A12166:377
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.
Because he saw that their souls were corrupted and desperately set upon the seeking after earthly things, and when the soul is invested to any thing, there must first be a removal of that; as in ground, the thorns must first be rooted out, before there be any sowing of seeds, and in bodily distempers, there must first be a purge of the malignant humour, before there be any Cordials given; so Christ, he first takes them off from an immoderate and inordinate seeking after the world and earthly things, and then he directs them what they should do, what they should seek after, seek the food that endures to everlasting life.
Because he saw that their soules were corrupted and desperately set upon the seeking after earthly things, and when the soule is invested to any thing, there must first be a remoovall of that; as in ground, the thornes must first bee rooted out, before there bee any sowing of seeds, and in bodily distempers, there must first bee a purge of the malignant humour, before there be any Cordialls given; so Christ, he first takes them off from an immoderate and inordinate seeking after the world and earthly things, and then he directs them what they should do, what they should seeke after, seeke the foode that endures to everlasting life.
Here is the prerogative of Christianity, a Heathen man out of the strength of moral discourse and outward experience can teach the ⟨p. 175⟩negative part, can tell you that all earthly things are vain and perishing. A Stoic will declaim wittily and gravely from moral principles and daily experience upon these things, that these earthly things of themselves are all vain and fading, and that it is our conceit of them only that bewitcheth us to them, it is that only that renders them to us green and fresh: But now for the affirmative part, what we should seek after, here Paganism is blind, that is only to be learned in the Church of Christ, it is proper to Christianity to direct us here, as I shall discover better to you when I come to speak of the duty enjoined, which is that I especially aim at.