and sincere word. 2. To admonish the hearers not to suffer their affections to be carried either towards the person of the speaker, or towards the manner his speaking, much lesse towards those strange forgings which many use in their speaking, but sincerely to seeke for the sincerity of the word. 3. To exhort us, highly to prize this sincerity of the word, and to endeavour all that we can to preserve it as well in our selves as in the Church. Doct. 7. Then and not before, doe we use the sincere word of God aright, when we grow thereby.
This is gathered from these words: that ye may grow thereby. This is signified in all those places of Scripture, where the end of the word is made to be the edification of the faithfull: for to edifie is to promote the structure of the edifice, to a greater perfection, after that the foundation is already laid. This is expressed also Eph. 4.16.
Reas. 1. Because we are imperfect, like as infants that are newly borne: now we are perfected, when the word of God dwells richly in us, Coloss. 3.16. 2. Because the word it selfe in its owne nature alwayes tends and leads to perfection: for it is the perfect will of God, Rom. 12.2. Vse 1. This may serve to reprove those, who, when for the time they ought to be teachers, doe yet remaine unskilfull and infants, Heb. 5.12.13. 2. To admonish us, never so to rest satisfied with that which we have attained, as if there were nothing more to be gotten; for although we have all other things, yet it is required, that we should increase more and more in it, 1. Thes. 4.1.10. 3. To informe us, hereby we may understand, that the word of God is necessarily to be used, not only by the ignorant and unskilfull, but also by all those that doe yet want some thing, and doe desire to increase that which they have. 4. To instruct us, to examine our selves by this marke, whether we use the word of God aright or no? Doct. 8. In the Gospell there appeares such graciousnesse and goodnesse of God, that it stirres up all the faithfull, to an earnest desire thereof.
This is gathered from the 3. verse, that the Lord is gracious: Where by God we are to understand Christ, as it appeares by the following words: by gratiousnesse we are to understand
