A09977:666
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 3 1If GOD be so exceeding great, then there is no love enough, no affection, no desire answerable to him. If our love were perfect, yet it could not reach to him, whose greatness doth ⟨p. 143⟩far exceed it: but being imperfect, as it is, it falls exceeding short of him. Therefore let no man fear that he can go too far, that there can be too much holiness and strictness in our ways: but let him remember the great GOD of heaven and earth, and what is due to him, and then think how far thou fallest short of that which thou shouldest do to him. It is an expression of CHRIST, Luke 14.26. Mat. 10.37. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. That which I would have observed out of these places is, He is not worthy of me: that is, if men considered my greatness, and excellency, they would easily see me worthy of more love, than this of friends; and except you can do so, except you can prize my love above these things, yea even hate them all, if they come into competition with me, you are not worthy of me. Consider therefore, how much love he is worthy of, and see if there be not reason for the commandment, where we are commanded to love the Lord with all our strength: that is, if you would love God with that love that he is worthy of, you would love God with all your strength: that is, whatsoever strength a man hath, his love should put it forth to do service to God. If a man be rich, he is able to do more for God than a poor man; if he be a Magistrate, he can do more than a private man; if he hath learning and knowledge, he hath much more strength than another: now the improvement of these to the glory of God, ⟨p. 144⟩this is to love him with all our strength. And if you consider how great a God he is, you will see great reason why you should love him thus with all your strength. Therefore we should check our selves when we see the dullness of our hearts, how ready and how apt we are to bestow our love upon any besides him: we should observe all those riverets wherein our love goes out, and runs to other things, and bring them back again into the right channel. For if you consider the greatness of God, you will see, that there is no love to spare.