Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A57149
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The pastoral office opened in a visitation-sermon preached at Ipsvvich October 10, 1662. / by Edward, Lord Bishop of Norwich.
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Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing R1269; ESTC R20427
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17,158
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64
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with their doctrine they build and with their lives they destroy The Minister who will winne his people must not only doctorem virtutis se praebere sed ducem as Lactantius ut si praecipientem sequi nolint sequantur antecedentem The salt which is it self unsavory will hardly season other things I conclude this point with that wholsom passage of Hierom ad Nepotianum Let not saith he thy works shame thy doctrine lest they who hear thee in the Church tacitly answer Why doest thou not thy self what thou teachest others He is too delicate a teacher who perswadeth others to fast with a full belly A Robber may accuse Covetousness Sacerdotis Christi os mens manusque concordent a Minister of Christ should have his tongue and his heart and his hand agree I shall conclude all with Two words of Exhortation one to my Reverend Brethren in the Clergy and the other to the people To my Brethren That they would with all their might set about this most necessary work of feeding the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers therby testifie their love unto Christ who by that Love doth adjure us to feed his sheep and lambs John 21. 15. 16 17. If we would not be an Anathema Maranatha for not loving of Christ we must do that which he by so strong an argument as the Love of him doth injoyn Is it possible for a man to love the father and to starve the children Is it possible to love the Lord and to neglect his doubled and redoubled command Is it possible to love God and to hate our brethren Or do we not hate our brethren when we betray their souls to perdition O let us lay to heart that most solemn and tremendous charge of the Apostle I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Let us consider the dreadfull Accompt which at that fiery Tribunal of this Great Judge will be required of us Heb. 13. 17. the woe which we incurr if we neglect it 1 Cor. 9. 16. and the horrid guilt of the blood of souls which thereby we contract Ezeck 3. 17 18 20 their blood will I require at thy hand Let us consider the unvaluable preciousness of the souls committed to our charge of more worth then all the world beside Mat. 16. 26. insomuch that Heathen men have said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the property of a Reasonable soul saith Antoninus the Heathen Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preferre nothing before it self O what a doleful thing will it be to have the everlasting perdition of such precious souls to lie upon our betraying of them Consider the Inestimable price wherwith they were purchased even the Blood of God Acts 20 28. and how fearfull a thing it will be for the Blood of Christ to cry out against us for destroying those souls which that blood did purchase Consider the continual Dangers these precious souls are exposed to the vigilancy of a cunning a powerfull a malicious adversary who goeth about seeking to devour them 1 Pet. 5. 8 the baits snares examples and entanglements of an evil world the swarms of Innumerable inward lusts which warr against the soul. O how vigilant should we be to fore warn arm them against the assault of so great dangers Lastly consider we the weight and greatnesse of that Crown of Righteousness and glory which the Chief Shepherd reserveth for all those who willingly and with a ready mind feed the flock of God They who turn many to Righteousness shall shine as Stars for ever and ever 1 Pet. 5. 4. Dan. 12. 3. What a Glorious Testimony will it be before the throne of Christ at the last day when so many souls shall stand forth and say This was the hand which snatched us out of the fire This tongue was to us a tree of life his Reproofs and convictions awakened us his Exhortations perswaded us his Consolations revived us his wisdom counsel'd us his example guided us unto this Glory Some are apt to charge Clergymen with ambitious pursuance of dignities and preferments Behold here a preferment worthy the climbing after a dignity worthy to be contended for an holy an Apostolical Ambition as St. Pauls expression importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15. 20. which is as much as Ambitioso conatu praedicare EvangeliuÌ„ preaching the Gospel where it had not before been heard was the Apostles greatest honor which ambitiously he did aspiâ—e unto To the People 1. We exhort them to pray for their Ministers since they have a Service upon them which without divine Grace none are sufficient for that God would by his special assistance enable them to discharge so great a trust God commands it we beseech it our weakness wants it your souls require it the more you pray for your Minister the more you will profit by him You help to edifie your selves you help him to study and pray and preach for you while you pray for him 2 To take heed that the labour of your Ministers for your souls be not by your carelesseness all in vain Do not with our Sermons which cost us so hard labour as David did with the water of the well of Bethleem spill them on the ground and let them cry from thence like the blood of Abel against you So long as he keeps to his Commission and delivers the Counsel of God you cannot despise the work of your Minister but you do therewithall despise the blood of your Saviour If your souls be dear in their eyes should they be vile in your own Will you by your wickedness turn the prayers of your Pastors into curses their Sermons into a favour of death and their tears into the blood of your own souls Shall they begg mercy for you and will you reject it Shall they tender Grace unto you and will you resist it Shall they open for you the door of Life will you shut it against your selves Shall Christ by them beseech you and will you by your Impenitency refuse him Is it not a Reasonable Request though you will not love your Ministers yet not to Hate nor destroy your selves Must he Teach and you not Learn Must he open his lips and you shut your ears are Sermons preached to be praised onely and not obeyed Must he Reprove Sin in you and will you Reprove God in him Shall he take up the weapons of God to withstand sinne and will you take up the weapons of lust to withstand God! Is it good to kick against the pricks Will Gods word be impunè despised Can his Law be put to flight where it doth not perswade can it not curse Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger then he Shall the Minister in the name of God forewarn us of the wrath to come and shall we belye the Lord and say It is not he Shall we blesse where God curseth and promise peace where God proclameth warre Shall we sell our selves to sin and make a Covenant with Hell and death as if we could sin securely and choose whither we would perish or no Will not the Lord make us know at the last whose word shall stand His or Ours O that the Love of Christ might constrain us and his Goodness lead us unto Repentance that when Christ doth beseech us we would be perswaded not to deny him Did Satan dye for us Did the world or the flesh ever redeem us were they scourged or mocked or crucified to save us O that Christ should be perswaded to dye for us and we should give him his blood back again and choose rather to dye our selves Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Fuller Miscellan l. 6. c. 17 Quodammodo ante diem Judicii Judicant Hieron Ep. ad Heliodorum Serm. 15. in Cantic