A10024:437
Sins overthrow
Sins overthrow: or, A godly and learned treatise of mortification Wherein is excellently handled; first, the general doctrine of mortification: and then particularly, how to mortify fornication. Uncleanness. Evil concupiscence. Inordinate affection. and, covetousness. All being the substance of several sermons upon Colos. III. V. Mortify therefore your members, &c. Delivered by that late faithful preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns-Inn.Sins overthrow: or, A godly and learned treatise of mortification Wherein is excellently handled; first, the generall doctrine of mortification: and then particularly, how to mortifie fornication. Vncleannes. Evill concupiscence. Inordinate affection. and, covetousnes. All being the substance of severall sermons upon Colos. III. V. Mortifie therefore your members, &c. Delivered by that late faithfull preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.
London: printed by I. Beale and Augustine Mathewes for Andrew Crooke, 1633
HOW TO MORTIFY inordinate affection.HOW TO MORTIFIE inordinate affection.
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.
The second motive is taken from that of Solomon, A mans spirit will bear his infirmities, but a wounded 1spirit, who can bear? that is, this doth make a man unable to bear any thing else: for example, a strong love set upon the things of this life, wounds the soul; and so makes it unable to bear the least loss of any of them, it deeds the heart within ⟨p. 242⟩a man: So immoderate grief adds affliction to affliction; Immoderate fears are worse than the thing feared, whereas otherwise, afflictions are nothing grievous, if they be rightly used: Paul was in prison, and so were Joseph's Brethren, yet you see the difference; the one full of Joy, the other full of grief and sorrow, because they had sinned; their consciences were not whole, they could not bear their burden: therefore, look to your affections, that you may pass through the changes of this life with more comfort, if you cannot bring your mind to the doing of this, then bring those things to your mind, labour to mortify them, and that is the best way to bring your minds to the things; my meaning is, if you cannot bring your mind to love worldly pleasure and contentments less, mortify them to your mind, that is, look not at them, as pleasures or contentments; if you must love them, let them seem less lovely to you: dye to them in affection, or else, let them dye to you in apprehension; True indeed, without Gods over-ruling Power, we can do nothing; yet we must use the means, as we see in the casting of a dye, it is not in us to win as we please, but yet the playing of the cast is requisite; so the mortifying of the affections, it is not in us, yet we must use the means for to do it; let us not give satisfaction to any lust, but hinder it to our powers: it is a shame for us to have our hearts affected with any sinful lusts, were we more careful of our souls, these inordinate affections would be more broken and kept down by us. Believe ⟨p. 243⟩it, strong affections breed strong afflictions, and say, thou shouldest have riches and contentment in 2earthly things, and yet have inordinate affections, this is no help for thee, it is but an applying 3