,..1. darkneffe of this World. 237 converfant in the things of God, as others in their particular trades. Minifters are called Lights ; if the light then be dark. mire, how great is the darkneffe of that people like tobe ? know thefe flan in Chrifts hands are not all of the lame magni- tude ) there is a greater glory of gifts and graces fhints in fome then others ; yet fo much light is neceffary to every Minifier, as was in the flar the wife men law at Chrifts birth, to be able out of the Word to direft (inners the fafe and true way to Chrift and falvation. 0 Sirs, it is a fad way of gettinga living s by killing of men, as fome unskilful Phyficians do; but much t more to get a temporal livelihood by ruining foufa, through our ignorance. He is a cruel man to the poor Paffengers, who will undertake to be Pilots when he never fo much as learn't his Corns paffe. Secondly, by his negligence. Its all one if the Nurfe hath no milk in her breafts, or having, drawes it not forth to her childe. There is a wo to the Idol-fhepherd, Zech. i r. fuch as have mouthes, but fpeak nor; lips, but not to feed the people with knowlAge. It fhall be the peoples fin, if they feed not when bread is oefore them, but wo to us if we give them not meat in due feafon. 0Sirs, what (hall we fay to our Lord that rrufts us, if thofe abilities which he hath given us as market-money to buy bread for our people, be found wrapt up in a napkin of(loth?,' if that time wherein-we fhould have been teaching and inftruot- irrg them, than appear to be wafted in our pleafures, or em- ployed about our carnal profits: That fervant fhall have but a fad welcome of his Mailer when he comes home, that fhall be found out of thewaywith the Key, and the family ftarving in the mean time for want ofproVifion. Thirdly, by his unedifying preaching, when he preacheth un- 't found doctrine,, which doth not perfect the underitanding, but corrupt it. Better he did leave them in fimple ignorance, then colour their mindes with a falfe die; or when that he preacheth is frothy and flafhy , no more fit to feed their foules, then husks the Prodigals belly, which when they know they are little the 1, wifer for their foules good. Or when his difcourfes are fo high flown, that the poor people Rand gazing, as thofe who have loft the fight of their Preacher, and at the end of the Sermon can- not tell what he would have. Or thofe who preach only truths, lih 3 , that
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