Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world

CHAP. 58

Use, 1. The horrible wickedness of those that are idle in the Ministry.

Use, 1. The horrible wickednss of those that are idle in the Ministery.

First, you may see what an horrible wickedness it is for any that take upon them to be the Ministers of the Gospel, and yet be idle: to be an idle shepherd, to be unfaithful in this, it is a most detestable wickedness; of all men in the world those men have given up their spirits to wickedness that have the weight of the Ministry of the Gospel, to lie upon their charge, and yet they are idle. Oh! it is woeful that ever that man was borne, that should take upon him such a glorious Ministry as the Ministry of the Gospel, and therein be negligent of preaching, or by a scandalous life do mischief unto others: It had been better that he had never been born, saith the Apostle. Woe to me if I preach not: So may they say, woe to us if we be negligent in it, and woe to us if we (by our scandalous lives) hinder the fruit of our own preaching, and of other mens preaching also. But we shall let that pass.

FIrst, you may see what an horrible wickedness it is for any that take upon them to be the Ministers of the Gospel, and yet be idle: to be an idle shepheard, to be unfaithful in this, it is a most detestable wickedness; of all men in the world those men have given up their spirits to wickedness that have the weight of the Ministery of the Gospel, to lie upon their charge, and yet they are idle. Oh! it is woful that ever that man was borne, that should take upon him such a glorious Ministery as the Ministery of the Gospel, and therein be negligent of preaching, or by a scandalous life do mischif unto others: It had been better that he had never been born, saith the Apostle. Woe to me if I preach not: So may they say, wo to us if we be negligent in it, and wo to us if we (by our scandalous lives) hinder the fruit of our own preaching, and of other mens preaching also. But we shal let that pass.