A09965:46
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.
Thirdly, ye do then enjoy them as blessings, if you think that you may have comfort without them: the ebbing and flowing of outward things doth not augment your comfort or diminish it: Those that have not any outward blessings, may have more gladness and comfort in their hearts, than those whose corn and wine are increased, Psalm. 4.7. Those who have but a small Cottage and a bed in it, are many times more happy, more healthy, and sleep more quietly, than those rich men, whose wealth will not suffer them to sleep: Eccles. 5.12. Many there are, that seem to want outward things and comforts, yet are full of inward comforts and delights: Many there are, who like Paul and the Apostles,1 Seem to have nothing, and ye• possess all things: As it is all one with God to help with few as with many;2 So he can comfort with few friends and external blessings, as well as with many: Yea he can make a little that the righteous have, 3more comfortable than all the revenues of the ungodly, be they never so great. That which hath been said of blessings, the like also may be said of crosses; ye may grieve for them if ye take them as crosses: but withal take heed, that you account not those things crosses which indeed are no crosses. Want was no cross to Paul, nor yet Imprisonment:4 for in the one he abounded, in the other he sung: It is advantage unto us many times to have outward ⟨p. 20⟩blessings taken from us. It is advantage to us to have blood taken away in a Pleurisy: it is good sometimes to lop trees, that so they may bring forth more fruit; so it is good many times for us to have crosses to humble us, and to bring us nearer to God: yet ye may sorrow for the loss of these things, and take it as a cross, if ye can say this from your hearts, that ye are not afflicted, because ye are made poor, because your wealth is taken from you but because it is Gods pleasure to take it from you, either for the abuse of it, or else to punish you for some other sin. So if that ye are cast into some sickness, ye may not grieve for it as a cross merely, as it is a sickness, but as you conceive the hand of God in it, laying it on you as a punishment for your sin.