Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	good_a	lord_n	9,702	5	3.6330	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73023	M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Sturbridge Faire. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie: deliuered publiquely in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. With a preface præfixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the perticulers [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1605 (1605)	STC 19706.5; ESTC S123485	128,687	352

pouerty contempt basenesse vppon it It were a worke worth the labour of the wisest heads to put downe the true meane betwixt both extreames worth the labour of our Noble King to take order that that meane be kept without rising to the right hand or falling to the left This short Treatse may hap to giue some light directions therein or at least may encourage stir vp their hearts in whose hands it is to doe it Vnder your woorthy names would I haue it see the world not so much for that I am bound to you both in many priuate and particular respects though that be much as for that know you both to be o● so right and reformed a iudgement in this case as you would haue none Ministers but of sufficient gifts and vnblameable liues nor those Ministers put to their Pensions or vncertaine salailes but to haue certaine sufficient maintenance proportionable to their charge and beseeming the honour of a Christian Church God continue you still in that minde and make many more of the same with you so should we haue as florishing a Church as any Christendome hath seene Goe forward in that and other your religious resolutions it is the true way to honour both heere and in a better world stand firmly for the truth and boldly against the Popish enemies thereof as hitherto you haue done Religion had neuer more cause to thanke you and all that doe so then now it hath for her enemies were neuer so insolent since they were our enemies but if you and others holde on as in your seuerall places you haue wel begun and others take the like course there is hope their insolencies will bee easily if timely repressed and themselues neerest the fall when they imagine they are in the full The Lorde blesse and assist you in your painfull places and make you on earth Instruments of his glorie to the good of his Church so shall you bee vessels of glory in the kingdome of Heauen And thus commending this little treatise to your reading and my selfe to your fauour I take leaue and wil euer rest 1605. Your Worships in the Lord VV. Crashawe A Treatise of 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 righteousnesse Then will be haue mercie on him and will say deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation IN this Chapter and the former Elihu a holy learned noble wise young man had conference with 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 Praeface to his speach 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 How God preserueth a sinner from falling 2 How God restoreth a sinner being 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 chastisments when the first will not preuaile And these are layde downe from the thirteene verse vnto these words 2 Then followeth the 2. point 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 point he handleth these particulers 1 The remedie and meanes of his restoring 2 The effect that followeth thereupon 1 The remedie 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 powred vpon him both for soule body from these words to the end of the Chapter The intent then of this Scripture is that God vseth meanes in his mercie to preserue sinners from falling into sinne but if they doe then hee in much greater mercie afordeth them meanes and helpes to rise againe And this is the summe and substance of the words Now that means and remedie is the matter I purpose to speake of out of these wordes The meanes then to restore a sinner after a fall is to raise him by repentance to a better estate then hee was in before and that is inclusiuely and by implication taught in this Text But the instrument by whom that great worke is to be wrought is here in plaine termes layd downe to bee a Minister of God lawfully called and sent by God appointed by his Church to that great dutie So that these wordes containe a worthy description of a true Minister and he is here described 1 By his titles which are two An Angell An Interpreter 2 By his rarnesse 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 labours of this true Minister which is then God will haue mercie 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 lie 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 Angel and not here alone but elswhere in the Scripture Malachy 2. 7. He is the Messenger of the Lord of hostes 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 Angel of God in one place and in the other place the Angel of the Church Hee is an Angell or Messenger sent from God to his Church This consideration affords matter of much vse And first for Ministers themselues The most of vs in this place are eyther Prophets or sonnes of the Prophets If thou be a Prophet thou art Gods Angel If a sonne of the prophets thou intendest to bee then marke thy dutie prophets and Ministers are Angels in the very institution of their calling Therefore thou must preach Gods word as GODS word and deliuer it as thou receiuest it for Angels Embassadors and Messengers carry not their owne message but the message of their Lords and Maisters who sent them and Ministers carry the message of the Lord of Hostes therefore they are bound to deliuer it as the Lords and not their owne In the first Epistle of Peter 4. 11. wee are bid If any man speake let him speake not onely the word of God but as the word of God Gods word must bee spoken and as Gods word then shew thy faithfulnesse to the Lord in discharging thy hands sincerely of that message which he hath honoured thee to

our people are as euill as those in the dayes of Christ of whom the holy ghost saith Light is come into the world but men loue darknesse more then light so knowledge is come into England but many Englishmen loue ignorance better then knowledge Alas how many thousands haue we in our Church who know no more in religiō then they heare in common talke of al men which is worse they thinke it sufficient also and which is worst of all whereas they might haue more they will not but care not for it 2 The second maine sin of England is Contempt of Christian Religion Religion hath bin among vs these fiue and thirtie yeares but the more it is published the more it is contemned and reproached of many in so much as there is not the simplest fellow in a country town who although he knowes not one point of religion yet he can mock and scorne such as are more religious then himself is this is one of the moaths of England that eates vp religion this is grieuous in whomsoeuer but most intollerable in two sorts of men First in them who are altogether ignorant that they should mocke they know not what A pittifull thing to hear one who himselfe cannot giue the meaning of one petition in the Lords praier to vpbraide other men because they are too forward but it is the worst of all when men of knowledge and such as liue ciuilly and would be counted good christians and are indeede of the better sort cannot abide to see others go a little before them but if they doe presently they are Hypocrites and dissemblers Thus not prophanenesse nor wickednesse but euen Religion it selfe is a by-word a mocking-stocke and matter of reproach so that in England at this day the man or woman that begins to professe religion and to serue God must resolue with himselfe to sustaine mockes and iniuries euen as though he liued among the enimies of religion and not among professors and as religion increaseth and spreadeth it selfe so doth the number of these mockers O what a cursed sinne is this to contemne the greatest fauour that God can giue vs that is his holy religion for the which wee should rather praise him all the dayes of our liues All that God can giue a man in this world is his Gospell what then can God giue to be regarded when his gospel is contemned This sinne was neuer amongst the Iewes they indeed regarded it not so as it deserued but who did euer make a mocke and a scorne of it but England O England how canst thou answere this God sends thee the most precious Iewell that he can send to a Nation and thou scornest it and them that bring i● and them that receiue it euen as though it were no blessing but a curse so that as Christ saith to the Iewes for which of my good workes doe you stone mee So may the Lord say to England I haue giuen thee a fruitfull land a blessed Prince gold and siluer peace and libertie plentie and prosperitie for which of these O England doest thou contemne my religion The least of these deserue loue but England hath a better then all these that is his Gospell and word of saluation and yet that also is contemned as beeing nothing worth and those which confesse it and those that bring it and consequently God himselfe that gaue it If England had no more sinnes but this this deserues that it should bee saide of vs that wee are a Nation vnworthy to bee loued aboue all Nations for some Nations would haue religion that they might loue it but they cannot haue it some haue it and doe loue it some haue it and loue it not but in noe Nation is it made a mocking-stocke but in England And where are those men but in England who like the dog in the manger will neither entertaine Religion themselues nor suffer them that would let vs in time take heede of this sinne as a sinne that crieth to God to reuenge so vile a dishonour done to his maiesty neither is there any sinne that more certainly foreshewes and more forceably hastens the remouing of the Gospell from vs. For high time is it to cease louing wher loue procures disdaine And to stay giuing where giftes are scorned Carry home this lesson to your great townes cities where you dwel for in these populous places are these great mockers for wher God hath his professors the diuel hath his mockers repēt betimes of this sin for hold on in mocking be sure that God who will not be mocked will remoue his gospel frō you but if you leaue this sin and entertaine the gospel as it worthily deserus then be sure of it God will continue the Gospell to you and your posterities after you in the face of al your enemies round about you 3 The third common sinne of Englande is Blasphemie many waies but especially in vaine swearing false swearing and forswearing and the abuse of all the names and tytles of the Lord God This sinne is general euen ouer the whole land especially in Fayres and Markets where men for a little gaine wil not care to cal the Lord of Hostes to be witnesse to a lye and the God of truth to testifie an vntruth And which is worst of all Gods holy name is vsed in vaine oathes and ordinarie talke When men haue no cause to sweare at all so that it is most lamentable to see and obserue that the name of any man of honour or worship is vsed more reuerently and lesse abused then that fearefull and glorious name the Lord our God 4 The fourth generall and great sinne is Prophanation of the Saboath A common sinne euery where and yet so great a sinne that where it raignes in that Country congregation family man or woman there is noe feare of God nor any true grace in them for the keeping of the saboath is the maintaining increasing and publishing of religion 5 The fift sinne of our Nation is vniust dealing in bargaining betwixt man and man How hard is it to finde an honest simple plaine dealing man and that euen in such great assemblies as this is I feare present experience wil testifie you are now many thousands gathered together some to buy some to sell some to exchange Remember that I haue tolde you an honest hearted and plaine dealing man is hard to finde therfore labour to approue your selues sincere hearted men remember the counsell of the holy Ghost Let no man oppresse nor defraude his brother in bargaining for the Lord is the auenger of all such things These sinnes are generall and vniuersall as a cancker And so are the sinnes of the 6. 7. and 8. Commandements though they be not altogether so cōmon as these be Murthers Adulteries Vsuries Briberies Extorsions Cousenages they are a burthen vnder which our earth groanes and they cry against vs to heauen so that vpon as good or much

their tryall let the ten Commaundements passe vpon them and thy sins and corruptiōs which thou findest to be chaffe blow them away by repētance so shalt thou remaine pure and cleane wheate fit for the house and Church of God in this world for his kingdome in heauen But if we will not doe this then alas what wil follow my heart grieueth to vtter it but I must vnlesse I should be a false prophet And therefore I wil. Our long peace plentie and ease haue bred great sinnes so great that they reach to heauen and prouoke Gods Maiestie to his face and so strong that they will violently drawe downe iudgments from God vpon vs which when they come they will bee so powerfull and so violent that they will blow vs away like chaffe and bring this kingdome to some miserable ruine O therefore how happy are wee if we can entertaine this Doctrine and practise it for in so doing we shall preuent Gods iudgements wee shall continue the Gospell to this land and preserue this glorious Nation from being destroyed or dispeopled by some fearefull iudgement Beloued you come hither to this place purposely to buy and sell and thereby to better your estates in this world how happy then are you if besides the good markets you make for your bodies and estates you learne also how to make your selues abide the triall of Gods iudgements and how to be made pure corne fit to replenish the garners of heauen how to continue Gods fauour and the Gospell to this Nation If thou goe away with this lesson thou hast a Iewel more worth then if thou shouldest goe home possessed or all the huge riches of this Faire you call this and such like times Faire times but if thou learne this lesson right then thou maist say that this was the fairest day in deede that euer shon vpon thee since thou wast borne This pretious Iewell which I haue spoken of all this while I heare offer vnto thee Euery one brings hither some-thing to bee solde this is the merchandize that I bring and set to sale vnto you what euer commoditie any of you bring it is from some quarter of this land but all is from the earth but this that I bring it is from heauen and all the earth cannot yeelde it and as it is from heauen so it is of a heauenly vertue and will worke that which all the wealth in this faire is not able to doe therefore cast not to buy the basest and let passe the best of all and neuer alledge that it is aboue thy compasse and being a Iewell it is too deare and costly for thee for I offer it freely vnto you and to euery one of you I pronounce vnto you from the Lord that here this blessed doctrine is offered vnto you all in his name freely and that you may buy it without money Happie is that day when thou comming so farre to buy things for thy bodie and paies so deare for them doest meete with so pretious a Iewell the vertue whereof is to saue thy soule and payest nothing for it Thou maiest hereafter reioyce and say I went to buy and sell and to helpe my body but I haue also learned to saue my soule I went thither to helpe to maintaine my owne estate but I haue learned to helpe to maintaine England in prosperitie for assuredly if wee would all of vs learne this lesson and practise it we might assure our selues of the glorious prosperity of England to cotinue from generatiō to generation whereas alas if we continue go forward in our sins impenitency it is greatly to bee feared that neither the Gospell nor this peace will reach to our posterities Therefore now to make an end I once againe lastly cōmend this doctrine to you al euery one of you for this marchandise that I bring is of that nature that though some take it yet there is also enough for euery one and I commend it vnto you euen from the very mouth of God himselfe thinke of it I charge thee as euer thou lookest to appeare before the face of Christ Iesus the great iudge at the last day and if thou wouldest escape the rigour of that iudgement enter now into iudgement with thy selfe and search thy selfe if thou now wilt not receiue this doctrine then shal it at the last day be a bill of Enditement against thee for if it saue thee not it shal condemne thee thinke of it therefore seriously as a matter that concernes thy soule and bodie yea and thy posteritie and this whole Realme all which shall smart for it if we repent not And if the body of our people and those whose harts are wedded to this world wil not enterteine this doctrine then I turne vnto you that feare the Lord and to you I direct my last warning Search O search and try your hearts and liues renewe and reuiue your faith and repentance that if iudgements doe come and blowe vpon this Nation and driue the Gospell from it and it to hell that yet you may haue a testimony to your consciences that you did not pull down this generall calamitie but for your parts laboured to haue preuented it by your earnest prayers and heartie repentance that so the posteritie ensuing may not curse you but speake reuerently of you and praise God for you and wish that al had done as you did for then had they enioyed this goodly land and al Gods blessings with it as wee their forefathers did before them so shall our names not rot but flourish amongst the posterities to come which shall bee partakers of the desolation And when we haue renewed our repentance let vs then euery one of vs deale with the Lord by earnest prayer for this Church and Nation that the Lord would shew his mercy vppon it and continue vnto it this place the Gospell it is nothing with the Lord to doe it his powerfull hand is not shortened he can continue our peace when the Papists look for hurli-burlies he can continue the gospell when they hope to set vp their Idolatry againe let vs therefore apply the Lord with our praiers and with Moses set our selues in the breach and pray for the ignorances of the multitude and bewaile their sinnes who bewaile not their owne So did Noah Daniel and Iob in their ages and prayed for the people in generall calamities Let vs all be Noahs Daniels and Iobs in our generations if we doe thus then when Iudgements come we shall either turne them away from our Nation or at the least wee shall deliuer our owne soules Let vs nowe turne to the Lorde in prayer and because it cannot be hoped but that this our generall sinfulnesse must needs end with some heauy Iudgment let vs desire the Lord still to defer our deserued punishments and still to spare vs and to giue vs time and leasure to repent that so we entering into our selues

Ministers let this suffice them they are the men that must declare vnto man his righteousnesse euen he that scornes and contemnes the ministerie hee hath no righteousnesse in him vnlesse it bee by the meanes of a poore Minister then doe thou thy duty and bee that mockes thee hath cause to honour thee And let this encourage Students to consecrate themselues to the ministery for what calling hath so high an office as this to declare vnto man his righteousnesse And assuredly how euer in this wicked world thou art little accounted of for if it did not so it were not wicked yet thou art honoured in the harts of all Gods children and euen in the conscience of some whose tongues doe smite thee and the soules of thousands when they dye shal blesse thee who in their liues cared not for thee and the diuell himselfe doth enuy the holy Angels themselues doe wonder at the excellency of thy calling in that thou hast power to declare vnto men his righteousnesse In the next place hearers may heere learne first if their righteousnesse bee thus to bee declared as afore then if they will haue it they must seeke it as it may bee found namely both in the lawe and in the Gospell and not in the Gospell alone and first in the lawe then in the Gospell for he must neuer looke to taste the sweetnes of the Gospell which hath not first swallowed the bitter pilles of the law if therefore thou wouldest be declared righteous by the Gospell bee content first to bee pronounced miserable by the lawe if thou wouldst be declared righteous in Christ then bee content first to bee pronounced sinfull and vnrighteous in thy selfe Secondly all men may heere learne how they are to esteeme of Gods Ministers and what reuerence and obedience is due to their persons and their doctrine these are they which must declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse if thou hast any Art thou beholden to him who when thou hast lost a Iewell which was all thy wealth can tell thee where it is and helpe thee to it againe or to him who when thy cause is in triall at the barre will pleade it for thee or to him who when thy health is lost can tell thee how to get it againe then beholde how thou art beholden to a godly Minister who when Adam had lost both himselfe and thee that Iewell of righteousnesse which was and is the whole wealth of thy soule can truly tell thee where it is and howe it is to bee had againe and who when the diuell haleth thee to the barre of Gods iustice to receiue triall for thy sinnes can drawe thee there such a declaration as the diuell himselfe shall not bee able to answere and who when thy soule is sicke to death and euen to damnation can heale the deadly wounds thereof A good minister therefore is worthy as the Apostle saith of double honour whose dutie wee see is to declare vnto man his righteousnesse And to conclude this point also the consideration of the height of this office of a minister may encourage fathers to dedicate their sonnes to this holy calling for the Physitians care for the body or the Lawyers for thy cause are both inferiour duties to this of the Mininister A good Lawyer may be one of tenne a good Physitian one of 20. a good man one of 100. but a good minister is one of 1000. A good Lawyer may declare the true state of thy cause a good Physitian may declare the true state of thy body No calling no man can declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse but a true Minister And thus we see the office or function of a minister Now followeth the blessing Then will he haue mercy vpon him The fourth generall part of this description is the blessing which God giueth to the labours and function of a true Minister then that is when a man by the preaching of the lawe is brought to true humiliation and repentance and by the preaching of the Gospell to true faith in the Messias then will he that is God haue mercy on him that is on the penitent and beleeuing sinner Behold heere the admirable simpathy and the cooperation of God and the Ministers office Man preacheth and God blesseth Man worketh on the heart and God giues grace a minister declares vnto man his righteousnesse and God saith so be it he shall be righteous a minister pronounceth mercy to a penitent sinner and forthwith God hath mercy on him Heere wee see the great and glorious account which God makes of the worde of his ministers by them truly taught and rightly applyed namely that he as it were tyeth his blessing vnto it for ordinarily till a man knowe his righteousnesse by the meanes of an Interpreter God hath not mercy on him but as soone as he doth knowe it then as we see here God wil haue mercy on him and will say deliuer him c. This is no small honour to ministers and to their Ministerie that God himselfe giues a blessing vnto it worketh when they work and as it were staieth wayting when they declare vnto a man his righteousnesse and then hath he mercy on him so powerfull and so effectuall is the worde spoken by a minister of God This is that which Christ auoucheth Whatsoeuer you loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Will you knowe the meaning hereof Reade Saint Iohn whose sinnes soeuer you remit they are remitted whose you retaine they are retained will you haue the meaning of both read Esay God destroyeth the tokens of Soothsayers and makes Wisards and Astrologers fooles turneth worldly wisemen backward and makes their knowledge foolishnesse but hee confirmeth the word of his seruants and performeth the counsel of his messengers Thus God bindeth and looseth with them remitteth and retaineth with them by confirming their word and performing their counsell For example A true minister seeth a sinner hardned in his sins still rebelling against the will of God he therfore declareth vnto him his vnrighteousnes his sin denounceth vnto him the misery curses of Gods iustice as due vnto him for the same here he binds on earth here he retains on earth this mans sins are likewise bound retained in heauen On the other side hee seeth a man penitēt belieuing he pronounceth forgiuenes of sins happines vnto him for the same he looseth him from the band of his sins by declaring vnto him his righteousnes this mans sins are likewise loosed remitted in heauen God himselfe doth pronounce him cleare in heauen when the Minister doth on earth Thus God confirmeth the word of his seruants and performeth the counsell of his messengers The vse of this doctrine is first for rulers and great men of this worlde this may teach them to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers vnto the Church whose authority they see is so great ouer them

those that are their fellowes are vnfaithfull And it should further teach them to adorne their Calling with a holy life for as sinne is that that grieues the angels driues them away so it is grace and holinesse which makes them delight in the fellowship of men And it may also encourage any man to take paines in that holy Calling wherein hee is sure to haue Gods angels in a speciall manner to attende him to assist him to protect him and to bee a witnesse of his faithfulnesse and who would not worke cheerefully in that labour wherein hee hath the Angels to bee in a sort fellow-workers with him To doe these three duties is to honour good angels and that Minister that conscionably performeth them the angels will take themselues sufficiently honoured of that man And if beside this honour we would reioyce Gods angels and minister matter of ioy vnto them then in the fourth place let all Ministers propounde to themselues aboue al things the conversion of soules rather then their own praise or liuing or pleasing of men and so endeuour it both in teaching and all their other courses that the angels may see it and bee witnesse of it for if they reioyce at the conversion of a sinner as Christ saith they doe then those men make them oftest reioyce which doe most seriously aime at the conversion of sinners And thus we see both the seruice of angels to Gods Ministers and the duties they are to performe to them in that regard The due consideration of this point may raise the world to a better conceit of this Calling and perswade fathers to dedicate their sonnes to it and stirre vp young students to consecrate themseluest hereto turne their studies to that ende for no man in no calling hath so speciall attendance and assistance of Gods angels as godly Ministers haue At least if it worke not this in the world yet it may yeeld comfort contentment to all faithfull Ministers in their painfull calling But let vs see how the angel performed his seruice to the Prophet not vnwillingly not lingeringly but speedily so saith the Text. He flewe Which is not so to bee vnderstood as though the angels had wings for they haue no corporall nor sensible bodyes but spirituall and insensible substances the actions whereof are performed with such nimblenesse and agilitie as can not fall within the compasse of outward sense But the Phrase is vsed for our capacities to shew how readily and speedily the angel went about to minister comfort to the Prophet For as nothing moueth so quickly to our sense as doth the creature that flyeth and as wee say that man doth flye about his businesse which doth it quickly and diligently so here the holy Ghost sets downe the willingnesse and quicknesse of the angel to comfort this holy Prophet 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 all gods seruants to doe the like and to imitate thē in this excellent obedience And the rather because wee pray dayly to God Thy will be 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 cheerfully and without all lingring therefore so ought we Magistrates in their places and Ministers in theirs and euery man in his function is to apply this to himselfe and to bee stirred vp thereby to a cheerfulnesse quicknesse in their duties for therein they resemble the blessed angels then their deodes accord wity their prayer but contrariwise he that doth his dutie vnwillingly and vnreadly is like the Diuel which indeed doth Gods will yet against his will and surely vnto such obedience there belongeth no reward But as God loueth a cheerfull giuer so doubtlesse loues hee 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 readines 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 Ministers must learne to be farre from contempt of their inferiours and to doe their duties of ruling and teaching carefully though the people bee farre their infriors it is the nature of loue to make any man doe seruice most willingly to him that hee loues though he be 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 bee like the angels who are 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 vpon and will make themselues euen seruants to all that they may winne some And seeing angels doe 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 angels flye to doe them seruice so shal God angels thinke their diligence and carefull seruice well bestowed vpon them Lastly this diligence of the angels their willingnesse proceeding from loue must stirre vp al Christians to performe all duties of godlinesse to God 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 bee like the angels in diligence loue and faithfulnes in this world The Wise man saith Hee that is slothfull in his businesse is good for nothing but the diligent man shall stand before the King And surely hee that is willing 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 Angel vsed A coale from 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 work 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 meanes but hee will vse meanes and what a weake meanes nay a meanes that seemes contrary A coale of fire