A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 50 pages of information about A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale.

A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 50 pages of information about A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale.
I blush to fall into the least touch of that kinde:  yet at once to shew and reproove that childish folly, It is a vaine of vaine preaching, turning sound preaching into a sound of preaching, tickling mens eares, like a tinckling cymball, feeding them, [Greek:  hedusmati kai ouk edesmasi], spoyling the plaine song, with descant and division:  what is this but to shew our owne levitie and want of true Art; indeede affecting such a dancing, piperly and effeminate eloquence (as Tully, Demosthenes, or any Masculine Oratour would scorne) in steade of that divine powerfull deliverie, which becommeth him, that speakes the Oracles of God.  If ever wee meane to doe any good, wee must exhort and reproove, with all vehemency and authority; lifting upp our voyce as a trumpet, as the sonnes of thunder; pearcing their eares, witnessing, striving and contending, according to our gift whatsoever it bee, to manifest our affections, that wee may worke upon the people; which all the Art in the world will not teach us to doe:  onely zeale at the heart will naturally produce it, without straining or affecting.  If God require the heart as well as the head; why should wee not labour to moove the affections, as well as enforme the judgement; There is a doctrinall, and as some tearme it, a Doctorly kinde of preaching, which is admired of some that understand it not; of others that could be content with the Masse againe, because it was gentle, and had no teeth in it.  And such Sermons I have sometimes heard, for matter voyd of exception, but so delivered, as if one were acting a part, or saying a lesson by heart.  It hath called to minde a song which sometimes I have met withall, excellently composed, full of sweet ayre, surely and truely sung; but with flat and dead voyces without spirit, which hath marred the musique:  Of such a Sermon and Preacher, the Countreymans verdict did well, that said, this man may bee a great scholler, but hee wants beetle and wedges to heaw our knotted timber withall, our greene wood will not burn unlesse it be better blown; you shall sometimes see an excellent horse of shape and colour, having many of those markes Du Bartes describes in Caines supposed horse; which yet wanting mettle hath beene of little worth, and lesse use.  If there were no other Preachers then these, which hold themselves the onely profound and learned Preachers, I muse what should become of conversion of soules, which they that covet; must come with the spirit of Elias, to turne the hearts of the fathers to their children, I may in truth, and I hope with modesty speake with the Preacher, that in observing I have observed, and have found, that divers great Clarkes have had but little fruit of their ministery; but hardly any truely zealous man of God (though of lesser gifts) but have had much comfort of their labours, in their owne and bordering parishes, being in this likened by Gregorie, to the yron on the Smiths anvile sparkling round about. 
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