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Temptations
t4en
from
the
milliHe.r
of
Minifiers,anfivered.
3
di
dangerous
and pernicious
vnto
many;
for what
greater
dìf-
couragement
can
there be
to
a
Fick
patient,than to take phy-
fick
offuch
aPhyftion
who cannot
cure himfelfe
ofthe
fame
dui-cafe
?
Or
who
will
willingly
eate
of
that
foode,which
hee
who giueth
it vnto
him
fo
loatheth
and
abhorreth, that
hee
will
not
fo
much
as
tafe of
it
?
Or
who taketh
delight in
hearing him
difcourfe
of
mercy
,
chaflitie, and liberalitiej
whom
he
knoweth
wholly
poffeffed
ofcrueltie,
luft, and
co-
uetoufneffe? And
therefore
it
were
to be wifhed
that Gods
Miniflersfhould
be
Phyltions
to
themfelucs
,
before
they
take
vpon
them.the
cure
ofothers;that
they
fhould not fland
like Images by the
high
way fides,
directing others
in
their
iournics,themfelues neuer
mouing
foot,but that
they fhould
like guides goe before them,and
inf
}rub
them
not
onclie
by
their word,but
alfo
mooue them
to
receiue
their
inflru&ion
by
their
example.But
yet let
vs
take
heed,that
Satan
doe
not
take
occafion vpon
the neglect
oftheir
dutie to
make
vs
neg-
lea
ours;
and that he do
not
rob
vs
ofthe
ineflimable treafure
ofGods
word,and
depriue
vs
ofthisheauenly
Manna
&
food
ofour
foules,whereby
all
the
graces
ofGods
fpirit
are
begot
-
ten,nourifhed
and increafed in
vs, becaufc
the nlinifler who
offereth
it vnto
vs
doth not
feed vpon
it
himfelfe.And
to this
end
we are
to know
that
the
miniflerie
of
the word
is
Gods
ordinance,which dependcth not
vpon
the worthines
ofhim
who
deliuereth
it,
neither
is
it
made
void and
vneffe&uall
by
his
vnworthines
;
but
it
hath
it
vertue
force
and
power
from the blefling
of
God,and
from
the inward operation
of
his
fpirit,who
applieth
it
to
the hearts and
confciences
of
men,and
thereby illuminates their
vnderflandings,begetteth
faith
in
them and
all
fan6lifying
&
fauing graces. And hence
it
is,that
the minifler
himfelf,fndeth not
the
word which he
deliucreth,effe&lual
for the
begetting
offaith
or any grace
in
him,which
notwithflanding
is
powerful
in
many
ofdie
hea-
rers for
thefe
purpofes,becaufe the
Lord
vouchfaleth
not
the
affiflance and
inward
cooperation
ofhis
holy fpirit
with
the
outward
minifierie
of
the word vnto him,which
notwith-
flanding
he mercifully
granteth vnto others.
Seeing then
the
minitlery
of
the word
is
Gods
own ordinance,which
he
ma-
keth