A17412:1200
Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Being the last that were preached by the late faithful and painful minister of Gods word, Nicolas Byfield. Wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. Published since the authors death by William Gouge.
London: printed by H. Lownes for George Latham, 1626
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 seventh reason may be taken from the extreme vanity of those things that seem to be felicities in life: all the things in life, that with any colour of reason can be made objects of thy love, are either the people of the world, or the commodities of the world.
The seaventh reason may bee taken from the extreame vanity of those things that seeme to be felicities in life: all the things in life, that with any colour of reason can be made objects of thy love, are either the people of the world, or the commodtties of the world.
Now for the first of these, thou hast no reason to be in love with life, for the people of the world with whom thou livest: for,
11 Amongst all the thousands of men and women thou seest in the world, it may be there is scarce one that loveth thee entirely; scarce one from whom thou mayest enjoy delight or comfort. They are poor things thou canst have from ⟨p. 225⟩the rest, whether they be neighbours or strangers. More then thou givest, thou shalt not receive, unless it be in poor complements, of salutations and ceremonies of life.
11 Amongst all the thousands of men and women thou seest in the world, it may bee there is scarce one that loveth thee entirely; scarce one from whom thou maiest enjoy delight or comfort. They are poore things thou canst have from ⟨p. 225⟩the rest, whether they be neighbours or strangers. More then thou givest, thou shalt not receive, unlesse it be in poore complements, of salutations and ceremonies of life.
2 If thou didst excel in the privilege of being loved by friends, kindred, wife, or children, yet reckon how small a portion of thy life is refreshed from them: there is sometimes more delight in one poor dream, than will be had this way in a long time.
2 If thou didst excell in the priviledge of being loved by friends, kindred, wife, or children, yet reckon how smal a portion of thy life is refreshed from them: there is sometimes more delight in one poore dreame, than will be had this way in a long time.
3 Think of it, what changes and losses thou doest or mayest suffer, if there were any thing worthy thy love in friendship or acquaintance: thy friends may be daily lost, either by the change of their minds from thee, or by distance in habitation, or by death; and the pleasure is had by thy acquaintance, is made not worth the having, either by interruption, or by discord, and taking of offence, or want of power or will to help when thou hast most need.
3 Thinke of it, what changes and losses thou doest or maiest suffer, if there were any thing worthy thy love in friendship or acquaintance: thy friends may be daily lost, either by the change of their mindes from thee, or by distance in habitation, or by death; and the pleasure is had by thy acquaintance, is made not worth the having, either by interruption, or by discord, and taking of offence, or want of power or will to helpe when thou hast most need.
4 Who would not hate life for this very reason which I now give? Let a man consider by experience in all others, how little the world cares for him. If thou wert to dye, what would the world care, or almost any in the world? let it be thy wife, children, neighbours, hearers, dearest friends; yea, thy religious friends, what would any of these care for thy death? Look not at their words, but note it in their deeds. How few will be sorry for thee? or for how short a time? and how soon wilt thou be clean forgotten? or how poor a thing is the greatest memory any man hath when he is dead? Doest thou live to hear this, and yet wilt be so mad as to love life, for the love thou bearest to any other?
4 Who would not hate life for this very reason which I now give? Let a man consider by experience in all others, how little the world cares for him. If thou wert to dye, what would the world care, or almost any in the world? let it bee thy wife, children, neighbours, hearers, dearest friends; yea, thy religious friends, what would any of these care for thy death? Looke not at their words, but note it in their deeds. How few will be sorry for thee? or for how short a time? and how soone wilt thou bee cleane forgotten? or how poore a thing is the greatest memory any man hath when he is dead? Doest thou live to heare this, and yet wilt be so mad as to love life, for the love thou bearest to any other?
5 The evil thou sufferest from the world, is greater than the good thou canst get by it: think of the reproaches, injuries, oppositions, contempts, persecutions, infections thou mayest find from unreasonable men. How many thousand would triumph over thy poor fame, if thy feet do but slip?
5 The evill thou sufferest from the world, is greater than the good thou canst get by it: thinke of the reproaches, injuries, oppositions, contempts, persecutions, infections thou maiest finde from unreasonable men. How many thousand would triumph over thy poore fame, if thy feete doe but slippe?
Lastly the company thou shalt have of Angels, and spirits of just men in another world, should make thee loath all these things in this life; whether thou respect number, or power, or dearness in friends, even in such as must be companions of ⟨p. 226⟩thy life. and therefore for the company that is in the world, thou hast no reason to love life.
Lastly the company thou shalt have of Angells, and spirits of just men in another world, should make thee loath all these things in this life; whether thou respect number, or power, or dearnesse in friends, even in such as must be companions of ⟨p. 226⟩thy life. and therefore for the company that is in the world, thou hast no reason to love life.
The commodities of the world are lands, houses, money, honour, credit, beauty, pleasure, and the like: now men have no cause to be so in love with these, if they consider,
11 How small a portion they have of these. If a man had won the whole world, and the glory of it, yet it were not worth the having if he must lose his own soul: Nay, if it were all had upon the best conditions, yet it would not make a man truly happy; and therefore much less these silly parcels of the world we can attain to, Eccles. 1.3.
11 How small a portion they have of these. If a man had won the whole world, and the glorie of it, yet it were not worth the having if he must lose his owne soule: Nay, if it were all had upon the best conditions, yet it would not make a man truely happy; and therefore much lesse these silly parcells of the world wee can attaine to, Eccles. 1.3.
2 These are all common things; and that in two respects: first, there is nothing new now to be had, which hath not been had heretofore ordinarily. What is now, hath been before, and will be afterwards. Thou canst enjoy no felicity of life, that can be proper to thy self, Eccles. 1.9, 10. & 3.15. And then further, all these things a fool may enjoy as well as a wise man, and a wicked man as well as a godly man. A man shall never know love or hatred by these things; for they fall alike to all sorts of men, Eccles. 2.14.
2 These are all common things; and that in two respects: first, there is nothing new now to be had, which hath not been had heeretofore ordinarily. What is now, hath beene before, and will be afterwards. Thou canst enjoy no felicity of life, that can be proper to thy selfe, Eccles. 1.9, 10. & 3.15. And then further, all these things a fool may enjoy as well as a wise man, and a wicked man as well as a godly man. A man shall never know love or hatred by these things; for they fall alike to all sorts of men, Eccles. 2.14.
3 All things are full of labour, who can utter it? If men do reckon the pains, and care, and unquietness, and weariness they are put to about the getting, or keeping, or using of these things, they would find little cause to love them; especially, considering that unto the use of the most of these is required a daily labour with toil, that men that possess these things, cannot possess themselves, they are so overburdened with the cares and labours of life, Eccles. 1.8.
3 All things are full of labour, who can utter it? If men doe reckon the paines, and care, and unquietnesse, and wearinesse they are put to about the getting, or keeping, or using of these things, they would finde little cause to love them; especially, considering that unto the use of the most of these is required a daily labour with toile, that men that possesse these things, cannot possesse themselves, they are so overburthened with the cares and labours of life, Eccles. 1.8.
4 If a man had never so much of these things, yet they cannot satisfy him; his soul will not be filled with good. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver. Man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain, Eccles 1.9. & 5.10. Psal. 39. A shadow is something in appearance, but nothing in substance, if a man would seek to clasp it, or receive it to himself.
4 If a man had never so much of these things, yet they cannot satisfie him; his soule will not bee filled with good. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare with hearing. Hee that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver. Man walketh in a vaine shadow, and disquieteth himselfe in vain, Eccles 1.9. & 5.10. Psal. 39. A shadow is something in apparance, but nothing in substance, if a man would seeke to claspe it, or receive it to himselfe.
5 All these things are transitory, and uncertain, and mutable. which may be considered of three ways: First, if thou ⟨p. 227⟩love these things, thou art not sure thou canst keep them; they may be lost suddenly and fearfully: for either they may wear out of themselves, or they may be taken from thee; they are liable to vanity in themselves, or to violence from others, Matth. 6.19.20. 1. Pet. 1.24. Secondly, if thou be sure to enjoy them, yet they will be suddenly lost to thee, because thou canst not make thy heart to take delight in the same things still; for, not only the world passeth away, but the lusts thereof also, 1. Job. 2.15. Eccles. 6.1, 7. & 9.3. Thirdly, if neither of these befall thee, yet thou art mortal, thou must be taken from them, and thy life is short like a dream, and passeth away like the wind; and thou art but a stranger and pilgrim here; and thou must carry nothing out of the world; but in all points, as thou camest into the world, so must thou go hence, Psal. 90. Job 7.7. Eccles. 5.13, 14, 15. All flesh is grass, Isaiah 40.6.
5 All these things are transitory, and uncertaine, and mutable. which may be considered of three waies: First, if thou ⟨p. 227⟩love these things, thou art not sure thou canst keepe them; they may be lost suddenly and fearefully: for either they may wear out of themselves, or they may be taken from thee; they are liable to vanitie in themselves, or to violence from others, Matth. 6.19.20.
6 That a man may receive much hurt from them: they may steal away our hearts from God. The amity of the world, is the enmity with God, Jam. 4. They are like pitch to defile: there is a snare and temptation in all of them: they fill mens hearts with foolish & noisome lusts, and a man may damn his soul for too much loving of them, 1. Tim. 6.9. Phi. 3:18. and they may serve to witness against a man at the day of judgment, Jam. 5.1.
6 That a man may receive much hurt from them: they may steale away our hearts from God. The amitie of the world, is the enmity with God, Iam. 4. They are like pitch to defile: there is a snare and temptation in all of them: they fill mens hearts with foolish & noysome lusts, and a man may damne his soule for too much loving of them, 1. Tim. 6.9. Phi. 3:18. and they may serve to witnesse against a man at the day of judgment, Iam. 5.1.
Lastly, consider that there is no comparison between the commodities of this life, and the commodities of the life to come; There are rivers of pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16. ult. There are Crowns of honour and glory, such as will neither be held with envy, nor lost with infamy; there shall men possess enduring substance, Heb. 11. treasures not liable either to vanity or violence, Matth. 6.20. an inheritance immortal and undefiled, and that withereth not, and lieth in heaven, 1. Pet. 1.3.4. Thus of the second doctrine.
Lastly, consider that there is no comparison betweene the commodities of this life, and the commodities of the life to come; There are rivers of pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16. ult. There are Crownes of honour and glorie, such as will neither be held with envie, nor lost with infamie; there shall men possesse enduring substance, Heb. 11. treasures not liable either to vanity or violence, Matth. 6.20. an inheritance immortall and undefiled, and that withereth not, and lieth in heaven, 1. Pet. 1.3.4. Thus of the second doctrine.
