rbegreAt Benefittfia Godly Miniftl. 4429 had, they look higher : fo it is your duty to look above mens pgts, and above mens gifts and graces : Paul andApollo cannot t'oive increale ; Paul needmay plant , but there is no rooting indeed d of theft plants , but by Chrift. And read ver. 7. it is God, and he on- ly that can give increafe : as Elithaes servant could carry his Matters ft.iffand lay icon the dead child, but the Childrould not be rai ed. to I.fe until E (ha came himfelf ; thus godlyfat iful Miniiters can but la Gods Mefrage before you, but un-lefs the Lord fet it to tile never adead foal canbe raifed from the death offin , to the life of graceancl Lelinefe. Remember, godlyand faithful Minitters , at- t ,ough they Jaye the Lords Sword , yet they have not t,.e Lord Curifts Arm; and alas what can the Lord Chrifts Si ord do without Lis Arm ? Fourthly, Take heed a being leavened with prejudice agate ft Miniftry tile word ; becaufe of the mifdemeanour or inffcarriage- of the M:nitter. Surely the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments cloth not depend on the qualitrof the Minifter. It is the word of tee Lord that converts, not theperfonof the Difpenfer or Speaker. A feed that is fown in a good foyl, may, yea will grow and thrive, a:- tough periaps tie Sower had a very dirty hand ; as 2 Cor. 3. 29 3 tie Aponte tells the Corinthians, that they are, faith he, the Ep;11 le of Chrifts !try 6,T us ; the Hand is Chrifts , Milliners are but the Pen. Hence it was , that the Miniftry of theScribes and Pharifees" was not to be rejeered, but to be efteerned, fo long as they failed not in t,,e ;ubltance thereof; and hence the Aponte rejoyceth ti at Chrift was preaceeki of the falfe Apoftles, Phil. 1. r 5, i 6, 17, I. though' out of envy ; take heedtherefore and bewareof a total feparation; from, differtingof, and forfaking Church-affemblies ; andyet I con-, ceive it is a very rare thing for unconverted Minifters to convert. ferne. Forwhat faith the Lord by the Prophet Zephenia, Zeph, 3., 1, 2, 3 ,4. Oh faith the cord, to jeruplevo,thal pathpub Prophets and fach Prieis,woe to fuck a C;t7, to fuels Country, to fuch a Par;lh ; and what faith Chrift himtelf in Marsh. 15. 14. Let them alone ; oft tithes. it falls outfo that it made Arciibifhop Abbot fpeak in a Leaure of' his, and proiefs, that his heart did even bleed within him, to think of the precionsfouls of many people who had fuel M nifters , that if they had not been in the Miniftry , they would not nave been fit Hogiterds for Swint. And yet wemull re weer not to tie the do-': racyof the word andSacraments to thegoodnefs or badnefs of aMi- nifters perfon. Fifthly, takehee and beware of .1-eng leavened with prejtOce'- atisinit all Miailters, becaufe of the viienefs and moniter-like feeming
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