breasts, or having, draws it not forth to her child. There is a woe to the idol-shepherd, Zech. xi. ; such as have months, but speak not ; lips, but not to feed the people with knowledge. It shall be the people's sin, if they feed not when bread is before them ; but woe to us if we give them not meat in due season. O sirs, what shall we say to our Lord tha't trusts us, if those abilities which he hath given us as market-money, to buy bread for our people, be found wrapped up in a napkin of sloth ? If that time, wherein we shoidd have been teaching and instructing them, shall appear to be wasted in our pleasures, or employed about our carnal profits ? That servant shall have but a sad welcome of his master when he comes home, that shall be found out of the way with the key, and the family starving in the meantime for want of provision.
Thirdly, By his unedifying preaching, when he preacheth unsoimd doctrine, which doth not perfect the understanding, but corrupt it. Better he did leave them in simple ignorance, than colour their minds with a false dye, or when that he preacheth is frothy and flashy ; no more fit to feed their souls, than husks the pi-odigal's belly, which, when they know, they are little wiser for their soul's good. Or when his discourses are so high flown that the poor people stand gazing, as those who have lost the sigiit of their preacher, and at the end of the sermon cannot tell what he would "have. Or those who preach only truths that are for the higher forms of professors, who have their senses well exercised, excellent may be for the building of three or four eminent saints in the congregation ; but in the meantime, the weak ones in the family, Avho should indeed chiefly be thought on, because least able to guide themselves, ov carve for themselves, these are forgotten. He sure is an unwise builder, that makes a scaffold as high as Paul's steeple, when his work is at the bottom, and he is to lay the foundation, whereas the scaffold should rise as the building goes up. So Paul advanceth in his doctrine, as his hearers do in knowledge : Heb. vi. 1, ' Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on imto perfection.' ' Let us.' It is well indeed when the people can keep pace with the jn-eacher. To preach truths and notions above the heai-ers' capacity, is like a nurse that should go to feed a child with a spoon too big to go into its mouth. We may, by such preaching, please oiu'selves, some of higher attain- ments ; but what shall poor ignorant ones do in the meantime ? He is the faithful steward that considers both. The preacher is, as Paul saith of himself, ' a debtor both to the Greek and to the barbarian, to the wise and to the unwise,' Rom. i. 14, to prepare truths suitable to the degree of his hearers. Let tlie wise have their portion, but let them be patient to see the weaker in the family served also.
Fourthly, A minister maybe accessary to the ignorance of his people, when through the scandal of his life he prejudiceth his doctrine, as a cook, who by his nastiness makes others afraid to eat what comes out of his foul fingers ; or when through his supercilious carriage his poor people dare not come to him. He that will do any good in the minister's calling, must be as careful as the fisher that he doth nothing to scare souls away from him, but all to allure and invite, that they may be drawn within the compass of his net.
Use 3. Is the ignorant soul such a slave to Satan ? Let this stir you up that are ignorant, from your seats of sloth, whereon, like the blind Egyptian, you sit in darkness ; speedily come out of this darkness, and resolve not to go down to utter darkness. The covering of Haman's face did tell him that he should not stay in the king's presence. If thou livest in ignorance, it shews thou art in God's black bill ; he puts this cover before thine eyes in wrath, whom he means to turn off into hell : 2 Cor. iv., ' If our gospel be hid, it is to those that perish.' In one jilace sinners are threatened, ' they shall die without knowledge,' Job xxxvi. In another place, ' they shall die in their sins,' John viii. He indeed that dies without knowledge, dies in his sins : and what more fearful doom can the great God pass upon a creature than this ; better die in a prison, die in a ditch, than die in our sins. If thou die in thy sins, thoii shalt rise in thy sins : as thou fallest asleep in the dust, so thou awakest in the morning of the resurrection ; if an ignorant, Christless wretch, as such thou shalt be arraigned and judged. That Cxod whom now sinners bid depart from them, will then be worth their acquaintance, themselves being judges ; but,
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