Grace of the person is the holiness of the heart, and an unblameable life: Which howsoever it makes not a Minister, yet is it very necessary. 1. Because the doctrine of the word is hard both to be understood and to be practised, therefore the Minister ought to express that by his example, which he teacheth, as it were by a type. 1. Pet. 5. 3. Not as though ye were Lords over Gods heritage, but that ye may be examples ([Greek or Hebrew] types) to the flock. 1. Tim. 4. 12. Be an example to the faithful, both in word and conversation. Phil. 4. 8. Furthermore, brethren, whatsoever things are true, ⟨p. 137⟩whatsoever things are honest—think on these things. 9. Which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, those things do, and the God of peace shall be with you. 2. He that is not godly, howsoever he may understand the scriptures, yet doth he not perceive the inward sense and experience of the word in his heart. Psalm. 25. 8. The Lord is good and right, therefore he teacheth sinners his way. 9. He maketh the meek to walk in the Law, and teacheth the meek his way. Amos 3. 7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets. Gen. 18. 17. And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I am about to do? 18. Seeing that Abraham shall be indeed the father of a great and mighty nation, &c. 29. For I know him that he will command his sons and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and judgement. 3. It is a thing execrable in the sight of God that godly speech should be conjoined with an ungodly life. Psalm. 50. 16. 17. Unto the wicked God saith, what hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances, and to take my ⟨p. 138⟩covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest to be reformed. It is a strange sight to see him, that is the guide of the way to others, to wander out of the way himself, and to see a Physician of others to be full of botches himself in the mean while, as Nazianzene speaketh. 4. It is an ecclesiastical secret: That the Minister ought to cover his infirmities, that they be not seen. For the simple people behold not the ministry, but the person of the Minister. Herod heard John Baptist willingly, not because he was a good minister, but because he was a good man. Mark. 6. 20.
Grace of the person is the holines of the heart, and an vnblameable life: Which howsoeuer it makes not a Minister, yet is it very necessarie. 1. Because the doctrine of the word is hard both to bee vnderstood and to bee practised, therefore the Minister ought to expresse that by his example, which he teacheth, as it were by a type. 1. Pet. 5. 3. Not as though yee were Lords ouer Gods heritage, but that yee may be examples (〈non-Latin alphabet〉 types) to the flocke. 1. Tim. 4. 12. Be an example to the faithfull, both in word and conuersation. Phil. 4. 8. Furthermore, brethren, whatsoeuer things are true, ⟨p. 137⟩whatsoeuer things are honest—thinke on these things. 9. Which yee haue both learned, and receiued, and heard, and seene in me, those things doe, and the God of peace shall be with you. 2. He that is not godly, howsoeuer he may vnderstand the scriptures, yet doth he not perceiue the inward sense and experience of the word in his heart. Psalm. 25. 8. The Lord is good and right, therefore he teacheth sinners his way. 9. He maketh the meeke to walke in the Law, and teacheth the meeke his way. Amos 3. 7. Surely the Lord God will doe nothing, but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets. Gen. 18. 17. And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I am about to do? 18. Seeing that Abraham shall be indeede the father of a great and mightie nation, &c. 29. For I know him that he will command his sonnes and his household after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnes and iudgement. 3. It is a thing execrable in the sight of God that godly speech should bee conioyned with an vngodly life. Psalm. 50. 16. 17. Vnto the wicked God saith, what hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances, and to take my ⟨p. 138⟩couenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest to be reformed. It is a strange sight to see him, that is the guide of the way to others, to wander out of the way himselfe, and to see a Physitian of others to be full of botches himselfe in the meane while, as Nazianzene speaketh. 4. It is an ecclesiasticall secret: That the Minister ought to couer his infirmities, that they bee not seene. For the simple people behold not the ministerie, but the person of ye Minister. Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly, not because hee was a good minister, but because he was a good man.
