A10659:92
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.
Lastly, this must serve for a needful Caution to us, to ⟨p. 52⟩take heed of deifying the Creatures▪ and attributing that Immortality to them which they are not capable of. But1 in as much as they are only for present refreshment in this vale of misery, and have no matter of real and abiding happiness in them, not to look on them with an admiring or adoring eye, but to use them with such due correctives as become such mortal and mean things.
Lastly, this must serue for a needfull Caution to us, to ⟨p. 52⟩take heed of deifying the Creatures▪ and attributing that Immortality to them which they are not capable of. But1 in as much as they are onely for present refreshment in this vale of misery, and have no matter of reall and abiding happinesse in them, not to looke on them with an admiring or adoring eye, but to use them with such due correctives as become such mortall and meane things.
- 1Solatia miscrorum non gaudia beatorum. Aug. Exist. 119. Imaginaria in seculo & […] veri. Tertul. de coron. mil. ca. 13.Solatia miscrorum non gaudia beatorum. Aug. E•ist. 119. Imaginaria in seculo & 〈…〉 veri. Tertul. de coron. mil. ca. 13.
First in using the Creature, be sure thou keep thine intellectuals untainted; for earthly things are apt to cast a film over mens eyes, and to misguide them into corrupt apprehensions and presumptions of them. We find nothing more frequent in the Prophets then to upbraid the people with their strange confidences which they were wont to rest upon against all the judgements which were denounced against them, by objecting their wealth, greatness, strong confederacies, inexpugnable munitions, their nests in the clouds, and their houses amongst the stars: they could never be brought to repent for sin, or to tremble at Gods voice, till they were driven off from these holds. A man can never be brought to God till he forsake the Creature, a man will never forsake the Creature till he see vanity in the Creature. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. David intimates that a man can never heartily pray against fixing his affections on earthly things, till he be really and experimentally convinced of the vanity of them. This rule Solomon observes to withdraw the desires of young men, who have strongest affections and smallest experience of the deceit of worldly things, Though thou rejoice and cheer up thy self, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, yet Know thou that for all these