416 Thegreat Beitefit ofa Godly Minifiry. woful. It is thenature of talc to caufe barrenneffe where it feafon- eth not ; therefore we read of Abinselech in Judges 9. ver. 45. that beJawed theCity. with felt : So that people who live under a sharp and.favoury, Miniftry, and are not feafoned therewith, andprefervect from putrefaftion in their finandcorruption thereby , their cafe is. verydangerous. - 2. They are called again the Light of the world, in Matth. 5.14. read that. As for their DoLIrine, the Solt of the Earth ; fo for their Lives, the Light of the world; and they muff therefore lead convin-: cing lives, as John 5 ..3 5. read that ; it is there Laid of John the Bap-. tilt, our bleffed Lord and Saviour gives him this commendatory Cilara&er, or Teftimonial, That he was a burning and a fhining light , burning in hirrifelf, and fhinin5 to others : Or as it was laid of Thundring in his DOI-Inc, and lightning in his Life and Converfation. Now if good Minifters be the light of the world, then hence we may infer, 2. fnf i .That without a godly faithful Miniftry the world lyeth in- darknefs,ignorance,erros, fin and inifery.It is laidof Gallike , in -oat. 4. i 6. hat the people who fate in darkneff'e, lawgreat light, read that Why, had they not Priefts nfi Levites ? I anfwer, they had indeed ferryPriefts, but they had not a faithful Miniftry ; and therefore the. Evangel ills tells them they fate indark ne ft, yea in the region and flog- dow of death, notwithflanding the forry fottifli Priefts they had :. But when they had a faithful Miniftry , they are faid to fee a great Light. Again, If good Minifters be the light of the world, then we-, maydraw thisCorallary, That to be offended at the light of a faith- ful and powerful Miniftry, argues and fpeaks a very finful and wretched frame of heart. Nothing is foexcellent, but fame will be difpleafed at it andwith it,as?,Ectlef. t 1. 7. Even the light it felt' we know is offenfive to foreeyes ; and thus the burning and fhidng light of a godly and Miniftry is offenfive and terrible to- fOrrie ; but who are they? fore difeafed fouls, the Lord knows. The Ark of God, whichwas the monument ofhis prefence, whom did it finite with Emrods but the Philillins? What then, is the Ale-bench more eafie to thee than thy Pew is to thee in this place? than a Con- Lience, Soul-fearching Sermon ? what, art thou offended at a pow- erful faithful Miniftry ? Oh fearful plague-tokens ! 3. To do all that man can do to put out the Light, this is worfe. is the molt horrid, hellifh plot, that can be alrigned or named; and of this I am fare the Church of Rome cannot plead not guilty, which like the Scribes and Pharifees, takeaway from the people the key of knowledge, and fliut up the Kingdome ofHeaven, againitmen.How terribly
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