A12166:530
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.
What should this teach us?
First,1 let it be a rule of trial to know, & judge of our estate, whether we be entered into this gate of Heaven or no? our lives are very short, very uncertain; let us consider if we be in the way to Heaven; what striving, what struggling, what violence have we ever offered? There are a company that regard not the means of ⟨p. 242⟩salvation at all, either in private or public. Some come to the Word, and hear, but they do not hear it as the Word of God, to be ruled by it, but as a discourse to delight themselves for the time, to have matter to speak of, and to censure, not with a spirit of obedience to be guided by it as the Sceptre of the Kingdom. What violence is this, now and then to hear a Sermon, now and then to read a Chapter, now and then to utter a yawning prayer between sleeping and waking, perhaps when thou knowest not what thy self sayest? how then wouldest thou have God to regard it? What violence is in the lives of most Christians, what strength to enforce good actions, how do they improve the means of salvation? many means are wholly neglected: some perhaps they use that may stand with their convenience now and then, whereas there must be an universal care of all the means, there cannot one be neglected without the loss of grace; and there must be attendance on them with violence. There is none of the means can profit us without rousing, and stirring up our spirits; we cannot hear, nor pray, without drawing up, and raising up our souls; the flesh will stop the comfortable performance of any action else, and Satan will kill them in the very birth if he can.
First,1 let it be a rule of tryall to know, & judge of our estate, whether we be entred into this gate of Heaven or no? our lives are very short, very uncertaine; let us consider if we be in the way to Heaven; what striving, what strugling, what violence have we ever offered? There are a company that regard not the meanes of