A10659:167
Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…
Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life of Christ. Being the substance of several sermons preached at Lincolns Inn: by Edward Reynolds, preacher to that honourable society, and late fellow of Merton College in Oxford.Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life of Christ. Being the substance of severall sermons preached at Lincolns Inne: by Edward Reynoldes, preacher to that honourable society, and late fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Robert Bostocke, 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.
Secondly a Heart set on any lust is unfit to withstand temptation, because temptations are commonly edged with Promises or Threatenings. Now if a mans heart be set on God, there can no promises be made of any such good as the heart cares for, or which might be likely to over-poise and sway to the temptation, which the heart hath not already; spiritual promises the Devil will make few, or if he do, such a heart knows that evil is not the way to good; if he make promises of earthly things, such promises the heart hath already from one who can better make them, 1 Tim. 4. 8 neither can he promise any thing which was not more mine before then his; for either that which he promiseth is convenient for me, and so is Manna, food for my nature, or else Inconvenient, and then it is Quails, food for my lust. If the former, God hath taught me to call it mine own already, give us our Bread, and not to go to the Devils shambles to fetch it; If the other, though God should suffer the Devil to give it, yet he sends a curse into our mouths along with it. And as such a heart neglects any promises the Devil can make, so is it as heedless of any of his threatenings, because if God be on our side, neither principalities, •or powers, nor things present, nor things to come, can ever separate from him; stronger is he that is with us then he that is with the world, it is the business of our calling to fight against spiritual wickednesses, and to resist the Devil. But when the heart is set on any creature, and hath not God to rest upon, when a man attributes his wine and oil to his lovers and not to God, his credit, wealth, subsistency to the favours of men and not to •he all-sufficiency of God, then hath the Devil an easy way to win a man to any s•ne, or withdraw him from any good, by pointing his temptations with promises or threatenings fitted to the things which the heart is set on.
Secondly a Heart set on any lust is unfit to withstand temptation, because temptations are commonly edged with Promises or Threatnings. Now if a mans heart be set on God, there can no promises bee made of any such good as the heart cares for, or which might be likely to ouer-poise and sway to the temptation, which the heart hath not already; spirituall promises the Divell will make few, or if he doe, such a heart knowes that evill is not the way to good; if hee make promises of earthly things, such promises the heart hath already from one who can better make them,