A12166:365
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
THE FRUITFUL LABOUR FOR Eternal Food.THE FRVITFVLL LABOVR FOR Eternall Food.
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.
In a religious discourse, in preaching, all your ornaments, besides that which quickeneth and strengtheneth the soul to holy duties, is food that perisheth. And your hearing, if it be only to hear witty sentences and turnings of speech without regard to the truth it self, is food that perisheth. Thus you see what a great latitude this food that perisheth hath in Christs meaning.
In a religious discourse, in preaching, all your ornaments, besides that which quickneth and strengtheneth the soule to holy duties, is food that perisheth. And your hearing, if it be only to heare wittie sentences and turnings of speech without regard to the truth it selfe, is food that perisheth. Thus you see what a great latitude this food that perisheth hath in Christs meaning.
Now our blessed Saviour takes them off from labouring for this by a strong Argument: Would you have a greater argument? It is food that perisheth, we do not regard the lustre of things, but their continuance. Why do we esteem of Crystal more then glass? Because it continues: Flowers have a goodly gloss, but we regard them little, because they are fresh in the morning and cast away at evening. And so it is with all excellencies, unless it be grace or glory. All flesh is grass, and the excellentest things of nature, wit and honour and learning and all, though they be not as grass ⟨p. 169⟩so common, yet they are as the flower of the grass, they are all fading and withering, but the Word of God endureth for ever, that is, the grace and comfort that we get by the blessed truths of God, that endures for ever, and it makes us endure for ever, but all other things are food that perisheth, and we perish in the use of them, The world passeth away and the concupiscence of it, the world, the things lusted after perish, and in lusting after the world the lust perisheth, and we perish to in the pursuit of them, nay which is worse, the immoderate seeking after these things destroy us, we eternally perish, for by placing our affections on earthly things we turn earthly. Therefore in Divinity we have our denomination from our affections, we are called good or ill not from our knowledge but from our affections. The Devil knows good, but he is not good, it is loving and joying and delighting in good or ill that makes us good or ill, we have our form and being in religion from our affections.