Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n
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A13119
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A receite for grace in a sermon preached in the parish church of Westminster / by Christopher Styles.
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Styles, Christopher.
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1620
(1620)
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STC 23412.5; ESTC S1008
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11,697
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24
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by doctrine as by miracles wrought among them and there arose a strife amongst them Luk. 22.24 which of them should be the chiefest but hee told them plainly The Kings of the Gentiles raigne c. but it shall not be so but let the greatest among you be as the least and the chiefest as he that serueth In the members of the body all are not created for one seruice and all the members haue not one office for the eye cannot say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the head vnto the feet I haue no need of you yea much rather those members of the body that seeme to be most feeble are most necessary Thus you see as in the building of an house all are not master-builders but some are bringers of stone some hewers of stone and some are appointed to bee drawers of water and hewers of wood in the Lords house yet all but fellow-seruants to God the great King and fellow-labourers in Gods Church What a shame and scandal then must needs come vpon the Church when some will domineere most imperiously and some of necessity shall be forced to serue as slaues and to performe their daily taske for scorning taunts Our Apostle speaketh in another place thus I am the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle for who is worthy of these things yet I haue laboured more than they all so it is most miserable if any spirituall labourers should bee forced to take vp the iust complaint of churlish Nabals seruants 1. Sam. 25. and say to their Mistrisse the Church Surely euill will come vpon our Master and all his family for he is so wicked that a man cannot speake to him But my purpose is onely to apply this doctrine to you beloued Behold the Master is maintained by the diligence of his seruants the seruants are all vnder the same subiection and obedience to their Master shall hee therefore that is put in the chiefe place smite the seruants and the maids and eate and drinke with the drunken Surely the master of that seruant shall come in a day when he thinketh not Luk. 12 45 46 and in an houre when he is not aware and shall cut him off and giue him his portion with the vnbeleeuers I feare it is a fashion amongst many masters that the Master will make small conscience in the vsage of his seruants for the most part although they bee their chiefe vpholders But let them know they also haue a Master in heauen And I feare also that too many seruants will bee dogged to their fellowes if they bee but a little inseriour vnto them in time or place but I say vnto you from the powerfull authority of Iesus Christ it should not be so Follow the example of this blessed Apostle and if you be workers together liue in vnity of loue and peaceably one with another and so no doubt but the God of peace shall make you prosperous with the rich blessings of his abundant loue for euermore Secondly we are to obserue this blessed Apostles humility in these words I beseech you It is truly reported by a reuerend Doctor that the Ministers duty is set foorth at large and that most sweetly in 1. Corinth 4. and in this present Chapter of my Text. The Lambe of God Christ Iesus sent foorth his Disciples Luk. 10. to be Lambes amongst Wolues not Wolues amongst his holy Lambes and he called Peter to feed them Ioh. vlt. and not to fight with them And the Apostle Peter himselfe tels vs We must be labourers in Gods vineyard 1. Pet. 5.3 not Lords ouer Gods heritage Spiritus Dei nec mendax nec mordax He that hath the Spirit of God is neither a lyar nor a reuiler they must bee Doues not Serpents Lambes not Dogs without gall without sting without byting that is they must study to bee loued not lothed for their doctrine And heere let mee tell you beloued though some be of a generous hopefull disposition euen such as will bee easily drawne by good words to doe good yet this Age affoords so many obstinate Atheists that will not know God and so many hypocrites and Machiauilians that will not obey God in Spirit and truth but follow after vanity and lyings that scarce can most forcible arguments driue them from their wicked errours Heere I accuse none let euery mans conscience be his owne iudge Thus our Apostle after long labour amongst the Corinthians finding them diligent obseruers of his doctrine reioyceth for the confidence hee hath of them as in the next Chapter at the last verse and therefore now hee teacheth them no more with a rod 1. Cor. 4.21 but with loue and in the spirit of meeknesse Ye are a building beloued and yee know euer the building will decay without repairing Doctrines for faith and exhortations for life and manners are the only meanes which the Ministers of Christ must vse for the repairing of mans decaying soule Therefore suffer the words of exhortation gladly knowing that you are bettered thereby in the estate of your soules concerning God your selues and all the world An excellent example we haue from our Sauiour himselfe Discite ex me Mat. 11.29 quia mitis humilis sum corde Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart And surely if reuerent humility had not been the best ornament for vs Christ himselfe would neuer haue been a patteme of that glory vnto vs but as the Apostle sheweth elsewere I beate downe my body lest I should teach others and be my selfe a Cast-away So I pray and beseech you holy Fathers and reuerend brethren 1. Tim. 4.16 that you take heed vnto your selues and to your doctrine to continue therein that so you may saue your selues and them that heare you Consider how vile a reproch it must needs bee vnto the Gospell of Iesus Christ if we shall teach others to obey that which our selues will by no meanes endure as the Scribes and Pharises laid heauie loads on the people which themselues would not touch with the least of their fingers Therfore this blessed Apostle doth teach the same thing which he did practise and as he was humble of life in his publike conuersation so in the humility of words he frames his exhortation with gentle perswasions to winne them to God and to doe good And surely in denouncing the threatned iudgements of God no doubt it is as I my selfe haue obserued by experience great ease and comfort to the sinners soule if in condoling sorrow with all meeknesse and humility they doe beseech that may command that is if wee doe so teach the people that by our gentle words and humble speeches they may conceiue our louing compassion towards them And as the Iewes said of Christ when they saw him weeping for the hardnesse of their hearts at Lazarus graue Ioh. 11.36 Behold how he oued him So the people when they shall