Seeker Sensitive was Alive in the 1600's
I cannot recommend to you enough the book Gospel Fear by Jeremiah Burroughs, it is an excellent treasure to add to your library. I have come to realize that Jeremiah was battling some of the same things that we are battling today. The sermon I am currently reading in this book is called "What True Sanctified Trembling is" it is based on Isaiah 66:2 and was preached on May 26, 1644.
This sermon is clearly directed at those who do not desire the word of God and do not know what it means to desire the word of God. Jeremiah is painting the picture of what it means to tremble at the word of God and why that is a good thing, below is a quote from the book that sums this sermon up pretty well. I would hope that you would take to heart the advice of Jeremiah and not withhold from your people the tough subjects of the bible. We must be faithful preachers of the word expositing the WHOLE council of God. Above all we must be examples to our congregations with lives lived out treasuring and trembling at the word of God.
Paragraph Quote From Jeremiah Burroughs:
"The true, gracious trembling at God's Word is joined with joy. It is joined with love (as before), but joy is a higher degree. There is, in sanctification of the heart, a blessed mixture of love and joy. As in curious works there are gold and silver and pearls together, and all make it beautiful, so the grace of sanctification is an enameled work. Thus it is with fear and joy. You know the passage in Psalm 2:11: "Rejoice with trembling." The soul trembles at the Word, and yet is glad that there is such a word of God; and he accounts the Word of God to be the inheritance of the soul. We have an excellent scripture for that, that though the Word of God is that which strikes trembling, yet the heart rejoices in it. Deuteronomy 33:2 says, "from His right hand went a fiery law." But mark what follows in verse 4: "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob." What, a fiery law and yet an inheritance? Yes, though it has never so much severity in it. Mark verse 3. He commanded a fiery law, and yet He loved the people. You must not think ill of a minister who preaches things that seem dreadful to you, whereas he only preaches against such things you should account as your enemies. You may not think that he loves you. Mark here, God gave a fiery law and yet He loved them. They shall set with all meekness and quietness and humility "at Thy feet and receive of Thy words," though it is a fiery law.
And the verse 4: "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob." Oh, though the law is a fiery law, yet we account our inheritance to be in our law. And, therefore, those who would altogether take away our law from us would take away part of our inheritance. Therefore, trembling and joy may go together. And a place, though not so full, yet more express than this we have in Psalm 119:162: "I rejoice at Thy Word as one that findeth great spoil." It may be that if you are travelling and meet with some great treasure, you would rejoice at that. Why, a gracious heart can rejoice at God's Word as much as any man in the world can who finds great spoils. Therefore, when we put you upon fearing God's Word, we are not enemies to your joy; but, the truth is, the only way to have true joy is to tremble at the Word of God."
This sermon is clearly directed at those who do not desire the word of God and do not know what it means to desire the word of God. Jeremiah is painting the picture of what it means to tremble at the word of God and why that is a good thing, below is a quote from the book that sums this sermon up pretty well. I would hope that you would take to heart the advice of Jeremiah and not withhold from your people the tough subjects of the bible. We must be faithful preachers of the word expositing the WHOLE council of God. Above all we must be examples to our congregations with lives lived out treasuring and trembling at the word of God.
Paragraph Quote From Jeremiah Burroughs:
"The true, gracious trembling at God's Word is joined with joy. It is joined with love (as before), but joy is a higher degree. There is, in sanctification of the heart, a blessed mixture of love and joy. As in curious works there are gold and silver and pearls together, and all make it beautiful, so the grace of sanctification is an enameled work. Thus it is with fear and joy. You know the passage in Psalm 2:11: "Rejoice with trembling." The soul trembles at the Word, and yet is glad that there is such a word of God; and he accounts the Word of God to be the inheritance of the soul. We have an excellent scripture for that, that though the Word of God is that which strikes trembling, yet the heart rejoices in it. Deuteronomy 33:2 says, "from His right hand went a fiery law." But mark what follows in verse 4: "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob." What, a fiery law and yet an inheritance? Yes, though it has never so much severity in it. Mark verse 3. He commanded a fiery law, and yet He loved the people. You must not think ill of a minister who preaches things that seem dreadful to you, whereas he only preaches against such things you should account as your enemies. You may not think that he loves you. Mark here, God gave a fiery law and yet He loved them. They shall set with all meekness and quietness and humility "at Thy feet and receive of Thy words," though it is a fiery law.
And the verse 4: "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob." Oh, though the law is a fiery law, yet we account our inheritance to be in our law. And, therefore, those who would altogether take away our law from us would take away part of our inheritance. Therefore, trembling and joy may go together. And a place, though not so full, yet more express than this we have in Psalm 119:162: "I rejoice at Thy Word as one that findeth great spoil." It may be that if you are travelling and meet with some great treasure, you would rejoice at that. Why, a gracious heart can rejoice at God's Word as much as any man in the world can who finds great spoils. Therefore, when we put you upon fearing God's Word, we are not enemies to your joy; but, the truth is, the only way to have true joy is to tremble at the Word of God."
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