Page:Divine shepherd, or, The good minister's care over the flock of Jesus Christ.pdf/19

 Thirdly, The Holy Ghoſt has caufed the faults of God's Miniſters to be written in Scripture. And the same Holy Ghoſt affures us, that the faults of us Miniſters, are the cauſe, why our people do not repent of their ſins and reform their lives: For, ſays the word, Jerem.xxii.32. If the Prophets had ſtood in my counſel, and had cauſed the People to hear my words then they ſhould have turned from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Where you ſee, that the cauſe, and indeed, the only cauſe here mentioned, why the people did not turn from their evil way, and their evil doings, is, becauſe the Prophets had not stood in the counſel of the Lord, and had not cauſed them to hear his words. And if you will turn to Machi.ii.6 you will there find, that the great ſucceſs of Levi's miniſtry, in the converſion of ſouls unto God, is only attributed to his holy preaching and holy praying. For the law of truth was found in his lips; he walked with God in peace and equity; and therefore he did turn many away from iniquity.

Fourthly, The Holy Ghost has cauſed the Faults of God's Miniſters to be written in Scripture. And the same Holy Ghoſt aſſures us, that he faults of us ministers are the true and only cauſe, 'why God does curſe our very bleſſings, and corrupt our feed, and ſpread dung upon our faces, even the dung of our ſolemn feaſts, and make us contemptible and baſe before all the people, Mal.ii.2.3.9. Where you ſee, that all the feed hath left your body and ground, all your plate, all your land, your money, your cattle, and all your other temporal bleſſings are curſed by God himſelf, becauſe you do not perform the work of your miniſtry without fear or favour, but are partial is the law of the caſt high, ver.9. You either fear ſuch a man's person, and dare not; or you admire ſuch a man's person, and will not tell him of his ſins, in hope of getting ſomething from him, by your baſe and cowardly ſtance. And becauſe you are thus partial in God's law, having men's perſons in admiration becauſe of advantage, and preferring one before another; there-