A77366:86
A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their public fast, Novemb.…A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their publique fast, Novemb.…
A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their public fast, Novemb. 29. 1643. By William Bridge, sometimes fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge, now preacher of Gods Word at Yarmouth.A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their publique fast, Novemb. 29. 1643. By VVilliam Bridge, sometimes fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher of Gods Word at Yarmouth.
London: printed for R. Dawlman, 1643
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1. Stones of reformation are to be laid with most exactness.1 1. Temple work is a great work and of great consequence. When the matter that a man is to work upon is precious, the eye curious and exact that he is to work unto, and the work it self of infinite consequence, there exactness is much required, especially when a miscarriage can hardly be mended but with much difficulty. Now so it is in the work of reformation, the matter to be wrought upon are the souls of men and women, the most precious matter in the world; the eye that we are to work unto is Gods, is Christs, who walketh between the golden Candlesticks; And the business it self is of infinite consequence, yours and mine and thousands eternities lying at the stake; And if there be a miscarriage, it will be a hard thing to bring the whole Nation unto the work again. You see that when a man walketh upon the rope, he carrieth a pole in his hand to sway him, and he looks diligently to his feet, Quia non licet his peccare, because ⟨p. 22⟩if he do fail he cannot mend his miscarriage; And I say that in this work of reformation if there be the least slip; it will be a hard thing to recover it, when once a nation is settled in that miscarriage. Surely therefore the work is to be done with the most exactness.
1. Stones of reformation are to be laid with most exactnes.1 1. Temple work is a great work and of great consequence. When the matter that a man is to work upon is precious, the eye curious and exact that he is to work unto, and the work it self of infinite consequence, there exactnes is much required, especially when a miscarriage can hardly be mended but with much difficulty. Now so it is in the work of reformation, the matter to be wrought upon are the soules of men and women, the most precious matter in the world; the eye that we are to work unto is Gods, is Christs, who walketh between the golden Candlestickes; And the busines it self is of infinite consequence, yours and mine and thousands eternities lying at the stake; And if there be a miscarriage, it will be a hard thing to bring the whole Nation unto the work again. You see that when a man walketh upon the rope, he carryeth a pole in his hand to sway him, and he lookes diligently to his feet, Quia non licet his peccare, because