A09965:385
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.
Be not therefore forgetful hearers: and for this, first recall and repeat what ye have heard when ye are gone: Secondly, practise it afterwards; there is a blessing promised to mindful hearers, there is a curse denounced against those that are forgetful, Joh. 13.15. If ye know these things, happy are ye if you do them, but there is a curse for you if you do not profit; God will make you to hear, and will not give you his Spirit. Regard to prize the Word if ye will not be forgetful. Rom. 1.28. those that did not like to retain God in their knowledge, those that did hear the Word and not regard it, God gave them up to a reprobate sense, to an Injudiciousness to do those things that were not convenient, not being able to profit by it. The ancient Fathers much pressed the repetition of Sermons, and one of them useth this similitude: A man that comes into a pleasant garden, will not content himself with the present sent only, but he will carry some of the flowers home with him; So in a cold day, a man will not be content to heat himself at another's man fire, but he will carry away some fire with him to keep him hot at home. So do ye when ye come to hear the Word; carry home some flowers of it with you, carry some fire home with you, to heat and warm your hearts. God regards not flashes and moods, and such negligence ⟨p. 179⟩in performing of holy duties as will not warm your hearts. Men are like a Sive in the water: it is full whiles it is in the water, but being taken out of it, it hath nothing; it is not the hearing of the Word of God, or the doing of it negligently that will profit, if ye hear it only pro forma, and negligently, it doth you no good, but it brings Gods curse upon you. Gods curse is on many, they grow not in knowledge or grace for want of diligence; wherefore in the 2 Pet. 3, 17. the Apostle bids us beware least being led away with the error of the wicked, we fall from our own steadfastness: to prevent this, grow in grace, and for this purpose grow in knowledge, for then ye grow in grace.
Be not therefore forgetfull hearers: and for this, first recall and repeate what yee have heard when yee are gone: Secondly, practise it afterwards; there is a blessing promised to mindfull hearers, there is a curse denounced against those that are forgetfull,