A12166:420
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.
With the necessity our blessed Saviour joineth the excellency of this food, It is food that endures to everlasting life: Christ and the good things we have by him are of equal extent and of equal time with our souls, if we labour for earthly things, we labour after that which is of shorter continuance then our souls, we may out-live our happiness, and what a miserable state is that? But if we labour for the food that endures to everlasting life, our happiness is of the same continuance with our souls, and that is only true happiness.
With the necessity our blessed Saviour joyneth the excellency of this food, It is foode that endures to everlasting life: Christ and the good things we have by him are of equall extent and of equall time with our soules, if wee labour for earthly things, we labour after that which is of shorter continuance then our soules, we may out-live our happinesse, and what a miserable state is that? But if we labour for the food that endures to everlasting life, our happinesse is of the same continuance with our soules, and that is onely true happinesse.
If there were such a Tree upon the Earth now as there was in Paradise, a Tree of life, ⟨p. 196⟩that whosoever should taste of the fruit of it should live, though but on the Earth here to enjoy his sensual pleasures. Oh what would not men give for a little fruit of that Tree, though it were to redeem a little time and to lengthen out a fading base life on earth, but much more to live for ever: Here is food that endures to everlasting life, to such a life as is heavenly and glorious. Now blessed be God that since we are cast out of the first Paradise by sin, that now in our relapsed estate God is so merciful to us as to provide another manner of Tree of life, that in Paradise was but a typical Tree, the true Tree of life is Christ, and whosoever feeds on him shall not perish but have everlasting life; certainly if we believed this, it could not be, but it would wondrously see us on to labour after this meat, because it is not only food that tends to the preservation of life, but to life everlasting, to a life that endures as long as our souls.