A17412:761
Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle…
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.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 faithfull and painfull minister of Gods word, Nicolas Byfield. Wherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great varietie of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinitie 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.
1 For the quality of it; What is life? It is but a wind, or breath: God breathed into man the breath of life, as if his life were but his breath, Gen. 2.7. and so it is said; Every thing that had the breath of life, Gen. 6.17. & 7.15.22. My life is a wind, saith Joh, Joh 7.7. What is your life (saith S. James)? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away, Jam. 4.14.
1 For the qualitie of it; What is life? It is but a winde, or breath: God breathed into man the breath of life, as if his life were but his breath, Gen. 2.7. and so it is said; Every thing that had the breath of life, Gen. 6.17. & 7.15.22. My life is a winde, saith Ioh, Ioh 7.7. What is your life (saith S. Iames)? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away, Iam. 4.14.
2 If we consider the short continuance of it. It will vanish away of it self after a while, as we see in that place. It is compared to a Weavers Shuttle; or at the best, every hour of our life, or every action, adds secretly a thread till the web be woven, and then we are cut off. So Hezekiah compares himself to a Weaver in that respect, Isaiah 38.12. Our life is scarce a span long: for to live is but to dye; to begin to live, is to begin to dye; for death takes away time past, and every moment we yield something to death.