Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A51323
|
The wise Gospel-preacher his praise and practice, duty and dignity, opened in a sermon on Eccles. 12. 9. By S.M. minister of the Gospel
|
More, Stephen.
|
1650
(1650)
|
Wing M2687; ESTC R213884
|
133,568
|
256
|
People or Multitude of Believers being intrusted with this business will chuse simple and unwise Preachers I Answer briefly Their Rule in this business prevents this Objection For they must be wise that ought to be admitted to Preach and the Church must not only be simple and ignorant but undutiful and disobedient to Christ's commands or else this danger is avoided And though Babylons Builders are blind in this matter yet Christ's Church is wise and seeing and the Spiritual Man discerneth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 2 Thess 2.15 And so much for this Objection The second Use is of Caution Secondly Let this Use be a word of Caution to all such as either design or are already engaged in Preaching-work Look to this Doctrine That you are in God's as well as his Peoples account wise truly wise richly wise with the Spiritual Heavenly Gospel-wisdom Oh Beloved undertake not this weighty glorious honourable Work or employment of Preaching without sutable aptness and fitness thereunto Run not before Jesus Christ sends you remembring Rom. 10.15 How can they Preach except they be sent 〈◊〉 Take not this honour this undue honour to your selves to be judges of your sufficiency For it is written Heb. 5.14 No man taketh this honour t◠himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Be of the temper and spirit of Jeremiah have lo◠thoughts of your selves and abilities and uprightly say as he did Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child Jer. 1.6 And with Moses say Oh my Lord I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy Servant but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue Exod. 4. Oh you Beloved to whom I am now speaking in this Use be mindful of that word Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thy Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven therefore let thy words be few 'T is Soul-work you are to do therefore be wise 't is Christ's Work therefore be wise 't is honourable Work therefore be wise 't is hard Work very difficult Work therefore be wise For who is sufficient for these things 't is dangerous Work yea most dangerous of all Work If we do this deceitfully or negligently or foolishly think on that word Eccles 5.6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou it was an error Wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thy hands Oh remember Ezek. 3.17 18. If thou warn not the wicked from his wicked way the same wicked man shall surely die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand Be therefore wise truly wise Heavenly wise spiritually wise richly wise in all the revealed wisdom of God for God hath said He will be sanctified in them that draw nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified Numb 10.3 But that you may be wise take these few Directions and helps as sufficient for the attainment of Preachers-wisdom Direct 1. First and above all Be much in Communion with God by Prayer for wisdom for every good and perfect Gift cometh down from the Father of Lights and your way to have it is by Prayer So saith James If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not chap. 1.5 Beloved all we that Preach and all ye that desire this great Work of Breaching we do all of us lack wisdom yea very much lack wisdom therefore pray Oh pray abundantly for wisdom that we may receive it Thus did Solomon and pleased God and obtained his request 1 Kings 3.7 8 9. And this Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles desired the Thessalonian-Church do do for him even to pray that the Word of the Lord might have free course and be glorified by him and his Companions On Brethren and Beloved pray much and fervently for your selves and beg also the constant fervent Prayers of all the Saints and Churches of the Saints that you and all that labour in the Word and Doctrine may be truly richly Spiritually wise Direct 2. Secondly Would you be Spiritually wise Be diligent painful and abundant in the study and searching into the Scriptures for this is able onely able of outward helps to make the Man of God wise even throughly wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 with 1 Tim. 4.15 16. Meditate on these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all continue in them that thou mayest save thy self and them that hear Oh my dear Brethren and Friends this is a Preachers study and work to search and study the Scriptures not Fathers Commentators or School-men as his business this is but a by-study it is Scripture-study even the Old and New Testament which is our great business even our all to study for 't is Scripture and Gospel that you must Preach not Books nor mens Opinions therefore study the Scripture diligently and humbly Direct 3. Thirdly Be very much in the practice of Godliness walk much with God if you would be wise and know much of the mind of God Thus God acted towards Abraham Gen. 18.17 He would not hide his Counsel from him because he was Godly and would command and reach his Family the fear of the Lord so in Danel's case So our Lord also promiseth John 7.17 saying If any man will do his Will he shall know the Doctrine whether it be of God Direct 4. Fourthly Be much in Communion with Saints for with the well-advised is wisdome therefore if Preachers would be wise they must walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the Righteous Prov. 2.20 Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel and thus Apollos became wise through converse with Aquila and Priscilla and thus Mary may be said to become wise by sitting at the feet of our Lord Jesus Acts 22.3 with chap. 18.25 26. and Luke 10.25 So that if a Preacher desire to be wise his way is to hold and maintain much Christian-fellowship and Communion with the Saints even with the wisest and most experienced among them This may serve for direction in this matter therefore I beseech you that are Gospel-Preachers to strive to be wise by the exercise of all holy Means for by so doing you may obtain to be such Preachers of whom it may be said Moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the People knowledge And this shall suffice for the first Branch of this Verse concerning what the Preacher was and his qualification I come now to the second Branch of the Text which contains the first part of the wise Preachers Act or Work He still taught the People knowledge First These words contain either the Preacher's persistency or going on with his Work Or Secondly His proficiency or ripening at or in his Work He still taught the people knowledge Not as one that was at a stand or height but as