A09965:243
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.
Fourthly, if all out of Christ are dead,1 learn to judge of the Ordinances of God, and the means of salvation, let us not undervalue nor over-value them; the Ordinances cannot bring life of themselves, no, not the Word, nor Sacraments; If ye are sick and send for the Minister, he cannot quicken you; the Ordinance is but a creature, and cannot give life. If we speak to the ear, and Christ speak not to the heart, it is nothing: Let your eyes therefore be fixed on Christ, beseech him to put life into you, and pray to God for a blessing on the means: the Ordinances ⟨p. 86⟩are but dead Trunks, as Pens without Ink, or Conduit-pipes without water. Learn then that God doth convey life by the Ordinances, that they themselves cannot give life, therefore do not over-value them. Yet know withal, that God doth not work but by his Ordinances; the spirit breathes not in Taverns or Play-houses, but in the Church assemblies. Act. 10.44. whiles Peter was preaching to Cornelius, and his family, the Spirit fell upon them: so the Spirit fell on others by laying the Apostles hands on them; the ordinances are the Vehiculum of the Spirit; give what is just to them, and no more; give them neither too little nor too much, do not over-value them, but yet neglect them not: neglect not the Sacrament, ye know not what ye do when ye neglect to receive it, ye think that ye ate and drink your own damnation, 2if ye receive it unreverently; Absence from it is a sin as well as the remiss and negligent receiving of it. Sickness and death ye fear, why then do you neglect the Sacrament, why do you receive it unworthily? Whence are those Epidemical diseases amongst us? the cause of them is from hence, that ye neglect the Sacrament, that ye receive it unworthily. 1 Cor. 11.30. For this cause many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. Consider the danger of neglecting the Sacrament,3 he that came not to the Passover, must be cut off from the children of Israel; the ⟨p. 87⟩