A09977:490
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.
3. Consider, that to make any thing an ordinance, there must be an application of the whole man to it; otherwise, it is but a lame performance, and God will not reckon as the obedience of an ordinance. For this truth must be remembered; That an ordinance of God performed as it ought to be, doth usually carry a blessing with it. A prayer, a Sacrament received as it ought, a fast kept as it should, moves the Lord to give a blessing, if thou doest not ⟨p. 41⟩Ponere obicem, thou shalt not go away empty; for it is always accompanied with a blessing: as it is said to Ananias, Acts 9.1 Go to Paul, for behold he prays: when it is a prayer indeed, God can hold no longer. Do you think, that Paul never prayed before, when he was a Pharisee? Yes; but it was not as he ought, he never prayed indeed till now; now consider, when thou comest before the Lord to perform any duty to him, thou wilt say, it may be, that my spirit is well disposed, though the gesture of my body be not according? but I say, deceive not thy self with this, but look that it be a thorough performance. For as it was in the old law, a lame sacrifice was accepted as none: so a lame prayer, a lame hearing the word, a lame performance of any exercise God reckons as none. Therefore in these things God sends them away empty as they came. What better are they? do their hearts get any thing? Beloved, God is a fountain, and if he meet with a fit pipe, (as is an ordinance rightly performed there he usually conveys his grace: but if he meet with a foul pipe, and obstructed, there he doth not confer any blessing.
3. Consider, that to make any thing an ordinance, there must be an application of the whole man to it; otherwise, it is but a lame performance, and God will not reckon as the obedience of an ordinance. For this truth must be remembred; That an ordinance of God performed as it ought to be, doth usually carry a blessing with it. A prayer, a Sacrament received as it ought, a fast kept as it should, moves the Lord to give a blessing, if thou doest not ⟨p. 41⟩Ponere obicem, thou shalt not goe away empty; for it is alwayes accompanied with a blessing: as it is said to Ananias,