A09965:309
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, the comforts of this life are pure comforts, Psal. 18.26. I walk purely with those that walk purely. This is not only to be understood of the consolations of grace, but also of ⟨p. 124⟩common blessings, being the fruits of this life: there is no sorrow with them, there is a pure comfort without any mixture of sorrow. God giving these blessings in mercy, they are free from mixture of discomfort; but being not the fruits of this life of grace, being reached by sin and sinful means, or God giving them in his providence, not in his mercy, there is sorrow in them: ye may have riches, honours, friends, and all outward things, and yet they are not pure blessings, because Gods blessing is not mingled with them.
Fourthly, the comforts of this life are pure comforts, Psal. 18.26. I walke purely with those that walke purely. This is not onely to be understood of the consolations of grace, but also of ⟨p. 124⟩common blessings, being the fruites of this life: there is no sorrow with them, there is a pure comfort without any mixture of sorrow. God giving these blessings in mercy, they are free from mixture of discomfort; but being not the fruites of this life of grace, being reached by sinne and sinfull meanes, or God giving them in his providence, not in his mercy, there is sorrow in them: yee may have riches, honours, friends, and all outward things, and yet they are not pure blessings, because Gods blessing is not mingled with them.
Lastly, it is a life most capacious of comforts: ye may give all the faculties of the soul comfort. Every creature according as his life is, feels more or less comfort. Plants as they feel no hurt, so they feel no sweetness: beasts that have a sensible soul, feel more evil and good: a man that lives a natural life, not knowing the life of grace, is sensible of more good and evil, than sensible beasts; he apprehends Heaven and Hell: but a man that lives the life of grace, is more capacious of comfort: here you may suffer your faculties to run out to the utmost. If ye desire wealth or pleasures, your affections must not run out, ye must hold them in; else they drown you into perdition,