A09977:448
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.
Consider, that although a lust left at liberty, when God hath taken off the chain, and suffers it to do what it will, doth contract more guilt, and doth indeed more hurt to mankind; yet he that hath a heart as full of lust, and filthiness, is no less abominable, and odious in Gods sight. Take a wolf, that runs up and down, and kills the sheep, that wolf is abominable, and every one cries out against him; but a wise man that sees a wolf tied up in a chain, hates that as much as he did the other: for he knows that he hath the same nature, and would do as much hurt if he were let loose: So we may say of men, whose hearts are full of lusts, God it may be, hath tied them up, so that they break not ⟨p. 10⟩forth; yet these lusts are abominable and hateful in his sight, though they do not so much hurt, nor break so many commandments. Therefore let them consider this, that live under good families, good Tutors, or in good company, commonly they are as wolves tied up, they cannot break forth so into outward acts, it may be, they are restrained by reason of some bodies favour that they would not lose, or the like, but yet they give way to the spirit within, that rangeth and lusteth up and down; and this is therefore defiled in Gods sight.
Consider, that although a lust left at liberty, when God hath taken off the chaine, and suffers it to doe what it will, doth contract more guilt, and doth indeede more hurt to mankind; yet he that hath a heart as full of lust, and filthinesse, is no lesse abominable, and odious in Gods sight. Take a wolfe, that runnes up and downe, and kills the sheepe, that wolfe is abominable, and every one cries out against him; but a wise man that sees a wolfe tyed up in a chaine, hates that as much as he did the other: for he knowes that he hath the same nature, and would doe as much hurt if he were let loose: So we may say of men, whose hearts are full of lusts, God it may be, hath tyed them up, so that they breake not ⟨p. 10⟩forth; yet these lusts are abominable and hatefull in his sight, though they doe not so much hurt, nor breake so many commandements. Therfore let them consider this, that live under good families, good Tutours, or in good company, cōmonly they are as wolves tied up, they cannot break forth so into outward acts, it may be, they are restrained by reason of some bodies favour that they would not lose, or the like, but yet they give way to the spirit within, that rangeth and lusteth up and downe; and this is therefore defiled in Gods sight.