The zealous Christian taking heavenThe zealovs Christian taking heaven

Reason 1 Because Ministers are not so powerful in preaching, and exemplary in life as John was, Joh. 5. 35. He was a burning and a shining light. There was his zeal in preaching, there was the holiness of his conversation. Luke 1. 16. And many of the children of Israel ¹shall he turn to the Lord their God, and he shall go before them in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, &c. Nazianzen said of Basil, that he thundered in his doctrine, and lightened in his life.

Reson 1 Because Ministers are not so powerfull in preaching, and exemplary in life as John was, Joh. 5. 35. He was a burning and a shining light. There was his zeal in preaching, there was the holinesse of his conversation. Luke 1. 16. And many of the children of Israel ¹shall he turn to the Lord their God, and he shall go before them in the spirit and power of E lias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdome of the just, &c. Nazianzen said of Basil, that he thundred in his doctrine, and lightened in his life.

1. 1Luke 1. 16.

Reason 2 Ministers preach not the Gospel so purely and perfectly as John did, Mark 1. 1. John preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Verse 3. He preached repentance and remission of sins. Although John did bring in the Gospel, yet withal he preached up duties, and not cried down duties; he pressed on duties, and did not cast them off; he did earnestly press on the duties of the moral law, he preached repentance, whereas many Ministers now a days account this but a legal and servile work not fit for Christians under the Gospel to be employed about, not fit for Ministers to preach, or people to hear. And this is one great reason why men take up such sinful liberty to follow their own ways and lusts, and by which means the