A25294:111
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian…The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian…
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian catechism in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy labourer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian catechisme in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy laborer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...
London: printed by T. Mabb for Thomas Davies, 1659
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.
Reas. 3. There may be observed in all, a certain natural crouching of our selves to things that are below us; and a certain aversion and turning away from those, that are above us, and for which we were made; so that there are few amongst men, that live not more like beasts, stooping naturally to their belly-food, and bowing towards the ground, than according to the nature of man whose body was erected to look up to heaven and seek after God. Now as a crouching in the constitution and fashioning of the body, is a sign of a bodily: sickness; so also this soul crouching of the spirit doth manifestly declare some foul sickness of the spirit.
Reas. 3. There may be observed in all, a certain natural crouching of our selves to things that are below us; and a certain aversion and turning away from those, that are above us, and for which we were made; so that there are few amongst men, that live not more like beasts, stooping naturally to their belly-food, and bowing towards the ground, than according to the nature of man whose body was erected to look up to heaven and seek after God. Now as a crouching in the constitution and fashioning of the body, is a sign of a bodily: sicknesse; so also this soul crouching of the spirit doth manifestly declare some foul sickness of the spirit.
Reas. 4. There appears manifestly in all men, a certain insensibleness from nature it self, in discerning of things truly good, and truly evil; howbeit there is a far greater sweetness in true spiritual good things, than in corporal; and a far greater bitterness and sourness in spiritual, than in carnal evils: Now this insensibleness and spiritual blockishness is a manifest defect, and vice cleaving to us from our very original, even as the want of any outward sense is a great defect and fault of the body.
Reas. 4. There appears manifestly in all men, a certain insensibleness from nature it self, in discerning of things truly good, and truly evill; howbeit there is a far greater sweetness in true spiritual good things, than in corporall; and a far greater bitterness and sowreness in spiritual, than in carnall evils: Now this insensibleness and spiritual blockishnes is a manifest defect, and vice cleaving to us from our very original, even as the want of any outward sense is a great defect and fault of the body.