504 Of Canverflon,or?arning unto God:: S a c T. IX: ekes, did alfo at the fame time bid them take heed,and bewareof their Doarine. whetherapro- But in the next place , fuppofe theybe Orthodox , and found in their judge- phone nyec er ments , Jet madly, and propbane in their lives , Can roe. think God will honour may convert any. 'loch? Can ÍaltYf it bath Jell his favour f<afon other; ? Can Iigbtnot put under ea Bufhell, but.Cider a noyfome dunghill , Can that enlighten otbecs? Yet filch untavourie Galt,.fuch obfcured liglu is every prophane,Minifler. To,Anfwer, this,Confder, Aefw. Fielt , That.ifchatHo!, attd goad difciy/igs .,w.hich Chrifl bath appointed in hit Church Wereobferved, noJnchu..ngaq(JMiniftersWeretabeenduredinpubliekof- fife. Hence Pársl cmuucaeds Tiosothy , Thathe ordaine no manaMinilter that isof an ungodly"and prophanellife ;, andcertainly if Chrift wouldhave every parti.. cunt perfop, tttat isanöbftinaïe wickedperfon,c;ft out of the Church howmuch rather anungodly officer in the Church? Secondly , Yet fuppofe that a ,corrupt Miner is continued for want of good Difcipline , it cannot be denied but anungodly life ra agreat occafsontopoll downas ,much as the.Wordbuilds up. Examples do weak more then,precepts. The lives of Spiritual Sheplaeards arc like thofe rods Jacob, laid in the way for the (beep to look on,rhat they might bring filch coloured lambs; and therefore ifever they are inhu ments to converrothers, it isa Runge, a rate and wonderful! thing.Hencein Da- niel, thole that convert others to rightcoufneffe, are failtoThine like thefiars in the firma,nent,Dan. a 2.3. which wickedmen cannot do. Thirdly , But for a this wecannot fayabfolately anduniverfally, Thatea ungod- ly Minifter isuJid at any time an initrament toconvert others, no more thentheir an godlinefemay hinder thegood effeEI of the Sacraments theyadminißer, for theft two xeafons. FaroFExampleinScripture, That makes nodiftinétionbetween ?sodas And the otherDifçiplesin ,thelucee&of the Miniftry; They all twelveWere fistont, they alldid miracles, they all calledout Divas, theyall returned to Chrilt andgave hia1 anaccount of their iucceffe. To them all Chrii laid, He had ordained that they fhaald go out. viz. in their preaching,andbear muchfruit, viz.in theirMiniftry, john a5. ad. And our Saviour exprefly faith offome, That they Jhaaldprophefie in boa name, yet le Worldbid them depart,becaufeworkersofiniquity: andPhil.3.Tbere Werefalfe Apoftleswho preached Chrift oat ofenvy, fuppofing to adele more afilicai- on and perfecuiion to Paul, which muli needs bean highdegree of wickednefs and ììialice,.yet Paul laid, He rejeyced that Chriflmiei preached. howfoever, which could nor be iftheir preaching did no good. Although indeed to chefe examples of 7v- am, and thefalle Apoftles, it may beanfwered , That they were not at that time greffe and fcandalous (inners for ought can appear,but unregenerateand fpiritually wicked, not corporally. a. They may beuted by God for conver(ion,becaufe theMinitiry isgratiagratti data, not gratiagratarn faciens ; It is appointed for thepublick goodof others,not for theMinigers good fo much; and thereforeGod maywork that end of !he pub- lickgood, though the inhumentbe finial : As faithAnilin,The feed that it foWn by a foul difeafed hand, may bring forthfruit oared as that which is fown by a eleaa band. O/e of Admonition , take heed that theWordof God haveno effeft upon thee becaufe ofthy fins. Oh how terriblewill it be when it (hall appear, God hath done for thy converfion what a gracious God might do; The Mintier loath done what a faithful Minifler fhoulddo, but thou halt not done what a good hearer should doe What is that ? a, Thou art not fwift tohear, thouart careleffe, neg- ligenr, thou dolt not diligently wait on the gates ofwifdom, as lickmen do at the Phyltians doors. 2. Thou dolt not lay afide all luperfluityof naughtineffe, as the fameText requireth; and fo theword is like rain falling on dirtyground that makes it more dirty. eggs; thy heart doti not cover it warmth, as thefowl dothher thou art but atatoll per. fwadcd to leave thyCns. SECT.
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