A12186:398
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.
1Again, the Mystery of Christs Glory it tends to godliness in this respect, to stir us up to heavenly-mindedness. The Apostle doth divinely force this in the fore-named place,2 Coloss. 3.1. If ye be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above. From our communion with Christ, rising and ascending into Heaven, and sitting there in glory, he forceth heavenly mindedness; that our thoughts should be where our Glory is, where our Head and Husband is: and certainly, there is nothing in the world more strong, to enforce an heavenly mind, then this; to consider where we are, in our Head. Christ, our Head and Husband, is taken up into glory; there is our Inheritance, there are a great many of our fellow brethren, there is our Country, there is our happiness. We are for Heaven, and not for this world: this is but a passage to that glory, that Christ hath taken up for us; and therefore, why should we have our minds grovelling here upon the Earth? Certainly if we have interest in Christ, who is in glory at the right hand of God, it is impossible but our souls will be raised ⟨p. 195⟩to heaven in our affections, before we be there in our bodies. All that are Christians, they are in heaven in their spirit and conversation beforehand; our heavy, dull, earthly souls, being touched by his Spirit, they will ascend up. The Iron, when it is touched with the Lodestone,3 (though it be an heavy body) it ascends up to the Lodestone, it follows it. The Sun it draws up vapours, that are heavy bodies of themselves. Christ, as the Lodestone, being in Heaven, he hath an attractive force to draw us up. There is not the earthliest disposition in the world, if our hearts were as heavy as Iron, if we have communion with Christ, and have our hearts once touched by his Spirit, he will draw us up, though of our selves we be heavy and lumpish. This meditation, that Christ our Head is in glory, and that we are in heaven in him, and that our happiness is there, it will purge and refine us from our earthliness, and draw up our Iron heavy cold hearts.