A09977:618
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.
You shall find that there two causes of unconstancy,1 or mutability, or fickleness: and if you find out what the causes are, you will easily see the way to help it.
You shall finde that there two causes of unconstancy,1 or mutability, or ficklenesse: and if you finde out what the causes are, you will easily see the way to helpe it.
- 1Two causes of inconstancy, and two means to procure constancy.
First, Strength of lust: that causeth men to be unconstant. James 4.8.1 2Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purge your heart you wavering-minded: what is the reason, that the Apostle bids them to purge their hearts, that were wavering-minded, ⟨p. 116⟩but because that corruption, and those unruly affections that are within, cause us to be unconstant, to waver, even as an arrow shot with a strong hand, that the wind makes to fly unconstantly: so a man that resolves upon a good course, and takes to himself good purposes and desires, he having some lust in him, these thrust in, and make him unstable; therefore purge your hearts you wavering-minded. As if he should say, the reason why you are not stable, is, because you are not cleansed from these corruptions, which are the cause of this unconstancy. So Psal. 5.9. There is no faithfulness in their mouth, their inward part is very filthiness, &c. The reason why there is no constancy in their speech, life, and actions is, because within they are very corruption: that is, the sin that is within, is the cause of all the wavering that is in the life of man; were it not for it, there would be no such unevenness in our lives. Therefore if this be the cause of it, there is no way to help it, but to get this corruption mortified, to be cleansed from all pollution of flesh and spirit, as much as may be.