Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	according_a	lord_n	servant_n	2,414	5	6.5575	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10740	A vvorkeman, that needeth not to be ashamed: or The faithfull steward of Gods house A sermon describing the duety of a godly minister, both in his doctrine and in his life. By Charles Richardson, preacher at S. Katharines, neere the Tower of London.	Richardson, Charles, fl. 1612-1617.	1616 (1616)	STC 21019; ESTC S115966	57,940	78

Alexander or Caesar or such like but of Christ Iesus the great Generall of heauen and earth ought so to behaue himselfe in all things that appertayne vnto his duety as he may be approued and accepted of him that called him Vse 1 This doctrine to make some vse of it serueth first for the iust reproofe of those who not regarding the approbation of God doe affect and hunt after the vaine and popular applause of men gaping as greedily after it as the Camaeleon doth after the ayre which is her onely nourishment * Pulchrum est monstrari digito dicier hic est Pers Sat. 1. AElian Var hist lib. 9. cap. 17. They count it a goodly matter that men take notice of them and point at them for their gifts yea many times though they be neuer so meane that doe it As it is said of Demosthenes that he was filled with pride when he heard the Water-bearers whisper something in his commendation as he passed by them Now he that is thus affected can neuer be sincere in the execution of his ministerie For he will measure all things by his owne estimation and credit and will make all that he doth yea euen the doctrine that hee deliuereth to serue to that end And therefore the Apostle commending the sinceritie of his ministerie to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 2.6 taketh both God and them to witnesse that he neuer sought praise of men neither of them nor of others insinuating that if he had sought praise and approbation with men hee could not haue beene sincere For as Seneca saith well Controuers lib. 5 He that seeketh after praise is desirous to haue himselfe approued and not the cause which he handleth whereupon followeth this fault that he omitteth many necessary things while hee laboureth onely to make a faire shew And hence is it that vaine-glorious Ministers are not the same men in their preaching when they haue a great Auditory as when they preach to a few So that when wee see such a man Sen. Epist 29. famous in the estimation of the people applauded and commended wheresoeuer hee commeth wee haue cause to pitty him and to lament his estate because he cannot attayne to such fauour by sincere and faithfull dealing I doe not denie but a man may lawfully receiue that reuerent estimation that is due to vertue and good deserts For it is the commandement of God that they that are inferiour in gifts should honor those whose gifts are more eminent Exod. 20.12 And it is agreeable to iustice that they that are indued with more excellent gifts of God and doe vse them to the benefit of others should in thankefulnesse receiue some recompence Now what better recompence can be giuen them then honor and due respect Besides it is very profitable For they that haue gifts in any measure are hereby excited and stirred vp to striue to a greater excellency And the reuerence that is done vnto them doth procure them authority with others and cause them to be had in higher reputation and so their paines and diligence doth the more good And therefore the Apostle doth not say that he refused that reuerence and honor that was giuen to him and his Apostleship Gal. 4.14 though he acknowledge that the Galatians receiued him as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus but onely he saith he affected it not he sought not after it ambitiously as too many doe which is the greatest vanitie in the world 2. Cor. 10.18 For as he that prayseth himselfe is not allowed as the Apostle saith so neither is he allowed that by this meanes is fondly praised of men but hee whom the Lord prayseth Vse 2 Secondly it serueth to admonish euery one of vs to labour aboue all things for the Lords approbation in our ministerie that we may be Pastors according to his heart Jer. 3.15 as the Lord himselfe saith For this end first it is required of vs that we be faithfull in the discharge of our dueties The Apostle exhorteth earthly seruants Tit. 2.10 to shew all good faithfulnesse vnto their bodily Masters Much more must wee bee faithfull that are Gods Stewards 2. Cor. 4.1.2 to whom he hath committed the dispensation of his holy mysteries whereupon faith Luther Let euery man bee faithfull in his ministerie Let him not seeke his owne glory Let him not rest in the vaine applause of the foolish multitude but let this be his greatest care that he may performe his worke well that is that hee may purely preach the Gospell But our faithfulnesse must especially appeare in this that we labour to gather Disciples vnto Christ We may not be like those false Teachers which the Apostle speaketh of Act. 20.30 To draw Disciples after our selues that is to make Sects and cause men to giue vp their names to vs. But all our endeuour must bee to bring men to Christ And this is insinuated in the commission which Christ giueth his Apostles Mat. 28.19 and in them the Ministers that succeed them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely To goe and teach all Nations where the word signifieth to make them Disciples As all the gaine of earthly seruants doth redound vnto their Masters and not to themselues so the soules that we gaine by our preaching should redound vnto God And therefore Ioh. 1.19.20 when the Iewes began to make account of Iohn Baptist both for the austeritie of his life and for the excellency of his preaching and the rarenesse of his baptisme he would by no meanes suffer them to be too highly conceited of him Ioh. 26.27 but laboureth to make them acknowledge Christ whom hee so farre preferred before himselfe as hee confesseth hee was not worthy to vnloose the latchet of his shoo And when his owne Disciples began to dote of him more then was fit and went about to breed some emulation in him against our Sauiour Christ because he also began to baptize Ioh. 3.26.28 30. and all men came to him hee telleth them in plaine termes that it was meet they should doe so And as for himselfe he had told them that he was onely a fore-runner sent before him Mat. 11.2 and saith he He must increase but I must decrease Yea afterwards hee sendeth them also to Christ that they might know him to be the only true Messias and so also become followers of him Secondly we must in all our ministerie chiefly ayme at the glory of God and the saluation of the people committed to our charge It is the generall duety of all Christians in all their actions to propound the glory of God as their chiefe and principall scope 1. Cor. 10.31 Whatsoeuer yee doe saith the Apostle doe all to the glory of God Much more should Ministers make the glory of God the principall end of all their ministeriall dueties And indeed the glory of all our actions is wholly due to the Lord who worketh whatsoeuer is

Nay from them wickednesse went forth into all the world Master Green ham Hence is it that one calleth ill Ministers the deuils hawks and his best factors because there is none that doth more build vp his Kingdom then they As God knoweth we see for the most part that such Parishes as are pestered with them are little better then the suburbes of hell For alas is there any thing to be found except it be in some two or three in whose hearts the Lord hath wrought a hungring and thirsting after the Word but horrible swearing and blasphemy beastly swilling and drinking the Minister being not ashamed nor afraid to make both himselfe and others drunke Ser n. de chrietate as Augustine saith filthy vncleannesse and whoredom notorious prophanation of the Sabbath c So that though the prouerbe seldome hold in the better part yet it is alwaies true in the worse part the force of our corruptions swaying vs that way Like Priest like people So true is that saying of Saint Cyprian lib. ● p. 21. The ruine of the ouerseer is most pernicious to the downefall of them that follow him Againe such Ministers doe exceedingly hurt themselues and weaken the credlt of their ministerie and make euen the doctrine which they teach to be suspected Saint Augustine maketh it the first degree of abuses De decem abus gradib when a Preacher is without good workes neglecting that in his actions which hee teacheth in his speech For the hearers doe easily contemne the sayings when they see the workes of the Preacher differ from the words of his preaching For the authoritie of a Preacher is neuer made effectuall vnlesse by the practice of his worke hee fasten it in the heart of his hearers And in another place he saith De doctr Christ lib. 4. The life of the Teacher is of greater force to make the people heare him obediently then the greatest waight of words whereunto agreeth that speech of Gregorie His doctrine is contemned whose life is despised And no maruell if the people giue no credit to such a mans preaching because it is like a writing without a seale And as in ciuill iudgement the testimony of one man is not beleeued but in the mouth of two or three witnesses Matth. 18.16 euery word must be confirmed so in preaching men doe not beleeue the voice of the Preacher onely vnlesse it be further confirmed by the testimony of his life As Gregorie saith The authoritie of teaching is lost when the voice is not helped by the worke A Minister by teaching well and liuing well instructeth the people how to liue but by teaching well and liuing ill he instructeth God how to condemne him Nay he condemneth himselfe by his owne voice as it is said in the Gospel Luke 19.22 Of thine owne mouth will I indge thee thou euill saruant Such a man carrieth a candle before himselfe to shew others his filthinesse He maketh his light to shine before men that they may see his euill workes and so despise both him and his doctrine De consider lib. 2 It is a monstrous thing saith Bernard for a man to haue the highest seat and the lowest life loftie words and idle hands much speech and no fruite Let euery one of vs therefore take heede that our ill life confute not our good preaching Happy is hee who if his doctrine be refused can yet say in some measure with our Sauiour Christ Iobn 5.36 10.38 The workes that I doe beare witnes of me that the Father bath sent me And againe Though yee beleene not me yet beleeue my workes c. Finally the sinnes of a Minister are more grieuous then the sinnes of other men The waights of the Sanctuarie were double as heauie as the ordinarie waights of Marchants signifying that the sinnes of Ministers should bee waighed with heauier waights and so receiue heauier iudgements then the sinnes of ordinarie persons Leuit. 4.3 12.13 c. And therefore in the Law there was as great a Sacrifice appointed to bee offered for the expiation of the sinne of the Priest as of all the people And not without iust cause For a Minister hath or should haue more knowledge then the people haue Now where there is more knowledge there the transgressour is liable to greater blame As our Sauiour Christ saith Vnto whomsoener much is giuen Luke 12.48 of him shall bee much required And besides the excellencie of his place is greater And therefore Bern. de consid lib. 2. if his conuersation bee lewde and wicked the more excellent hee is the more deformed hee shall appeare in the sight of all men As a little staine of incke is more seene in faire white paper then a great one in browne paper so a small fault in a Minister is more notorious then a great one in another man The sinne of a Minister is like the leprosie of Vzziah that rose vp in his fore-head and was in euerie bodies sight 2. Chron. 26.19 but the sinne of another man is like the leprosie of Moses in his hand which hee put in his bosome and so kept it from being seene Exod. 4.6 Not that other mens sinnes also are not seene but because they are not so much obserued as the sinnes of the Minister A second vse of this doctrine to vs that be Ministers is to excite and stirre vs vp to endeuour that there may bee an agreement betweene our hearts our mouthes and our hands Tract 2. de babit Virg. that as Cyprian said of Virgins when men snal see our conuersation they neede not doubt whether we bee Ministers or no. And herein wee should labour to imitate God himselfe whose seruants wee are of whom Salomon saich 1. King 8.24 that whatsoeuer hee spake with his mouth hee performed it with his hand It is an excellent thing when men shall truly say of a Minister Seneca epist 75. that hee liueth as hee preacheth And this did the Heathen man require of the Philosophers of his time that their speech might agree with their life for he saith hee hath fulfilled his promise who is the same man both when men see him and when they heare him As they that are teachers of Musicke doe not onely giue certaine precepts to their scholars but also shew them the practice of it by playing before them themselues so the Minister should not onely deliuer wholesome doctrine to his people but also shew them the practice of it in his owne example And indeede as Hierome writeth The house and conuersation of a Minister Ad Heliodor cpist 3. being set as it were on a watch-Tower ought to bee the Schoole-mistresse of publike discipline Whatsoeuer hee shall doe all his people will thinke they may doe the like And therefore they must take heed hee giue no cause that either they that will reproue him may seeme to raile vpon him worthily or they that would imitate him