A17412:812
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.
For the third,1 there is great difference between the company with whom we live here, and those with whom we shall live there; and that in seven things. As first, in the sorts of peoples: Here our life is made grievous by the evil ones, that either molest us with their oppositions, or grieve us with their wickedness, or infect us with their evil examples: but there shall be no wicked ones, no Devils to tempt us, no devilish men to slander us, or persecute us, no abominable persons, either to grieve or pollute us: All these enemies shall ⟨p. 152⟩be cast into the Lake of fire, Revel. 21.8. & 20.4. & 22.14. we shall never be troubled with them more; and the people there are all righteous, Isaiah 60.23. Secondly, in the dignity of the friends we shall find in heaven. They are usually but mean persons we must sort withal here, but there they are such as exceed all the glory of this world; our friends and companions shall be glorious Angels, and blessed Patriarchs, and Kings, and Prophets, and Apostles, and the Martyrs of Jesus; and in general, all wear Crowns of glory. Thirdly, in respect of the number of our friends: Here we have scarce one friend we have reason much to admire, or can safely rely upon, there we shall have an innumerable company of Angels, of the spirits of just men, a huge congregation of the first borne, even the general assembly of all Gods elect, Heb. 12. 22, 23. Fourthly, in respect of disposition, both theirs and our own: Here our life with our friends is made often grievous, by reason of envy, suspicion, offence, passion, pride, forgetfulness, and private discords; or our own indisposition at sometimes to take delight in the presence of our friends: but in heaven, the spirits of just men are made perfect, Heb. 12.23. and charity will be inflamed on all hands, to perform exactly all those properties mentioned,