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A godly man is good in his Relations:1To be good in general is not enough, but we must show forth Piety in our Relations.
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He is godly who is good as a Magistrate: The Magistrate is Gods Representative; a godly Magistrate holds the ballance of Justice, and gives to every one his2 right, Deut. 16. 19. Thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift, for a gift doth blind the eyes. A Magistrate must judge the Cause, not the person: He who suffers himself to be corrupted with bribes, is not a Iudge, but a Party: A Magistrate must do that which is […], according to Law, Act. 23. 3. And that he may do Justice, he must examine the Cause: The Archer that will shoot right, must first see the mark.
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He is godly who is good as a Minister. A Minister must be
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Painful, 2 Tim. 4. 1, 2. Preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season. The Minister must not be idle; sloath is as inexcusable in a Minister, as sleep in a Centinel: Iohn Baptist was a voice crying, Mat. 3. 3. A dumb Minister is of no more use than a dead Physitian: A man of God must work in the Lords3 Vineyard: It was Austins wish, that Christ might find him at his coming, either praying or preaching.
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A Minister must be knowing, Mal. 2. 7. The Priests lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth. It was said in the honour of Nazianzene, that he was […], an Ocean of Divinity. The Prophets of old were called Seers, 1 Sam. 9. 9. ‘Tis absurd to have our Seers blind: Christ said to Peter, Feed my sheep, Ioh. 21. 16. But how sad is it when the Shepherds need to be fed? Ignorance in a Minister, is like blindness in an Oculist. Under the Law, he who had the plague in his head was unclean, Levit. 13. 44.
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A Minister must preach plain, suiting his matter and stile to the capacity of his Auditory, 1 Cor. 14. 19. Some Ministers, like Eagles, love to soar aloft in abstruse Metaphysical notions; thinking they are most admired, when they are least understood; they who preach in the Clouds, instead of hitting their peoples Conscience, shoot over their heads.
4 A Minister must be zealous in reprooving sin, Tit. 1. 13. Rebuke them sharply. Epiphanius saith of Eliah, he sucked fire out of his Mother breasts; a man of God must suck the fire of zeal, out of the breasts of Scripture. Zeal in a Minister, is as proper as fire on the Altar; some are afraid to reprove; like the Sword-fish, which hath a sword in his head, but is without an heart; so they carry the sword of the spirit about them, but have no heart to draw it out in a reproof against sin; (Eze. 13. 18) how many have sown pillows under their people, making them sleep so securely, that they have never waked, till they have been in hell.
5 A Minister must bee holy in heart and life.
1 In heart. How sad is it for a Minister, to preach that to others, which he never felt in his own soul; to exhort others to holiness, and himself a stranger to it: O that it were not thus too often! how many blow the Lords Trumpet with a foul breath.
2 In Life. The Priests under the Law, before they served at the Altar, washed in the Lavor; such as serve in the Lords house, must first bee washed from gross sin, in the Lavor of repentance: The life of a Minister should be a walking Bible. Basil said of Nazianzene, he did thunder in his doctrine, and lighten in his conversation: A Minister must imitate Iohn Baptist, who was not only a voice crying, Isa· […]. 3. but a light shining, Ioh. 5. 35. they disgrace this excellent calling, who live in a contradiction to what they preach; they turn their codices into calices,4their books into cups, and though they are Angels by office, yet are Devils in their lives, Ier. 23. 15.
- Hee is godly, who is good as an Husband, he fills up that relation with love, Eph. 5. 25. Husbands love your Wives: The Vine twisting its branches about the Elm, and embracing it, may be an emblem of that intire love, which should be in the conjugal relation; a married condition would be sad, if it hath cares to imbitter it, and not love to sweeten it: Love is the best diamond in the marriage Ring: Isaac loved Rebeckah, Gen. 24. 57. Unkindnesses in this near relation, are very unhappy. Wee read in Heathen Authors, that Clitemnestra the wife of Agamemnon, to revenge an injury received from her Husband, first rent the Vail of her chastity, and afterwards consented to his death: The Husband should shew his love to his Wife, by covering infirmities, by avoiding occasions of strife, by sweet endearing expressions, by pious counsel, by love-tokens, by incouraging what he sees amiable and vertuous in her, by mutual prayer, by associating with her, unless detained by urgency of business: The Pilot that goes from his ship, and quite leaves it to the merciless waves, declares that he doth not esteem it, or reckon any treasure to be in it.