A29369:65
Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons
Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons ... by that learned and judicious divine, Mr. William Bridge ...
London : Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock Senior and Junior ..., 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermons › Sermon 1: OF MANS BLESSEDNESS, OR THE BLESSED MAN.
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.
Obj But though our happiness doth not consist in any of these alone, yet it may be that all these together can make one happy.
Ans. Nay, for put all these things together,1 yea, put all the good things and comforts of this world together, yet they are not sufficient for to make one happy; for take the good things of this world and abstract them from the enjoyment of God and though they be never so many, yet they are dependent things which do depend on another, and can that make you truly happy, which doth depend on another? Take all the blessings and comforts of the world together, and they cannot make a man godly that is ungodly, now can that make you happy which cannot make you good? What is there in the world, take it singly or in society with others, which is free from imperfection, and can that make you perfect which is in it self imperfect? the more that any superior ⟨p. 9⟩thing is mingled with its inferior, the more it is defiled, is not Gold defiled by being mixed with Silver? Is not Silver defiled by being mixed with Brass? Is not Wine defiled by being mixed with water? Is not Wheat defiled by being mixed with Chaff? Now take all the Creatures in the World together and they are inferior to your souls. Surely therefore you may be defiled, but you cannot be made happy or blessed thereby. Yet, Lord, how many are there that say concerning these outward things who will show us any good? why? because they are mistaken in the matter of their happiness.
Ans. Nay, for put all these things together,1 yea, put all the good things and comforts of this world together, yet they are not sufficient for to make one happy; for take the good things of this world and abstract them from the enjoyment of God and though they be never so many, yet they are dependent things which do depend on another, and can that make you truly happy, which doth depend on another? Take all the blessings and comforts of the world together, and they cannot make a man godly that is ungodly, now can that make you happy which cannot make you good? What is there in the world, take it singly or in society with others, which is free from imperfection, and can that make you perfect which is in it self imperfect? the more that any superiour