A01956:498
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.
3. There is yet a last-sort; that will come into Gods house, and bring with them burnt offerings, a show of external devotion; but they will not pay their Vows. Distress, war, captivity, calamity, famine, sickness, brings down the most elate and lofty spirits. It turns the proud Gallants feather into a kerchief, pulls the wine from the lips of the drunkard; ties up the tongue of the swearer, whom thunder could not adjure to silence: makes the Adulterer loth the place of his sin, the bed. And though the Usurer stuff his pillow with nothing but his bonds and mortgages, softer and sweeter in his opinion then Down or feathers; yet his head vvill not leave aching.
3. There is yet a last-sort; that will come into Gods house, and bring with them burnt offerings, a shew of externall deuotion; but they will not pay their Vowes. Distresse, vvarre, captiuitie, calamitie, famine, sicknes, brings downe the most elate and lofty spirits. It turnes the proud Gallants fether into a kerchefe, pulls the wine from the lippes of the drunkard; ties vp the tongue of the svvearer, whom thunder could not adiure to silence: makes the Adulterer lothe the place of his sinne, the bed. And though the Vsurer stuffe his pillow with nothing but his bonds and morgages, softer and sweeter in his opinion then Downe or fethers; yet his head vvill not leaue aking.
This misery doth so sting, terrify, and put sense into the dead flesh of the numbed conscience; that (all worldly delights being found like plummets of lead, tied about a man while he is exposed in this Sea; so far from helping him to swim, that they sink him rather) the eye looks about for another shore, and finds none but God. To this so long forgotten God, the heart begins to address a messenger, and that is Prayer. God (the wicked see) must be called on, but they know not how. They have been so mere strangers to him, that they cannot ⟨p. 220⟩tell how to salute him. Like beggars that are blind, they are forced to beg, but they see not of whom. Or if their eyes are so far open; Vident quasi è longinquo salutem, sed interiacente pelago: vident quò eundum, non quà: They see health a far off, as it were beyond the Sea: they see whither they would go, but not which way.