A10659:519
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.
But now faith fixing upon sure mercies, upon promises which cannot be abrogated or disannulled (being made irreversible by the oath of God, who after he hath sworn cannot repent) and seeing not only stability, but preciousness in the promises, and through them looking upon the great goodness of the things contained1 in them as already subsisting and present to the soul, and by this means overcoming the world (whose only prejudice and advantage against Christ is this, that the things which he promiseth are long hence to come, whereas that which it promiseth it likewise presenteth to the view of sense; which difference faith destroyeth, by giving a subsistence and spiritual presence of things hoped for to the soul) by this means, I say, faith doth mightily ⟨p. 344⟩prevail to draw a man unto such holiness, as becometh the sons and heirs of so certain and precious promises. Till a man by faith apprehends some interest in the promises, he will never out of true Love endeavour a conformity unto God in Christ. By them, saith Saint Peter, we are made partakers of the divine nature, 2and do escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. What is it to be made partaker of the divine nature? It notes two things: first, a fellowship with God in his holiness; that purity which is eminenter and infinitely in Gods most holy nature is formaliter, or secundum modum creaturae, so far as the image of his infinite holiness is expressible in a narrow creature, fashioned in and communicated unto us by our union with Christ. Secondly, a fellowship with God in his blessedness, namely in that beatifical vision, and brightness of glory which from the face and fullness of Jesus Christ (who as3 a second Adam is made unto us the Author and Fountain of all heavenly things) shall at last in fullness, and doth even now in flashes and glimmerings shine forth upon his members. And all this we have from those great and precious promises which are made unto us of Holiness and of Blessedness. For as we say of the Word in general, so more especially of the Promises, they are operative words, and do produce some real effects, being received by faith.