A12166:994
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.
Mark here the language of the holy Ghost,1 the language of Canaan. When he speaks of a good man, he speaks of him in savoury terms: he doth not say that David after he had been so long, or lived so long, or reigned, and flourished so long: (as we see in stories such a man lived, or reigned, &c. so long and then died:) yet this had been true, after he had lived, and reigned so long he died. But that is not the language of the holy Ghost; but after he had served God so long. The Scripture values men by that that God values ⟨p. 166⟩them, and not as men do, by their life, and reign, and flourishing in the world, and their esteem with men, but as his carriage hath been to God. David served the will of God in his generation.
Mark here the language of the holy Ghost,1 the language of Canaan. When hee speaks of a good man, hee speaks of him in savorie termes: he doth not say that David after hee had been so long, or lived so long, or reigned, and flourished so long: (as wee see in stories such a man lived, or reigned, &c. so long and then died:) yet this had beene true, after hee had lived, and reigned so long hee died. But that is not the language of the holy Ghost; but after hee had served God so long. The Scripture values men by that that God values ⟨p. 166⟩them, and not as men do, by their life, and reign, and flourishing in the world, and their esteem with men, but as his carriage hath been to God. David served the will of God in his generation.
- 1Savoury language of Scripture.
And then when he speaks of his death, he fell asleep he sweetens the harsh name of death, with a sweet term the Scripture puts upon it. It is a comfortable thing to consider the very language of the Scripture, how savoury and heavenly it is, raising us up to comfortable and heavenly thoughts, even from the very manner of the phrase. Different (as I said) is the phrase of Scripture from other histories, that say, such a man lived, and reigned so long, and then he died. And indeed a man may say of a wicked man, he was so long in the world, but if he did no good, a man can scarce say that he lived: for what is life without doing good, but a mere being in the world? Or if his life be ill, we may say, such a man troubled the world so many years, & then went to his own place, as it is said of Indus: but this is the Epitaph of a holy man, he served God so long, and then he slept, and had happiness of God; another manner of Epitaph than other men have when they are gone. This I observe from the very language or phrase: David when he had served the will (or counsel) of God as the Word is.