how apt are people to forget any thing that is good to put off any thing that should pull them downe before God and therefore we should labour to help our poore people that if it be possible we may stop them from going downe into the pit Fifthly we should labour to make the things that we preach as if it were lively before peoples eyes as the Apostle preacht Christ crucified to the Galatians even as if he were crucified before their very eyes Gal. 3. 1. so Moses had a very lively Ministry the text sayes he set his points before their very eyes I call heaven and earth to record against you this day that I have set before you life and death blessing and crusing Deut. 30. 19. marke he set before their eyes life and death heaven and hell he preached so evidently that the people might see as it were with their eyes the things that he preached this is lively teaching as the Orator sayes Hypotyposis is an excellent meanes to perswade when the speaker does as it were point before the hearers eyes when he represents the things he speakes of this is preaching in the evidence and the demonstration of the spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when a Minister demonstrates his points and this it is this is the sinne and this is the case and this is the misery and thus it stands with you when he labours to make people see it and they must needs see it unlesse they be wilfull and shut their eyes otherwise people heare a Sermon as if it did not concerne them there 's a man in the pulpit and they heare what he says but they never consider how deeply it concernes them Sixthly we should be truly affected with the word of God our selves laying nothing on our peoples shoulders but what we lift upon our owne we should speake the truth from the bottom of our hearts uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite heart we should be heavenly as the word is that lip and heart and word may be all a like O if we did drop downe our Sermons as dew downe from heaven on our people this would be a lively preaching indeed as the Prophet Ezekiel did He dropt the word of God on Ierusalem Ezek. 21. 2. if our Sermons did come dropping downe from us as if they dropt downe from heaven O how homely doe our Sermons come from our mouthes as though they never were higher then the pulpit we doe not preach as if the word came dropping down from heaven and therefore people doe not look up to heaven while they heare their mindes are no higher then our pulpits whereas if we had heavenlier hearts and lippes it would more quicken a thousand times or at least be a sitter instrument to quicken Seventhly and lastly we should get the Lord to goe along with our Ministry for it is not our preaching it selfe that hath any life nay it is but a dead letter as it issues from us if we were such men that had the Lord going along with us throughout all our Ministry what a deale of profit would there be in our Ministry as Micha sayes I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord Micha 3. 8. But I let this point passe thus ye have heard the words as they have relation to the Ministry of the Church in Sardis Thou art dead that is thy Ministry is dead Now I come to the words as they have relation to the Church it selfe Thou art dead Thou art a dead people though thou hast a name to live yet thou art dead that is thou art outwardly reformed thou hast goodly order'd congregations good sober civill and faire carriaged people all professing the true religion and frequenting the good Ordinances of God yet thou art dead that is thou art even as good as nothing the doctrine hence is a dead Christian is as no Christian at all Ye know we are all dead by nature in trespasses and in sins that is we are alive to the workes of the flesh and to the world but dead towards God And a true Christian is he that is made dead unto sinne and the world but alive unto God as the Apostle Paul sayes Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. this is a true Christian that so leaves his sinnes and so takes up the worship and service of God that he is dead to his sinnes and alive towards God now when a man it may be leaves his sinnes after a manner and takes up the profession of Gods Service and yet he is alive still unto the flesh and dead towards God this is just nothing By dead I meane things first deadnesse of guilt when a man is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law he is said to be a dead man therefore every man hath sinned against God which is death by Gods Law so that every man is dead by nature when a man is pardoned of God then he is alive again and therefore it is called justification of life Ro. 5. 18. now when a man is not pardoned of God he is dead though he have never so many hopes and conceits of forgivenesse thought to apprehend himselfe to be pardoned yet as long as God hath not pardoned him indeed he is a dead man Secondly deadnesse of minde when the minde is Ignorant of God in regard of saving knowledge when a mans minde is without saving understanding then his minde is said to be dead true saving understanding is the life of so many mindes as David sayes give me understanding and I shall live Psal 119. 144. then my minde shall be alive sayes he then I shall know thee aright now let a man have never so much knowledge and learning yet in divine things is otherwise and have nothing his minde is still dead he is a dead man to all the things of God he cannot see God in all his wayes no more then a dead man he cannot minde God he may minde earthly things but he cannot minde God nay though he can mind learning divinity learning learning about God yet he cannot minde God his minde is dead to such savoury knowledge even as dead as a dead man he knowes not how to pray to God as a childe to his Father he knowes not how to doe any duty in a godly gratious manner his minde is as dead to these things as a simple Country-mans is to Latin or Greeke or Hebrew Thirdly deadnesse of heart when the heart is not inclined towards God then we say it is dead towards God and all goodnesse though he goe to good duties every day yet as long as the heart is not inclined to them it goes about them in a dead manner when a mans heart is once inclined towards God now it begins to be alive towards him as David sayes the heart
For the place of his exile was like Pauls third Heaven unto him he was ravisht in the Spirit on the Lords day and had abundance of revelations vouchsafed unto him of the things that should occurre in the Church and out from thence unto the end of the world Before which he hath a charge given him to write to the seven Churches of Asia chap. 1. the Church of Ephesus the Church of Smyrna and of Pergamus and of Thyatira these foure are written unto in the second Chapter the other three are written unto in this the Church of Sardis and the Church of Philadelphia and the Church of Laodicea Now that which I have chosen to handle and if God afford liberty I desire to goe through it is the Epistle unto the Church of Sardis wherein we may consider foure things First The Inscription containing a specification whom the Epistle is specially directed unto And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Secondly the Subscription containing a description of the Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Church These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I call it a subscription because in our letters we use to subscribe our names or to write our names beneath at the latter end But it may be called rather a suprascription as Kings write their names above for honours sake so does Christ the King of Sion write his Name above Thirdly the substance or matter of the Epistle I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchfull strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God c. vers 1 2 3 4. Fourthly the conclusion He that overcommeth the same shall be clothed in white raiment c. v. 5 6. First I say the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write In which words Saint John is directed whom to inscribe this Epistle unto and that is unto the Church which is in Sardis but especially unto the Angel of it that is the Minister or Ministers of it for that 's the meaning of Angel in this place Secondly for the Subscription or rather suprascription that contains the description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom the Epistle is sent and he is described by two Royalties the first is in having of the seven Spirits of God These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God that is that hath power to send the holy Ghost unto all the Elect for so the holy Ghost is called the seven Spirits that are before the Throne Rev. 1. 4. He meanes there the holy Ghost not as though there were seven holy Ghosts but he is expressed in the plurall number in regard of the abundance of graces that he infuses into his Churches and the number seven is rather taken then any other number partly because this number is put for a perfect number as implying the perfection of his influence partly because of the present businesse in hand for here he writes to the seven Churches of Asia Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath Spirit enough to send forth into them all This is his first Royalty that he hath the seven spirits of God Another Royalty of his is that he hath the seven Starres that is the seven Pastors of these Churches Christ hath them all in his hand it is he that preserves those Ministers that are faithfull he hath power to raise them up to gift them to protect them to defend them and they are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church Thirdly for the substance and matter of the Epistle it containeth three parts First a Reproofe and the reproofe is in these words I know thy works that is I know them all and they are stark naught for the most part what ever they seem they may seem to be very good but I tell you plainly I know them all what they be q. d. generally they are stark naught and then he instances in particular as for example thy deadnesse of heart in Religion Thou hast a name to live but thou art dead that is thou goest for an excellent Minister and and excellent Church ye doe professe Religion very fairly and in a goodly manner that to see to thou art alive and thou art taken so too of all thy Neighbour-churches they all think and hope thou art alive but the truth is thou art dead the grace of life is hardly in thee at all This is the first the Reproof Then secondly here 's a remedy annexed for he does not reprove them out of any ill will but for their good and so he prescribes them a remedy and the remedy is twofold The first is To strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die q. d. as many of you as are not quite and clean dead stirre up your selves quicken up your hearts and this is amplified by shewing how they should doe thus O be watchfull sayes he q. d. that is the reason why ye languish in this fashion and yee will languish more and more because yee are not watchfull therefore Be watchfull and also by rendring a motive to presse this remedy For I have not found thy works perfect before God that is thou art hardly sincere a jot thou art full of hypocrisie and rottennesse and formality and thou wilt lose all thy labour if thou dost not look well about thee therefore shake up thy selfe and strengthen the things that remain This is the first remedy The second remedy is to repent and this is amplified by shewing how and that is two wayes First Remember how thou hast received and heard that is consider how thou hast been taught and bewaile thy declinings for thou art horribly departed from what thou hast learned in the Ministery of the word Secondly Hold fast that is so bewail thy warpings wanings and degeneratings that thou mayst get up againe hold thee fast there when thou art up Now lest they should neglect the using of this remedy the Lord Jesus sharpens his speech with a threatning telling them the danger if they will not be awakened If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thiefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee This is the second part of the matter of this Epistle the Remedy Thirdly another part of the matter of this Epistle is a commendation of some particular persons in the Church that were not carried away in the deadnesse of the times and these he does praise very much and he gives them an excellent promise the praise is in these words Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments that is there be some among you though they be but a few that have not been sutted and soyled with others bad examples though others be dead yet they are not dead too for company
Gospell good usage the Lord would continue it like a Guest that is the willinger to stay when he sees he is among Friends Thirdly Let us bring forth the fruits of it The Husbandman will ever continue ploughing of his ground as long as hee sees it will give him a good crop But when hee perceives it will not quit charges then hee layes it Fallow So Christ would have stayed his word still in Judah and Jerusalem if they would have brought forth competent fruite But when once they grew barren hee said hee would take his Kingdome away The Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and given to a Nation that will bring forth the fruites thereof Matth. 21. 43. Fourthly Let us bee earnest with God to have his Gospell continue Importunity may doe much Importunity held Christ a night longer with the Disciples Luk. 24. 29. Importunity held the Levite three or foure dayes longer then otherwise hee would Judg. 19. 4 5 6 7. O If wee would bee importunate with Christ to stay his Gospel still as Jacob did the Angell Thou shalt not goe till thou blesse mee Lord thy Gospell shall not goe till it convert me and it shall not goe till it convert mee and it shall convert mee first if every one would hang upon Christ to stay his Gospell still and thou shalt not let it goe till it hath done my soule good till it hath illightned mine eyes and quickned my heart this would obtaine much may bee some doe doe thus as Jeremiah did O thou hope of Israel Why shouldest thou bee as a stranger in the Land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to stay for a night Jer. 14. 8. Alas that would not doe if there had been many Jeremiah's to doe thus then they might have gotten him to stay longer So may bee some doe cry importunately thus O thou hope of Jerusalem c. And so I fall upon the third thing ye have heard first how Christ hath the placing of his Ministers secondly he hath the continuing of them Thirdly Now it followes hee hath the removing of them too People are prone to look upon second causes But Christ is the supreame hee is the principall cause of this judgement upon men to take away his Ministers as the Prophet Isaiah speaks The Lord of Hoasts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the mighty man and the Judge and the Prophet Esa 3. 1 2. Whether it bee by death or removeall or imprisonment or suspending or any other way It is he that deprives a people of his faithfull Ministers whosoever be the instrument First He can take them away by death out of the world Thus the Lord took away the Prophet Enoch Genesis 5. 24. Secondly He can take them away by removeall thus he took away Jonas from Israel and sent him to Niniveh Jon. 3. 1. Ye know he was a Prophet in Israel and the Lord removed him thence to the Land of Assyria Thirdly He can take them away by letting them bee imprisoned thus he took away John the Baptist by letting Herod put him into prison for telling him of his sins Mark 16. 17. So Ahab imprisoned Michaiah for telling him the truth Fourthly Hee can take them away by letting them be suspended and inhibited from Preaching by letting wicked men have their wills That say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not Speak to us smooth things prophesie deceits Esa 30. 10. Thus King Amaziah silenced the Prophet that reproved him 2 Chron. 25. 16. Fifthly He can take them away by silencing them himselfe this is as bad as taking them away for the time thus himself stopt Ezikels mouth and made him dumb Now the Reason why Christ does doe thus is first because of the wicked they will not receive their Doctrine Thus the Lord Jesus took away Paul out of Jerusalem Make haste get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not receive thy testimony concerning mee Acts 22. 18. Secondly The Lord does it in regard of his own people because they begin to forsake their first love This was the reason why the Lord threatned to take away the Ministery of the Word out of Ephesus I will remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent Revelations 2. 5. Thirdly The Lord does this sometimes in regard of the Ministery it self that it may be more precious afterwards as it is said there in Samuel when the Lord had deprived Israel of his Prophets for a matter of fourescore yeares together O sayes the Text The Word of God was precious in those dayes because there was no open Vision 1 Sam. 3. 1. The Use of this is first Is it so that it is Christ that removes Ministers then this should teach us to mourn before him if ever any of our Ministers bee taken away by any meanes wee should see whose hand is upon us the hand of the Lord is gone out against us it is hee that inflicteth this judgement and therefore wee should mourn unto him as the Church did When all their Prophets were gone and all Religion went to wrack and the enemies had burnt up their Synagogues and broken up all their godly Assemblies O how they mourned unto God for it O God why hast thou cast us off Why does thine anger smoak against the sheepe of thy pasture Remember thy Congregation which thou hast purchased of old Remember mount Zion wherein thou hast dwelt Psal 74. 1 2. this was a heavy judgement indeed they felt the Lords anger smoake against them then Why What was the matter Wee see not our signes there is no more any Prophet Ver. 9. Secondly Another Use is Let us look into the meritorious cause which is nothing but our sins If Gods Ministers be put down at any time it is our sins that put them down For if Christ be the inflicting cause certainly our sins are the deserving cause wee can blame none but our own sins if any thing stop any good Ministers mouth it is they it is peoples drunkennesse and disorder you are the cause your unfruitfulnesse and security and hypocrisie and formality you doe not learn goodnesse and godlinesse under the Word yee remaine vaine and blinde and hardned in your hearts under the same What Parishes more disorderly than those where most preaching is where is more hatred of word and vertue and piety then there where is more railing at a good life and holy walking and such as desire to doe well the more preaching people hear for the most part the worse they grow People come to Church it may bee but they make it a cloake for their villanies they will give us the hearing but no obedience no practise no Reformation no signe of amendment no love no truth no faithfulnesse no communion at all welaneare where most Preaching is if any thing stop our mouthes this will doe it And indeed what may men think of us but that wee are a
know all thy workes i I know them to be all starke naught Some thinke this is an allusion to the Minister of Sardis his name who they say was called Zosing that is Living Thou hast a name that thou livest but the truth is thou art dead whether that be so or no I know not but this is the meaning of the words that both the Minister and the Church seemed to be alive towards God hee to be a very good and godly Minister and they very good and godly hearers they were all professors they were all very devout and forward in all their duties of Religion to see to Thou hast a name that thou livest By name is meant a meere name as wee see by the clause following and art dead for when a man is dead the name to live must needs be a meere Name First a Name in regard of themselves they tooke themselves to be alive as Paul had a name to live before his conversion while yet hee was a Pharisee hee had then a name to live I was alive without the Law once Rom. 7. 9. That is I had a name to live then I taking my selfe to be alive I thought verily in those dayes that I had true Grace true Faith and true Hope and true Love and the true feare of God before my eyes So this Church had a name to live they thought themselves to be alive Secondly a name in regard of other godly Churches others in the judgement of Charity conceived they were alive as the Scribes the Pharisees our Saviour Christ told them they had a name to live Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for yee are like unto whited Sepulchers which indeed appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones Matthew 23. 27. that is yee seeme to be alive yee have a name to live but indeed yee are dead They had such a great name to live that our Saviour Christ had much a doe to keepe his owne Disciples from over-weening of them beware of them sayes hee q. d. what ever yee may thinke they have a meere Name to live Thirdly a name among poore ignorant and simple people yee know there be abundant of poore simple people that are led away with shewes that know not what true Religion is nay may be hate it but yet they are led away with the shew of it now they that seeme to be religious they are the onely Men and Women with such they are held for the only good people in a Country they are admired poore silly people take them for their Ghostly Fathers if they can have but their Prayers they thinke their Prayers can do much when they are sick they love a life to have such by their bedsides they give them a great deale of comfort like Absulom that comforted the people that came to him O your matters are good so the Apostle shewes that they that had a sorme of godlinesse had a name to live among a company of poore silly people 2 Tim. 3. 5. 6. Fourthly a name among the persecutors of Religion and so they are persecuted too among them that live indeed for mockers take them to be of the same number So Alexander the Coppersmith had a name a great while and the enemies of goodnesse persecuted him even as Paul so Demas for a time had a name and was persecuted as well as the Apostle till afterwards hee was weary and forsooke him This is one of your Precisians this is one of you purer people this is one of them that call themselves the people of God These are the people of the Lord Ezek. 36. 20. as a Bat hath a name to be a Mouse and so the Birds persecute it and cannot abide it Now the point of Doctrine is this that it is a horrible thing to rest in a meere name of being Religious it is the argument that Christ uses to prove that Sardis workes were all starke naught because they had a meere name to live so when the Lord would declare how the Jewes were growne to be starke naught hee layes this to their charge that they had onely a name to bee his people They call themselves of the holy City and stay themselves upon the God of Israel the Lord of Hosts is his name Isaiah 48. 2. that is they got themselves a name to bee his people and there was all they had not the thing it selfe but they tooke the name thus hee proved them to bee starke naught The reasons are first because this is to be farthest off from Religion religion is a reall thing and therefore he that rests in having the name of it is farthest off from it as Christ sayes of Nathaniel Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile Ioh. 1. 47. so when a man is religious indeed humble indeed feares God indeed this is religion when a man is freed indeed from his sinnes and from the power of them this is religion if the Sonne shall make you free ye shall be free indeed Joh. 8. 36. Now when a man hath only the name he is farthest off from this Religion is a reall solid and a substantiall thing as Iohn sayes my little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 Joh. 3. 18. what though a man have the name to love God and goodnesse how farre is this off from doing of it indeed a man may goe for one that is converted but he is converted that is converted indeed so he is godly that is godly indeed the name is nothing where the thing is wanting all religion is in deed to believe indeed to deny a mans selfe every day indeed to be sensible of God indeed in all ones waies not to say ones prayers but to pray indeed to give God thankes indeed to worship him indeed as Paul sayes when a man can say God is in us indeede 1 Corinthians 14. 25. when a man hath onely the name this is a meere fancy and conceit Secondly it is a very blasphemy to get the name for good people when wee are not good people indeed the reason is this Religion hath an inward dependance upon God it unites a man to God it hath an internall relation unto God it puts a man in a propriety with God that God is his God that hee is borne of God it puts the very Name of God upon a man now if a man take the name with out the thing it must neede bee a very blasphemy as hee sayes I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Iewes and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Revelations 2. 9. as if a man should say hee were of the blood royall yee know the blood royall hath such a dependance on the Crowne that that man that should say hee were of the blood royall and is not hee must needes blaspheme the King So beloved Religion hath a neere dependance on God
is thus they jear these things but beloved t is certain for it is not enough to beleive except we do it with life he that liveth and beleeveth in me Joh. 11. 26. faith without life is but equivocally termed faith so it is not enough to hope in God except we doe it with life he hath begetten us againe to a lively hope says Peter So it is not enough to be a member in Gods Church a Stone in Gods building except we be lively Stones Ye also as lively Stones sayes he 1 Pet. 2. 5. The like I may say of all the duties of Religion it is not enough to doe them but we must doe them with life as to pray to pray with a dead heart is nothing no sayes David Lord quicken us and we will call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. In a word not to heape particulars we cannot walk in any of Gods wayes aright as long as we walke in them with a dead heart as the psalmist sayes Lord quicken thou me in thy way Psal 119. 37. it is a poore thing to walk in Gods wayes onely for the matter of them That indeed a dead heart may doe there 's no duty that God bids a man doe unlesse it be them that consignifie life but flesh and blood may doe it for the matter of it if there be matter and forme in it True some duties are simple that flesh and blood cannot doe as to love God to delight in God to have communion with God himself to take God for ones Portion and Lot and inheritance to be all in all to him these are simple acts they are not compounded of matter and forme But when a duty is compounded of matter and forme flesh and blood may doe the matter of it whatsoever it be now then as the essentiall forme is the life of the matter so the matter without it is a dead matter and the doing of it dead Well then now we see what is meant by dead the next is what is the meaning of Thou Thou art dead the word hath a double relation the one to the Minister of the Church in Sardis thou art dead thy Ministry is dead the other to the Church in Sardis it selfe thou art dead thou art a dead people First it hath relation to the Ministry thou art dead thy Ministry is dead there 's no life in it at all hence the Doctrine is this that a dead Ministry is as good as no Ministry at all for this our Saviour meanes in regard of the Angell of the Church in Sardis q. d. thy Ministry is little better then no Ministry it is stark dead well neare it is not lively at all there is little or no warmth to be had by it Like the Ministry of the Scribes that had no authority nor power at all in it Mat. 7. 29. As Luther said when he heard a cold Sermon cold cold cold sayes he this is cold Preaching here is no heat at all to be gotten as God sayes of the Ministry of Laodicia Thou art luke-warme Rom. 3. 16. that is as there was no heat in his people so there was no heat in his Ministry this is little better then no Preaching at all it is even as good as nothing First because true preaching is lively preaching when the Minister is a stirring Minister as Peter speakes I think it meet to stirre you up a Pet. 1. 13. when the Minister is earnest to save the peoples soules as the Lord sayes I earnestly protested to your Fathers Jer. 11. 7. He speakes of the Ministry of Moses and the prophets down along untill the Prophet Jeremies time they did not onely witnesse the word of God unto the people but they did it in a lively and earnest manner as Paul did I have striven to Preach the Gospell Rom. 15. 20. marke he belaboured him in the Pulpit he lay about him soundly that his Ministry might have life in it Saint Luke shewes that he had sweaty Handker-chiefes Act. 19. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hugo sayes upon the place it seemes he swet much in preaching and so Christ compares Ministers to Harvest men that labour in Gods Harvest ye know Harvest men are hot at their worke so Ministers should be Harvest men they should be hot at their worke Thus ye see dry and dull Preaching is little better then no preaching at all it is contrary to the manner of preaching contrary to the practice of all true and right preachers Secondly a dead Ministry is called no Ministry the Scripture calls it no Ministry in effect The Scripture is the best Judge what is a true Ministry and what is not now the Scripture makes a dead Ministry and no Ministry all one the Scribes and the Pharisees ye know were partly morall men most of them as we may see by Pauls Testimony of himself and they were orthodox Ministers as our Saviour witnesses of them in the maine for our Saviour bids people heare them yet their Ministry was little better then no Ministry as the Text shewes the people that sate under their Ministry are said to be as sheep having no Shepheard Mat. 9. 36. they preacht as if they did not preach people might come to their Sermons and be neere a jot moved nay such as came with a desire to be quickned could get no quickning at all under them Matthew sayes they sate under darknesse yet for all them These are Idoll Sheepheards wo to the Idoll Shepheards Zach. 11. 17. Thirdly a dead Ministry does doe little or no good though it be never so true yet it is very unfruitfull it does not awaken any of the auditory it does not startle any of the hearers it does not rowze up mens hearts it does not grapple with the obstinate it does not pull down the proud neither does it carry life at all with it neither is it sitted to work upon the conscience you may see an example of this in the Angell of the Church of Sardic a dead Minister a dead people as he was dead himselfe so his people were dead too a lively Ministry does a great deale of good it even is the saveur of life unto life unto those that be of God or else the savour of death unto death unto those that be not of God 2 Cor. 2. 16. it ever workes one way either it makes people rage or it fats people up or else it drives people home unto God which way so ever it works it is a sweet savour unto God it glorifies God but a dead Ministry does neither it is a flat weapon and cuts not it is a blunt Sword and wounds not may be it hath the true words of God but they are not in a wise work mans hands to make them as Goads and sharp Nayles partly good points but not pointed to prick any bodies heart it is said when Paul Preacht some went away converted others went away blaspheming Act. 13. 45. 48. Fourthly a