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Show 'I'he spcttfel rdicfitJ all her Scu!trcu~le, &c:_ . ·Thi~ is Gods way of Salvation, he hath ippomtc~ Mmtfiers in his Church to comfort his people,and to bind up rhm wounds; and private Chrillians to be helpful one unto anot~er ; he hath .for this end betrufied his Church with his holy Scnptures, and .with his Ordinances, &c. This the poor Soul underfiands, believes and naturally calls to them for that help which God hath betrufted them with for her ufe and benefit: who art thou that mockeJl? who bur a fool mocks at the llarved beggar, that asks of the rich man a bit of bread? at the poor lick creature that crys to the Phyfician of the body, For God1 f•k.r to do fon~ethbtt, for it. And why (hall not the Soul fridtually lick, whole dtfeafe ts mo~o grievous call to the Spiritual Phyfician for help, but prefently 1t mull be by the prophane AtbeijiJ of the world, be counted an i)ypocrite? who.arr thou who can'fi not difcern the hea~t, a~~ )'et wilt ufurp the place of God, and be Judge concerm~g tt . what though fame may pretend to this Love-jick,.ntfi, and mdeed ail no fuch thing)art thou the Judg of it? or how d?fi thou know that this is the cafe of this or that Soul? Thou wtlt not cenfure every one that begs as one that needs not; becaufe there are fame fuch : Nor ev~ry one that goes to the Phyfician as diffim. bling, becaufe fame. may be more lick in D!ind that in bo?y: whence is it therefore that thou art fo judgmg and cenfonous here, but from an Atheiftical and prophane Princzple; tho~ believeil no fuch thing as a wounded Spirit, nor any fuch tht?g, as any vertue in the Word, and Promifes {)f God, and Ordtnanccs of God for the healing ofir. From the third Branch Learn what manner of perfons 1he Minijfm of Chrzft, yea, a'nd all true Chrifiians fuould be , viz. S14cb a1 (hould be able to fiay a Love-fick_ Soul with Flaggo11I,Chri}IJ Fla!(go111, and to comfort it ,..jtb .Applu. 2; Such a• (hould be faithfi•l, and thus indeavour 10 flay aod comfo_rt_poor So111i. They are St. Paul's two Cha_raClers of a good Mtmfler; fuch as (hall be able and faithful men. Alas! how few is the number of fu~h people ; yea, of fuch Minifiers that arc able to fpeak a word m feafon to an affiiCled Soul ! How aptly may thofe (harp words of the Prophet be applyed to many Mini~ers? Ezech. 3 4· 2, Son of man Prophecy a1.ai>rjl the Sbephrrd1 of l[rael, a11d fay zmto tbem, Th1111 (<tith the Lord God to the Shepherd!; Wo be to the Sbepberds of· Ifrael that feed themfelvu. Sho11ld not the Sbepb.rdJ feed the floc/v. Tm e111thrflock.., andyo>~clotbeyonr {elves with the wool; ''" Minijfer C!JriflialtJ to flay Love jic4 SouleJ, &c. ntr you kjll them that ar. fed, /mt Y"' feed nOI the flock. The difiajed have you 1tot flrmgtbened, neitber have y011 heald that which wat fie%, neitber have you bound 11p tbat which wa1 brok,!n, neither have you brought• again that which war drivm ar~~ay , Heither have ysu · fought that which wM lojl, b11t with furce and crmlty ha~e Y"' ruled • them. Nay, how many are there that wound and kill in flead of curing, with prophanc fcolfs and calumnies? The children ask for the bread and fifh o! a G•ff•I-Do{Jrine, a jufi interpretation of· Scripture, a lively powerful Sermon, and what have they but the Stolte; yea, the Scorpio11 of an impertilunt, iii[Jf;nificant, unfavoury difcourfe? As fure as the J,.ord liveth, he wiU one day rtquire tbt flock,. at thefe men1 band1; and caufe them to ceafi from feeding hi1 · j.ck, -·and deliver tbeftack..from tluirmoHthJ, They are neither· able nor faithfur; or if able, to be fure not faithful: In the mean.· time (my brethren!) let us take heed what we do; let us fiudy the Scriptures, labour to be po1fdfed of Chrifls Flaggon1 and ' .Applrr, rhat we may be able co fpeak a word in feafon 10 affilCled I Souls; and let us be faithful: Let us not wound but cz1re, and not go about to cure with the cbarm1 of [ooli(h !i<!!ibble~, falfe notions, and impertinent fancies; but with thofe which are in-deed Chrills Flaggont, and with thofe Appler which we lind itt- Cbriftl Orchard. A-pples of Sod om will not do this great work, and let us remember fiill, we can but offer the Wil<e and 'the Apple1l it is God mull inable the Soul to apply them, and muft .work thi,l-· . great cure. Cane. 2. 6. lfir left luud ..,IH 14Hd8r my beod ·, am/ hn rigbt band rmbrl• · ·<tth me. I N the .ancient Verliom of the Text, I . find no difference of:" reading; fave that fome read the Verb in the Prefent Tenfe, fame in the Future. In the Heb: it is in the Future Tenfe, and I\ find Bernard, building a note upon it, of which ( poffibly) more anon. And fame read them in the form of a Prayer, Let hif lt}i lu11db~ "l!dtr. me, &:c •. ochers in.thdorm of an Affrrti~n; Hif./eft' · hand · |