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wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked ; ' because tbey seek not fit guides to lead them.
(2.) Slightiness. They will not mind these things, nor exercise their thoughts about them : Mat. xxii. 5, ' And they made light of it,' would not let it enter into their care and thoughts ; Heb. ii. 3, ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? ' Non-attendency is the great bane of men's souls ; it is a long time to bring them to ask, ' What shall I do to be saved ? '
(3.) Impotency and weakness, which lieth in the wilfulness and hard- ness of their hearts ; our non posse is non velle ; Ps. Iviii. 4, 5, ' They arejlike the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear, and will not hearken to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely ; ' and ]\Iat. xsiii. 37, * How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not ? ' and Luke xix. 14, ' We will not have this man to rule over us ; ' John v. 40, 'They will not come unto me that they may have life; ' Ps. Ixxxi. 11, ' Israel would have none of me ; ' Prov. i. 29, ' Bat they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.' You cannot, because you will not, the will and affections being engaged to other things. You have the grant and offer of mercy from God, but you have not an heart to make a right choice. If you could say, I am willing but cannot, that were another matter ; but I cannot apply myself to seek reconciliation with God by Christ, is, in true interpretation, ' I will not,' because your blinded minds and sensual inclinations have misled and perverted your will ; your obstinate and carnal wilfulness is your true impotency.
Now what proper cure is there for all these evils but the word of God ? Teaching is the proper means to cure ignorance, for .men have a natural understanding. Warning us of our danger, and minding us of our duty, is the proper means to cure slightness, and to remove their impotency, which lieth in their obstinacy and wilfulness. There is no such means as to besiege them with constant persuasion, and the renewed offers of a better estate by Christ, for the impotency is rather moral than natural ; we do not use to reason men out of their natural impotency, to bid a lame man walk, or a blind man see, or a dead man live ; but to make men willing of the good they have neglected or rejected, we must persuade them to a better choice. In short, to inform the judgment, to awaken the conscience, to persuade the will, this is the work and office of the word by its precepts, promises, and rewards. It is true the bare means will not do it without God's con- currence, the influence and power of his Spirit ; but it is an encourage- ment to use the means, because they are fitted to the end, and God would not appoint us means which should be altogether vain.
5. That it is not enough that the word be written, but preached by those who are deputed thereunto for several reasons —
[1.] Partly because scripture may possibly lie by, as a neglected thing. The Lord complaineth, Hos. viii. 12, ' I have written to them the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.' Men slighted the word written, as of little importance or concernment to them, are little conversant in it ; therefore some are appointed that shall be sure to call upon us, and put us in mind of our eternal con- dition ; that may bring the word nigh to us, lay it at our doors, bring a special message of God to our souls : Acts xiii. 26, ' To you is the
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word of salvation sent.' lie speaketh to all the world by his word, to you in particular by the special messages his servants bring you. It is sent to you, there is much of God in it ; the word written hath its use to j)revent delusions and mistakes, and the word preached hath also its use to excite and stir up every man to look after the remedy offered, as he will answer it to God another day,
[2.] Partly because the word written may not be so clearly under- Swood, therefore God hath left gifts in the church, authorised some to interpret : as the eunuch was rea ding, and God sent him an inter- preter : ' Philip said unto him, Understandest thou what thou readest ? And he said, How can I, except somebody guide me ? ' Acts viii. 30, 31. The scripture is clear in itself, but there is a covering of natural blind- ness upon our eyes, which the guides of the church are appointed and qualified to remove : Job xxxiii. 23, ' If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one of a thousand, to show a man his uprightness.' There are messengers from God authorised to speak in his name, to relieve poor souls, that they may soundly explain, forcibly express, and closely apply the truths of the word, that what is briefly expressed there by earnest and copious exhortations may be inculcated upon them, and the ari'ow may be drawn to the head, and they may more effectually deal with sinners, and convince them of their duty, and rouse them up to seek after the favour of God in Christ. Look, as darts that are cast forth out of engines by art, and fitted with feathers, are more apt to fly faster, and pierce deeper, than those that are thrown casually, and fall by their own weight ; so, though the word of God is still the word of God, and hath its proper power and force, whether read or preached, yet when it is well and properly enforced with dis- tinctness of language, vehemency and vigour of spirit, and with prudent ajDplication, it is more conducible to its end.