A55752:871
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...
London: printed by J.T., 1658
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 two things are required to make the food convenient, the matter and the manner.
First, The matter, that their terms be not too high, so that the people understand them not.
First, The matter, that their termes be not too high, so that the people understand them not.
Secondly, The manner, some people are so weak, that a continued course doth not profit them. And it were to be wished that Ministers would do this: teach them in a Catechizing manner; For then many souls would be saved, which die for want of knowledge. Yet the people though they were ignorant, they should not spend their whole life in Catechizing, for these people are like narrow mouthed bottles, pour water in drop by drop, and they will receive it, but if you pour it in by full streams, it will fall beside. So if the ignorant be taught line by line it will profit them, when a continued course is too high for them, it will not, therefore the Minister must deliver the word in such manner as they can fittest receive it, and this is laid upon their charge, for they must instruct the people. And if they find that this course doth not do it, they must feed them with food convenient for them, to express it by a similitude, children are put to a nurse which should give them milk, but if she spreads a table with wholesome meat constantly, which is too strong for them, and if their parents come and find them dead, shall she be excused though she say it was not her fault, for ⟨p. 299⟩she provided meat for them. So it is if the Minister provide wholesome meat on the table twice a Sabbath, yet if the people perish because they cannot eat it, he shall not be excused, and therefore Ministers ought to consider the preciousness of a soul, and they must be careful that if the people perish, it must not be for wants of knowledge, they may preach to them, and yet they may perish for Cathedram habet in Coelo qui corda docet, He it is that sits in Heaven that turns the heart, only they must inform the understanding.