Art of Manfishing -Boston - III - Part 2 continued

Required reading
Art of Manfishing by Thomas Boston (Available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Continue Part 2 by commencing Chapter 2 (Wherein is Christ to be followed?) by reading the first four points.

My summary
Today we begin the last chapter of the book which looks at what are those things in Christ that manfishers should imitate.

Firstly, we can imitate Christ by not taking on the work of preaching without a call.  There are four things in an ordinary call:
(i) Knowledge of the doctrine of the Christian religion above that of ordinary professors;
(ii) Aptness to teach - some dexterity of communicating unto others that knowledge;
(iii) A will some way ready to take on the work of preaching the gospel;
(iv) The call of the church.

Secondly we can imitate Christ in designing our Father's glory in the work.

Thirdly we can imitate Christ by having the good of souls in our eyes.

Fourthly we can imitate Christ by being much affected with the case of souls - it should lay heavy on our spirits.

What grabbed me
Boston made a good point that the manfisher should be much affected with the state of the lost.  He particularly emphasised the grief we should have when we see the hardness of people's hearts: 'It was ground of grief to the Lord Jesus, that people were so hardened that no means used for their amendment would do them good.  Follow Christ in this, O my soul; be grieved and affected with the hardness of the hearts of this generation.  O what hardness of heart mayst thou see in every corner whither thou goest, and where thou preachest, most part being as unconcerned as the very stones of the wall; and say what thou wilt, either by setting before them alluring promises or dreadful threatenings, yet people are hardened against both, none relenting for what they have done, or concerned about it though thou wouldst preach till thy eyes leap out.'

It should upset us greatly when we see people reject our pleading with them to repent and believe - just as it upset the greatest preacher who ever lived, Jesus himself, to see people not respond to his preaching.

Next week's reading
Conclude Part 2.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.