Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	faith_n	hear_v	preach_n	3,029	5	10.8817	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44072	The necessity dignity and duty of Gospel ministers discoursed of before the University of Cambridge.	Hodges, Thomas, d. 1688.	1685 (1685)	Wing H2321; ESTC R13341	17,011	31

therefore some think that the High-Priests of Eleazar's Family had some way provoked God by their wickedness in former Judges times and that therefore God had removed the High-Priest-hood unto the House of Ithamar of whom Eli was and now again because of the sins of Eli's Sons Hophni and Phinehaz God threatens to remove the High-Priest-hood from Eli his house and family And so we find that King Solomon deposed Abiathar from being High-Priest who was of the Sons of Eli and put Zadok in his room That the word of the Lord might be fulfilled which he spake concerning the House of Eli in Shiloh 1 King 2.27 Hophni and Phinehaz were slain with the sword of the Philistins in their Father's days Eli himself came also to a violent death and afterwards in King Saul's reign were slain fourscore and five Priests at one time 't is thought of the house and lineage of Eli. Oh consider this ye Priests that forget God and by unsavouriness make the people to abhor the sacrifices of the Lord lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Ye Priests that are unsavoury may expect to be made a sacrifice and to be salted with Fire Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees and Hypocrites how shall ye escape the damnation of Hell Remember and consider how King Josiah burnt the Idolatrous Priests bones on the Altar and how the King of Babylon rosted the adulterous Priests with fire And now oh that Heads and Fellows of Colleges in the Universities would consider that their Colleges are as so many Store-houses of Salt and that to them belong the seasoning of Youth the fitting of them for Church and State the whole Land comes to you for salt as the Egyptians did to Joseph's Granaries for Corn. If the salt of Knowledge of Grace of Wisedom fail here it may cause a famine worse than a famine of Bread even a famine of the word of the Lord. If ye become unsavoury I cannot promise you but that as the Societies of the Knights Templers of old and the Religious Houses of Monks and Nuns in King Henry the Eighth's days were dissolved ye may be one day cast out also Oh that the people of England may never have cause to come to the King and Parliament to complain as the men of Jericho did to Elisha 2 King 2.19 saying Behold we pray thee the situation of this City is pleasant but the water is naught and the ground barren These Colleges and Schools of Learning are well built well situated well endowed fine pleasant seats but the fountains of water which arise here and should make glad the City of God are naught and the ground about barren and unfruitfull brings forth little to the glory of God or the benefit of the Church or the Commonwealth If ever such complaint should be and that justly the least you can look for Masters Fathers and Brethren is that our Sovereign advised by his great Council should say as Elijah Bring me hither a new Cruse and put salt therein call for new Heads and new Fellows and such as have salt in them of Learning Grace Prudence and put them into these springs that so the waters may be healed and there may be here and from henceforth no more dearth or barren Land Lastly here is an use of exhortation to the people Are Ministers salt then let them look on such as very usefull and necessary they are as necessary as Stars in the Firmament as Shepherds to a Flock as Labourers in Harvest as Salt at a Table They are necessary to them that are called and uncalled For the first the Scripture tells us Faith comes by hearing and by hearing of the word of God but how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent As for those that are called and justified they also have need of have use of the salt of the Ministry of the salt of the Word Nè denuò occupati putrefactione recidant in corruptionem putrefactionem so Chemnitius lest they fall away again to the curruption that is in the world through lust 2. Be exhorted to prize them highly and to purchase them what-e'er they cost buy them and sell them not Pray God to make good his promise that though he should feed you with the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet he would not remove your Teachers any more into corners but that your eyes may see your Teachers God would not allow that the Priests of Israel should sell their Cities and Joseph would not buy for Pharaoh the Land of the Priests in Egypt when he bought all the Land besides do not punish and starve your Ministers if you would have salt let them not want bread 3. Use them sit at their feet and receive words from their lips even the words of eternal life Say and that heartily whatever you speak unto us from the Lord that we will do yea prize and use the holy Scriptures let your speeches and discourses be seasoned with this salt and whilst you feed your Bodies feed your Souls with the word of God or discourse about it Polydore Virgil De communi vita Sacerdotum observes that the Fathers brought in the reading of the Scriptures at Meals Nè saith he solae vobis fauces sumant cibum sed aures esuriant verbum Dei that their Ears might hunger after the word of God as well as their Palates to taste their bodily food 4. Do what you can in your places according to your abilities to help others that want to some of this salt I mean to good Ministers and to the preaching of the word How holy and happy might we be if there were of this savoury salt in every Parish in England and that every Minister might have a comfortable and honourable maintenance and none have cause to complain of his poor Salary if in every Candlestick there were burning and shining Lights and that there were sufficient maintenance or Oil for every Lamp amongst us Are Ministers salt then bear with them when they use acrimony in their preaching when they reprove us sharply and make our wounds smart As long as we are flesh and bloud and liable to corruption the salt of reproof and admonition will be necessary usefull and beneficial to us Without the salt of the word the Devil that Beelzebub will fly-blow us and breed in us such worms of Conscience that without Repentance will never dye Say and pray let a faithfull Minister salt me or smite me with his reproof it shall be a kindness it shall be as an excellent Oil that shall not break my Head To conclude all sith these words are understood by some of Christians in general and of others of Ministers let us all both Ministers and People pray and endeavour to be the salt of the earth to have salt in our selves and to season others these words saith Chemnitius Rectè accìpiuntur partim ut doctrina seu commonefactio partim ut promissio partly as an admonition or doctrine and partly as a promise so let us then put this promise in suit in the Court of Heaven by our earnest and fervent Prayers that God would make us the salt of the earth and savoury salt that we may be good for something and never be cast out of his Church here and kept out of his Kingdom and cast into outer darkness hereafter FINIS