A09977:461
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.
(and the wise man compares them to a city, whose walls are broken down, so that there is an utter ruin.) Saith the Apostle Peter, in the place forenamed, that they as natural brute beasts made to be taken and to be destroyed, who speak evil of the things they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption: that is, if a man will come to this, to suffer such a confusion as this, they shall even be served as brute beasts are: Nay beloved, if it were with us as it is with beast, we might give liberty for these corporal appetites to rule over the soul: as, take a horse, if he hath no rider, then you blame him not, though he run, and kick up, and down, for he is a beast, and hath no rider to sit him; but when he is under the bridle, then, if he doth not do that which he should do, then you blame him. But a man hath reason to guide him, and he hath grace to guide reason: now to cast off both these is more than brutish. Consider, that all things, the more refined they are, the better they are; for they come nearer to the spirit: So ⟨p. 22⟩then do thou look upon thy self; and say with thy self; the more that spirit within me is advanced, the more it is suffered to rule, without impediment, it is the better for me. To give you an instance or two, that you may see the practise of the Saints in this case: Job he saith, I esteemed thy word as my appointed meals, &c. I will rather restrain my body in this, then I will suffer my soul to want that which belongs to it; as he saith for eating and drinking, so saith David for sleep; rather then my soul should not do its duty, I will deprive my body of sleep, saith he: So Jesus Christ: Joh: 4.34.1 Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of my Father, and to finish his work: that is, I will be content to neglect my body, to do that which is the work of my spirit, the work of my Father. And such is his own advice: seek not the loaves, saith he, nourish not your bodies, labour not for the meat that perisheth: but look that thy soul get the better in all things.
(and the wise man compares them to a citie, whose walls are broken downe, so that there is an vtter ruine.) Saith the Apostle Peter, in the place forenamed, that they as naturall bruite beasts made to bee taken and to be destroyed, who speake evill of the things they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their owne corruption: that is, if a man will come to this, to suffer such a confusion as this, they shall even bee served as bruite beasts are: Nay beloved, if it were with us as it is with beast, we might giue libertie for these corporall appetites to rule over the soule: as, take a horse, if he hath no rider, then you blame him not, though he runne, and kicke up, and downe, for he is a beast, and hath no rider to sit him; but when he is under the bridle, then, if he doth not doe that which he should doe, then you blame him. But a man hath reason to guide him, and hee hath grace to guide reason: now to cast off both these is more than brutish. Consider, that all things, the more refined they are, the better they are; for they come neerer to the spirit: So