Thegreat Benefit ofa Godly Minifiry 41;7 terribly doth our bleffedLord thunder-ffrike thole flupid Pharifees for this ? Matth. 23. 13. And as did the Pharifees , fo did the Papiffs : For 1. Heretofore they made it a mortal fin to read. Gods word. z. Afterwards they clogged the liberty they granted with fuch cautions and reffrietions, as that very few efcaped of thofe that were within the reach of the Inquifition. 3. Thole clogs contented nor, bur now it is thought fir utterly to deny liberty , and can there be a more horrible hellifh plot affigned than this , to take from peo- ple their khowledge of falvation ? And thus the Churchof Rome whether they have Church-fnuffers or not, to be lure they have Church-extinguifhers, and various means to put out the light. Oh fearful is this ! as in John 3. 19, 20, That is the reafon men bate the Light,becaiefe theirdeeds are evil. Again) Ifgood Miniffers be theLight of theworld , then hence may we draw this concluffon , that it concerns people very nearly to believe in the light, and to walk in the light, and to work while the light laffech, as our bleffed Saviour exhorteCh in John I 2. 3 5, 3 6. read that. God lets up his Miniffers as L;glits, as Candles on the candlefficks of his Church , to awaken men , and to light men unto eternal life : And ought not people to pray hard , and to work hard while the light laffeth ? God removes many times the candle and candleffick, and makes the Sun to go down at noor.:day , as Amos 5.9, So darkens the earth at clear day. Good Miniffers they are called the Light of the world, and they are called 3. Stars , as in Revel. 3. I. And who are meant by the fever Stars ? 'kfv. r, rile. they are the Angels , that is , the Miniffers of the feven Churches. Now the Stars are faid to affea thofe inferi- our hod;e, , t, By their influence. And thus godly and faithful Miniflers , by the influence of their lips, they feed many with the bead of life. 2. By their regular motives of their lives they con- firm many. 3. By the light of both they confirm many : one while their employment is to infltua poor fouls, and fo they are like Stars fhining in a dark winter night ; another while they are to con- - verfe in their courfes, Jasdg. 5, zo. Now to enjoy and live under the Mihiffry of fuch Stars, and yet to walk in dal krefs, and to have fellovvfhip with the works of datknefs, to remain unconvinc'd, un- converted, unhumbled, unmortified , unfruitful , this is woeful this is a very lamentable flare. 4.. They are called the Lords Meffengers, and Embaffadors, 2. 7. And the Miniffers of the Gofpel, for indeed the Minikes of theNewTeffament they are no where called Priefis , they are called Embaffadcr3 for Chritl Cr. 5. 20. Godly, faithful Miniffers H b h 2 are
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