A09965:31
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
COLLOS. 3.5. And Covetousness which is Idolatry.COLLOS. 3.5. And Covetousnesse which is Idolatrie.
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.
The main Consectary and use from this, is;1 To keep you from hasting after worldly things: men are never weary of seeking them, but spend their whole time in getting of them; and this is the reason, why the things that belong to salvation are so much neglected: men spend so much time in a thousand other things and trifles, that they have no time at all to serve God in: they are busy about riches, honours, credit, or the things whereon their pleasures ⟨p. 9⟩do pitch: but if this be digested, it will teach you to seek all from God, who disposeth all things, and to whom the issues of life and death, 2of good or evil▪ do belong. Consider with your selves and you shall find; that the reason wherefore ye seek for outward content and comfort, is because you think it will do you good if you have it, or hurt if you have it not. But herein you err, giving that to the creature which only belongs to God. Isaiah, 41.23. If the Idols be God, saith the Lord, let them do good or evil; The scope of this place, is to cut off the whorish and adulterish affection of those, who have an eager and unweaned desire after earthly things, by showing, that they can do us neither good nor hurt. Therefore God punished David exceedingly for numbering the people;3 because he thought that they could strengthen him against his enemies without Gods help. Wherefore, Jeremiah, 9.23.24. Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, neither let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth, glory in this; that he understandeth and knoweth that I am the Lord, which execute loving kindness, Judgement and Righteousness in the earth. As if he should have said: If these things could do you good or hurt, there were some reason that you might seek them: but there is nothing in them that you should desire ⟨p. 10⟩them; For it is I only that execute Mercy and Judgement, all good and evil is from me. Therefore