A09965:180
Four godly and learned treatises Entitled, I. A remedy against covetousness. II. An elegant…Foure godly and learned treatises Intituled, I. A remedy against covetousnesse. II. An elegant…
Four godly and learned treatises Entitled, I. A remedy against covetousness. II. An elegant and lively description of spiritual death and life. III. The doctrine of self-denial. IV. Upon the sacrament of the Lords Supper. Delivered in sundry sermons, by that late famous preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, John Preston, Doctor of Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty; master of Emanuel College, and sometime preacher of Lincolns Inn.Foure godly and learned treatises Intituled, I. A remedy against covetousnesse. II. An elegant and lively description of spirituall death and life. III. The doctrine of selfe-deniall. IV. Vpon the sacrament of the Lords Supper. Delivered in sundry sermons, by that late famous preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Iohn Preston, Doctor of Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinarie to his Majestie; master of Emanuel Colledge, and sometime preacher of Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by Thomas for Michael Sparke, 1633
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.
Secondly, in the death opposite to the life of sanctification, there are degrees. Now ye must know that there are no degrees in the privative part of death, but they are only in the positive. The lowest step in this second death is to have enmity to the ways of God, 1being fighters against God, and enemies to the Saints; this is the lowest step. The second degree is, when as men are not so active that way, but yet are dead in pleasures, ambition,2 covetousness, and the like. There is a generation of men which trouble not themselves to oppose God and the Saints, but give themselves to pleasures, and like those Widows, 1 Tim. 5.6. are dead in pleasures, while they are alive. The last step in this death, is the death of Civility. Civill men come nearer the Saints of God than others, they come within a step or two of heaven, and yet are shut out;3 they are ⟨p. 62⟩not far from them the kingdom of Heaven, as Christ said to the young man; yet they miss of it as well as others.
Secondly, in the death opposite to the life of sanctification, there are degrees. Now yee must know that there are no degrees in the privative part of death, but they are onely in the positive. The lowest step in this second death is to have enmity to the wayes of God, 1being fighters against God, and enemies to the Saints; this is the lowest step. The second degree is, when as men are not so active that way, but yet are dead in pleasures, ambition,2 covetousnesse, and the like. There is a generation of men which trouble not themselves to oppose God and the Saints, but give themselves to pleasures, and like those Widowes, 1 Tim. 5.6. are dead in pleasures, while they are alive. The last step in this death, is the death of Civility. Civill men come nearer the Saints of God than others, they come within a step or two of heaven, and yet are shut out;