A29372:501
Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London
Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by William Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by Willam Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1668
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermon 5: The uncertainty of the world, should take off our Hearts from the Love of it.
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.
How can we be strangers here: 'tis said of Abraham, by Faith, he was a stranger in the Land of Promise: A stranger in the Land of Promise, certainly if a man would let out his heart upon any Land, a ⟨p. 139⟩good man would let out his heart to the utmost upon the Land of Promise. What, the Land of Promise, and yet a stranger to it: Yes, though it were the Land of Promise, yet a stranger to it.
How can we be strangers here: 'tis said of Abraham, by Faith, he was a stranger in the Land of Promise: A stranger in the Land of Promise, certainly if a man would let out his heart •pon any Land, a ⟨p. 139⟩good man would let out his heart to the utmost upon the Land of Promise. What, the Land of Promise, and yet a stranger to it: Yes, though it were the Land of Promise, yet a stranger to it.
How can a man be patient in the loss of things; If he be not weaned from them while he hath them. Surely Job was weaned from what he had, by being so patient under his loss.
And if that good men have other greater things and possessions for to mind, and they cannot intensively mind both: why then a man must surely so possess, as if he possessed not. Why now a good man hath higher and greater possessions to mind, and inheritance Incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in the Heavens: And both he cannot mind together, but he must love the one and hate the other. The intention about the one, must be remissness about the other. Then surely it is our duty to use the World as if we used it not, in reference unto this concernment; namely, this concernment of our possessions. And so you see the thing now cleared by these four instances: We are to use the World as if we used it not; In the matter of our Relations; In the matter of our griefs; In the matter of our Joys; And in the matter of our possessions.