A09977:649
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.
Use 1 If he be so great a GOD, he that is our God, the GOD,1 who is our Father, if he be thus great and incomprehensible, learn you to know what you are then: that you have an infinite God to maintain, defend and uphold you, in all all that you have to do, or suffer for his will. ⟨p. 130⟩This will cause you to take great minds to your selves to have a holy magnanimity in you: And the consideration of this Attribute is of great use, to make Christians come to have great minds. For what is it that makes the mind great? It is the greatness of the object: whence it is, that Kings have great minds, because of their great Kingdoms; and great men have great thoughts, because of the great objects that they have to look upon. Now therefore, if thou wouldest look upon the great God, if thou wouldest consider that he is thy Father, and that all that he hath is thine, this would likewise make thy mind exceeding great: it would take from us that pusillanimity and narrowness of mind, which we are subject to; and it is of great moment it should do so. A little mind though it be good, yet because it is a little vessel, it can be and receive but a little good; whereas when the mind is great it is capable of great grace, great actions, and great endeavours: therefore we should get our minds to be enlarged, by considering the greatness of GOD, and our interest in it. For want of this it is, that Christians are so apt to be led aside into byways by the power of great men; because they think that they are greatly graced when they are looked after by great men; when as if they did know their own greatness, that they are Sons of GOD, and heirs of heaven, this goes beyond it. Hence likewise it is, that men are so easily wrought upon by pleasure, profit, ⟨p. 131⟩and the like, that they are ready to transgress: why is it? It is, because they do not know what they are borne to, that the great GOD of heaven is theirs.
Vse 1 If he be so great a GOD, he that is our God, the GOD,1 who is our Father, if he be thus great and incomprehensible, learne you to know what you are then: that you have an infinite God to maintaine, defend and uphold you, in all all that you have to doe, or suffer for his will.