166 2. An Expofition upon the They muft ti kewifc be excmphtry in their Families: A Minifter muft r"le well his own Houfe, having his Children irt Jubjdlion with all Gr~tviry, I fim. 3· 4 . And becaufc there arc fomany who are ready malicioufiy to afperre us, we muft by a ferious and circumfpea Converfation1 cut off all Occafwns from thnde•ous Tongues; that ·they who watch for our halting, may be albamad when they can find nothing to reproach us with, fave in the Matter of our God. But if any fuch there be, who fpeak like Angels, but live like Devils; who when they arc in the Pulpit, it is pity they fuould ever come out; and when tbty are out, it is great pity they Ihould ever come into it again; who are Heavenly Lights in it, but Hcllifh Fire-brands out of it: Would to God they would confider how they .deftroy the very End of their Calling; and inftead of converting Souls, do but hardei1 them in their Sins, making Men abhor t~eOfferings and Ordinances of the Lord, putting Arg11ments in their Mouths to Jullifi e their continuance in their \:Vickednefs, or elfe. Pr~judices in their. Hearts. c:iUfing them to depart and f~parate from Holy lnfbtuuons, becauf~ d1fpenfed ?Y pr~phane and fcandalous Mini-. fters; let them pretend never fo h1ghly to U,ufornHty and Obedience, yet certainly thcfe are the Men who have made all our Separdttfts, that now fadly rend our Church in pie~es. For when the Sheep fee a Wolf ftt over them inftead of a Shepherd, no wonder if they run from him, and fcatter into other Paftures. It is in vain for them to tell People that they ought to be obedient to the Laws of the Church their Mother, when thofe that tell them fo, are not obedient to the Laws of God their F~thcr. And 0 that they would but confider not only the Damage which they do to the Church, of which too many of them feem zealous Propupners, but the heavy Woe and Wrath which they bring upon their own Souls. Every Sermon they ftudy, they do but draw up a Bill of lndil.\ment againlt themfelves; and every time they preach, they do but pronounce the Sentence of their own Damnation t And woe unto fuch Paftors, when they whom ChrHl: bath fet over his Sheep, !hall themfelves be found at the !aft Day ftanding among the Goats. Secondly, Another great Duty of Minifters is, a diligent and confcientious im... plo1ing of their Gifts and Talents; th:Y mull: be both able and wi~ling to teach; they themfelves muft be well-grounded m the Knowledge and Doarme of Chrift:: 'The Prieft's Lips jhould preftr11t Knowledge, and Men /hould fed: the LalP at his Mouth; for he is the Mej{mger of the Lord of Hofts, Mal: 2. 7· And therefore the Apoftle rew jeC\s a Novice, a raw, ignorant and unexpertenced Perfon : For 'f the Blind lead , the Blind, both wdl be in danger of falling toge(her into the Ditch. And God himfelf tells fuch ignorant and foolifh leachers, . Hofe~ 4· 6, Becaufe_ thou haft rejt£fed Knof!ledge, I al{o wi/1 rejeO thee, that thou/h~tlt be no Pneft to me~ Swng thou hll/1 forgotten tbe Laro of thy God, I alfo will forget thy Children. . . . . . And as they muft be able to teach, fo they muft be dthgcnt Ill tcachmg, A Ne~ cejfiry is laid tlpotJ them, ~tnd woe unto them if they preach not the Gofpel, as the A poftle fpeaks, 1 Cor. 9· t6. They ought to be inftant in feafon, and -out of feafon, 2 Tim: + 2. Preach the W~rd, be in Pan~ in [ea[on, a~d out of [e~fon; reprow, ubu~e, exho:t with alJ Long·(r".ffenng ~d DQUrme. Not as tf the. Mmtfrer _mu~ be conu_nual1y m the exercife of Preachmg, but he ought to preach tn feafon, z. e. m the ordmary and ftated Times for it; and out of feafon, i. e. on extraordinary Occafions, when the Neceffity or Utility of the Church !hall require it. His Doctrine ought to be, Jft. Sound, fuch ascannotbe co~demned, '(it.~· I· Speal thou thethingswhichbe... come found DoUrine. It muft hav_e tts A_uthonty etther from th~ exprefs Words of Scripture, or the An~logy of Fatth rat~onally deduced from ~npture _; for ~e that preacheth falfe Dol.\nne mconfiftent wtth thefe, doth but mtngle J!otfon with his Peoples Meat. ~dly. lt muft be profitable; not fetting before them alien and unintelligible No~ tions, or fuch thin airy Speculations as can i"carce con rift with Senfe, much lcfs with Divinity: For this is to give them Wind inftead ofFood1 2 Tim, 2. 14. Charge them before the Lord, that thry jtri'IJe not about Words t1 no profit, but to the fohwrring of rhe He,.,rers. And Tit. 3· 8. Tbefe things I witi that thou affirm conftantiJ, that they which hatJe beliwed in God, be careful to mlf.intain good Work.r: T"efe th;ngs are good 1111d profitable u.nto Men. 3dly. Their Preaching muft be plain, and fuited to the Capacity of their Hear· ers
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