338 Of the Importance and Difficulty• . ' I our people, and certainly ruin our own. I lay, it cloth refleCt diihonour on .Almighty God, as the faults of ferva,nts do -co1nmonly prejudice -the reputation of their mafiers, and the failings of an1baffadors are ·imput– ed to their princes. .We fl:and in a nearer relation to God, and are fuppofed to be befl: acquainted with his will, and to 'car– ry the deepefl: itnpreffions of his nature on qur n1inds. And ignorant people will en– tertain the meaner thoughts of the holinefs of God, when they n1ifs it in thofe who are called his fervants. Certainly it is no fmall reproach which the faults or n1iTcar– I iages of Minit1ers do bring upon the ways of godlinefs, and the holy religion we pro– fefs. Jt is no Gnall affront that is hereby 'put on the bleffed author of it j greater, without quefl:ion, than all the malice and fpite _of his open enemies is able to prac.;. tife: -for hereby he is crucified afrdh, and put unto open fhame. And 0 how great is the haz~rd our .poor people do · run by our negligence or failin·gs, even as n1uch as the worth of their fouls' an1ounte ~h to! · If the watchtnen be not faithful, and give not timely warning, the fwordywill readily con1e, and the people be taken 3;w'ay in their fins. Catt[a jimt ruine populi facer- - doter
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