A09965:240
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.
1I answer, when a man ceaseth to maintain war with his lust, and resists it not; when a man lays down the weapons, when he seeth his lust is natural to him, and therefore yields unto it, then it reigns in him. There is no man that lives the life of grace, but he hath this property, that he strives against all sin to the utmost, not in show, but in sincerity; he strives against the occasions of sin though they foil him; he still maintains war against them, and so they live, and reign not in him.
1I answer, when a man ceaseth to maintaine warre with his lust, and resists it not; when a man layes downe the weapons, when he seeth his lust is naturall to him, and therefore yeelds unto it, then it reignes in him. There is no man that lives the life of grace, but hee hath this propertie, that hee strives against all sinne to the utmost, not in shew, but in sinceritie; he strives against the occasions of sinne though they foile him; hee still maintaines warre against them, and so they live, and reigne not in him.
- 1Answ.
2. If every man out of Christ be in an estate of death, let us not defer repentance,1 but do it whilst we may. Repentance makes a dead man to be a living man: What is it that makes you defer repentance? Ye think ye can change your courses, and sorrow when you list, therefore ye defer it. If men be dead, and repentance puts as it were a new soul into them, makes them to pass from death to life, then it is not so easy a thing. Suppose ye had Hezekiah's warning, 2is it in your power to make your selves live? No, it is beyond your power; God only can do it. Every man lies before God, as that clod of earth, out of which Adam was made. God must breathe life into him, else he continues dead. God doth not breathe life into all, He quickens whom he will.