Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	fire_n	set_v	tongue_n	3,652	5	9.4006	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25468	The first dish at the Wil-shire feast, Novemb. 9, 1654, or, A sermon preached at Laurence Jury to those that there offered their peace-offerings, and went thence to dine at Merchant-Taylors-Hall by Samuel Annesley ...	Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.	1655 (1655)	Wing A3229; ESTC R10429	15,607	23

brought up They will surely use this Proverb Physitian heal thy self whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum do also here in thy own countrey and 't was their opposition to the Gospel that hindred him from answering their expectation Friends I hope that opposition to the Gospel will not hinder you but that every one will be willing to do his utmost for your own Countie It is easie to heape up instances in all histories what good Patriots have done for their countrie but I forbear and will only urge a raritie of your Countie the like whereof I do not remember that ever I heard or read I mean that Cathedral which was longer in building then the Jewes Temple for it was above fifty years in building and do you not think the Founders did intend by proportioning the doors to the moneths and the windows to the daies and the pillars to the houres of the year that you should learn this instruction Not a moneth nay not a day nay not an hour should be let passe without something of Religion And what may you now do for promoting Religion in your County what may you not do if you will set to it in good earnest You know in our constitution of Parliaments we have the members chosen from every County and though some Counties have but a very few yet their County expects good from them Might we suppose now all the members of Parliament to be chosen out of one County and that Parliament so constituted to be the supreame Authority O what would all those men do for that County why Friends I may in some sort call you the VVil-shire Parliament and I dare boldly say if you will manage your businesse wisely you may carry on the projects I shall propose with as good successe as if you had Parliamentary Authority to back them and you may raise sufficient money by voluntary contribution as if you had power to lay a taxe and I dare say 't will be paid more willingly Me thinks by this time your Attention asks me what would you have us to do I shall name three projects which I shall but name as being more chargeable then the present times will bear First To set up the light of the Gospel in all the dark places of your Countie Secondly To raise a stock to set the poor on work this stock when once raised a small matter would continue it Thirdly To maintain some poor Schollars for some considerable time at the University If you will but think of these things I may spare my labour in telling you the use of them But I leave these if any will but brood them between this and your next meeting by that time these projects may be hatcht At present there are three things I shall crave leave to urge as being more feasible then the former The first will save many extravagant expences The second may be done without much charge and the third is resolved upon already by some and I doubt not but will be embraced by all First then put down all your wicked Alehouses if you have any mind to be rid of prophaneness put down your base Ale-houses These are the Devils Nurseries where his children are instructed in the mysteries of iniquitie There it is men harden themselves against the Gospel and steep them selves as if they would fain make themselves like sobby logges of which the fire can have no power but they are mistaken in the nature of hell-fire for though the Sea should emptie it self into the bottomless pit 't would be as water upon lime make it burn more fiercely But there 's not a drop of water to cool that tongue that upon the Ale-bench sets it self against heaven Could I perswade you but to suppress Tippling I should not doubt but prophaneness would receive its mortal wound But I must adde Those that undertake this business must arme themselves with patience and resolution and manage it prudently otherwise they will do more hurt then good Secondly set up pettie Schools in every Parish or in every other Parish to teach children to read and let them be catechised every week This though it may seem a difficult work yet if you would all of you according to your several relations to several parts of the County endeavour it the work would be done speedily as Nehemiah said of the building of the wall of Ierusalem when every one took his part and had a mind to the work Nehem. 3. throughout How many poor people may hereby come to knowledge many whole families in the countrey have not any one person in them that can read how can these learn any thing how can these sanctifie a Sabbath could their children but read and were their children but taught the principles of christian Religion it might be a more spreading good then you are aware of and one ten pounds would buy above two thousand Catechismes which would yield a pretty handsome distribution to every Parish in your County My third project is contrived to my hand viz. the setting up of some weekly Lectures in places most destitute of the Gospel Now it is not onely proposed but resolved by the Stewards to set up two weekly Lectures for the year next ensuing the one at Trubridge the other at Calne upon their Market daies and to allow five and twentie pounds to each of those two godlie able and faithful Ministers whom they will forthwith employ to preach there and if your bountiful contribution shal exceed that sum the overplus shal be laid out for the redeeming some of your countrey-men out of prison And now I have proposed these things I am ready to believe you will not need arguments to perswade their entertainment I can scarce think of any thing to be objected against them 'T is true carnal reason may say these kind of projects will spoile your meeting for when you intend a meeting for the continuation of friendship and shall be imposed upon to the picking of your purses who will meet another time if carnal reason make this objection I hope Religion is well able to make an answer to it 'T is better never to meet then meerly to eat and drink and rise up to play may you not expect that while the meat is yet between your teeth the wrath of God may fall upon you or at least that God may send leanness into your soules You know how Christ managed a great festival Iohn 7.37 38 39. In that great day of the Feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive O do what you may to bring sin-sick soules unto Christ to lay them under the influences of the Spirit of grace and to stop up sinners way with thornes Ierom affirmes that this was Issachars understanding of the times they were inter alia doctores ad festivitates their excellency lay in giving directions about Religious feasts Though he may be mistaken in the interpretation of the Text I am sure you will not be mistaken in the improvement of the Text if you Religiously and industriously set your selves at this your Feast to doe your country some reall spirituall good But alas 't is not to be hoped that you should all be unanimous in so good a design there are but few will be drawn in to such an undertaking I will grant this But because there are but few will do any thing therefore shall those few do nothing because you meet with more reproach then assistance therefore you will forbear acting for God! why by the same reason you may forbear praying in your families and hearing of Sermons for these things are subject to reproach too But you do not know yet what to do you apprehend more difficulty in these things then you can at present foresee or express And so you alwayes will till you are resolved with christian courage to bear down difficulties to turn over objections to be answered by faith to beg wisdom of God by prayer and to set down this with your selves God offers me an opportunity of doing good how short it may be I know not I cannot be faithfull unto God nor so much as answer it to mine own conscience if I do not trade my talent for my Masters greatest honour I will therefore honour God with my substance I will return him something that gave me all Beloved can you possibly rake up any demurre why you should not lay out your selves to the utmost for God which God may not infinitely return upon you why he should never have given Christ unto you and why Christ should never have undertaken your reconciliation with God can you meet with the difficulties Jesus Christ met with can you meet with that contradiction of sinners that Christ bore He was not discouraged He went up and down doing good He left you an example that you should follow his steps Be followers of Christ as dear children If the example be too high take Hezekiah 2 Chron 31.21 in every work that he began in the service of the house of God and in the Law and in the Commandements to seek his God he did it with all his heart and prospered THE END