[ 17 ]
has said that he would make fishers of men, ministers I mean, if the fish cannot be saved withont salt we cannot expect our hearers can be saved without grace, and while we stand to preach the word in its purity, we ought at all times public and private to live such a faithful life as to keep our garments unspotted from the world, then God will enable us as ministers to correct all errors, and to give a correct judgment as pertaining to the souls of men, and this is to be done without respect of person, for that man who makes a respect of persons is a judas, he has betrayed his trust and such as do that may read their own sentence in the 9th Psalm 17th verse, this is a lesson for every minister to remember when he administers the sacrament of our Lord, Ps. 68, v. 31, seven hundred and forty-one years before Christ a prayer offered up unto God for the moving of the ark, and his covenant servant when calling the assembly together discovered the light break forth like the sun in his meredian splendor at high twelve, they sung the hymn on the glorious presence of God, because of the temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto to it, it appeared that peace was about to be proclaimed among the nations, such was the presence of God, so was the presence of God powerfully displayed among the faithful elect, and princes shall come out of Egypt, Ethiopia shall soon stretch her hands unto God, this has a reference to the church and the great display she will make, it was an astonishment to the dark age, the masculine which enabled the feminine to stand on her course until now, for the wise man Soloman said, Sol. 6 c. 10 v. who is she that looketh forth bright as the morning, fair as the moon, that was under the law clear as the noon day sun and terrible as an army with banners, this is under the gospel dispensation, now in addition to all this I shall give another proof, Mat. 2 c. 15 v. out of Egypt have I called my son, this is a proof unto us that God will ever defend his church, although wicked men have hewn out many systems with Tom Paine and Voltaire, and with all the engines of hell, with these powers and skill by night and by day to hedge her way, but through it all she has raised her topsail to glory and now holding out the sceptre unto all nations, and says peace and glad tidings and joy to all people, this is
