A12182:879
Evangelical sacrifices In xix. sermons. I. Thankful commemorations for Gods mercy in our great…Evangelicall sacrifices In xix. sermons. I. Thankfull commemorations for Gods mercy in our great…
Evangelical sacrifices In xix. sermons. I. Thankful commemorations for Gods mercy in our great deliverance from the papists powder-plot. 2. The successful seeker. 3. Faith triumphant. 4. Special preparations to fit us for our latter end in four funeral sermons. 5. The faithful covenanter. 6. The demand of a good conscience. 7. The sword of the wicked. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibbs. Doctor in Divinity, Mr. of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher to the honourable society of Gray's-Inn. The third tome. Published and perused by D. Sibbs own appointment, subscribed with his hand to prevent imperfect copies after his decease.Evangelicall sacrifices In xix. sermons. I. Thankfull commemorations for Gods mercy in our great deliverance from the papists powder-plot. 2. The successefull seeker. 3. Faith triumphant. 4. Speciall preparations to fit us for our latter end in foure funerall sermons. 5. The faithfull covenanter. 6. The demand of a good conscience. 7. The sword of the wicked. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibbs. Doctor in Divinity, Mr. of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher to the honourable society of Grayes-Inne. The third tome. Published and perused by D. Sibbs owne appointment, subscribed with his hand to prevent imperfect copies after his decease.
London: printed by Thomas for N. Bourne, 1640
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.
Again in the third place, this desire of the happiness of the estate of Gods children, it was not working and operative, but an uneffectuall desire, it had only a complacency, and pleasing in the thing desired: but there was not a desire to work any thing to that end. This ⟨p. 89⟩wretch therefore would be at his journeys end, before he had set one step forward to the journey. It was a desire of the end without the means: It was not an operative effectual, but a weak transient desire. Where true desires are, they are not only constant, and proceed from an inward interest, & taste of the thing desired: but they are effectual and operative, they set the soul and body, the whole man on work, partly to use the means to attain the thing desired, and partly to remove the impediments: for where desire is, there will be a removing of the impediments to the thing desired: as he that intends a journey, he will consider what may hinder him, and what may help him in it; he that sets not about these things, he never means it; for a man cannot come to his journeys end with wishing: we can attain nothing in this life with wishing. There is a working (I say) that tends to remove impediments as far as we may, and tending to use all means to effect and bring the thing to pass. We see then there is a main difference between the desires of this wretched man Balaam, and the desires of the true Church of God. To go on and follow the point a little further.
Againe in the third place, this desire of the happinesse of the estate of Gods children, it was not working and operative, but an uneffectuall desire, it had only a complacency, and pleasing in the thing desired: but there was not a desire to worke any thing to that end. This ⟨p. 89⟩wretch therefore would bee at his journeys end, before he had set one step forward to the journey. It was a desire of the end without the meanes: It was not an operative effectuall, but a weake transient desire. Where true desires are, they are not only constant, and proceed from an inward interest, & tastof the thing desired: but they are effectuall and operative, they set the soule and body, the whole man on worke, partly to use the meanes to attaine the thing desired, and partly to remove the impediments: for where desire is, there will be a removing of the impediments to the thing desired: as hee that intends a journey, hee will consider what may hinder him, and what may helpe him in it; he that sets not about these things, hee never meanes it; for a man cannot come to his journeyes end with wishing: we can attain nothing in this life with wishing. There is a working (I say) that tends to remove impediments as farre as we may, and tending to use all means to effect and bring the thing to passe. We see then there is a maine difference betweene the desires of this wretched man Balaam, and the desires of the true Church of God. To goe on and follow the point a little further.