Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
woman_n forget_v son_n womb_n 1,433 5 10.0403 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A26804 Sermons preach'd on several occasions by William Bates. Bates, William, 1625-1699. 1693 (1693) Wing B1122; ESTC R27748 111,901 397

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

their sinful Security are not to be parallell'd in Hell The Devils rebel against the Creator against his Authority and Laws but Men rebel against their Soveraign and Saviour and 't is admirable Grace The Son of God interpos'd as Mediator to make God reconcilable to the World But he did not assume the Nature of Angels he took no hold of them nor can they take hold of him The Golden Scepter was never extended to them Justice was strict and severe for the first Sin they were presently expell'd from the Habitation of Glory and their Doom is irrevocable But Men are within the Reserves of Mercy God spares them in order to Pardon and renews his compassionate Calls to them to forsake their Sins and live by his Word and wonderful Patience he invites them to Repentance and by Repentance to his Favour and to Happiness Now what a violent Provocation is the Contempt of such Mercy The Furnace of Hell is heated seven times more for the Despisers of the Gospel How will the remembrance of their Folly rack their torn Minds The fiercest Furies cannot so torment them as their self-condemning Consciences 3. Let the Ministers of the Gospel be excited to discharge their Commission with Fidelity I shall set down some Directions and Motives in order to it The general Direction is this Salus Populi suprema Lex esto The Salvation of Souls is the End of Preaching and must regulate it The Qualifications of a Minister to make him successful are First Excellent Knowledg An ignorant Minister is a plain Solaecism as to say a blind Eye not capable to perform the Act proper to it The Office and Authority without Abilities to exercise it is in vain The Apostle declares the Perfection of the Scripture that 't is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works He is to instruct the Ignorant to remember the Careless to refute the Erronious to resolve the Doubting and comfort the Afflicted Not only Fidelity but Wisdom is requisite in the Servant whom his Lord made Ruler over his House to give them Meat in due season There must be substantial Learning to convince Gainsayers and spiritual Skill to understand the Arts of the Tempter who will fail with every Wind and make use of the various Dispositions of Men to do them Mischief He feeds the blazing Presumption of indulgent Sinners He speaks Peace to them when God is their Enemy if there be sometimes a sad Countenance the shadow of Repentance it is sufficient But he perplexes tender and fearful Spirits by suggesting they do not mourn enough to damp their Endeavours and make them heartless in God's Service Now 't is a principal Duty of an Evangelical Minister to unmask the Malice of Satan and defeat his Design to preach the Word in that distinct manner that secure Sinners may be afraid of Vengeance and that the Penitent may apply the Divine Mercy He that wins Souls is wise The Terrors of the Lord must be set in array against the rebellious obstinate Transgressors but the indulgent Love of our Heavenly Father the tender Compassions of our sensible Head and Saviour and the Consolations of the holy Comforter are the Portion of relenting and returning Sinners An understanding Minister instructs his People in their Duty and Happiness he will not offer them Stone for Bread intricate controversial Matters that astonish and cannot edify but plain Evangelical Truths the proper Food for the Soul The Manner and Language in Preaching must be answerable to the Majesty of Divine Truths There is nothing more odious than a sacred Subject triflingly handled The Affectation of Wit and flanting Eloquence frustrates the End of Preaching that is to convince Sinners of their Guilt and Misery and by the Conviction of Conscience to make them fly to the Sanctuary our blessed Saviour for Protection partly because those things that flatter the Fancy are not proper to affect the Conscience light trimmings of Language gaudy Expressions glittering Points of Wit please the Imagination but Conscience is excited and inflam'd by representing eternal Things with powerful Plainness and in a solemn manner and partly because the Human Spirit being limited while one Faculty is attentive another suspends its Activity and Operations so that the Exercise of the Fancy hinders the Mind from serious reflecting on Divine Truths and applying them to the Soul Vain Ornaments in a Sermon are like a painted Complection the more 't is advanc'd to the Eye the more 't is abased to the Judgment The Discourse of a Preacher should directly go to the Heart it should be so fram'd as to prove and illustrate the Subject and work on the Understanding and Affections We have the Pattern of this in Scripture where the Love and Mercy of God to his Children and his Justice and Power against his Enemies are represented in the most pathetical manner I will produce an Instance of both Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have Compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee What can be more supporting and comforting The other Instance is as terrible God is angry with the Wicked every day If he turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready He hath also prepared the Instruments of Death This Description of God's righteous Displeasure is more powerful to shoot through the Conscience of hardned Sinners than the bare threatnings that Justice will surely punish them Secondly A Minister should be zealous and diligent in the discharge of his Office St. Paul adjures Timothy in the most solemn and fearful manner I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judg the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine Did the Apostle stir up the Fire in so vigilant a Minister how much more needful is it to blow up the Embers in our drowsy Spirits Certainly if Conscience be not sear'd and dead so sharp a Charge will rouze it to the performance of our Duty Zeal for the Glory of our Saviour if it inflames our Hearts will fire our Lips and animate our Sermons Let Knowledg be the Breath to blow the sacred Fire and the most burning Zeal is not excessive But our Affections at the highest are very defective How many preach the Word so coldly as if they had no desire to save Souls from eternal Death How many Ministers lie down in their Laziness and wretchedly neglect their Duty to better themselves and benefit others in preaching the Gospel Idleness enervates and unstrings the Bent of the Spirit the Mind is benumm'd by a useless and ignoble Dulness Some who are deputed Shepherds may think it a Disparagement to their