A09965:320
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.
1But you will object, that there are many who abound in knowledge, who have life little enough: that ignorant men live this life most: that none live it less, than those that know most.
1But you will object, that there are many who abound in knowledge, who have life little enough: that ignorant men live this life most: that none live it lesse, than those that know most.
- 1Object.Obiect.
1To this I answer, that there is a double knowledge: First, there is a mere enlightening and informing knowledge: Secondly, there is an operative knowledge: ye may have enough of the first, and be never the near: but it is the last that helps and gets this life: and this knowledge is the gift of the sanctifying Spirit, this is the operation of God: we do but inform and teach men, we cannot make them do any thing: we cannot make them practise. Gods teaching makes this knowledge operative; persuades every way, works every way. Secondly, there is a knowledge ⟨p. 133⟩in the habit, and a knowledge in the act, which produceth actions: these are set down obscurely. In the. 2 Pet. 1.12.13. the Apostle there saith, that he would not be negligent to put them always in remembrance of those things, though they knew them, and were established in the present truth: yea I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance: Peter did not write unto them that they might know those things habitually; for so they knew them before; but that they might know them actively, and might presently act them: for that end he wrote. The first knowledge is as sparks raked up in ashes, the other as sparks blown up: the first is as the sap in the root; the later like the sap that fills the branches with leaves and fruit: the first is a general knowledge gotten by contemplation; the last is a practical and active knowledge, a knowledge to practise. The Scripture exhorts to do things that intend this knowledge