of John on for 2 or 3 Chapters, they have the most of Chrift in them that the Scripture doth record of any thing that Chrift hath done: then let Minifters pray more,and they will preach better; The way to be a good Preacher it is to be a fervent Prayer, doe as Chrift did, Minifters fhould come reekeing from Prayer into the Pulpit, and thofe will be the best Sermons that are warmed in their own hearts by Prayer. They come to give the milke of the word, and you know Nurses when they give milke to the Child, will not give it raw, nor cold, but they will warme the milke before they give it to the Child. O the milke of the Word that is warmed by the Prayer of a Minister in his own heart before he comes, that's that that is like to be most nourishable unto people.

And hence likewise we may note, That the way to be filled with the Holy Ghost, to be hlled with heavenly truths, with a moft fpiritual frame; It is to be much in prayer,the fpending time in prayer, and doing of it to purpofe indeed will helpe not onely Minifters but Chriftians, to rife up full of the holy Ghoft, full of heavenly and Divine truths: Confider that this Sermon was preached the next morning after Chrift had spent a whole night in prayer, and it will ad much to the excellency of the Sermon, and will be a fpecial Motive to your attention, and for the receiving of what fhall be faid out of this Sermon:Certainly there must be fome notable matter in this Sermon that was preached presently after such a prayer,and that's the fecond Confideration by way of Preface, The time when this Sermon was preached.

The 3d thing by way of Preface to this Sermon is, The place where it was preached: for there is nothing in Scripture without ufe. My Text faith that he went up to the Mountain, he had been in the Mountaine in prayer, and came down and did fome worke among the people, and then goes up thither again to preach:

why upon the Mountaine ?

Some thing it was to fulfill thofe Prophefies that we have in divers Scriptures about preaching of the Gospel upon the Mountaine. In the 40. Ifa: 9. ver! & Joel 3. 18. but these

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are only guelfings; Others I find do Allegorise very much how a Minifter thould be as upon the Mountaine, and how heavenly he thould be when he is a preaching,but I like it not to ftraine Scripture any further then I think to be the meaning of the holy Ghoft: therefore I think there is nothing elfe to be confidered then this, the conveniency of the Mountain, because it was a retired place, and there being a clutter of people he could not be to compofed among them to fpeake fo freely to Edification, therefore he retires unto a Mountaine againe, where he had spent so much time in prayer.

Chrift doth not flay till he comes to the Synagogue to preach; or the Temple: No, but takes any place that was a fitting place to preach unto the people: 'Tis not necellary that there should be a confecrated place for the preaching of the Word.

what Mountaine was this? You will fay.

Some have thought it to be the Mountaine of Oliver, but that cannot poffible be, for Chrift was in the upper Gallile at this time, and Mount Olivet was neer to Jerufalem, as neer to Jerufalem as flington is neer the City, but Chrift was about 40 miles from Jerufalem at this time, therefore Jerome and others think it to be Mount Tabor

And certainly, This will further juftifie that preaching may be in any place where Minifters have opportunity, and may be with peace and edification. There is a double vanity of conceit in people: Some men think that. fome places are fo prophane by prophane ufes, that there must not be no preaching there and others think that fome places are too fuperftitioufly uled, and because of the fuperftition that hath been there, there must be no preaching there, they will not go to heare a Sermon because of the Superftition of the place Truly this may helpe us against both thefe.

For prophane, Certainly there is nothing don in any place that doth to defile the place but that if occafion ferve there might be preaching in that place, and would be acceptable to God, though it were in a place that had beena Play-house, it would not defile the work at all, if there can be no more convenient

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place had Shall fo many thousand foules perish for want of knowing God and Chrift because they have not a confecrated place. It's a very fad thing to confider of: This Mountaine (if it be Mount Labor, as I find both Jerome and others think it was) was as ill a place as a Play-Houfe could be; where Chrift preached this Sermon: and a place that was like to be abused to much fuperftition and Idolatry; I find in the prophefie of Hofea, mention of this place; Chap. 5. v. 1. Hear je this O Priefts, and hearken ye honse of Ifrael, and give ye ear O houfe of the King: for judgement is towards you, because ye have been a frare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor The meaning of it is this, That when the 10 Tribes had fallen off from the true worthip of God in the Temple at Jerufalem,and fet up their Calves in Dan and Bethel, there were fome that were more Godly and frict then others, and they could not be content to worship there, but they muft needs goe to Worship at Jerufalem: But now the Lawes of the King and the Priefts were against it, and no man could be fuffered to worship at Jerufalem but it was upon his perill, but yet there would many goe, therefore the Priests and others,fet watchers to watch thofe that did go up into ferufalem to worthip, as heretofore there have been men fet to watch when men went from their Parish Churches. Though they had no preaching at home, fo there were watches fet upon Mount Tabor to watch thofe that went to Jerufalem, for they were to go by that place, and therefore it is faid, that there was a Net Spread upon Tabor. Surely this place was prophaned as much as any place could be, and yet for all that, Chrift he goes and preaches this Sermon upon Mount Tabor. It was as wicked a worke to fet watchmen to spy out thofe that went to the true worthip of God to Jerufalem, as it was to make a play, and yet I fay, Cheift comes and preaches here upon the Mountaine

And fo for any fuperftition in places,the Synagogues of the 10 Tribes, and the places that they fet up for their fervice, and for teaching, they were abufed exceedingly, for they fet them up in oppofition to the true worth of God in Jerufalem: and yet Chrift would preach in every place according as he

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came into it: and we do not find that Chrift refufed preaching in any fuch place where he came though it had been abused this way or that way, Chrift ftood not upon that, but tooke the prefent opportunity to doe his work, for to preach the word: that's the first, And

2dly, That all Minifters of God fhould take what opportunities they can for doing good, and that's the third confideration by way of Preface.

The 4th is, Who are thefe Auditors that the Text fpeaks of? And feeing the multitude he went up into the Mountaine : Now I confeffe fome they make this Sermon of Chrift to be the multitude that was there, that did come and clutter about him, and therefore think that Chrift was moved with compaf-1 fion to preach unto them, because he faw fuch abundance of people: - It is very true, It is a very moving object to any gracious heart, to any Godly Minifters when they fee abundance of people coming to hear, and especially manifefting a willingneffe to attend. It is a very moving object to draw forth any Minifters heart in the world: and fo we find at fonie other time that Chrifts heart was much drawn forth upon the fight of a multitude of people; in the 9. Matth: 36. But when he faw the multitude he was moved with compaffion on them because they fainted, and were scattered abroad as sheep having no Shepheard: Then faith he unto his Difciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harveft, that he will fend forth labourers into his harvest. When Jefus Chrift look't up on abundance of people that were there,the Text faith,That he was moved with compaffion, thinking with himfelfe Lord what fhall become of thefe many thoufand foules that know fo little of God and the things of heaven, and therefore Opray faith he to his Difciples, pray ye that he would fend forth labourers into his harveft: Thefe people are willing to hear,the Regions are white unto harvest, Opray that there might be labourers fent into the harveft: The very fight of a multitude is a moving fight, to preach and to pray that God would fend faithfull Minifters to preach unto them. Indeed the fight of a multitude is an object of envy

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to many as heretofore we know it was enough for a faithful Minister to be filenced, fuch was their envy, and fo contrary to the Spirit of Jefus Chrift: But I cannot tell how to build any point of Doctrine upon this, because I think that at this time Chrift did goe up into the Mountaine, and withdrew himfelfe from the most of the people, for io I find the Text faith, And feeing the multitude he went up into a mountain, and when he was fet his Difciples came unto him: and it may be fome of the reft, but not the Generality of them,and fo in the 6 of Luke, there having the fame Sermon recorded, The Text faith, That he lift up his eyes upon his Difciples, and faid, blessed are the poore, &c. So that it's probable that rather then he would fpend his time at this prefent among the multitude, he retires himselfe to fpeake to his Difciples, Why? for his chiefe work was about his Difciples, about the fending out the 12, and making them to be Apoftles, and therefore though the preaching to all the multitude be a very good thing, and that the heart of Chrift was much in upon all occafions, yet now Chrift would mind his work that he was about, to fpeake to his Apoftles that he was to fend abroad,

From whence we may note, That men must tend their prefent work, and not be upon thinking that they may do more good fome other way, and fo leave the prefent work that God calls them to: Let us looke to the worke that we are about for the prefent, and not be taken off to thinke, I but another worke may be more ufeful, but is this my work for the prefent, then let me goz upon it, and commit my worke to the bleffing of God.

And then 24ly, Hence we may fee, That Chrift hath a fpecial regard unto his Minifters, he withdrawes from the multitude to fpeake to them; he did not forbid any of the people to come,but the thing that Chrift intended,was to speak to then: Chrift hath a special regard to his Minifters; he knows that great things doth depend upon them, as afterwards in this Chapter, he calls them the Salt of the earth,as if all the world would rot and putrifie if it were not for them; And fo he calls them the Light of the world, as if all the world would be in

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