Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	christian_n	day_n	lord_n	1,759	5	4.1527	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09445	Of the calling of the ministerie two treatises, discribing the duties and dignities of that calling. Delivered publickly in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, by Maister Perkins. Taken then from his mouth, and now dilligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word with a preface prefixed touching the publishing of Maister Perkins his workes, & a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to bee expected.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1605 (1605)	STC 19733; ESTC S102894	75,919	204

here hee doth Whom shall I send for the Lord meaneth not such as beare the name of Leuites or Priestes in the olde or of Ministers in the newe for there were alwayes more of them who some for preferment sake some for their ease and some for a refuge how to liue are willing to enter that function and accordingly in that calling seeke not the Lord but themselues and their owne ends But heere the Lord inquireth for such men as first purely doe seeke and vndertake that function therein to honour God to gather his Church and then in all their labours and ministeriall duties truly and faithfully endeuor to the same ends Preaching Gods word and as Gods word diligently prouing exhorting and admonishing and shining before their people in good works for such men it is no maruell though the Lord light a Candle at Noone day and make open Proclamation to seeke for them saying Whom shall I send for such a man is as Iob saith One of a thousand for ●ome wāt abilitie to discharge their duties as S. Paul saith Who are sufficient for those things And some want willingnesse to vndertake the labour as God here complaineth Who shall goe for vs Now to make vse of this doctrine to our Church It were to be wished that in these daies for our christian Churches the Lord had not as great cause to cry out in the want of able faithfull and godly Ministers Whom shall I send and who shall goe for vs But alas this want is too apparant and his blemish is too notorious and it is a worke worthy the labour of kings and princes to reforme it and is a kings euil nor to be healed but by the power of a king for as long as there are so fewe and meane preferments for painefull Ministers there will neuer want abundance of such Ministers as doe want either conscience or abilitie to discharge their duties In the meane time till God put into the hearts of Parliaments and Princes to looke to this great and needfull worke let vs Ministers learne our duties and first wee who are in the Vniuersities are here admonished to look to our selues By Gods blessing we are many and daily grow more and more let vs therefore so furnish our selues as that when God or his Church shall say Who shall goe for vs and whom shall I send then he may finde many amongst vs whom hee may send to that great worke of the Ministerie and let vs feare to bee such as that God may affirme of vs as in the dayes of Iob that hee cannot finde one of a thousand Secondly all Ministers learne here not to content themselues with the name and title of Ministers but labour for the substantiall ornaments thereof nor to be willing to take the honour and li●ings and to refuse the burthen and 〈◊〉 of the Ministerie For else let them know God hath no neede of them for had the Lorde pleased or contented himself with such kinde of men as seeke to bee Ministers for themselues and not for his sake or being Ministers doe feede themselues and not their flocke or preach themselues and not Christ then had he not needed to haue made this Proclamation for all Ages haue yeelded store of such But contrariwise he that is painefull and faithfull in this Function let him know that God and his Church hath neede of him Lastly here the Romish Cleargie are iustly to bee taxed whose number is infinite but it is lamentable to see howe fewe among them be such as the Lord here seeketh for Their Orders of Regulars are exceeding many beside all their Secular Priests and it is almost incredible how many thousands there be of Dominicans or Franciscans or in some one of their orders and yet amongst the many millions of their Monkes there is scarce to bee found one of many who for his learning other gifts is fit to be sent to the work of God nay their ignorance was palpable and rediculous to the world vntill of late being by Luther and others of our Church made ashamed thereof they haue laboured especially the Iesuits to become learned How foule a thing is it that amongst so many the Lord should haue cause to complaine Whom shall we send The Iesuits indeed many of them are learned but for other qualities they are fitter to be plotters practisers in State matters Spies or In●elligencers reconcilers seducers and subuerters then Ministers and fitter to be instruments of pollicie to euil kings then Ministers of the Gospel vnto God But take away them and some fewe selected Monkes and those but few out of many millions● then euen for learning also God may cry and call proclaime in their Monasteries Whō shal I send And if it be a shame and miserie to a Church to want such as God may send or to haue but a fewe then the Romish Church is shamelesse which shames not to haue so many and yet amongst them all whom God may send almost none In the next place By this inquirie and question made by God Whom shal I send and who shall goe for vs The Lord would teach vs that no man is to vndertake this function vnlesse God call and send him therefore here are condemned the prophaine fancies of the Anabaptists and all like them who thinke that any man vpon a priuate motion may steppe foorth and vndertake the duties of a Prophet to preach and expound c. Oh but say they these motions are from Gods spirit surely they can say litle for themselues who cannot say so much but that cannot serue their turne for if we say contrariwise nay but they are from the diuell or at the least from your owne vanitie and pride how can they disproue it Againe might not the Prophet haue alledged that with a better pretence and colour then they yet he stayeth till God here call him euen so all good Ministers are to stay Gods calling If any aske how he shall know when God calles him I answere God calleth ordinarily by his Church her voice is his therefore whensoeuer the Church of God saith vnto thee thou shalt bee sent and thou shalt goe for vs euen then doth the Lorde call vs out to this holy function Thirdly let vs obserue how the Lord saith Who shal I send who shal go for vs Some Interpreters gather out of this Chapter an Argument for the Trinitie of persons as namely out of the third Verse where the Angels sing Holy Holy Holy Lord God c. But it is not sound inough to ouerthrowe our stubborne enemies the Iewes and therfore it seemes those Diuines are of a sounder and wiser iudgement who seeing we haue other places pregnant and plaine enough therefore thinke it no good discreetiō to vrge this or any such place which may probably admit another Interpretation least that the Iewes finding the weaknesse of the argument doe iudge all our proofes to be as weak and so

priuate benefit to whom in all equity Conscience it doth principally appertaine And desiring all who haue any perfect Coppies of such as are in my owne hands that they would either helpe me with theirs or rather take mine to helpe them That by our ioynt powers and our forces layd together the walls of this worthy building may goe vp the fairer and the faster And so I commend them all to Gods blessing who endeuour to commend themselues and their labours to God and to his Church Your brother in the Lord. W. C. The duties and dignitie of the Ministerie Iob. 33.23.24 If there bee with him a Messenger An Interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnes Then will be haue mercy on him and will say deliuer him that hee goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation IN this Chapter and the former Eli●● a holy learned and wise young man hath conference vvith Iob in matters of high and excellent Diuinitie the points of his conference are these from the first verse of this chap to the 7. verse is a preface to his speech From thence to the 13. he repeateth certaine propositions of Iob and reproueth them frō thence to these wordes hee instructeth Iob in certaine points touching Gods dealing with sinners and those are two 1 Howe God preserueth a sinner from falling 2 How God restoreth a sinner beeing falne 1 The meanes whereby God preserueth a sinner are set downe to bee two principall 1 By Admonitions in dreames and visions 2 By scourges and chastisements when the first will not preuaile And these are layd downe from the 13 verse vnto these words 2 Then followeth the 2. poynt namely the restoring of a sinner when both the meanes formerly spoken of haue not preuailed with him but that through his corruption he is fallen and concerning this poynt he handleth these particulers 1 The remedy and meanes of his restoring 2 The effect that followeth thereupon ● The remedy is layde downe in these wordes now red vnto vs then followeth the effect which is that when a sinner is restored by repentance then the graces of God are plentifully poured vpon him both for soule and bodie frō these words to he end of the chapter The intent then of this Scripture is that God vseth meanes in his mercie to preserue sinnres frō falling into sin but if they do thē he in much greater mercy affoordeth them meanes and helps to rise againe And this is the soule substance of the words Now that meanes and remedie is the matter I purpose to speak of out of these wordes The meanes then to restore a sinner after a fall is to raise him by repentance into a better estate then hee was in before and that is inclusiuely and by implication taught in this text But the instrument by whō that great work is to be wrought is heere in plaine tearmes layd downe to be a Minister of God lawfully called and sent by God and appointed by his Church to that great duty So that these wordes containe a woorthy description of a true Minister and he is here described 1 By his titles which are two An Angell An Interpreter 2 By his rarenes One of a thousand 3 By his office which is to declare vnto man his righteousnes 4 By the blessing that God giueth vpon the labors of this true Minister which is th●● God will haue mercy vpon the sinner 5 By his Commission and authoritie in the last wordes God will say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Let vs speake of them in order as they lye in the text and first of his titles 1 The first title of a Minister of God is he is called a Messenger or an Angell and not heere alone but elswhere in the scripture Malachy 2 7 Hee is the Messenger of the Lord of hosts And in the Reuelation the Ministers of the 7. Churches are called the Angels of those Churches So that it is apparant a true Minister is an Angell of God in 〈◊〉 place in the other place the Angel of the Church Hee is an Angell or Messenger sent from God to his Church This cōsideration affords matter of much vse The most of vs in this place are eyther Prophets or sonnes of the prophets If thou ●e a prophet thou 〈◊〉 Gods Angel If a sonne of the 〈…〉 to be then marke thy dutie Prophets and Ministers are Angels in the verie institution of theyr calling Therefore thou must preach Gods worde as Gods worde and deliuer it as thou receiuest it for Angels Embassadors Messengers carry not theyr owne message but the message of theyr Lords and Maisters who sent thē but Ministers carry the message of the Lord of Hostes therefore they are bound to deliuer it as the Lordes and not theyr owne In the first Epistle of Peter 4 11 wee are bidde If any man speake let him speake not onely the word of God but as the word of God Gods word must be spoken and as Gods word then shew thy faith fulnes to the Lord in discharging thy hands sincerely of that message which he hath honoured the● to carry Gods word is pure therefore purely to be thought vpon and to be deliuered Then let all that are god● Angels and would be honored at his Angels and Embassadors thinke it no lesse reason to doe the dutie of Gods Angels least as many men 〈◊〉 a good tale in the ●●ling so the● take away the power and maiestie of Gods word in the manner of deliuering it The second vse concernes the ministers also are they Gods Angels therefore they must preach Gods word in the euidence and demonstration of the spirit of God for hee that is Gods Angell the spirit of that God must speake in him Now to speake in the demonstration of Gods spirit is to speake in such a plaines yet such a powerfulnes as that the capacities of the simplest may perceaue not man but God teaching them in that plainesse and the consciences of the mightiest may feele not man but God reprooue thē in that powerfulnesse That this is so appeares by Saint Paule If a man prophecy aright saith the holy Ghost the vnlearned or vnbeleeuing man ●om● in he thinkes his secret faults are disclosed and layd open hee thinkes all men see his nakednesse and doe reprooue him for it hee therefore falls downe and saith surely God speakes in this man In which words obserue an admirable plainnes and an admirable powerfulnesse which a man would thinke could not so well stand together First plainnesse for whereas the vnlearned man perceiueth his faults discouered it followeth necessarily he must needes vnderstand and if an vnlearned man vnderstand it then consequently it must needes be plaine Secondly powerfulnes in that his conscience is so conu●nced his secret falts so disclosed his very hart so ript vp that

together against all forraine force so ought Gods Ministers to doe because theyr number is so small if they were many lesse danger in their disvnion but seeing they are so fewe the more it concerneth them to cut off contentions and all occasions of debate and to ioyne hand in hand against these common aduersaries In the third place young Students are heere taught seeing a true Minister is but one of a thousand that therfore they bend theyr studies and theyr thoughts to the Ministerie for they wel know it is an old prouerbe the best thinges are hard to come by certainly there are so few good Ministers because the holy Ministerie in it self is so high excellent a calling as it is a shame to the men that there are so fewe good Ministers so it is a cōmendation to the calling whose honour and excellencie is such that as wee see heere scarce one of a thousand attaines vnto it therfore men of the most excellent gifts are heere inuited to dedicate themselues vnto the most excellent vocation yea very reason it selfe would vrge a man to be one of a thousand 2 And further as they are to intende this calling as the most rare and excellent so this must teach them likewise to hasten to furnish themselues with all good helps and meanes that they may become true Ministers and able Jnterpreters not too long to stick in those studies which keep a man from the practise of this high function for it is not to liue in the Vniuersity or in the Colledge to study though a man neuer so fast deuoure vp learning but to be a good Minister is that that makes a man one of a thousand In the last place Hearers are heere taught theyr dutie first to respect with reuerence the person and to receiue with reuerence the Message of euery true Messenger seeing it is so rare a thing to find a true Minister for as nothing is more vile or base then an euill and leude Minister vvhom Christ compares to salt which hath lost his sauour which is good for nothing but to bee cast out troden downe of men so is there none worthy of more loue and reuerence thē a holy Minister for as Esay saith theyr very feete are beautifull which bring glad tydings and we should kisse theyr feete which bring newes of peace therefore all good Christians are to receiue and vse a good Minister as Saint Paule saith the Galathians did him euen as an Angel of God Hast thou then a godly Pastor run to him for conference for comfort for counsell vse his company frequent his sermons account him worthy of double honour thinke it no small or ordinary blessing for thou hast one of a thousand and blesse GOD for bestowing his mercy to thee which he hath denied to so many others for some haue no Minister some haue a Minister and yet alas he is not one of a thousand And further all men that are Fathers may heere learne to consecrate their children to God in the seruice of the Ministerie considering that it is so rare excellent a thing to be a good Minister nay that man should thinke himselfe happie and honoured of God who may be father to such a sonne as shall proue one of a thousand In a worde to conclude this poynt all men must heere learne seeing good Ministers are so scarce to pray the Lorde of the haruest to thrust out more labourers into his haruest and for those that are called alreadie that God would make them faithfull in that high function And as Elisha craueth of Elias that the good spirit may be doubled and trebled vpon them that so the number may be encresed And thus wee haue the truth the reason and the vse of this that a good Minister is one of a thousand It followeth To declare vnto man his righteousnes Heere is the third part of the description of a Minister that is by his office to declare vnto man his righteousnes that is when a poore sinner by his sinnes the foulenes whereof he seeth and the burden whereof he feeleth is brought downe as it were to the very gates of hell when this sinner by the preaching of the Lavve is brought to a true sight of this misery and again by preaching the gospel is brought to lay hold on Iesus Christ then it is the proper office of a Minister to declare vnto that man his righteousnes Namely that though in himselfe he be as ill as foule as sinne can make him as the law can discouer him to be yet in Christ he is righteous iust and by Christ so iustified as hee is no more a sinner in the presence account of God this is the righteousnes of a Christian man this is the iustification of a sinner And to declare this righteousnes to him that repents and belieues is the proper dutie of a true Minister In the Acts Paule saith of himselfe that he witnessed to the Iewes to the Gentiles the repentance towards God and fayth towards our Lord Iesus Christ. In vvhich words is layde downe the complete dutie of a Minister as he is a publick Angell or Interpreter first to preach repentance which a man must performe to GOD whom by his sinnes he hath grieuously offended secondly to preach faith in Christ and free forgiuenes and perfect saluation through that faith in Christ to all that shal truly belieue in him And after both these followeth that which is heere spoken of which comprehendeth both the former namely to declare vnto man his righteousnesse So that in these words are inclusiuely laid downe these poynts of a Ministers calling first a true Minister may must declare vnto a sinful man where righteousnesse is to be found namely in Iesus Christ the righteous Secondly how that righteousnes may be obtayned namely by dooing two duties first by denying disclayming his owne righteousnesse and that is doone by repentance secondly by clayming cleaning to Christs righteousnes and that is done by fayth Thirdly a true Minister may and must declare this righteousnes to him that is first publish and proclaime it that it is ready to bee bestowed on euery sinner which will thus apprehend it and that it is able to iustifie and saue him secondly beside a bare publication of this iustification hee must as Paul did witnesse and testifie it to the conscience of the sinner that it is as certainly true as God is true For as a witnesse in doubtfull cases is called that by his testimonie hee may cleere the truth so when the consciences of poore sinners are wauering and doubtfull what to belieue when they doubt of this righteousnesse then is a true Minister as a faithfull witnes of God to auerre and testifie this truth from his owne conscience knowledge and feeling of the infallible certaintie of Gods promises vnto the doubtfull and distressed conscience of the sinner Thirdly

vnto the Church her tenthes againe But as Popish Abbies stole them so a popish state kept them and to their shame some of th●se good Professors of our Religion haue restored such as were in their bands and there is hope that all our Professors vnlesse they care not to be accounted hipocrits will make some conscionable restitution We doe not craue that they wold with Zacheus restore ●oure●old though it is apparant that the Tenthes were got from vs in old time by most false and forged Cauillations we onely craue our owne we would aske no more nor willingly take lesse for our whole dutie is still required then why should not our whole due be payd And yet that the world may learne of vs contentednes as well by our practise as our doctrine we would for the present take in good part and rest contented with a part of our owne and some competent portions out of the Impropriations proportioned to the quantitie ●f the charge imposed and the gifts and paines required would for a time bee a reasonable satisfaction to our Ministerie vntill our state found it selfe either better enabled or more straightly tied in Conscience to full restitution But as I sayd this is a worke of God himselfe f●r if man could doe it so many Parliaments would not haue slipt it but some of them would haue ete●nized it selfe with this honorable name to all posterities The Parliament that restored Impropriations but till that or some other course as good be taken it is both vnseasonable and vnreasonable to complaine of the Ignorant or to c●aue a learned Ministerie For shall the Oxes mouth be mousled which treads out the corne or shall a man goe to warre at his owne cost and hath not God ordained marke it is his Ordinance that those who teach the Gospell shal liue of the Gospel But alas how shall the Ministerie of England liue of the Gospell when my small experience can showe that in one Corner of one County of this Kingdome wherein there are some 150. parishes or parochiall Chappell 's almost a 100. of them if not a full 100 are Impropriate and amongst them I can showe the most parishes haue but 10. pound or thereabouts some 8. li. some 6 li. some 5 li. some 4 pound some not 4 pound yearely liuing for the Minister and those impropriations worth some 300 pound many 200 pound almost all 100 pound per an yea there is one worth 400 pound per an where there were but 8 pound left for the Minister vntill of late with much adoe 10 pound more was obtained for a preacher and so there is out of 400 pound 8 pound shared for a Minister and 10 pound carued for a preacher in that parish where there are 2000 Communicants Of all the rest the Crowne hath some 100 pound rent or not so much and the remainder of 280 pound being a rich liuing for a worthy learned Minister a competent liuing for 2 and more then some 7 painfull and able Ministers 〈◊〉 I knowe not what becomes of it vnlesse it goe to the feeding of Kits and Cormorants Are not these goodly liuings for learned men and may not wee expect a learned Ministerie where there is such maintenance and I hartely wish that other countries be not able to showe the like Presidents haue the rather made relation heereof that our high Court of Parliament may see how great cause they haue to goe forward with that motion already by them made for the establishing of a learned Ministerie But if they bring it not to passe what then remaineth but to hope that the great God of heauen will put into the hart of the God on earth our noble King into wh●se hands he hath put the sword of soueraigne authoritie an irreuocable and vnresistable resolution to execute his supreme power for the reformation of this euill which as Maister Perkins saith in this treatise may well be called the Kings euill for it will hardly be healed but by the will and powere of a king In the meane time this Treatise of that worthy man may be a motiue to our zealouse professors who haue any impropriations in their owne hands to excite and prouoke them to a conscionable restitution in whole or in part as their estates may beare or their conscience shall mooue them For heerein are layd downe and mixed together both the duties to be done by faithfull Ministers and the Dignities due vnto them for their duties and so seeing the dignities of that calling to bee most honorable and the duties so chargeable it cannot but grieue their Christian harts to see the maintenance so miserable This Treatise I first of all send to you and vnder your names to the world and to you first for as I am sure you loued the Author and honored those excellēt gifts of God in him so you cānot but accept this after birth of his as a fatherlesse child for the fathers sake And for my selfe to conceale all personall and priuate respects in the name of many thousands in the Northeren Countries I praise God for the good done in those parts by your painfull courses and religious care not doubting but if your selues or the like be imployed there to asist our Honourable and Religious Lord President that the multitude of Popish Priests there lurking will bee daily lessened the number of painfull preachers augmented Poperie put d●wne and the Gospell maintained more and more Which blessing God grant to that and all other Countries of this Kingdome for his mercies sake giue vnto you all others in your place the spirit of courage and constancie in these declining daies that beeing faithfull in your great charges vnto the end you may receiue the Crowne of life for which he hartily prayeth who will euer rest Your Worships in the Lord W. Crashawe A TREATISE OF the dignitie and dutie of the Ministrie Esay 6.5 Then I said woe is me I am vndone for I am a man of pollut●d lips and dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips for my eyes haue seene the king and Lord of hosts 6 Then flewe one of the Seraphins vnto me with an hotte coale in his hand 7 Which he tooke from the alter with the tonges and touched my mouth and saide Loe this hath touched thy lips thy iniquity shall be taken away and thy sin shall be purged 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying whom shal● I send who shal go for v●●●hen said I here am I send me and he saide goe IN the fiue former Chapters are contained such Sermōs as the Prophet had made vnder Vzziah king of Iuda At this Chapter begin such as he preached in the raign of Iotham so forward But before he either preach or prophecie of any thing in King Iothams dayes or his successors the Lord in this Chapter giues a new cōmission to the Prophet a new confirmation to this calling the old

and to doe the will of God Where we learne First what excellent seruants of God the holy Angels bee which so readily willingly and speedily execute the will of their Lord. This must teach al Gods seruants to doe the like and to imitate them in this excellent obedience And the rather because wee pray dayly to God Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen In earth of vs as it is in heauen of the holy angels But they doe it most cheerefully and without all lingring therefore so ought we Magistrates in their places and Ministers in theirs and euery man is his functiō is to apply this to himselfe and to be stirred vp thereby to a cheerfulnesse and quicknesse in their duties for therein they resemble the blessed angels then their deeds accord with their prayer but contrarywise he that doth his dutie vnwillingly and vnreadily is like the Diuel which indeed doth Gods will and yet against his will and surely vnto such obedience there belongeth no reward But as God loueth a cheerfull giuer so doubtlesse loues he a cheerfull worker Secondly we see here how great loue angels beare vnto Gods children especially vnto godly Ministers how willingly they are imployed to doe them good Willingnesse and readinesse to doe good to any man must needes come from loue and yet alas all men euen the best and all Ministers euen the best are creatures farre inferior to the angels Here Magistrates and Ministers must learne to be farre from contempt of their inferiours and to doe their duties of ruling and teaching carefully though the people be farre their inferior● it is the nature of loue to make any man do seruice most willingly to him that he loues though he bee farre meaner then himselfe If therefore Princes loue their subiects they will not spare any care cost nor paines nay they will reioyce to doe them good and they will labour to be like the angels who are as farre greater then men as they are then their subiects And if Ministers loue their people they will forget their owne dignitie which oft times they might stand vpō and will make themselues euen seruants to all that they may winne some And seeing angles do flie so fast to giue helpe and comfort to good Ministers this must teach them further First euery one to labour to bee a good Minister for then are they sure of the loue of angels and then most willingly doe the angels any seruice to them Againe let it teach them to flye as fast to the discharge of their duties to Gods Church as the angel● flye to doe them seruice so shall Gods angels thinke their diligence and carefull seruice well bestowed vpon them Lastly this diligence of the angels and their willingnesse proceeding frō loue must stirre vp al Christians to performe all duties of godlinesse to God and of loue vnto his Church with alacritie and cheerfulnesse So doe Gods angels we looke to be like the angels in glory in the world to come then be like the angels in diligence loue faithfulnesse in this world The Wiseman saith He that is slouthfull in his businesse is good for nothing but the diligent man shall stand before the King And surely he that is willing and diligent in the duties of Christianitie shall stand before the King of kings in heauen And let this suffice for the Angels seruice and his diligence in his seruice Now let vs see what instrument the Angell vsed A coale fr●m the Altar The fourth Circumstance of this consolation is the Instrument which it pleased God the angel should vse to minister comfort to the Prophet a strange instrument for so great a worke A coale of fire Here let humane reason hide it selfe and wordly wisedome bee confounded to see the wonderfull works of the Lord God could haue healed the Prophets infirmities and giuen him comfort against his feare courage in his calling without means but he wil vse meanes And what a weake meanes nay a meanes that seemes contrary A coale of fire 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 he did in the Creation giuing light to the world diuers dayes before there was Sunne but since the order of nature was established hee generally vseth meanes not onely in his ordinarie but euen in his miraculous actions and though hee vse not alwayes the ordinarie and direct meanes yet meanes hee generally vseth though they seeme contrary as heere in this place and the same will bee found true in almost all 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 vppon immediate helpes from Heauen as many fonde and fantasticall men doe who are therefore oftentimes iustly forsaken of GOD and left destitute of all helpe and so exposed to shame and reproach Secondly see here the mightie 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 hee workes vpon vs by his Worde and by it hee drawes vs to him which in all reason would driue vs from him and by it confounds the wisedome of the worlde which is starke foolishnesse to the wisedome of the Lord. And so heere 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 burnd him so great so admirable and so powerfull are the ordinances of GOD though they seeme neuer so contrarie or so weake in themselues or in their meanes Let this teach al men not to contemne the Sacraments though the outward Elements Bread Wine and Water bee weake and common and dead creatures in themselues nor the Ministerie of the Word though it bee exercised by a weake man mortall and 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 mighty God who can purge the Prophet by a coale from the Altar Neither is it altogether without Misterie that God here sanctifieth the Prophet by touching his lippes with a fierie coale for it signifieth that the apt and sufficient teacher must haue a fierie