The duty of Gospel-ministers to preserve a people from corruption. Set forth, in a…

IT is a great misery to a People to be corrupted, to be like putrefied and rotten Meat, they will be an affliction and enemies one to another, and exposed unto the Judgments of God. But the Ministers of the Gospel are means to preserve them from corruption. ⟨p. 4⟩Magistrates in their place have their influence on them to preserve them from corruption: but especially Ministers are useful that way. In such Nations where there is no Gospel Ministry, People are very corrupt: if by the light of Nature and severity of Rulers, they be preserved from grosser iniquities, yet they are always very corrupt. But the Faithful Services of Gospel-Ministers is a special help to preserve from corruptions. A Gospel-Ministry is looked upon by some Persons as an heavy charge, they groan under the burden of it; but Men have little reason to think much of the charge considering the benefit that they are to a People, as they are means to prevent the growing of corruption. Ministers had need be careful that they do fulfil their Ministry, for their work is not only of great concernment to themselves, but also to Multitudes of others, by keeping the Country from corruption.

IT is a great misery to a People to be corrupted, to be like putrifyed and rotten Meat, they will be an affliction and enemies one to another, and exposed unto the Judgments of God. But the Ministers of the Gospel are means to preserve them from corruption. ⟨p. 4⟩Magistrates in their place have their influence on them to preserve them from corruption: but especially Ministers are useful that way. In such Nations where there is no Gospel Ministry, People are very corrupt: if by the light of Nature and severity of Rulers, they be preserved from grosser iniquities, yet they are always very corrupt. But the Faithful Services of Gospel-Ministers is a special help to preserve from corruptions. A Gospel-Ministry is looked upon by some Persons as an heavy charge, they groan under the burden of it; but Men have little reason to think much of the charge considering the benefit that they are to a People, as they are means to prevent the growing of corruption. Ministers had need be careful that they do fulfill their Ministry, for their work is not only of great concernment to themselves, but also to Multitudes of others, by keeping the Country from corruption.