Secondly, Those truths are oft to be preached, which ministers observe to be most undermined by Satan or his instruments in the judgments or lives of their people. The preacher must read and study his people as diligently as any book in his study; and as he finds them, dispense like a faithful steward imto them. Paul takes notice that the Galatians had been in ill handling by false apostles, who had even bewitched them back to the law in that great point of justification, and see how he beats upon that point. Our people complain, we are so much, so oft reproving the same error or sin ; and the fault is their own, because they will not leave it. Who will blame the dog for continuing to bark, when the thief is all the while in the yard ? Alas, alas, it is not once or twice rousing against sin, will do it ! When people think the minister shows his laziness, because he preaches the same things, he may then be exercising liis patience, in continuing to exhort and rejirove those who oppose, waiting, if at last (Jod will give them repentance, to the acknowledging of the truth. We are bid to lift \ip our voice like a trumpet ; and would you have us cease while the battle lasts, or sound a retreat when it should be a battle ?
Tliirdly, Truths of daily use and practice. These are like bread and salt; whatever else is on, these must be on the board every meal. St. Peter was of this mind, 2 Pet. i. 12 : 'I will not be negligent to put you always in remem- brance of these things, though ye know them.' He had, you may see, been speaking of such graces and duties, that they could not pass a daj' without the exercise of them, and therefore will be ever their monitor to stir up their piu'e minds about them. All is not well, when a man is weary of his ordinary food, and nothing will go down but rarities ; the stomach is sickly, when a man delights rather to pick some salad, than eat of solid meat : and how far this dainty age is gone in this sjiiritual disease, I think few are so far come to them- selves, as yet to consider and lament. O sirs, be not weary, as in doing, so not in hearing those savoury tiniths preached you have daily use of, because ye know them, and have heard them often: faith and repentance will be good doctrine to preach and hear to the end of the world. You may as well quarrel with God because he hath made but one heaven, and one way to it, as be offended .at the preacher for preaching these over and over. If thy heart be humble, and thy palate spiritual, old truths will be new to thee every time thou hearest them. In heaven, the saints draw all their wine of joy, as I may so say, at one tap, and shall to all eternity, and yet it never tastes flat. God is that one ol)ject their soids are filled with, and never weary of; and can any- thing of God and his love be wearisome to thee in the hearing here ? I am not all this while an advocate for any loiterer in our Lord's vineyard, for any sloth- ful servant in the work of the gospel, who wraps up his talent in idleness, or buries it in the earth, where, may be, he is digging and playing the worldling all the week, and then hath nothing to set before his people on the Lord's day, but one or two mouldy loaves, which were kneaded many years before. Tliis is not the good stewai'd ; here is the old, but where are the new things which he should bring out of his treasure ? If the minister labours not to increase his stock, he is the worst thief in the parish. It is wicked for a man, trusted with the improving of orphans' estates, to let them lie dead by him ; much more for a minister not to improve his gifts, which I may call the townstock given for the good of the souls of both rich and poor. If that preacher was wise, Eccl. xii. 9, who still ' taught the people knowledge,' that is, was ever going on, endeavouring to build them higher in knowledge, and that he might, did ' give good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs;' then surely he will be proved a foolish preacher at last, that wastes his time in sloth, or spends more of it in studying how to add to his estate out of his people's, than how to add to their gifts and graces, by a conscientious endeavour to increase his own.
THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD. I(j5
CHAPTER II.
THE BEST OF SAINTS SUBJECT TO DECLINE IN THEIR GRACES, AND WHY WE ARE TO ENDEAVOUR A RECOVERY OF DECAYS IN GRACE.