Chap. t 7. ançlthe Covenant of Grace. I2"d would drive God from off the earth and lay his glory in the duff. 2. There muff be intercourfe between God and his people, between Earth and Heaven in all ages. It ¡hall at no time be truly faid with thofe Apoftates, Ezek. 8..i 2. The Lord path for faken the earth. Now there muff be men deigned , Embaffa- dours appointed to carry on this work. As the Prieftsin the Law were ordained for men in things appertaining to God, as lick 5.1. So the Minifters of the Gofpel have a parallel inftitution in fucceffion, r Col., 9. 14. God in no age carries it on in an imme- diate way and manner. 3. Take away this Ordinance of a Minifterial funa ion, and all fpirituall miferies to an utter confufed Chaos will prefently and neceffarily follow. Firft, Ignorance, all fpiritual darkneffe and blindneffe. As the letting of the Sunne brings darkneffe upon the Horizon : fo ' the abfence of a Miniftery brings darkneffe upon the Church. They are the light of the world, Match. S. 14. John Baptift mu a burning light, John 5. 35. Paul was fent to bring a people from darl;,neffe to light , as dill 26. 18. Their Miniftery is called a Yifion, without them men are without light. It is the higheft of contradictions to cry up light,and cry down a Minifte- riall function. Secondly, îickedneffe; this followes from the former. If a man Walk in the night, he ftumbleth, (faith our Saviour) becaufe there is no light in him, John r r. ro. An ignorant man cannot be above a wicked man, Ephefi 4.18. e..flienated from the life of God by reafon of their ignorance that is in them: As that Prodlgall (which the wife man brings in complaining, that he had not obeyed the voice of his Teachers) was almofi in all the evil in the midfff of the eAfJem6ly Prov. 5.12. So they may fay that want Teachers ; Blinde places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty, Pfal. 74.. 20. Thirdly, Errour,1lerefie, Blafphemy. This is evident. r. In Reafon. Men that want a guide muff needs go affray Sheep without a Shepherd, cannot long hold their walk. The Apoftle knew, 7 hat after his departure, ravening Wolves would a- rife, rot [paring theflock, Acts 20.29. What a wolfe It to the flock, that a feducer is to the Church. Thefe waited opportunity of the Apo-
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