A09965:205
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.
If then every man out of Christ be in an estate of death,1 let every man examine himself, and consider whether he be a dead man or no; this is the great query or question in this mutability and incertainty of things. Let us make the life to come sure; our life is uncertain here; but have we this spiritual life, are we living men? then we are happy: but are we dead? then he that is not partaker of the first resurrection, shall not be partaker of the second. It is too late to begin to live, when we are dying, certainly the time of our natural death is a time of spending, not of getting or inquiring after life: If ye defer this search while ye are in health, when ye lie on your deaths bed, when ye shall see heaven and hell immediately presented unto you, this question will hold you solicitous, and then you shall see that this spiritual life, is the life indeed. The time of this natural life, is ⟨p. 69⟩not long; the candle burns not long if it burn out; yet it is oftener blown out than burnt out; men oftener fall down than come down from the tree of life: this Tabernacle is often thrown down before it falls down, therefore in this short life make your selves sure of eternal life.
If then every man out of Christ bee in an estate of death,1 let every man examine himselfe, and consider whether he be a dead man or no; this is the great quere or question in this mutability and incertaintie of things. Let us make the life to come sure; our life is uncertaine here; but have we this spirituall life, are we living men? then wee are happy: but are we dead? then he that is not partaker of the first resurrection, shall not be partaker of the second. It is too late to begin to live, when we are dying, certainely the time of our naturall death is a time of spending, not of getting or inquiring after life: If yee deferre this search while yee are in health, when ye lie on your deaths bed, when ye shall see heaven and hell immediately presented unto you, this question will hold you solicitous, and then you shall see that this spirituall life, is the life indeed. The time of this naturall life, is ⟨p. 69⟩