A09984:119
Mount Ebal, or A heavenly treatise of divine love Showing the equity and necessity…Mount Ebal, or A heavenly treatise of divine love Shewing the equity and necessity…
Mount Ebal, or A heavenly treatise of divine love Showing the equity and necessity of his being accursed that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ. Together with the motives means marks of our love towards him. By that late faithful and worthy divine, John Preston, Doctor in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.Mount Ebal, or A heavenly treatise of divine love Shewing the equity and necessity of his being accursed that loves not the Lord Iesus Christ. Together with the motives meanes markes of our love towards him. By that late faithfull and worthy divine, John Preston, Doctor in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by Marmaduke for John Stafford, 1638London: printed by Marmaduke for Iohn Stafford, 1638
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.
Secondly, by familiarity with him, we have a saying, that nimium familiaritatis contemptum parit, that too much familiarity breeds contempt; and however amongst some men it may sometimes fall out so, yet its seldom seen amongst those that are intimate friends indeed; or say it should, yet I say, it never so comes to pass betwixt God and the faithful soul; but by how much the more familiar and frequent they are together, by so much the more fervent and indissoluble is their love: and this is most certain, that a man that is a stranger may with thee well, but cannot truly love thee, till he be acquainted with thee; so neither canst thou love the Lord as thou shouldst, so long as you are strangers one to another; and what brings us and the Lord better acquainted together, then prayer? wherein (as it were) thou talkest familiarly with God; even as a man talketh with his friend face to face: this is the first means.
Secondly, by familiarity with him, we have a saying, that nimium familiaritatis contemptum parit, that too much familiarity breeds contempt; and however amongst some men it may sometimes fall out so, yet its seldome seene amongst those that are intimate friends indeede; or say it should, yet I say, it never so comes to passe betwixt God and the faithfull soule; but by how much the more familiar and frequent they are together, by so much the more fervent and indissoluble is their love: and this is most certaine, that a man that is a stranger may with thee well, but cannot truely love thee, till he be acquainted with thee; so neither canst thou love the Lord as thou shouldst, so long as you are strangers one to another; and what brings us and the Lord better acquainted together, then prayer? wherein (as it were) thou talkest familiarly with God; even as a man talketh with his friend face to face: this is the first meanes.
Secondly, desire the Lord to show himself unto thee, as Moses did, for this is a strong motive and means to make thee love him; therefore (saith our Saviour to his Disciples that) he that loveth him, shall be beloved of his Father, and I will love him, and will manifest my self unto him*,1