A12177:54
The Christians end. Or, The sweet sovereignty of Christ, over his members in life…The Christians end. Or, The sweet soveraignty of Christ, over his members in life…
The Christians end. Or, The sweet sovereignty of Christ, over his members in life and death Wherein is contained the whole scope of the godly mans life, with divers rules, motives and encouragements, to live and die to Jesus Christ. Being the substance of five sermons preached to the honourable society of Gray's Inn, by that learned and faithful minister of Gods Word, Richard Sibbes, D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honourable society.The Christians end. Or, The sweet soveraignty of Christ, over his members in life and death VVherein is contained the whole scope of the godly mans life, with divers rules, motives and incouragements, to live and die to Iesus Christ. Being the substance of five sermons preached to the honorable society of Grayes Inne, by that learned and faithfull minister of Gods Word, Richard Sibbes, D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honorable societie.
London: printed by Thomas Harper and Eliot's Court Press for Lawrence Chapman, 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.
Now we must not live to our selves.
First, not to our natural self. We must not live, only, to live. For as all other Creatures are to serve us, so we are to serve something else, that is better. For that, that is not of it self, cannot be for it ⟨p. 19⟩self. Now we have not beings from our selves, but from God; he giveth us beings, and a being in that rank of Creatures, wherein we are. Therefore our natural self must be to a higher end. A man is not the end of things, there is another end then he; and that is God, who is of himself, & hath made all other things for himself.
First, not to our naturall selfe. VVe must not live, onely, to live. For as all other Creatures are to serve us, so wee are to serve something else, that is better. For that, that is not of it selfe, cannot be for it ⟨p. 19⟩self. Now we have not beings from our selves, but from God; he giveth us beings, and a being in that ranke of Creatures, wherin we are. Therfore our naturall self must be to a higher end. A man is not the end of things, there is another end then he; and that is God, who is of himselfe, & hath made all other things for himselfe.
And therefore riches and honours, and the like: we should not live to our civill self. Nature teacheth us that having spirits, we are not for any thing meaner then our selves. We do not live here to be rich, to be great, to command others; for these things do not answer the soul of man.