A09965:489
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.
Fourthly,1 if the ways of God are full of difficulty, then we should learn from hence to ⟨p. 232⟩proportion our labour to the work: we tell you of this not to debtor you from coming to Christ, but to excite men to take pains answerable to the work. Christ told his Auditors, they must deny themselves, that they must take pains if they will follow him; and this we tell you in his name: we would have ye know the worst before hand: many thousands lose their souls, because they think that less will serve the turn, that there needs no such strictness: no fallacy of Satan deceives men more than this. If a man come to buy a Jewell that is worth 500 l. if he bids but 400 l. for it; he goes without it, as well as if he had bid nothing at all, because he comes not to the full price of it: So he that will purchase heaven, he must bid the full price of it, else he goes without it: as good never a whit as never the better (as we say.) If a man be to lift a burden which is as much as he can do with his whole strength, if he put but part of his strength to it, he cannot stir it, he were as good never to touch it: so it is here. It were better for you to do nothing, than not to do enough; for if ye lived still in wickedness, it might perhaps humble you; but when as men do but a little, but yet not enough, they see not their misery: better not to do at all, than to do things thus by halves. Satan deals with men, as men with children: they take away gold and silver from them, and stop their mouths with rattles and ⟨p. 233⟩counters, so Satan, because mens consciences must have something to satisfy them, suffers them to do something, but yet not so much, as they should. Pity it is to see so many lose their labours: they come very near, within a step or two to heaven, and yet miss it: many there are which do much, like the young man: yet some thing is wanting, that also must be had, else there is no Salvation. Why is there so little change in men, but because they think that less will serve the turn? This cold, overly and customary performance of holy duties mars all; therefore consider but this.
Fourthly,1