Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A65307
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A pastors love expressed to a loving people in a farwel sermon preached at Stephens VValbrook, London, August 17, 1662 / by Mr. Tho. VVatson.
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing W1136; ESTC R38520
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11,039
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24
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Father provide carefully for his child can a Father see the bread taken from his child and will not his heart be affected Is it not a grief to a parent to see his child put to suck to a dry Nurse Secondly There should be this ardent love in every Minister for this reason Because this is the most likelyest way to do most good knotty and stubborn hearts will soonest be wrote on by kindness fire doth melt the hardest mettle and the fire of love by Gods blessing is able to melt the obdurate sinner a Barnabas or son of consolation who comes in a spirit of meekness is fittest to do a piece of Gospel Chyrurgery to restore and put such a one in joynt again that is overtaken with a fault Gal. 6. 1. so much for the Doctrinal part Application in several Inferences First See here the right character of a Gospel Minister he is full of love he exhorts he comforts he reproves and all in love he is never angry with his people but because they will not be saved O how loth is a Minister of Christ to see precious souls like so many jewels cast over board into the dead Sea of Hell A consciencious Minister would account it an unhappy day if he should gain the world and lose the souls of his people He saith as the King of Sodom to Abraham Gen. 14. 21. Give me the persons and take you the goods Secondly How sad then is it to have such put upon people as have no love to souls The work of a Minister is a labour of love O how sad is it to have such in the Ministry who can neither labour nor love they look more at Tythes then at souls It must needs be sad with any people in any part of the world who have such Ministers set over them who do either poyson them with error or destroy them by wicked example How can the Devil reprove sin How can that Minister cry out against Drunkenness in his pulpit who will himself be drunk Rom. 2. 22. We read that the snuffers of the Tabernacle were to be made of pure gold Exod. 37. 23. Those that by their calling are to reprove and snuff off the sins of others should be of pure gold that is holy and spiritual In the Law God did appoint that the lips of the Leper should be covered he should not be permitted to speak the o acles of God who though he be by office an Angel yet by life a Leper Thirdly See here the happy condition of that Minister who is setled among such a people as gives him abundant cause to love them happy is he that can say to his people in the words of the Apostle My dearly beloved And here let me speak by way of encouragement to you of this parish I find St. Paul commending the good he saw in his people 2 Thes. 1. 3. We are bound to thank God always for you brethren because your faith grows exceedingly In imitation of this Apostle let me at this time speak a commendatory word to you I have exercised my Ministry among you now almost this sixteen years and I rejoyce and bless God that I cannot say the more I have loved you the less I am beloved I have received many signal demonstrations of love from you though other Parishes exceeded you for number of houses yet I think not for strength of affection I have with much comfort observed your reverend attention to the Word preached you have rejoyced in this light not for a season but to this day I have observed your zeal against error and as much as could be expected in critical times your unity and amity this is your honour and if for the future there should be an interruption made of my Ministry among you though I should not be permitted to preach to you yet I shall not cease to love you and to pray for you But why should there be an interruption made where is the crime Some indeed say we are disloyal we are seditious Beloved what my actions and sufferings for his Majesty hath been is not unknown to a few of you but how ever we must go to heaven through good report and bad report t is well if we can get to glory though we pass through the pikes I shall endeavour that I may still improve the sincerity of my love I will not promise that I shall still preach among you nor will I say that I shall not I desire to be guided by the guidance of Gods Word and his providence my heart is towards you you know that expression then we shall be laid down shortly as if we were naturalâ—y dead and if it must be so let me leave some Legacies before I go hence I cannot but give some counsel to your souls and I hope there is no hurt in this There are Twenty Directions I would leave with you and I desire you would take notice of them Direction 1. Keep your constant hours every day with God the godly man is a man set apart Psa. 4. 3. not onely because God hath set him apart by election but because he sets himself apart by devotion Give God his hours every day visit God in the morning before you make any other visit wind up your hearts to heaven in the morning and they will go the better all day after O turn your Closets into Temples read the Scriptures the two Testaments of the two lips by which God hath spoken to us these will make us wise to salvation The Scripture is both a glass to shew your spots and a laver to wash them away besiege Heaven every day with prayer thus perfume your houses and keep a constant intercourse with heaven Direct 2. Get good Books into your house when you have not the spring near you you will get water into your Cisterns when you have not that wholsom preaching that you were wont to have good books are the Cisterns to hold the water of life to refresh you When Davids natural heat was taken away they applied warm cloaths to him 1 King 1. when you find a chilness upon your soul and that your former heat begins to abate ply your selves with warm cloaths get these good Books that may furnish you with such truth as may warm and affect your hearts Direct 3. Have a care of your company take heed of having any unnecessary familiarity with sinners We cannot catch health from one another but may soon catch a disease the disease of sin is very catching Psal. 106. 35. I would be as much afraid to come among wicked men as I would be to come among them that have the plague If we cannot make others better let us have a care they do not make us worse Lot was a miracle that kept fresh in Sodoms salt waters Take heed of the occasions of sin evil company they are an occasion to sin T is observable that the Nazeriâ—e in the old Law as he might drink no