A10659:81
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.
Thus you see how besides the original limitedness of the Creature, there is in a second place a Moth or Canker by the infection of sin begotten in them, which hastens their mortality, God ordering the second causes so amongst themselves, that they exercising enmity one against another, may punish the sin of man in their contentions, as the Lord stirred up the Babylonians against1 the Egyptians to punish the sins of his own people. And therefore we find, that the times of the Gospel, when holiness was to be more universal, are expressed by such figures, as restore perfection and peace to the2 Creatures. The Earth shall be fat and plenteous, there shall be upon every high hill Rivers and Streams of water, the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun sevenfold, as the light of seven days. 3And again, the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb, and the leopard shall lye down with the kid, and a Calf, and a young Lion, and a fatling together, &c. Which places, though figuratively to be understood, have yet me thinks ⟨p. 42⟩thus much of the letter in them, to assure us that whatever blemish since the Creation any of those glorious heavenly bodies are either in themselves, or by interposition of foggy vapours subject unto, what ever enmities and destructive qualities enrage one beast against another, they are all of them the consequents of that sin which nothing can remove but the Gospel of Christ. And this is that universal contagion which runneth through the whole frame of Nature into the bowels of every Creature.
Thus you see how besides the originall limitednesse of the Creature, there is in a second place a Moth or Canker by the infection of sinne begotten in them, which hastens their mortalitie, God ordering the second causes so amongst themselves, that they exercising enmitie one against another, may punish the sinne of man in their contentions, as the Lord stirred up the Babylonians against1 the Egyptians to punish the sinnes of his owne people. And therefore wee finde, that the times of the Gospell, when holinesse was to bee more universall, are expressed by such figures, as restore perfection and peace to the