A89499:78
Englands spiritual languishing; with the causes and cureEnglands spirituall languishing; with the causes and cure
Englands spiritual languishing; with the causes and cure: discovered in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, on their solemn day of fast, at Margarets Westminster, June 28. 1648. / By Thomas Manton, minister of Stoke-Newington.Englands spirituall languishing; with the causes and cure: discovered in a sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons, on their solemn day of fast, at Margarets Westminster, June 28. 1648. / By Thomas Manton, minister of Stoke-Newington.
London: printed by R. Cotes for John Clarke, 1648
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.
The embasting and emasculating the Ordinance of Preaching: hunger seeketh food, but lust dainties and quails; when Preachers provide for mens lusts rather then their consciences, Religion is embased, & loseth power. A Ministry that stayeth in the paint of words will beget but painted grace, when we come in the demonstration of the Spirit, we come in power, 1 Cor. 2.6. [Greek or Hebrew] with plain and solid conviction, this is the sin, this the curse and misery. When the thread of the Gospel is so fine spun, 'twill not clothe a naked soul, notion eateth out all saving knowledge, the Apostle speaks of a [Greek or Hebrew] 1 Tim. 6.20. oppositions of science falsely so called, by which they thought to better the Gospel, but did indeed debase it: such niceties enervate godliness, make it weak and less in power; we must take heed then of debasing this Ordinance to an effeminate delicacy, it should still be masculine and generous, full of Spirit, and power from on high. I would not be mistaken as if I did plead for a lazy carelessness in managing the Word, I know that God concurreth with mans diligence, and if we would not have the people loath the Word, we should painfully provide it for them; every Scribe that is instructed for the Kingdom of God, that is, that would do service in the Church of God, must bring forth out of his treasuries things both new and old, Matth. 13.52. that is, although not new truths, yet [Greek or Hebrew], old Truths in a new way, otherwise represented to the imagination or fancy, to take of that taedium or natural satiety that is in us, that we may not loath them as Coleworts twice sod, but that truths may still have a fresh look upon the conscience and affections. This may be done, but we must take heed of ungrounded niceties, subtle notions, that beget only speculation and do not stir up to practice.
The embasting and emasculating the Ordinance of Preaching: hunger seeketh food, but lust dainties and quailes; when Preachers provide for mens lusts rather then their consciences, Religion is embased, & loseth power. A Ministery that stayeth in the paint of words will beget but painted grace, when we come in the demonstration of the Spirit, we come in power,