to drotvfe.SAINT S. - ©t too Ilene and auftere, and Luther fayes,It is impoffiible for a man to be a true livelyl;reather of Gods word and not be pertècuted; there's an utter antipathy betweene the World and filch a one , the world and inch a Minifter can no better agree together, then light and darknetlè ; loch a Miniftry naiads in the worlds light it makes the world fee their works are cvill , it dete&s, itflrames,itoppoles their finnes that the world tumbles in. as Christ layes J have given them thy Word, and the world hates them becaufe they are not of the world, Joh. 17. 14. And therefore there cannot be a lively Miniftry any where, but the world hath a fling at it; but now let a man have a dead Miniftry, that's let alone, that may, Hand long enough ; that never conies home to men to fhew them their ill of }ates; the Devils dawbers, the dev ils upholfters, that doe not pluck mens pillowes away from un- der their arme- holes, that deale gently with men, and they may do what they lift for all them, there are the worldsmi- nions, and applauded at all hands; what a thing is this? whereas a dead Miniftry is the undoing ofinens foules ; it lets men perifh, and never drawes them back. Secondly, this may ferve to reprove us, that are the Mini- Vfe 2. fters of 7elùs Chritf, I delire to fpeak to my fell, efpecially that we are no more l vely in our Miniftry ; that our Miniftry bath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick -skin age ; we complaint of much deadneffe now a dayes ; alack how if we be found guilty of it , that we Preach no more quickningly ! I confefle, bleffed beGod we have fo much live- ly preaching left yet among us, that woe be to them that are dead and have no grace of life. But O that our Miniftry had more lively -hood in it ; that it were more exciting, and provoking. If the Apofles of Chriff complained of dull bearers, Heb.S.r T. How many dull hearers have we! why then fhall we make our foule guilty of their dulneffe ? Th e (leader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Mini- ftry, or Bite we cannot Lay we are pure from their blood ; don't wee lee how many people are very neer theChildren of wrath ; how they cannot be Paved except they be juftified 1D d and
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