A10659:378
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.
When Saint Paul considered that what1 ever before his conversion he thought of himself, yet indeed all his zeal was but blasphemy and persecution, all his morality but dung and dogs meat, all his unblameableness & presumptions but loss unto him, then he began to set an infinite value upon the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and to suffer the loss of all, that he might be found in him. Sin must be very sinful, that Grace may be very welcome.
When Saint Paul considered that what1 ever before his conversion hee thought of himselfe, yet indeede all his zeale was but blasphemie and persecution, all his moralitie but dung and dogs meate, all his unblameablenesse & presumptions but losse unto him, then he began to set an infinite value upon the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ, and to suffer the losse of all, that he might be found in him. Sinne must be very sinnefull, that Grace may be very welcome.
Secondly, this Impotency and Disability is Partial, even in the most Regenerate; so much flesh as they have in them, so much deadness and unserviceablenesse still; and this may be seen in two points. First, there is a great disability in the best to work and go on with patience and comfort in Gods service. How apt are we still to quench and grieve the Spirit? How doth every mans experience constrain him to cry out, In me dwelleth no good thing, to will is present with me, but I cannot perform the things which I would, Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief? How do we faint and wax weary of well-doing? How are we led captive to the law ⟨p. 251⟩