A04480:115
Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached
Seven godly and learned sermons preached by the Reverend Father in God John Ivel, late bishop of Salisbury. Never before imprintedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached by the Reuerend Father in God Iohn Iuel, late bishop of Salisburie. Neuer before imprinted
London : Impensis G. Bishop, 1607
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now then are we messengers in the room of Christ, and therefore, even as though God did beseech you thorough us, so pray we you, that ye be at one with God; and further we exhort you, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
Now then are wee messengers in the roome of Christ, and therefore, euen as though God did beseech you thorough vs, so pray we you, that ye be at one with God; and further we exhort you, that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine.
Almighty God perceiving the frailty and weakness of this nature of ours, even at the first beginning of the world pronounced thus,1 and said, Pronum est cor hominis ad malum, à inuentute sua The hart of man is prone and ready unto evil, even from the cradle. This God himself saw well in our weak nature, and therefore he spake thus of it. So dull are we of our selves, to learn any good, and so quick are we to forget the same, so ready are we to fall unto vice, and so hard are we to incline unto virtue. And this hath been engrafted in us, this hath been grounded in this nature of ours, even from the beginning, and this will so continue in us whiles the world lasteth. The hart of man hath always been ready to fall from God, and decline unto vice, always prone ⟨image 86⟩unto evil, and hard to be won unto good. And therefore it behooveth all such as are Preachers, all such as are messengers sent from God, and will show them selves as trusty and faithful servants, it behooveth them not only to show their message, to declare their commission, but they must also encourage them to whom they are sent, they must improve, rebuke, exhort, and control them, and that in time and out of time, in season and out of season, that their message may be fruitful, and they found faithful. So Paul to Timothy saith, Insta oportunè, importunè, 2Preach the word, be fervent, be it in season, or out of season, Do the work of a Preacher, be earnest, call upon them, both in time, and out of time. And even this thing that he willed his Scholar Timothy to do, the same performed he in him self;