A12166:323
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
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.
1If this be so, I beseech you let us learn to know what we are by nature; not to make our selves in our own conceits better then indeed we are. We judge of our selves as we are to civill things. A man that hath natural parts, that can discourse and understand the mysteries of law and of the state, we value men by these. Alas poor soul thou mayest be dead for all ⟨p. 151⟩this; what are all these abilities for? Are they not for the spiritual life? What is this to the life of grace? They only blow thee up with pride and set thee further off, and make thee uncapable of grace. If thou talk of learning; the Devil is a better scholar then any man, he knows matters of state and other things better then thou doest, and yet he is a Devil for all that, therefore never stand upon these things. But there is a company that are more to blame then these; one would think that these have something to be proud off, that they might set themselves against God and goodness: but there is a generation that have little in them, that yet think themselves the only men in loose licentious life, despising all, caring for none, & think it the only life to live as they list, to go where they list, in what companies they list, to have bounds of their own: these think themselves the only men, when indeed they are no body; they are dead loathsome creatures; (it is the mercy of God that the ground doth not sink under them;) and yet they carry themselves, as if they only were alive.
1If this be so, I beseech you let us learne to know what we are by nature; not to make our selves in our owne conceits better then indeed wee are. We judge of our selves as we are to civill things. A man that hath naturall parts, that can discourse and understand the mysteries of law and of the state, we value men by these. Alas poore soule thou mayest be dead for all ⟨p. 151⟩this; what are all these abilities for? Are they not for the spirituall life? What is this to the life of grace? They onely blow thee up with pride and set thee further off, and make thee uncapable of grace. If thou talke of learning; the Divell is a better scholler then any man, he knowes matters of state and other things better then thou doest, and yet he is a Divell for all that, therefore never stand upon these things. But there is a company that are more to blame then these; one would thinke that these have something to be proud off, that they might set themselves against God and goodnes: but there is a generation that have little in them, that yet think themselves the only men in loose licentious life, despising all, caring for none, & think it the only life to live as they list, to goe where they list, in what companies they list, to have bounds of their owne: these think themselves the onely men, when indeed they are no body; they are dead loathsome creatures; (it is the mercy of God that the ground doth not sinke underthem;) and yet they carry themselves, as if they only were alive.