Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	aaron_n	act_n	service_n	28	3	5.9188	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57151	Preaching of Christ opened in a sermon preached at St. Peters Church in the city of Norwich at an ordination Septemb. 22, 1661 / by Edward Reynolds ...	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1662 (1662)	Wing R1272; ESTC R15378	18,113	56

historionis It is rather pageantry than serious piety for men to preach Angelical Sermons and to live diabolical conversations ut dicta factis deficientibus erubescant as Tertullian speaks We cannot expect that other men should follow our doctrine when we our selves forsake it the greatest part of men being like sheep which go non qua eundum sed qua itur rather as they are led then as they are taught And so much of the duty here supposed the excellency necessity and manner of preaching We proceed to the object or matter of preaching expressed 1. Negatively not our selves Men may be said to preach themselves these four ways 1. When they make themselves Lords over the flock and exercise dominion over the consciences of those that hear them as if a Ministry were a Soveraignty or as if the sheep were their own to be ordered and disposed as they please this is the character which the Apostle giveth of the man of sinne that he sitteth as God in the Temple of God usurping a divine authority over the souls of men 2 Thes. 2. 4. and exercising a bloody tyranny over their bodies And therefore both our Saviour and his Apostles to prevent the danger of so tempting an ambition have left strict and severe provision against it Be not you called Rabbi for one is your Master even Christ Matth. 23. 8. 12. We have not dominion over your faith but are helpers of your joy 2 Cor. 1. 24. Not as being Lords over Gods heritage but ensamples to the flock 1 Pet. 5. 3. 2. When they make themseves the Authors of their own Ministry undertaking so weighty an employment of their own heads and running before they are sent as many did in the Prophet Jeremies time Jer. 23. 21. And many more in in the late licentious days amongst us of whom we may say as the Historian said of an obscure person that he was Homo ex se Natus they were Concionatores ex semetipsis Nati self created preachers as Agathocles a Prince of a Potter a Preacher of a Trooper men who made it the principal business of their usurped preaching to disgrace and pull down legitimate preachers and beget an undervaluing of those serious principles which they knew sober and fixed Divines would never desert and contrary unto which they were resolved to act 3. When they make themselves the Matter of their preaching prophesying lies and the deceits of their own hearts Jer. 23. 16 26. teaching for doctrines the traditions or commandments of men Mat. 15. 9. making sad the righteous and strengthning the hands of the wicked by their lies following their own spirits Ezek. 13. 3 22. venting in the place and name of Christ their own passions and animosities their own interests and jealousies their own private opinions and paradoxes somenting distempers ingenerating discontents and divisions in the hearts of the people corrupting the minds perverting the judgements ensnaring and intangling the consciences of those that hear them turning aside to vain jangling departing from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits speaking lies in hypocrisie teaching things which they ought not leading captive and deceiving the hearts of the simple sowing tares in the Lords field being the snare of a fowler in all their wayes walking in the Spirit and in falshood prophesying of wine and strong drink causing the people to erre through their lies and their lightnesse That you may keep your selves from this crimson and bloody sin often recount that dreadful intermination Deut. 18. 20 The Prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak or that shall speak in the Name of other Gods even that Prophet shall die See also Jer. 14. 14 15. Jer. 23. 11 12 15 30 31 32 39 40. Eze. 13. Eze. 34. Hos. 4. 6 9. 5. 1. 9. 7. Mic. 3. 5 6 7. Mal. 2. 1 2 3. 8. 9. Mat. 23. 13. 29. 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. Gal. 1. 8 9. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. 4. When they make themselves the End of their preaching making so holy an Ordinance subservient to their vain glory or ambitious pursuits or filthy lucre or plausible compliance or private interests as the Pharisees who for a pretence made long prayers that they might devoure widows Houses supposing gain to be godlinesse as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 6. 5. when they pursue crooked and indirect aimes of their own oftentation of learning inticing words of mens wisdom commending themselves pleasing others 1 Co● 2. 4. 2 Cor. 10. 12. Gal. 1. 10. quite contrary to the practise of the holy Apostle who in his Function and Ministry walked not in craftiness handled not the Word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 4. 2. did not exhort out of uncleanness or in guile used not flattering words nor a cloak of Covetousnesse pleased not men nor sought glory of any 1 Thes. 2. ● 6. but made it his onely end to please God and by all means to save souls to manage his Masters interest and not his own that Christ alone might be glorified in the hearts of men for how much so ever we attribute to our selves so much we detract from Christ. Whom the Apostle makes the sole matter of his preaching Which leads to the positive part of our preaching Christ Jesus the Lord whereby is intimated that the Lord Jesus is both the Author the Object and the End of all our preaching 1. The Lord Jesus is the Authour and Instituter of this service in his Church how high a presumption it is for men to intrude into a Ministry without a call and warrant from God the sad examples of Corah Dathan Abiram Vzziah the vagabond Exorcists Acts 19. 13 16. and others do abundantly testifie And therefore as Aaron was solemnly separated to minister to the Lord 1 Chron. 23. 13. and in like manner Christ was called of God an high Priest after the Order of Melchizedec Heb. 5. 5 6 7 10. Even so were his Apostles sent by him Mat. 28. 19. and by authority from him did they ordain others unto the same service Act. 14. 23. and direct the same course to be observed afterwards 2 Tim. 2. 2. Tit. 1. 5. from him then and those whom he hath appointed must we receive both our mission and our message our whole Ministry we must receive in the Lord as it is said of Archippus Col. 4. 17. It must be given and committed to us before we presume to take unto our selves the stiles of Ambassadors for Christ 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. Joh. 3. 27. 1. From him we must have our Mission for how shall they preach except they be sent saith the Apostle Rom. 10. 14. an Honor must not be undertaken without a Call No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God Heb. 5. 4. the Ministerial Function is an honour as the Apostle sheweth 1 Tim. 5. 17. A Trust must not be undertaken without a Call the Ministry is a Trust and

finis operis Eph. 4. 12. and they ought to be in us finis operantis And now having secured Christs honour and interest the Apostle returns again to himself and sheweth in what capacity he looketh on himself in the Church of Christ not as a Lord but as a servant Our selves your servants far from the temper of those whom you suffer to bring you into bondage to smite to devoure you to exalt themselves 2 Cor. 11. 20. Whatever titles of honour or dignity the pastors of the Church are adorned withal as the Apostle assureth us of an Honor due unto it 1 Tim. 5. 17. and an Authority entrusted with it 2 Cor. 10. 8. yet this very honour consists in a service which they owe to the Church of Christ. Christ onely hath domination and preheminency all others even Apostles themselves nothing but service and Ministry As the Priests and Levites are commanded by Josiah to serve the Lord and his people Israel 2 Chron. 35. 3. The highest Officers and noblest abilities are all the Churches and for their edification 1 Cor. 3. 22. The Names in Scripture given to Pastors as Stewards Ministers Watchmen Labourers all import a service excluding domination which our Saviour expresly forbids Mat. 20. 25. 28. Including humility industry fidelity love helpfulnesse all endeavours to attend the service of the Churches faith as the Apostle calls it Phil. 2. 17. Yet withal they are such servants and stewards as are also Rulers so they are called Luke 12. 42. 1 Tim. 5. 17. serviunt utilitati non potestati servants they are to the souls of the people but not to their power whom the people have no despotical authority over but are to submit unto as unto those that watch for their souls 1 Cor. 16. 15 16. Heb. 3. 17. And therefore the Apostle addeth That they are the peoples servants for Jesus sake in order to the promoting of his Honour and interest in the Church The Church is his Spouse his Flock his Body is to him the purchase of his own Blood We are his Officers and must give an account of you to him Our Love our Loyalty our Fidelity our Fear of him constrain us to spend and to be spent in the service of your souls He is our Jesus and your Jesus as we expect our own salvation from him or value and desire yours we must serve your faith and shew our selves his servants by being yours I shall conclude all with a word of Exhortation to my reverent Brethren in this sacred Function and you that are candidates thereof 1. Preach the Gospel be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine think not much to further the salvation of those by your labours whom Christ purchased with his blood Magnifie your Office not by pomp and state by scorn or superciliousnesse these things debase it but by humble and painful attendance upon the Ministry which you have received of the Lord. Esteem not that a needless Office which the Apostle hath made necessary nor a bootlesse service unto the performance whereof so great a Reward unto the omission whereof so great a woe is annexed 1 Cor. 9. 16 17. If you be not moved by the souls of others preach for your own sakes that you may save your selves If you value not your own salvation preach for the sake of others that you may save those that hear you 1 Tim. 4. 16. If there be yet ignorance in the people let them not continue in darknesse for want of your teaching If there be yet sins amongst them let them not perish under them for want of your Reproving If they be yet imperfect let them not be still children for want of your instructing if they be yet exposed to Temptation let not Satan swallow them up for want of your Resisting him If Satan destroy men by his suggestions he shall not answer for them as an officer he had not inspection over them but as a Murtherer onely If you destroy them by your negligence if the Shepherds do not feed nor the Physicians heal nor the Watchmen keep nor the Stewards provide for the flock you have betrayed a trust abused a Lord exposed a depositum you shall give an account not onely for souls murthered but for an office neglected for a talent hidden for a Stewardship unfaithfully and injuriously administred O therefore studiously and conscientiously apply your selves to this heavenly skill of spiritual preaching Preach in good earnest as those who seriously intend their own and their hearers salvation Preach not as a Rhetorician at a Desk only to tickle ears and to play a prize but as an Advocate at a Bar to preserve a Client to save a soul. So convince of sinne the guilt the stain the dominion the pollution of it the curse and malediction whereunto the soul is exposed by it that your hearers may be awakened and humbled and effectually forewarned to flee from the wrath to come So convince of the alsufficient righteousnesse and and unsearchable riches of Christ the Excellency of his knowledge the unmeasurablenesse of his love the preciousnesse of his Promises the fellowship of his sufferings the power of his Resurrection the beauties of his holinesse the easinesse of his yoke the Sweetnesse of his peace the joy of his salvation the hope of his Glory that the hearts of your hearers may burn within them and they may flie like Doves unto their windows for shelter and Sanctuary into the arms of such a Redeemer who is able and willing to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him that they may with all ready obedience and by the constraining power of the love of Christ yield up themselves to the Government of this Prince of Peace by whom the Prince of this world is judged and cast out his works destroyed and we for this end bought with a price that we should not be our own but his that bought us nor live any longer unto our selves but unto him that loved us and died for us and rose again 2 Preach not your selves your own imaginations the devices of your own hearts set not up your reason against Gods Word nor your will against his grace nor your interest against his glory nor your fleshly wisdom against the simplicity of his holy Gospel Preach not out of ostentation meerly to the fancies and wits of men to please or to tickle them but out of manifestation of truth to the conscience to please God Preach not your own passions and animosities things tending to widen breaches to foment jealousies and discontents to kindle fedition to cherish faction to beget turbulency disquiet to shake the piety which the people owe to God or the loyalty they owe to their Prince or the tranquility which they ought to promote in Church and State but as servants