\· 4;o \ 'Ihe duties and dignities of the Minijler ie. j ~~~sc~;'~~1:: Anielof God in one pl~cc, and in. the other A God rfu4k.!s i#-thi.J ma?!_: Thi:~ isth~e~n.depcc Chunhcs. 1 place, ~he fi;1._~:l oftbe Gburch. ~c.t-S an Angel and dcmonfir:ltion ofGodS tp·irit:lt is thought or Mcflcngcr, lcnrJi"om God to hu Church. good commcnrlatlon before tht' world when ~~en:it~~;. This con!ldcr:uio.n.atfords ma~tcr of much men lay of a Preacher, Su1ely, 'tliis 111~11 hath v[c. And firH !or .tv[m~flc~s thcmlclucc;. 01ow.ne himfclfc a proper leholler, of goo::l a Thh ScrThcmolt of vs Ill th~s place a:trceither Prolcarnmg, great reading, Hrong mcmoric, and rre:tch~d it~ pher:, or the [onncs ot the Prophets. good dcliuc:ric, and tO it is , and fuch commcn- ~l~c~1:1111~~~~~· rH than be :1 ;rophct, thou art Gods Angel. da~ion(i(iult) is not t~ be contemned: but that tn thebn,He 1 I. a (on ofthe .. rophcts thou entcnddl to be, that commcnds a man to the LordHis~G~d & oftRe.VIIi~ j then m:lrke thy dutic, Prophets and MiniHers to hili own'e confcicn'ce is, whCn he p~each~th MiniAers ner !tie. ' a.rc An~cls, in thc 1 vcric inJhnmon oftheir calfo plainc~Y. to the ~apacitie: :mO ~0powerfoi!IJ to mull 111 :r.gui. 1 • vr~ for \ l1ag. 1 ncrcforc t.lou mull preach Gods \~'ord the conklencc of a wicked man, as that hce fi_e Gr)(hJpi· ~~~~~n;,~~il I as Godt wm·d,an~l ddiucr it,as thou rccc:mefi it, t.hinkcsdoubtleffc God is \{'iJhfn~im.Art thou ~~~;~~~~';se prc:t~h vods J for Anr.,ds_, E:nJ:l!TaJ ors, and Mdfcngc_rs,cnrth~~cfore an Angelof God , then magnifie the 1uprmhin:. wm-<1,,~ ry not thc1r O\.Vll meffJge, but themcflage of fp1ru of God ,and not thy felfe in the preach- ~ GoJs wod. their Lord:> :md M:~tl:rs '.\"ho fcnt them, and B ing ofhis word. mini!t~rs c:n~thc mcilagc ofthe ~erd ?fhoHs, The next vfc is for the hearers, and they arc l1u: !,,·re Forthcvc:t· ricnotth!ir ownmc!l~:;c: b ..tGods. I ,.vfdoc ~\iniHcn. : "I"hcyn1utl: prn d1GoJs ' wonlinthe euideno;:e,& <lemonflr:ati· on of Go(\s therdorethey arc.bout1d to dchuer 1t a.r the here taught, thatiftheirminiHersbce Ang~ls f~nhcarer~. Lo)·d.r, ar~d not tl~c~r ownc. . fent them f~om God, then they arc to heare ;c:~e:,:;~h~o In the firil Epdhe ofPeter 4· r 1. we are b1d, them gl:i~ly·, willingly,reucrently,..a'nd'·obedi- : andc~dr . {f.1JI)' m-'n [peak.$ , lee himJPeaf(:, uot ondy the ently: yiadly and will\ngly, bccau(c they .arc ' fi~~~~:e11j'11wordofG?d, but as the wordof G1d. Gods word Amhattadours; rc::ucremly; and obcdicntly·,P.creucrcntly. mull be ipoken, and M Godt word: then Chew ~aufe they arc fcnt fi-om the hinhGod, tl?e \ thy faithfulncs to the Lord .in difcharging thy King of Kings, ~nd doc\deli"ucr hi-s Cmbaffage. hands ftnccre!y ofthat mdf.tge, which_he hath God faith, th,cpeople mujt.fotk! the f..-aw~\ar hU Malach.,.,. ~ honoured thce·to carry: Gods word ts pure, momh.., and lgoo'd rtafon, forifthCta\\> be""the therefore purely to be thought vpon,:md to be reuealc:d will ofGod, ;tnd the Minific::r the Andcliuercd. Then let all that arc Gods Angels gelof God, then where fl1ould rhcy .fcel<e rhe and would be honoured as his Angels andEmwill of God, but at the mouth of his A•ge/1? baffadors, thinke it no lcffc rcafon to doe the The rcafon therefore folfowerh well in that dutic ofGods Angel.r,leaft(as rnany men marrc place: they fbould foekJthe Laweat hUmouch, agood oalein the tclling)fo they takeaway the forhee u thcrntj{engerof the Lordof hojfn: and powerattd maiefiy ofGods word,in the maner C this mufi :all ChriHians doe, not onely if _their of dd,lucring it. Do61rinc beplcafing vnto them, but t\tough it Thcfccond v[cconcerncs the Miniflcrs alfo: croife their corrupuon, and be quite cOntrary arc ~hey GodJ .Angels?therfore they mufl preach tO cllcir difpofitions , yea though it beneucrfo Gods word in euidencc anddnndnftration of the Ynfauoury and hard vnro nature,yctin aS"mu·ch JPirit ofGod: for he that is GodS Angcl,thc fpias it is a meffage from thy God and Ki'ng, and For it is rit of th;lt God mull fpcake in him: Now to the teacher the Angelor A1ef{engtr ofthatfQbd. j Gods mff. fpeakc in the demon!lratiot1of Gods fpirit, is therefore both he :and it,mull De rC"cei'uc:a Vvith 1 ~h~~·b~~;: to fpc~ke in fuch., plainenej[t , and yet fuch a all reucrencc , and with the very obedie~ce of thac_bri11git. pOwerfu!nef{c, as th:lt the capacities of the fimthe heart and foule. And lhis is the caufe~·hy · I pldt, may pcrcciuc, not lllan, bm God te::la .conuenienc reucrcnce and honour is t 1 Q begiching them in thatplainmej{e, and the confducn ofa\l good Chriflians, cucn to th'e pe~ons encc ofihc mightidl may fecle, not man, but ofGods M,iniflcrs(cfpccially when they adorn I God rcproouing them in that powtrfulnrt:Th:J.t rheit high calling with a ho"ly Jife:) euen. be- ' this is fo, appcarcs byS. Pa:~l. If amanprophecaufc they arc Angds 'of God, Saint Nul tcat.Cor.•4· \fie rt.i'"~ght, ( faitll the holy_Ghofi)_IJ,cvn(carncd D chcth rhatwo'!'en ou~ht to hee mode/f'J ttfolJ~ed'tn I,, Cor.rr.u., :4-.zsorvr.belec:tif~~ man come.r m, he tlunkp hufecret 1 rhecougregatton, 6ecaHfoof 1he 4.._ngel1: Jt IS not l.fa11lt! are dt{tlo~dttnd laid apm, he think.! ~tllmen \ onclr,bccaufe the hoijr A•~d~ arepre[enr, and ' thereforefall! downc, andfaith, Sure!r God rpea/;! cuen becaufc the Mmdlers wh~eh arc Angel! a< foe his nak§dncffc, and doe reproouehimfor it, hrc I ;~.lwatcs b.choldcrs <:>f.our fCru~ce of Go~, bur ~ih'1his m-tll. Me.ffengers fcnt from God, arc there, dc~mcThis is <tone: tn v.:hich words)obfc.rue an ::~.dn-iirable plain- . ring their Merfagc ::~.nd Embaffage recewcd "Firft,bytea· nej]C , and :1!1 :\dmirablcpowcrfulr.rjfo (which a \fromGod. A_n~ thU!' wc_c hauc thdidl tide giJ~:in~ plainm:m "\"ould thinke c-ould not fo well Hand to..,. I uen .to the Mmdlcr: he ts 30 Angel. , gerhcr.) PirH, pl::ineneffe, fOr whereas the vn- .A_n lnttrpreter. . learned man pcrcciucth his faults flifconcred,it S~c6ndl;', he ~s an IJ~1e1·preur: that ~s., ~ne ~-~~·~;;~c;e:r, Tolloweth ncccffarily he mufi needs vn.dcrfHid, I that liable ~o dchuer an_ght the reconc:!Jauon, ,n..t thatcwo Sccondlv, powcrfuUy tnth:..tplain· ndfc. at~d if an vnlcarned man vndcrfhnd 1t, then nude betwtxt God and man: I fay not, the -!1-uwaics. conCequently ir mufi nee-des bopl:tinc:Sccoud. · th~r o_f tl."lat reconciliation, for tha_t is t~l~'<?.od_- ly,po.\verfllll~dfe, in th:n his tonfcience, is, ~o , I head tt fclfc; nor the Work.;r ofthJs ,·cc_o?fCI:tatt~ comunced,hts fccrct f.1ulcs fo cHfclofc:d,and h1s on, for that ts rhc: fccond per[on, Ch_nfl Icfus, vcrie heart fo ript vp : that he faitli Certaincf; nor the Affureror Ratifier, for that IS the holy ' - ----Ghofl: 1-.-- -!-.------------------- ·----·· --- (
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