A29687:156
The crown & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered…The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered…
The crown & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered in LVIII sermons from Heb. 12. 14, where you have the necessity, excellency, rarity, beauty and glory of holiness set forth, with the resolution of many weighty questions and cases, also motives and means to perfect holiness : with many other things of very high and great importance to all the sons and daughters of men, that had rather be blessed then cursed, saved then damned / by Thomas Brooks ...The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered in LVIII sermons from Heb. 12. 14, where you have the necessity, excellency, rarity, beauty and glory of holiness set forth, with the resolution of many weighty questions and cases, also motives and means to perfect holiness : with many other things of very high and great importance to all the sons and daughters of men, that had rather be blessed then cursed, saved then damned / by Thomas Brooks ...
London: printed for H. Crips, 1662
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.
Secondly, Fools make no improvement of advantages and §2opportunities that are put into their hands, Prov. 17.16. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, 1seeing he hath no heart to it. It is to no purpose to put a price into the hand, if folly be bound up in the heart: if a man had as much wealth as would buy all the grace, all the peace, all the comforts, and all the wisdom in the world; yet if he hath neither wit nor will to make an improvement of his wealth, what good would his wealth do him? To what purpose is the Market open, and good penny worths ⟨p. 32⟩put into the buyers hands, if the buyer hath neither wisdom nor heart to buy! Unholy persons are such spiritual fools; though they have a price, an opportunity put into their hands, which if improved might make them for ever: yet they have no heart to make an improvement of the means and advantages that might do them good to all eternity.2 Ah what opportunities have unsanctified persons to get changed hearts, renewed natures, purged consciences, reformed lives, to get an interest in Christ, to obtain the favour of God, to procure pardon of sin, to make provision for their immortal souls! But they have no hearts to improve these opportunities, and so by neglecting of them they cut the throat of their own souls: And this will be the worm that will he gnawing of them to all eternity, that they have let slip the opportunities of grace, that they have trifled away the seasons of mercy. Ah Sirs, there is no fool to that fool that hath an opportunity put into his hand to make himself for ever, and yet hath no heart to improve it: The hottest place in hell will be the portion of such fools, Mat. 11.21, 22. The little Be so soon as flowers appear, goes abroad, views the gay Diapery and the diversity of the flowery fields, sucks the sweetest of them, freights her thighs, makes a curious comb, and so betimes hoards up honey in Summer against Winter. And so the little busy Ant in Summer provides food for Winter,