A09977:412
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.
for that is the thing I gather out of that place, that the Lord would not have our thoughts to be bestowed upon them, but so remissly, as if not at all, because there are eternal things, and set your mind upon them, for the time is short: As if he should say, thou hast not so much time to spare; the time is short, and you have business enough another way; there is water little enough to run in the right channel, therefore let none run beside; and the things ⟨p. 167⟩that should take up your minds, are sin, and grace, things that are eternal. It is a pitiful thing that the noble intentions of eternal minds should be bestowed so ill upon these flitting things, which are nothing to eternity? A man that hath not much money in his purse, but only for to provide necessaries; when one comes and asks him to borrow any, he will say; I have no more than to buy me food and raiment, or if he hath his rent to pay, and no more; if one should come to borrow any of him, he saith, no, I have no more than to pay my rents. So saith the Apostle there; you have no such spare time, no such spare affections, that you can bestow them else-where, but bestow them upon things that endure to eternal life.
for that is the thing I gather out of that place, that the Lord would not have our thoughts to be bestowed upon them, but so remissely, as if not at all, because there are eternall things, and set your minde upon them, for the time is short: As if he should say, thou hast not so much time to spare; the time is short, and you have businesse enough another way; there is water little enough to runne in the right channel, therefore let none runne beside; and the things ⟨p. 167⟩that should take up your minds, are sin, and grace, things that are eternall. It is a pitifull thing that the noble intentions of eternall mindes should be bestowed so ill upon these flitting things, which are nothing to eternity? A man that hath not much mony in his purse, but onely for to provide necessaries; when one comes and askes him to borrow any, he will say; I have no more than to buy me food and rayment, or if he hath his rent to pay, and no more; if one should come to borrow any of him, he saith, no, I have no more than to pay my rents. So saith the Apostle there; you have no such spare time, no such spare affections, that you can bestow them else-where, but bestow them upon things that endure to eternall life.