A01956:1376
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
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.
To this purpose, and to prevent this ready evil, was Gods charge by the pen of David. aIf riches increase, set not your heart upon them. For till they increase, there is less danger. But saith one; Societas quaedam est, etiam nominis, vitijs & divitijs. Wealth and wickedness are near of kin. Nimia bonorumcopia, ingens malorum occasio. Plenty of goods, lightly occasions plenty of evils. Goodness commonly lasts till goods come: but dition of state; alters condition of persons. How many had been good, had they not been great! And as it was said of Tiberius; He would have made a good subject, ⟨p. 135⟩was a very ill King: so many have dyed good servants, that would have lived bad masters. God that can best fit a mans estate here, that it may further his salvation hereafter; knows that many a man is gone poor up to heaven, who rich would have tumbled down to hell. We may observe this in Peter; who being gotten into the High Priests Hall, sits him down by the bwarm fire, and forgets his master. Before Peter followed Christ at the hard heels, through cold & heat, hunger and thirst, trouble and weariness; and promiseth an infallible adherence. But now he sits beaking himself by a warm fire, his poor Master is forgotten. Thus his body grows warm; his zeal, his soul cold. When he was abroad in the cold, he was the hotter Christian; now he is by the fire-side he grows the colder. Oh the warmth of this world, how it makes a man forget Christ! He that wants bread, pities them that be hungry: and they that want fire have compassion of the poor cold and naked: but the warmth and plenty of the world starves those thoughts. When the Princes are at ease in Zion, they never cgrieve for the affliction of Joseph.
To this purpose, and to preuent this readie euill, was Gods charge by the pen of Dauid. aIf riches encrease, set not your heart vpon them. For till they encrease, there is lesse danger. But sayth one; Societas quaedam est, etiam nominis, vitijs & diuitijs. Wealth and wickednesse are neere of kinne. Nimia bonorumcopia, ingens malorum occasio. Plentie of goods, lightly occasions plentie of euils. Goodnes commonly lasts till goods come: but dition of state; alters condition of persons. How many had beene good, had they not beene great! And as it was said of Tiberius; He would haue made a good subiect,