4 CHRIST , s ,Alarm men will enquire and hearken after the health of their friends; parents, if their,children be at the Univerfity,they will liften after them how they goe on in learning : So fhould the Angels of every Church, they fhould liften what courfes are in their Towne, what limes break out, what corruptions appeare, what proficiency the good ones make,who grow,who decline, who (land at a ttay, who goc alide,and waxe worfe and worfe,that they may fhape their preaching accordingly, that their words be fitted in their mouth, that they may apt their rebukes, their exhortations, their nies anfwerably. For then will their Sermons be like Apples of Golo inpit-lures of Silver. It is no curiofïty in Minitters to be inquifitive into their peoples courfes. It is the Objeftion of ill- minded ones , fay they, What need Minifters bulle themfelves ? they mutt have their tell- tales, we can doe nothing but they waft heare of it. O beloved, we can never preach fruit- fully if we ftop our Bares with wax , and will not litten what our hearers doe. Sixthly, Minifters fhould agree in ordering their owne converfations aright, it is but a folly elfe to be a Minifter, we do but make repentance dearer,and at a higher price. t1 Bi/hop muff be blamelefe, m the Steward of God, not felf- willed,notfoot; angry,notgiven to wine nor to filthy lu- cre ,Tit.1.7. It is a double wickedncffe for a Minftter to be wicked, to be a company-keeper, to be a pot- compa- nion,as God Paid to Aaron, Whofoever he be of thy feed to their generaoion,thut bath any l i mifb /et him not approach to offer the bread of hie God, Levit.a 1.17. We can never doe good, if we blemifh our f elves with vice. True it is, the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments doe not de- pend upon the quality of the Minifter; the feed fowne in good ground may grow, though the Power had a dirty hand; Gold is gold, though it be in the hand of a thiefe ; yet fuch is our weakneffe,that they are weake to us. Peo- ple are apt to refpeft the Word and Sacraments the lefre when they fee the Minifter is not holy,as we fee in Elie, wic,
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