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
A73023	M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Sturbridge Faire. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie: deliuered publiquely in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. With a preface præfixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the perticulers [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1605 (1605)	STC 19706.5; ESTC S123485	128,687	352

must touch his lippes that which in all reason would haue made him speake worse by Gods appointment and the power of his word shall make him speake better Out of which practise of God we learn many points First see how GOD magnifieth meanes hee can worke without them and so hee did in the Creation giuing light to the worlde diuers dayes before there was Sunne but since the order of nature was established hee generally vseth meanes not onely in his ordinary but euen in his miraculous actions and though he vse not alwayes the ordinary and direct meanes yet meanes he generally vseth though they seeme contrary as heere in this place and the same wil be found true in almost al the miracles both of the Old and New Testament This therefore commends vnto all men the vse of such good meanes as Gods prouidence hath ordained of any duties or effecting of any thing that doth belong vnto vs to doe and not to depend vpon immediate helpes from Heauen as many fonde and fantasticall men doe who are therfore oftentimes iustly forsaken of God and left destitute of all helpe and so exposed to shame and reproach Secondly see here the mighty power of Gods ordinance how it appeareth in weakenesse such are all his great workes In the Creation hee brought light out of darknesse In our Redemption hee brought vs life out of death In our conuersions he workes vpon vs by his word by it hee drawes vs to him which in al reason would driue vs from him and by it confounds the wisedome of the worlde which is starke foolishnesse to the wisedome of the world And so here hee cleanseth the Prophet by a Coale of fire which would rather defile him and seasoneth his mouth with it which in reason should haue burned him so great so admirable and so powerfull are the ordinances of God though they seeme so contrary or so weake in themselues or in their meanes Let this teach all men not to contemne the Sacraments though the outward Elements Bread Wine and Water be weake and common and dead creatures in themselues nor the Ministerie of the Word though it be exercised by a weake man mortall miserable as others are for that God which can season the Prophets mouth and clense his heart by a coale of fire no maruell though hee worke vppon the consciences of men by his word and Sacraments And againe when we see Grace and Holinesse conueyed into mens hearts by the Word and Sacraments let vs learne not to ascribe it to the dignitie either of the Minister or the Elements but to the supreme power of the mightie God who can purge the Prophet by a coale from the altar Neither is it altogether without Mysterie that God here sanctifieth the prophet by touching his lippes with a fierie coale for it signifieth that the apt sufficient teacher must haue a fierie tongue and to that same purpose the holy Ghost came downe vppon the Apostles in fierie toongs it may be that the one is a tipe of the other Certaine it is that they both teach vs thus much that all true and able Ministers must pray and endeuour to haue a tongue full of power and force euen like fire to eate vp the sinnes and corruptions of the worlde For though it be a worthy gift of God to speake mildly and moderately so that his speech shal fall like deawe vpon the grasse yet it is the firerie tongue that beates downe sinne and workes sound grace in the heart It may be there are some which neede the fierie tongue This shewes apparantly that those Ministers neuer had their lips touched with a coale frō Gods altar that is their soules with a coale from Gods altar that is their consciences neuer touched nor their soules seasoned with the sanctifying grace of Gods spirit which sit still and see great and grieuous staines in a Church and corruptions in a State and can bee content neuer to reproue them as though Ministers were perswaders onely and not reprouers But when this comes to be wayed in the ballance of a good conscience it will bee found that not the pleasing tongue but the fierie tongue is the principall grace of a good Minister But to goe further whence came this Coale Taken from the Altar This coale of fire was taken by the angel from the altar of God where was a fire which neuer went out and this fire was that that came from heauen sent downe by God at the dedication of the Temple by Salomon And this fire kindled by God neuer went out for no man could kindle the like but all other was counted strange fire As Nadab and Abihu tryed in wofull experience when they would needes offer with in Now the Prophet must be cleansed with the fire which came from Heauen teaching vs that the Minister must haue his fierie tongue frō the holy Ghost As the Apostles were said to bee baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire A fierie tongue is a speciall ornament of a Minister but that fire must come from heauen that is his zeale must be a godly and heauenly zeale but hee that hath a rayling lying a slanderous a malicious or a contentious tongue hee hath a fierie tongue indeed But this is kindled of the sire of hell as S. Iames saith The vnbridled tongue is a world of wickednes and defileth the whole body setteth on fire the whole course of nature and is set on fire in hell So then a spitefull and malicious tongue wee see is a fierie tongue but that fire is taken from hell and not from Gods altar And hee that stands vp to preach with this tongue God will neuer suffer any great worke to be done by him in his Church though his tongue be neuer so fierie and his speech neuer so powerfull As therefore Ministers must abhorre the flattering and pleasing tongue and must haue a fierie tongue so on the other side this fire must bee from Gods altar that is the fire of their zeale must bee kindled by Gods spirit and not by the spirit of discord and dissention Ambitious humors turbulent proud humours new opinions priuate quarrels all these nor none of these are for the pulpit These may make a man fierie tongued but this fire was neuer taken from Gods altar as the Prophets was this fierie tongue neuer came from heauen as the Apostles did It followeth And touched my lippes This fifth and last circumstance is the Application of the remedie The coale which is the medicine is applyed by this Angel to his lips that is to that part which was polluted and as he formerly complained of the pollution of his lips so the medicine is applyed to his lippes Here the Angell which in this case is made GODS minister doth teach all Gods Ministers a great point of wisedome in heauenly Diuinitie namely to