A12203:92
The spiritual-mans aim guiding a Christian in his affections and actions, through the sundry…The spirituall-mans aime guiding a Christian in his affections and actions, through the sundry…
The spiritual-mans aim guiding a Christian in his affections and actions, through the sundry passages of this life, so that Gods glory, and his own salvation may be the main end of all / by the faithful and reverend divine, R. Sibbes ... ; published by T.G. and P.N.The spirituall-mans aime guiding a Christian in his affections and actions, through the sundry passages of this life, so that Gods glory, and his owne salvation may be the maine end of all / by the faithfull and reverend divine, R. Sibbes ... ; published by T.G. and P.N.
London: printed by John Norton for John Rothwell, 1637London: printed by Iohn Norton for Iohn Rothwell, 1637
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.
Learn to conceive aright of the things of this life,1 that there is no realty in them to speak of. They have a kind of realty: Riches are in some sort riches: and Beauty is in some sort Beauty: and Nobility is in some sort Nobility and so Possessions are in some sort Possessions. But all this is but a Pageant as it were, as a man that acts in a Pageant, or in a Play, he is in some sort a King, or a Beggar for the time: But we value him not as he is then, but as he is when he is off the Stage. And while we live here, we act the part, some of a Rich-man, some of a Nobleman, some of a Beggar or ⟨p. 54⟩poor man, all is but an acting of a part. And there is a less proportion between the acting of a part in this life, than there is between our life and eternity. All is but the acting of a part. We are not rich in the grave more than others. The King is as poor in the Grave, as the base Peasant, his Riches follow him not. The worm and the grave know no difference, when we go to that house there is no difference: all acting, and all differences end in the Grave. And therefore considering, that this world is but an Apparition, but the acting of a part, why should we think our selves the better for any thing here? Doth he that acts the part of a Nobleman upon the Stage think himself better than another, that ⟨p. 55⟩acts the part of a Poor man? No. He knows he shall go off in short time, and then he shall be as he was before: why are we not thus wise in better things: It is not he that acts; the greatest part, but he that acts well, he that acts the part of a poor man may be better than he that acts the part of a rich man: it is not the greatness of the part, but the well acting of it: all is but an Apparition. If a mean man honour God in his condition, and be faithful in a mean estate, he is a thousand times better then a great man that makes his greatness an instrument of injustice, as if all the world were to serve his turn, and to make men Idolize him, such a man is a wretched man, and will be when he is turned off, the Stage. It is no matter ⟨p. 56⟩how long he hath lived, or how great a part he hath Acted, but how well. We value not men as they are when they are acting, but as they are after. If they were bad before, they are bad after: and they are praised after, if they do it well.