A12166:1015
Beams of divine light breaking forth from several places of holy Scripture, as they…Beames of divine light breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture, as they…
Beams of divine light breaking forth from several places of holy Scripture, as they were learnedly opened, in XXI. sermons. The III. first being the fore-going sermons to that treatise called The bruised-reed, preached on the precedent words. By the late reverend and judicious divine, Richard Sibs, D.D. Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb: and sometimes preacher at Gray's Inn. Published according to the Doctor his own appointment subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies.Beames of divine light breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture, as they were learnedly opened, in XXI. sermons. The III. first being the fore-going sermons to that treatise called The bruised-reed, preached on the precedent words. By the late reverend and iudicious divine, Richard Sibs, D.D. Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb: and sometimes preacher at Grayes Inne. Published according to the Doctor his owne appointment subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect coppies.
London: printed by George for N. Bourne, 1639
KING DAVIDS EPITAPH. › Then David after he had served in his Generation, the will of God, &c.
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.
It is true,1 our times are not so good as they should be, and in many regards they are miserable times:2 and we must not murmur at this dispensation of God, if God hath so appointed that our lot shall be to live in hard, and ill times. I say in some respects these are bad times: for the world, the older it grows, the worse it is;3 As it is in a sink, the further it goes, the more soil it gathers: so all the soil of former times are met in the sink of later times, & in that respect this generation is an ill generati•: but if we consider what makes times good,2 the manifestation of Christs glorious Gospel (that hath shined for a hundred year, & more in our Church) the discovery of the means of salvation so clearly, the abundance of the spirit with the means, making men to apprehend the means, enlightening their understandings to make use of them, and working their hearts to obedience: look in what age these are, they are happy times. Witness our Saviour (and he is the best Judge;) Happy are the eyes that see ⟨p. 178⟩the things that ye see, and the ears that hear the things that you hear. Oh! in former times if they had seen that that we see, and heard that that we hear, they would have accounted themselves happy: Oh! those that lived two hundred years ago (though they were good men) if they had lived to see that that we see, and to hear that that we hear, (living in the glorious lustre and Sun-shine of the Gospel) how would it have rejoiced them? Therefore as we have cause to consider of the ills of the time, and generation, that we be not swayed away with them: so we have cause on the other side to bless God, that hath reserved us to these times of knowledge. In regard of the ills we may say with Saint Austin. 5Lord to what times are we reserved! But in regard of the good things we may say, blessed be God that hath reserved us for these things: that he hath cast our time thus, that we should be borne in this generation, in the blessed time of the Gospel, in this second spring of the Gospel: We should bless God for it.