158 I CHRISTS hcarns f as it is laid there in Samuel; when the Lord had deprived I i lfrael of his Prophets for a matter of Foure -feore yeares together ; O- Cayes the Text, the Word of the Lord we precious in thofe dayes, bocaufe there war no Vigor, t Sam. 3 t pie The life of this is ; firfl, Is it lo . that it is Chrifl that removes Minifters F Then this fhould teach us to mourne iibefore him', if ever any of our M;nifters be taken away by any means , wee fhould fee whole hand is upon us , the hand of the Lord is gone out againfi us , it is hee that infli& - .cth this judgement ; and therefore wee fhould mourn unto im, as the Church did. When all their Prophets were gone, and all Religion went to wrack , and the enemies had burnt up their Synagogues, and broken up all their godly Affem- lies : O how they mourned unto God for it. O God, why haft thou calf us of ? YVhy does thine anger fmaais againff Ithe fheepe of thy pagaire ? Remember thyCongregation, which haft pupchafed of old. Remember mount Zion, wherein 4-hou l.af dwelt, Piàl. 74. i, 2. This was a heavie judgement indeed , they felt the Lords anger imoake againft them then. Why ? What was the matter ? Wee fee not our fägnes, there is no more my Proyhet, veti. 9. VI( a. Secondly , another Ufe is , Let us looke into the meri- torious caufb, which is nothing but our Clones. If Gods Mì- 1 killers bee put downe at any time , it is our fins that put them downe. For if Chrifr bee the infliè ing caule, certainly our (ins are the delaying caule ; wee can blame none but our owne fins if any thing flop any good Ivfinifiers mouth , it . is they ;.: it is peoples Drunkennefl'e, and difórder, you are the caute , your unfruitfulneffe, and lecurity and hypocri- te, and formality ; you doe not learn goodne6'e and godli- neffe .under :the Word; yee remain vaine and blind, and ï hardned in your hearts under the lime. What. Parifhes lnore diforderly, than 'thole where moli "reaching is , where is More hatredof werd, and vectue, and piety then there ? where
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