Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	able_a	lord_n	soul_n	2,372	5	4.9134	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03279	The dignitie of preaching in a sermon vpon 1. Thessal. 5.20. By Sam. Hieron.	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1615 (1615)	STC 13396; ESTC S120671	20,449	30

is the expresse will and ordinance of God that there should be in his Church a certaine calling of men set apart to this worke and seruice of making the holy Scriptures vsefull to the people by the act of preaching 2. That this act of preaching is so ordained by God that wee haue no assurance in the world to attaine saluation but by it These two poynts well cleered will take away all doubt touching this doctines truth For if preaching be Gods ordinance shall it not be honoured and if we haue without it no hope of being saued shall it not deserue esteeme If then I shall be able to double these two two poynts I shall hope to procure an easie passage for the maine doctrine into the heart and soule of euery one that heares me So that you wil not crie when I haue done as they did against Paul Away with such a fellow from the earth b Act. 22.22 but rather breake out into some such note as theirs that followed Christ Lord euermore giue vs this preaching c Ioh. 6.34 My first taske must be this to make it to appeare that God neuer purposed to leaue his holy word to be no more but read either priuatly in mens houses or publikely in our Churches but appointed there should be men ordained to expound the same by voyce and applie it to the occasions and necessities of the people for their edifying For this is the soule of prophecying and the very life of preaching It openeth the Scripture to shew what it meaneth it fits it to the particular vses and cases of the hearers Now that there hath been from the beginning a Calling of men to deale betwixt God and man in the things of God the course of the holy storie makes it plaine In the daies before the flood besides that the first borne of euery familie was an officer of this kinde we reade particularly of Enoch and of Noah the one a Prophet by the testimonie of S. Iude d Iude vers 14. the other a Preacher of righteousnes by the witnes of S. Peter e 2. Pet. 2.5 In the following times notwithstanding the smalnes of Gods Church for diuers yeeres yet that which is said of Melchizedech that he was a Priest of the most high God f Gen. 14.18 is an argument of some such ranke and condition of men as I now speake of As the people of God multiplied and began to put on the shape of a Body politique so this course became more euident and more ordinary Then the Tribe of Leui was deputed to a speciall attendance vpon this function g Deut. 33.10 and from thence there was a continuall succession of men sitting in Moses chaire vntill our Sauiours time Christ when hee came did not ouerthrow this course but establish it He appoynted Apostles first h Luke 6.13 they being by him instructed in the things which pertaine to the kingdome of God i Act. 1.3 and precise to ordaine nothing but that which thēselues had receiued k 1. Cor. 11.23 as they were diligent in respect of their personall industrie so they appoynted such as themselues in regard of the substance of their office and gaue order for the perpetuating of this course to make choyce of faithfull men still to be employed in this seruice m 2. Tim. 2.2 and Paul saith expresly that Christ ascended on high to giue gifts vnto men euen that there might be such for the gathering together of the Saints to the end of the world n Eph. 4.11 c. Now as such a Calling was of old and must continue till time shall be no more so the speciall intendment was to teach See for proofe in the old Testament Deut. 33.10 2. Chro. 15.3 and in the new Mat. 28.19 2. Tim. 2.2 Therefore as we gather by our Sauiours speech to Nicodemus they of this profession were called Masters in Israel o Ioh. 3 10. and after in the same sort Teachers p Eph. 4.11 The matter of their teaching was in the old Testament termed the Iudgement and Law of God q Deut. 33.10 and in the new it is said to be whatsoeuer Christ hath commanded r Matth. 28.20 and more briefly the Word ſ 2. Tim. 4.2 The manner of their teaching in the old Testament is reported to be reading in the booke of the Law distinctly giuing the sense and causing the people to vnderstand the reading t Neh. 8.8 in the new a publishing of the secret of the Gospell u Ephes 6.19 a dealing vnto the people the Gospell of God x 1. Thes 2.8 Now in teaching it is manifest that there is a further matter then the publishing to the people by reading from out of the booke the words and tenour of the Scripture Euery ordinary man will quickly conceiue so much out of the nature of the word Teach Doth a Schoolmaster teach his scholler in reading to him his Rule vnlesse he doe also cause him to vnderstand it and shew him how he may practise that which is the purpose of it Doth a man of occupation teach his apprentise his trade by propounding certaine generall precepts if hee doe not discouer to him that which wee terme the Mysterie of his profession in particulars Thus farre we are come in the proofe of this first branch It is the ordinance of God that there should be a Calling of men to deale betwixt him and man and that euery one called to this calling should be apt to teach y 1. Tim. 3.2 He that wants this knowledge is no Priest for me said the Lord of old z Hos 4.6 Agreeing hereto is the wholesome order of our English Church in which no man is admitted Presbyter See the booke of ordination of Bishops Priests and Deacons but he is first exhorted by the Bishop to consider that his office is of great excellencie and of great difficultie such as he cannot by any other meanes compasse but with Doctrine and exhortation taken out of the Scripture and then after he is asked whether hee is determined to instruct the people committed to his charge with the Scriptures in the end a Bible being deliuered into his hand he is willed to take authoritie to preach the word of God And by the booke of Common Prayer it is manifest that none ought to administer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to the people but he who may boldly say to the people If there be any of you which cannot quiet his conscience See the Booke of Common Prayer in one of the Exhortations to be somtimes vsed at the discretion of the Minister but requireth further counsell or comfort let him come to me or some other discreete and learned Minister of Gods word and open his griefe that he may receiue such ghostly counsell aduice and comfort as his conscience may be relieued It is meant that hee should haue somewhat in him who must

ground of contempt Suppose a parish haue an Incumbent reputed learned but yet remisse in preaching shall not his slacknes cause the people to conclude that preaching is not so simply necessarie as it is thought will they not say Our Minister is learned and of iudgement and knowes what is what surely if preaching were so vsefull hee would be more frequent in it then hee is And what hath bred those preiudiciall paradoxes to preaching as that reading is preaching c. but the indisposition of men of gifts to be diligent in preaching The vnwillingnes backwardnes of men to spend themselues this way hath caused for the hiding of their shame a straining of wits and a wresting of Scripture to proue the competencie to saluation of a reading Ministerie such spurious propositions had neuer seene the light if diligence in this dutie had vniuersally been made conscience of Therfore we must yeeld that that which old Latimer a man who sacrificed his life in Gods cause once blamed vnder the witty terme of strawbery-preaching is a speciall meanes to lay the honour of preaching in the dust It brings a rust yea and a curse vpon our gifts and begets a kinde of habite of idlenes and causeth the people to respect that little which we performe but little when I speak of diligence I doe not meane that a man should be euer and anon in the pulpit for there must be a time of gathering as well as of dispersing and there is a kinde of mercenarie diligence in some which is meete to be restrained but this is diligence a man is readie to take all occasions to doe good especially bindes himselfe constantly vpon Gods day to be busied in Gods word Happie is that seruant whom his master when he commeth shall finde so doing 2. The manner of handling the word of God in preaching so as it is fit If any man speake The second way of honoring preaching by Preachers let him speake as the words of God u 1. Pet. 4.11 let him remember what hee hath in hand and so deale accordingly I remember how often Paul stands vpon his manner of preaching x 2. Cor. 2.17.4.2 Thes 23. It is Hoseas phrase the great or honourable things of the law of God y Hos 8.12 yet may these be so vsed as that they may seeme base to those that heare them Woe be to that good meate that must passe the fingers of a slouen before it comes to the mouth of the eater I loue not to be forward to taxe any mans preaching and therefore I will so speake as shewing rather what may be then what is There may be a preiudicing and an endangering the honour of preaching in handling it two waies One is too much exactnes as when men striue to haue euery word in print and to stand in equipage one neither higher nor lower neither further foorth nor more bacward then another and doe affect termes more then matter embellishing their Sermons with the gleanings of all manner of authors sacred prophane any thing which may bee thought to smell of learning and may raise an opinion of Eloquence profoundnes varietie of reading in the hearers Obiect Will I say this make preaching to be despised Answer rather it is like to procure admiration and reuerence and to cause a kinde of astonishment in the hearers happely it may for the present draw some such superficiall respect to a Preacher as that which is counted euen by the heathen a vanitie in Demosthenes Tully termes him Leuiculus Demosthenes Tus Qu. Hic est ille Demosthenes he said it pleased him secretly when as hee went in the streetes hee should heare the womē that carried water say There goeth eloquent Demosthenes Thus a man may be rewarded with some such breath for this windy kind of preaching but when it cōmeth to the touch this shall bee found to dishonour Gods ordinance in true iudgement For what is that which indeed makes preaching honourable in the hearts of Gods people but their vnderstanding it so as that they may feele the sweetnes of it and receiue comfort by it That therefore which hindreth vnderstanding must needs expose this course to a kinde of disgrace what contentment shal a man take in it when he conceiues but little what it meanes It comes in our ordinarie congregatiōs to as little purpose such a kind of teaching as that which is said in the Prouerb Hic mulget hircum ille supponit cribrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where one doth milke a goate another holds vnder a sieue It may bee the matter is good and excellent but the hearer holds no more then a sieue because nothing to any great purpose is vnderstood It is the pithie plainnes which is the beautie of preaching A text well opened handsomely diuided instructions familiarly raised substantially proued by the Scripture powerfully pressed vpon the hid man of the heart faithfully applied to the soule conscience of the hearer This is the course which makes manifest the secret of his heart and brings him to fall downe on his face and worship God and to say that God is in the Preacher indeed z 1. Cor. 14.25 Ferrum potest quod aurum non potest It is truly said that in some cases Iron can doe that which gold cannot and so that which is by some in their nicenes and curiositie accounted but a blunt kinde of teaching shall yet doe that which the more glorious and glistring and gaudie course could not effect The kingdome of God is not in word but in power a 1. Cor. 4.20 I haue heard of a thing that fell out once at the Councell of Nice where a Christian of no great learning in esteeme Ruffin hist lib. 2. cap. 3. conuerted a learned man whom all the learned Bishops with all their skill and eloquence could not perswade the partie wonne brake out into these words Oh you learned men as long as the matter went by words against words I opposed words and that which was spoken I ouerthrew by the art of speaking but when in stead of words power came out of the mouth of the speaker Non poterunt verba resistere veritati or virtuti nec homo aduersari potuit Deo words could not withstand truth nor man stand out against God Thus that plaine kinde of teaching in which the euidence of the spirit is to be seene works that which the more curious and refined eloquence could not doe A second way by which in handling the word preaching may be made contemptible is in another extreame namely when the manner of dealing with the word is ouer sleight too loose and superficiall a man vents raw sudden vndigested meditations such as haue no manner of coherence either with the text or with themselues the text is rather torne then diuided rather tossed then handled rather named because it is the fashion to haue a text then followed so as that the