A17384:2318
A commentary
A commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
The first question then is, What should we do ⟨p. 527⟩that we might conceive more gloriously of God? For answer hereunto, we must look to our hearts in divers particulars: for, that we may conceive of God according to his excellency, we must proceed by these degrees.
The first question then is, What should we doe ⟨p. 527⟩that we might conceiue more gloriously of God? For answer hereunto, we must looke to our hearts in diuers particulars: for, that wee may conceiue of God according to his excellency, we must proceed by these degrees.
1. We must strive to bring God into our minds:1 for naturally we live without God: and we may observe, that at the best we are wonderful prone to forget God: and therefore we must learn how to bring our hearts to the meditation of God. For not to think of God, or forget him, is a grievous offence, aswell as to think of him after a base manner. 2. It is not enough to bring God into our thoughts, but we must then be wonderful careful, that we bring not in an Idol of our own forming in stead of God: we must learn how to think of God as he is described to us in his Word: for fearful Idolatry may be committed in the heart of a man, as well as in his outward adoration; and therefore we must learn soundly to conceive aright of the nature of God. 3. When we have God there in his own likeness, we must enlarge his room in our hearts: For the true knowledge of God comes in but by sparkles; and God will be magnified. We must make him great, and enlarge the thoughts of God when we conceive of him. This is that, that is so often required in Scripture, under the term of magnifying God. 4. When we have attained to this, to think of God, with an ability to make him great in our ⟨p. 528⟩