A09977:133
Life eternalLife eternall
Life eternal or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.
London: printed by Richard, 1631
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.
therefore Saint James wills us, James 1.2, 3. to rejoice when we fall into divers temptations, 1[Greek or Hebrew] because it is but a trial of your faith. These varieties of afflictions are as fire to cleanse your faith, and make it shine ⟨p. 42⟩more, and grow more: therefore, saith he, rejoice, when you fall into variety of them; for the variety of them will cure that variety of evils and diseases in us; as poverty may do that which sickness cannot do, and imprisonment may heal that which poverty or disgrace cannot do, &c. So on the contrary, those good things are not always good, which we account good; as when a man goes on from one good blessing to another, and is carried with a prosperous wind, and finds no change in any thing; this may also tend to his hurt and destruction, as the other to his salvation; these slay the foolish, even as the other save the godly: for these often-times do make the soul fouler and fouler, and make it to be more rusty. This want of changes makes men to depart from God, and fall into evil; whereas the other makes us the more carefully to cleanse our ways, and to cleave more firmly to him: Therefore, let us take heed that we be not deceived about these evils.
therefore Saint Iames wils us, Iames 1.2, 3. to rejoyce when wee fall into divers temptations, 1〈non-Latin alphabet〉 because it is but a triall of your faith. These varieties of afflictions are as fire to cleanse your faith, and make it shine ⟨p. 42⟩more, and grow more: therefore, saith he, rejoyce, when you fall into variety of them; for the variety of them will cure that variety of evils and diseases in us; as poverty may do that which sicknesse cannot do, and imprisonment may heale that which povertie or disgrace cannot doe, &c. So on the contrary, those good things are not alwayes good, which we account good; as when a man goes on from one good blessing to another, and is carried with a prosperous wind, and findes no change in any thing; this may also tend to his hurt and destruction, as the other to his salvation; these slay the foolish, even as the other save the godly: for these often-times doe make the soule fouler and fouler, and make it to be more rustie. This want of changes makes men to depart from God, and fall into evill; whereas the other makes us the more carefully to cleanse our wayes, and to cleave more firmely to him: Therefore, let us take heed that we be not deceived about these evils.