The Go'pe! [or forth net with humane Eloquence , but in Simplicity and Spiritus! Power, T1 —S- Heavenly Wiſdom revealed herein by the Spiris above humane Sence and Wiſdom. 6 12. which canuit be urtered with Man's Wards, ner judged and At cerned by the Natural A7an. 13 ——-16.
ſ N D I, brethren, when came unto you, came nor with excellency of ſpeech, or of wiſdom, « declaring unto you the teſtimony of God.
a It ſhould ſeem by the Apoſtles ſo often declaring againſt that Vanity, that even that Age much admireda Stile, and Miniſters in ſacred things delivering their Minds, not in a meer decent, but ina lofty high-flown Phraſe,and that they vilified St. Pau?, becauſe his Phraſe did not fo tickle their Ears. The Apoſtle had declared againſt this, Chap. 1. 17. there he called it the Miſaom of Words ; here he calls it, an excellency of ſaeech, v.4. the mricing words of man's wiſaom: Chap. 4. 19. the words of them that are puffed up ;
THIANS. Chy
connate riatural Principles. Now faith Pay! , neither of theſe —_— neither ſtudied oder an _ we: Phraſes nor did I make it my work to demonſtrate Gof, and fition; to you from Principles of natural Reaſon. Obje& In rope chen Miniſters to uſe ſuch Words ? 'Aſw. A learned Pg, in Be ter ſaith, That at that time it was the Will of God, that Fe Wri, ſhould uſe plain Speech , but it us otherwiſe now, the uſtn "=" ftudioufly compoſed and ordered , being now th: ordinary w; - of Wark others. 7. But after this rate any thing ofthe Will of Goo! 9c evaded ; it is but ſaying, thatit was tlie Will of Got ind- y , bur nor now. But 2 The thing is falſe. It was then _ wy, now the ordinary way of perſwading to uſe Rhetoricha] ns p Rational demonſtrations. 3. Although now this be the « yo wh Method of perſwading Men of Learning and Capzcities __— generality of people it isnot ſo. 4. The Apoſtles Reaſon : Mrs now as much as ever. It is the way to make Chriſtian Fai = in the Wiſdom of Mex, not in the Power of God. Obje& land then Minifters to uſe m ſtudy, but talk whatever comes at the; - oi end, and to uſe ne Reaſon to prove what they ſay,? Anſw. By no oo 1. Iris one thing to fudy Matter, another 'thing to ftud mo 2. Nay, itis one thing to ſtudy a decency in Words, another ft dy a gawdry of Phraſe. It is an old and true ſaying, Y:»;, ; a tur res, Words will follow Matter, if the Preacher be but of __ ry Parts. In the ſtudy of Words we have bur two thin __ tend : 1. That we ſpeak intelligibly , fo as all the People oh underſtand. 2. That, we ſpeak gravely and decently ; all = Fu dy of Words and Phraſesin a Divine is but folly and vanity 'W ought ro uſe our Reaſon in our preaching, but Reaſon wodkie « Ways. 1, Either making concluſions from natural and philof % Principles : or, 2. From ſcriptural Principles. We ought to wn to conclude as ſtrongly as we can what we ſay from Prixciz!;; Revelation, comparing ſpiritual things with ſpiritual, bur no " : all n#:#ral and philoſophical Principles ; for ſo we ſhall conclude Th 1s no Trinity in the Unity of the Divine Being, becauſe accordin G natural Principles , Three cannot be One, nor One Three, and _ the Reſurreion, becauſe there can be no regreſs froma privacing an habit, &c. 4. Again, Ir is one thing to ule our natura] Rev ſon, ex abundant i, as an auxiliary help to illuſtrate and confirm whar is firſt confirmed by Divine Revelation: another thing tg ule jt asa Foundation upon which we build a ſpiritual Concluion or as the main proofof it. Paul's preaching was in words inte I:gible to his Hearers, and decent enough,and with reaſon enough bur not concluding upon natural Principles,nor making any proof of that Nature the Foundation upon which he built his Goſpel concluſions. e But in demonſtration of the Spirit. By which _ and ſome others, underſtand Miracles, by which the Doftrine of | the Goſpel was at firſt confirmed ; but Yorſtius and many other better underſtand by it the Holy Ghoft's powerful and inward per. Iwaſion of Mens Minds, ofthe Truth of what was preached by Paul. All Miniſters preaching makes Propoſitions ofGoſpeltruth appear no more than probable, the Spirit only demonſtrates then working in Souls ſucha perſwaſton and confirmation ofthe Tarh of them, as the Soul can no longer deny or diſpute, or withſtml the convittion of them. f And with power. By this term alſo ſome
puffed up with Conceits of their own Parts and Abilities. S. Pal declares, that this was not his way of preaching: He came to de- clare to them the Goſpel, which he calleth the Tef:2n0ny of God : this needed no fine words, and excellent Phraſe , and Language to ſet it forth.
you, * fave Jeſus Chriſt, and him crucified 6.
4 ] did not value my ſelf upon any piece of Knowledge had at- rained, ſaving only that of Chriſt, and him crucified; or, I deter- mined with my ſelf to carry my ſelf amongſt you, as if I knew no- thing of Arts , or Sciences, or Languages , but only Chriſt aad him crucified : Not to make any thing elſe the SubjeQ of my pub- lick diſcourſes. I was acquainted withthe Jewiſh Law, Rites, and Traditions, with the Heathen Poets and Philoſophers, I trou- bled you with none of theſe in my Pulpit-Diſcourſes: my whole buſineſs was to open to you the Myſteries of the Goſpel, and to
underſtand the power of working Miracles ; but it is much better by othersinterpreted of that Authority, which the Word of Gol preach. ed by Paul had, and preached by faithful Miniſters ſtill hath, upon the Souls and Conſciencesof thoſe that hear ir. As it is faid, Mart, 7. 29. Chriſt taught them as one that had Authority. Andit is ſaid of Stephen, As 6. 10. They were net able to re{ift the wiſdm and th
2 For I determined not to know any thing among |/p;-ir y which he ſpake. So the Goſpel preached by Pan! came to
people, 1 Theſſ. 1. 5. Not iu word only, but alſo in power, and th Holy Ghoſt, and in much afſurance: and was quick, and powerful, and ſharper than any two-edged ſword, piercing to the dividing aſuntersf foul and ſpirit, and of the joints and marrow , and it a diſum of the thoughts, and intents of the heart , Heb. 4. 12. Andthus ew ry faithful Miniſter , with whoſe labours God goeth along inthe converſion of Souls, yet preacheth in the demonſtration of the Spit, and with Power, Nor indeed can thoſe Miracles, by which Cri and his Apoſtles confirmed the truth of the De&rine of the Golpe, rhough they were a mighty proof, be inany propriety of Spreci,