel-Lives; and were there more Law-Preaching by the Men of Gifts, there would be more Gospel-Walking both by themselves and the People. To preach the Law, not in a forced affected Manner, but wisely and powerfully, together ⟨p. 5⟩with the Gospel, as Christ himself was wont to do; (Mat. v. and elsewhere) is the Way to carry on all Three together; [viz.] Sense of Misery, the Application of the Remedy, and the Returns of Thankfulness and Duty. Nor is any Doctrine more comforting than this humbling Way of God, if rightly managed.
His Sickness began with a sore Throat, and then a Quinsy, and then a Fever, whereof he died, Aug. 25. 1649. This was one Thing he said upon his Death-Bed; "LORD, I am vile, but thou art righteous:" And to those that were about him, he bid them; Love JESUS CHRIST dearly; That little Part that I have in him, is no small Comfort to me now.
He affected Plainness together with Power in Preaching; not seeking Abstrusities, nor liking to hover and soar aloft in dark Expressions, and so shoot his Arrows, as many Preachers do, over the Heads of his Hearers.
It is a wretched Stumbling-Block to some, that his Sermons are somewhat strict, and as they term it legal. Some Souls can relish none but meal-mouth'd Preachers, who come with soft and smooth and toothless Words: (Byssina verba byssinis viris:) But these Times need humbling Ministries, and blessed be God that there are any: For where there are no Law-Sermons, there will be few Gospel-Lives; and were there more Law-Preaching by the Men of Gifts, there would be more Gospel-Walking both by themselves and the People. To preach the Law, not in a forc'd affected Manner, but wisely and powerfully, together ⟨p. 5⟩with the Gospel, as Christ himself was won't to do; (Mat. v. and elsewhere) is the Way to carry on all Three together; [viz.] Sense of Misery, the Application of the Remedy, and the Returns of Thankfulness and Duty. Nor is any Doctrine more comforting than this humbling Way of God, if rightly managed.
His Sickness began with a sore Throat, and then a Quinsy, and then a Fever, whereof he died, Aug. 25. 1649. This was one Thing he said upon his Death-Bed; "LORD, I am vile, but thou art righteous:" And to those that were about him, he bid them; Love JESUS CHRIST dearly; That little Part that I have in him, is no small Comfort to me now.
