A01956:798
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.
It were somewhat if thou mightest perpetually enjoy them thy self: if thou couldst fetch down eternity to them. As those in the 49. Psalm; whose inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling 1places to all generations: they call their lands after their own names. But there is a Quamdiù, and a Quousque. How long! Hab. 2. How long? Thou that lodest thy self with thick clay? How far! Esa. 14. How far? Thou that 2madest the earth to tremble, and didst shake the Kingdoms. Here is a Non ultra to both: thy power is confined, thy time is limited: both thy latitude and extension are briefed up; hairs thy period; a full stop in the midst of the sentence. [Greek or Hebrew]. Whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? He that should read thy history (being ignorant of thy destiny) and find so plentiful a happiness in the first page of the book: grounds so fertile, cattle so prospering, house so furnished, possibilities stro• king thy hopes, hopes milking thy desires, desires dancing to the tune of thy pleasures; promises of larger barns, more opulent fruits; and all this with ease, yea with hearts-ease: Soul be merry: and coming now to the end of the page, but not of the sentence; turning over a new leaf, thinking there to read the maturity and perfection of all, should find a blank, an abrupt period, an unlooked for stop, would surely imagine, that either destiny was mistaken, or else some leaves were torn out of the book. Such a Cuius erunt haec omnia would be a terrible dash in a story of happiness so fairly written, and promising so good an Epilogue. But here is his end, you must read him no further: He, whom you have seen 3this day, you shall see him again no more for ever. Whose shall ⟨p. 334⟩these things be, O worldling? Were thy grounds as Eden, and thy house like the Court of Jehoiakim: yet dost thou think to reign, because thou closest thy self in Cedar? no; 4