A09965:294
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 first, that there are many by-walks, and if ye walk but in one of them, ye walk in the flesh, and not in the Spirit. Jam. 1.26. If any man seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain: that is, he that makes this sin his trade, and walks ordinarily in it, his religion is vain. Secondly, ye may know it by the guides ye follow. Evil men they follow three guides. Ephe. 2.3. they follow first the world, secondly, the Divill, thirdly, the flesh. Holy men have three contrary guides, first, the renewed part within: secondly, the holy Ghost; thirdly, the course of the Saints. Go ye the broad way? oportet Sanctos vadere per diverticula, the Saints do not so: Follow ye the stream? fulfil ye the will of flesh, or of the Spirit? what are your actions? Ephe. 4.17. I charge you that you henceforth walk not as the Gentiles do in the vanity of their minds: that is, holy men may have vanity in their minds, yet they walk not in it as others do: evil men may have other thoughts; yet they walk in the vanity of their minds; and albeit that evil men walk not in all the ways of sin, yet they are dead: there is but one way to hit the mark, ⟨p. 114⟩but there are a thousand by-ways: a holy man may stumble in the ways of God, and have some foils, but he leads not his life in sin, he strives against it: he that leads his life in any known sin, not resisting it, and will do it, and not cross himself in it, is dead; his religion is vain.
1I answere first, that there are many by-walkes, and if ye walke but in one of them, yee walke in the flesh, and not in the Spirit. Iam. 1.26. If any man seeme to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine: that is, hee that makes this sinne his trade, and walkes ordinarily in it, his religion is vaine. Secondly, yee may know it by the guides yee follow. Evill men they follow three guides.