A12166:1075
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. › He served.KING DAVIDS EPITAPH. › Hee served.
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.
I will make it clear by an instance; the beasts,1 and other creatures, and we, have common actions;2 such as we do in common, as to eat, and to drink, and to move: the beast doth this, and man doth it; when a man doth them, they are reasonable actions, because they are guided with reason, and moderated by reason: but when the beast doth them, they are the actions of a beast; because he hath no better faculty to guide him. So common actions, they are not a service of God, as they come from common men, that have not grace, and the Spirit of God in their hearts: they ⟨p. 213⟩are mere buying, and selling, and going about the actions of their callings, as the actions of a beast are the actions of a beast. But let a Christian come to do them, he hath a higher life, and a higher spirit, that makes them spiritual actions that are common in themselves; he raiseth them up to a higher order, and rank. Therefore a Christian serveth God in all that he doth, he hath an eye to God: that which another man doth with no eye to God, but merely in civill respects. We say of policy: it is an ancient observation, which is good, and very fit. The knowledge of a common wealth; it is a building knowledge, a commanding knowledge: for though a States-man doth not build, he doth not buy and sell, and commerce: but he useth all other trades for the good of the State. It is a knowledge commanding all other inferior Arts, and Trades (in a common wealth) to the last end: they should all be serviceable to the common-wealth, and if they be not, away with them. So Religion, and the knowledge of Divine things, it is a commanding knowledge, it commands all other services in our callings, &c. It doth not teach a man what he shall do in particular in his calling: but it teacheth him how to direct that calling to serve God, to be advantageous, and helpful to his general calling: to further him to heaven, to make every thing reductive to his last end, which he sets before him, that is, to honour, ⟨p. 214⟩and serve God in all things, to whom, he desires to approve himself, in life, and death: he hath a principle, the holy Ghost in him, and he labours to reduce every thing to the main end, oh that we were in this temper.