; 6 Againfl the liuleri of the then let all fall do wn,becaufe he cannot do it all at once. Many Minifters may compl ain of their Predeceffours, that they left them their people more out of repair then their houfes, and this makes the work great indeed. As the Jewes, who were to re- vive the{tones out of the heaps of rubbifh, before they could build the wall, yet it went up, because tke people had a minde to work, Nehem. 4. 0 if once our hearts were but fill'd with zeal for God, and compaflion to our peoplei fouls, we would up and be doing, though we could but lay a brick a day, and God would be with us. Mi,y be youwho finde a people rude and fottifhly ignorant, like (tones in the quarry, and trees un- fell'd, (hall not bring the work to fuch perfection in your dayes as you defire ; yet as David did for SoLmon thou mayeft by thy paines in teaching and inftrueling them, prepare materi als for another who fhall rear the Temple. Its very ordinary for one Minifter to enter into the laboursof another; to reap thofe by a work of Converfion, in whom a former Minifter bath caft the feed ofknowledge and conviction : And when God comes to reckon with his Workmen, the Plough-man and Sower (hall. have his penny,, as well as the Harvell-man and Reaper. 0 its a bleffed thing to be (as ?ob faith he was,) eyes to the blinde, much more to blinde foules ; fuch are the Minifters. God himfelf calls Paflours after his erIt'n heart, that feed people Itith knottleelge andunderilanding, :ler. 3. iy. But wo to thole that are acceffary to their peoples ignorance. Now a Minifter may be acceflary to the ignorance ofhis people, Firft, by his own ignorance. Knowledge is fo fundamental*, malework, and calling of a Minifter, that he cannot be one without it, . Becaufe thou hall rejened knowledge, 1 \till alto re- jell thee, that thouILtit he no Priefi to, me: feeing thou haft for- gotten the Law of thy God,, I will alfoforget thy. children, Hof. 4. 6. Thewant of knowledge in a Minifter is filch a &feet, as cannot be fupplied by any thing elle ; be he never fo meek, pa- tient, bountiful, unblameable, if he path not skill to divide the- - Word aright, he is not cut outior a. Minifter.. Every thing is good,as its good for the end it is appointed to; a knife,though it f, had a haft ofdiamonds, yet if it will not cut 'tis no knife. A bell, ifnot found, is no bell.. Thegreat work of a Minifter is to reachothers, his lips are to preferveknowledge, he ihould be as con
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