A09965:470
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.
First; every one that comes to Christ hath another spirit and heart given him, that makes him with Paul, Rom. 7.22. To delight in the Law of God concerning the inward man. I will say of this as Christ answered Peter, when as he asked him, who should be saved if rich men were not: this is impossible (saith Christ) with men, but it is possible with God; Matth. 19.26. That is, such a man cannot change his own heart, but God can, and then the ways of God will be pleasant: God can give you another nature, and they will be easy.
First; every one that comes to Christ hath another spirit and heart given him, that makes him with Paul, Rom. 7.22. To delight in the Law of God concerning the inward man. I will say of this as Christ answered Peter, when as he asked him, who should be saved if rich men were not: this is impossible (saith Christ) with men, but it is possible with God; Matth. 19.26. That is, such a man cannot change his owne heart, but God can, and then the wayes of God will bee pleasant: God can give you another nature, and they will bee easy.
Secondly, though they be difficult in the cross, yet take altogether, then there is pleasure: take therefore the reward and gain with the labour. The merchant endureth much, yet the hope of gain sweetens all: a covetous man endures much labour, hath a hard lodging, fasts much, but yet the gain countervails all. Finis dat amabilitatem medijs, The end sweetens the means: the hope of harvest makes the husbandmans labour pleasant. So it is with Christ; he is pleasant if you put all together; if you look to the joy and reward as well as to the cross: look on them as on weights in the balance: if the weights be equal, they stir not; but put more weight into one scale, then the other