A12191:89
The riches of mercy In two treatisesThe riches of mercie In two treatises
The riches of mercy In two treatises: 1 Lydia's conversion. 2. A rescue from death. By the late learned, and reverend divine, Richard Sibbs, Doctor in Divinity. Published by the authors own appointment, and subscribed with his own hand to prevent imperfect copies.The riches of mercie In two treatises: 1 Lydia's conversion. 2. A rescue from death. By the late learned, and reverend divine, Richard Sibbs, Doctor in Divinitie. Published by the authors own appointment, and subscribed with his owne hand to prevent imperfect copies.
London: printed by John for Francis Eglesfeild, 1638London: printed by Iohn for Francis Eglesfeild, 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.
Then again, if we would attend, when we have heard the word of God,3 let us labour by all means to bring it near to us; that it may be an ingrafted ⟨p. 61⟩Word, that the soul may be leavened by it, that it may be so ingrafted in the understanding, and affections that we may think the better, in the virtue of it, and love, and speak, and do the better as a Sience savours of the pla•• it is put into. Let us labour that the word of God may be written in our souls in the tables of our hearts: that the truth of God may be near us, as any temptation shall be near us, or any corruption near us. What is the reason we yield to corruptions and temptations? They are near, and the Word is ⟨p. 62⟩far off, We never attended to the Word to bring it near home. If the word were as near as corruptions, and temptations, that it were ingrafted, and in vested into the soul, we should have the word ready for every temptation: there should not •e a temptation offered, nor a corruption arise, but we should subdue it, and beat it down with the blessed truth of God, accompanied with the spirit. Let us labour to get it near us; that the reasons of the word and our reason, that the judgment of God, and our judgement, that the will of God, & our own will ⟨p. 63⟩may be all one: and so to have it incorporated, and naturalized into our hearts, that we may speak and think, and do nothing but that which is Divine: that is, to have the word written in our hearts, our attention should be to that end. Therefore when we hear, we should do as nature doth with the meat we eat, it sucks out a strength suitable for every part, every part hath a power to draw out nourishment what is suitable to it self: so when we hear the word of God, we should be able to say this is good for such, and ⟨p. 64⟩such an end, and never leave thinking of the word of God when we have heard it, till we have turned the word into our souls, till we have it fixed in our understandings, that we can say, Now I know it; till we have subdued our hearts to it, and we be moulded, and delivered up to it, that we can say, Now I have it; now the word is mine. Let us never leave the truth we hear till we be brought to that: alas to what purpose is it to hear except we make it our own, as nature makes the meat our own that we eat!