own.

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fome fingular Abilities of the Perfons fo com- S ER M. miffioned, made their Preaching in a Manner neceffary to the Church. For ordinarily the Office was the Bishop's Province, and only devolved upon the Prefbyters themselves by his Licence and Confent. Such was the Conftitution of the Primitive Church: And fuch, bleffed be GOD! is at present our Who then would refufe fo neceffary an Ordinance from so sure a Ministry, purely for the fake of hearing it from another which is bold to adminifter it without any Authority? Should we mislead you, provided that you are not inftrumental yourselves to your going out of the Way; you will have this to comfort you, when you find yourselves in the Wrong, that the Error was properly none of yours. You followed those that were appointed to direct you, therefore we must beat the Blame of your going aftray. Whereas when you follow those who have no Business to lead you; you will be accountable, not only for going after ftrange Guides, but alfo for all the Errors into which they shall bring you. They had no Authority or Commiffion to direct you, and therefore if you are misled by them the Fault is yours. But it is Time I fhould proceed to the

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III. THIRD

SER M.
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III. THIRD Head of my Discourse, under which I am to fhew, that though they who preach the Gospel are Men like ourselves, fo have nothing of Terror in them to frighten Men from hearing them; and yet are dignified with a Divine Commiffion, and so want no Authority to perfuade Men; yet their Preaching has not generally that due Effect it ought to have. For fo the Text informs us, that after the preaching of the Son of GOD himself, who certainly wanted neither Authority nor Words to gain the Belief of his Hearers; and of the Apostles after him, who spake also as the Spirit gave them Utterance, the Jews ftill perfifted in Unbelief and Infidelity: They have not all obeyed the Gospel. Nay fo few of them had attended to it, that the Apostle complains of their Incredulity in the Words of the Prophet, Lord, who hath believed our Report? Ifai. liii. 1. It must indeed. be owned, in behalf of the Jews, that they had a better Plea to urge for not obeying the Word, than Chriftians can ever alledge for themselves. The Quitting of their Law and Religion must have been the Confequence of their Obedience; whereas there is no other End propofed in preaching to Chriftians,

X.

than to prevail with them to live up to that SER M. Religion which they already profess. And yet, notwithstanding fo wide a Difference, that the Succeffion of Preaching with us, is as little as it was with them, is a Matter of Fact too evident to be denied. Nay it is a Truth fo open and profeffed, that some do, for that Reason, cry out upon the Ufelesness of the Inftitution, and because it produces no better Effects would have the Office difcontinued. So that to go about to prove what no Body will gainfay, would be a needless Trouble: And therefore it may probably be of greater Use to fhew that the Inefficacy of Preaching is not fo much owing to any Default in the Minifters, as to the Indifpofition of the Hearers. Who too often come, not with Defire to be edified and inftructed, but meerly out of Cuftom, or to pass away the Time. Some indeed may be drawn by other Motives, but still fuch as are foreign to the true ones; and therefore they cannot reasonably expect Benefit from the Word fince they come not for the fake of it. Nothing can be a greater Proof of this, than the ill Succefs of the most celebrated Preachers, who as little Influence the Lives of their Auditors, as Men of lefs Eloquence and meaner Parts; a fure Sign

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SERM. Sign that the Unavailableness of Preaching does not proceed from the Infufficiency of the Ministers, but from the Corruption of the Hearers.

In fhort the Cafe of the most able Preachers now, is the fame with that of Ezekiel of old, who was followed and admired for the Sake of his Prophecies, but could never prevail with the People to be warned by them. That Prophet's own Account of himself in this Matter, Ezek. xxxiii. 30-33. is so very applicable to the Subject we are upon, that I cannot forbear making ufe of it, with a little Paraphrafe to defcribe the Cafe of fuch Preachers with us. Son of Man, (faith Gon to him) the Children of thy People still are talking of thee by the Walls and in the Doors of the Houses: i. e. in all publick Affemblies, and wherefoever they met, he was the Subject of their Difcourfe. They speak one to another, every one to his Neighbour, faying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the Word that cometh forth from the Lord. Whenever they knew he was to utter any Prophecy, they called upon one another to go and hear him. They come unto thee as the People cometh, i. e. in Troops and Companies, as the People go out to War, infomuch that the

Place

Place where he prophefied was thronged and S ER M.
They fit before thee, as my People:

crowded.
With as much Shew of Sanctity and Devotion,
as if they were affembled for the Worship of
GOD. And they hear thy Words: They
did not, it seems, only come, fome to fit
gravely and demurely, others to talk imper-
tinently, or to fall asleep: But they were
really attentive to what he faid; they catched
at his Words and would let nothing flip. But
then it follows, But they will not do
them, for with their Mouth they fhew much
Love, but their Heart goeth after their Co-
vetousness. So that notwithstanding all their
Attention and feeming Devotion, and though
they liked and approved of his Doctrine; yet
his Prophecies were neglected when they
fhould be put in Practice, and all his Elo-
quence could not reclaim them from their
Vices. And lo, thou art unto them as a very
lovely Song of one that has a pleasant Voice,
and can play well on an Inftrument, for they
hear thy Words, but they do them`not.
Difcourfes were methodical and well com-
pofed, like a Song well fet; and the Prophet
himself had the Advantage of a good Voice ;
his Delivery was just and his Cadence true;
which gave as much Life to his Difcourses, as

His

an

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