Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	great_a	place_n	10,107	5	4.1120	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44566	Rich treasure in earthen vessels a sermon preached, Jan. 1, 1662/3, at the funeral of that reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Nalton, late minister of God's word at St. Leonards Foster-lane / by T. Horton ...	Horton, Thomas, d. 1673.	1663 (1663)	Wing H2879; ESTC R7695	15,146	23

touched Isaiahs lips it is he that said to Jeremiah Do not say thou art a child for I have sent thee c. This I say then is a consideration that may encourage Ministers in their Work that the weaker they are the honor and glory will redound to Christ for he said unto me saith the Apostle My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Not that this is an encouragement or argument for any to take upon them the great work of the Ministry without sufficient qualifications abilities But where there is not that degree of ability as is desired where there is a true sensibleness of their weakness this may be an encouragement unto them that God delighteth to shew his power in them that by so much the more they are weak so much honor he wil gain For a conclusion it comes to this viz. That we lay no stress upon any outward things There is no stress or happiness in these outward things those that seem to be of some concernment as strength of body and other outward qualifications that are of remark yet consider they are fading and transitory this should teach us in the enjoyments of outward things a great deal of humility Though we are Vessels of gold in regard of the treasure and improvement yet in regard of our selves we are Vessels of Earth and so should be in respect of humility Let us look upon all these things as given to us of God even for this very end That we may be more serviceable to him and his people So I have done with the two general parts of the words and so with the whole verse viz. We have this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us Do we begin again to commend our selves saith the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 3.1 or need we Epistles of commendation to you or Letters of commendation from you ye are our epistle in our hearts c. But this is applicable to the present sad occasion now before us This reverend and blessed man of God Mr. James Nalton was a person of great note and eminencie among us one well known in this City and in this place where he spent his labour and pains many years I could give large accounts and testimonies of him if need were from my own knowledge of him having been acquainted with him many years He was not only a Minister but the son of a Minister his birth and education suting together He lookt upon it not only as an honour but as an engagement to be careful to walk in those steps set before him and to continue the work of the Ministry begun by his religious father Certainly the children of godly and holy parents cannot come off so cheap in their carriages as others they have greater accounts to make as having greater examples set before them greater advantages of prayer exhortation c. and so greater engagements this was thought on and observed by him And as he was the son of a Minister so when he came to years and was fitted he took upon him the Ministry as he was one of great abilities so accordingly he discharged them faithfully and conscienciously He was a spiritual powerful consciencious Preacher he preached by his Life for as Erasmus saith we should not only love to speak truths but we should digest truths on our own hearts before we commend them to others and so they will be the more effectual He was a man of a very meek sweet and humble spirit a man of great humility and of great meekness in the midst of great abilities which was a great ornament in him a man full of tenderness and condescension to others a man of a very yeilding and melting frame of spirit soon dissolved into tears It was the saying of one that a good man is full of tears so this good man was full of tears not affected but very real and hearty drawn from the fullness of his Spirit as the Apostle Paul saith he served the Lord in much humility and many tears This was remarkable that in these times our Reverend Brother was full of tears in delivering his doctrine which was sutable to the age we live in being full of sin and calamity there is much need of a bewailing spirit to bewail the iniquities and miseries of the times they that cannot bewail themselves need the tears of others He was a man of great integrity and single-heartedness in his exhortations he had much of the simplicity of Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks In reference to the Ministry he had no worldly and base affections he had no carnal designs therein but his chief design was to bring souls home to Christ that was his chief business As the Apostle saith of himself may also be said of him that in simplicity and godly sincerity be had his conversation in the world not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by the manifestation of the truth commending himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 He was a man that had ability to speak a word in season he was very compassionate to wounded spirits he himself having been much afflicted He was a man much in communion with God and had much acquaintance with God and was careful in improvement therein he was a Jacob in wrestling with God a Moses that stood in the gap an Elijah that prayed earnestly the whole land was the better for such a person being much with God he made many addresses to him and had much holy familiarity with him And as in his publick performances he was very faithful and beneficial so in his family and private he was very fruitful and serious In a word not to multiply much in this kind you need it less in this Auditory but onely by way of grateful memorial there was much of God and Christ in him and he was a great example to his fellow servants there was much of his Treasure spoken of in the Text in this earthen Vessel as in the matter of it he was one of a Gospel spirit and in the conveyances of it he had great abilities for the work of the Ministry and discharged it with a great deal of success As he had this treasure in an earthen vessel so his vessel his frail body was no disparagement to him but the advancement of the treasure in setting forth the power to be of God his outward man was much weak and worn away but his inward man was upheld by the grace of God His first work in the Ministry was in that place where my self have relation to he was an assistant to my Predecessor being then past labour Mr. Richard Couder and performed the work so well that he was exceedingly beloved of Mr. Couder and well beloved of the Parish and other places He left a good impression behind and I found good effects by the foundation there laid The Apostle Paul indeed desired not to work there where another had laid the foundation but I thought it a great advantage that the foundation was laid by such a Master-builder He was called into the Country to Rugby in Warwickshire there he continued very fruitful and did much good For some occasion he removed and returned into the City and came into this place where he continued about 18 or 19 years discharged the work of the Lord carefully I need not say much of his carriage in this place I appeal to your own consciences I may say of this servant of Christ as the Apostle Paul said of himself 1 Thess 2.10 11. Ye are his witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably he behaved himself among you as you know how he exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his children that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory Therefore there lies an engagement upon you to walk answerable to the truths he delivered and to follow his steps considering the end of his conversation I shut up all in the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians ch 4.9 Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in him Do and the God of Peace shall be with you FINIS