418 The great Benefitofa Godly Minifiry; our blead Saviour initra&ed ti.e n. 'The Scribe; and Pharifees they did but flake at the bough only, but.our Saviourpreached,with afitto . niy, akid rot as the Scribes did, And withal I anfwer. Secondly , That beyond all peradventure our bleffed Savior fa* that although theScribes andPuarifees did teach Come truths , yet by their life and doarine they did more mile:lief then good, and there- fore the more credit they had among the people , themore mifchief they were like to do ; and therefore from hence our bleffed Lord and saviour calls them a- 0,e4ey ation ofvi?ers, But I hopeyou, will not count it an arpment of the breach of the Churches peace to f- elk V:Idely ofa vile Miniftry. It was no more than jobg Baptijk did and then our Saviour did. Tni , No mans fin deferves fo Mari* to bereproved as-the fins of Minifters , becauie their fins of all others are the chief fins committed in a land; at the Sancituary prophaneffe too too often be- gins. Therefore when Gods people met in their publick faits, made folemn confe,Tion of thole fins of the first magnitude, by which they had moat provoked the Lord, they do make confeilion chiefly of rue fins of their Magiftrates,and their Minifters. Neh. 9. 3 3, 34. The 7elvf there Le wailed the fins of their Magill-ratesand Minilten,as the part:cular caul.: of their plagues. Oh tae fin; ofTeachers are the Teachers of fin , and therefore no mans lin deferves to be fb fharply reproved, as the fcandalous fins of Minifters. Now if you love your fouls , take heed and beware of a prophane delight in lewd loofe diffolute Miniflers. we find the Lord complaining of t, e wicked- neffe of the PropUets, and of the Priefts and People, as _Ter. 5. mfr. the People did take a prophane delight in falfe Prophets, and in pol-2 luted,Prielts; and fo likewife in theProphet Micah, chap. 2. ver. t T. the people, although theydid oppofe the Prophet /14;cah, and other trueProphets, yet theydid approve of,and delight in falfe Prophets, facia 23 were of the*r g:wn leven, their own way and mould , such as' would flatter them, andpromife them wine and strong drink: and are t ere not many fuch people in the world, that had rather hear fuch -a Minifter, than fuch as preach clofe-walking with God, and ofget- t+ng to Heaven under painof damnation ? Will you cry up, and will you prophanely delight in a Miniftry that shall preach, Peace, Peace, toall prophane rebelliouspeople ; in Ilion; fuch a one as will poy- fon you in his Dodrine, or hisexample ? Thirdly, Take heed and beware of a tidal ids ti ofgodly faith. Apoftle decries this with much zeal, ardency fervencyoffpirit , what is Paul( plant rig, and what is Aii,dioser wa- tering, I Cor, 3.5, 6, as,excellent gifts, pans, and graces as thefeinett had
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=