A12186:385
Light from heaven discovering the fountain opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich poverty. In…Light from heaven discovering the fountaine opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich povertie. In…
Light from heaven discovering the fountain opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich poverty. In four treatises. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibs, Doctor in Divinity, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Gray's-Inn. Published according to the authors own appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies.Light from heaven discovering the fountaine opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich povertie. In foure treatises. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibs, Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Grayes-Inne. Published according to the authors owne appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies.
London: printed by E. Purslow and Richard Badger for N. Bourne, 1638
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.
But,1 I say, let us comfort our selves, in respect of the present state of the Church: Christ rules in the midst of his enemies, in the midst of crosses and persecutions, not to free us alway from them, but he rules, in turning them to good, in strengthening & exercising our graces; and he rules in the midst of his Church at this time, by turning his enemies cruelty to the good of the elect. As he ruled in the Israelites, when he suffered Pharaoh to go on in the hardness of his heart; but he had a time for Pharaohs ruin: so Christ hath a time ⟨p. 184⟩for the persecutors of the Church, as he had for all the ten persecuting Emperors, that came to fearful and base ends. Was there ever any man fierce against God, and prospered? saith Job. Was there ever any, that set themselves against the Church of God, and prospered? No, No: It is with the Church, as it was with Christ; to have looked on Christ, hanging and bleeding on the Cross, to have seen him grovelling on the ground in the Garden, men would be ready to take offence: what; he the Saviour of the world? But stay, and see him in the Text assumed to Glory, and then there would be no offence taken at Christ. So it is in the Church. You see the Church suffers persecution: but, lay one thing with another; see the Church in Heaven, with the Head of the Church; see the Church advanced, see it in glory ere long; see it refined, and fitted by sufferings, to come better out of afflictions then it went in; and then none will take scandal at the afflictions of the Church, as they ought not at the abasement of Christ: for, though he was God manifest in weak flesh, yet we see he ascended up in glory.
But,1 I say, let us comfort our selves, in respect of the present state of the Church: Christ rules in the midst of his enemies, in the midst of crosses and persecutions, not to free us alway from them, but he rules, in turning them to good, in strengthning & exercising our graces; and he rules in the midst of his Church at this time, by turning his enemies cruelty to the good of the elect. As he ruled in the Israelites, when he suffered Pharaoh to goe on in the hardnesse of his heart; but he had a time for Pharaohs ruine: so Christ hath a time ⟨p. 184⟩