A09977:726
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 therefore he is said in Scripture so often, to ponder our ways. He puts thy sins, and those lusts in one balance, and his censure in the other; and gives thee according: he puts weight for weight; he gives thee correction, if thou art his child, and judgement if thou be wicked. Therefore thou must consider who it is that knows them; what a one he is: as it is in Rev. 2. when he tells his Churches that he knows them all, then he describes himself, what a one he is: as his eyes to be of flaming fire, and his feet like brass. This, if considered, ⟨p. 110⟩would make a man to look about him. If there was a company set together, and there was an informer standing by, and did note down in his table-book what they did, and did declare it to their enemies, or to the King and Council, men would be exceeding wary, they would ponder every word before they spake: so when GOD is present, and beholdeth all that thou doest; hast thou not reason much more to consider thy ways? Men say indeed, that the Lord is present every where, but our lives show that we think like the Atheists in Job, that God is shut up in the thick clouds, and cannot see through them. Yea there is no man, but needs an increase of faith in this point. For if it were fully believed, it could not be, but that we should take more heed to our ways and thoughts than we do. Therefore to convince you of and persuade you to this, I will name two places. One you shall find in Ephe. 4.6. One God, one Lord, who is above you all, and in you all, and through all. First he is above all. As a man that stands above can see all that is done below: so the Lord looks down, and beholds all that is done on earth, as a man in an high place, sees all that is done below.
And therefore hee is said in Scripture so often, to ponder our wayes. He puts thy sins, and those lusts in one ballance, and his censure in the other; and gives thee according: he puts weight for weight; he gives thee correction, if thou art his child, and judgement if thou bee wicked. Therefore thou must consider who it is that knowes them; what a one he is: as it is in Rev. 2. when he tells his Churches that hee knowes them all, then hee describes himselfe, what a one he is: as his eyes to be of flaming fire, and his feete like brasse. This, if considered,