A29687:174
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.
Thirdly, Such as walk disorderly, that live either without a calling, or idly and negligently in their calling: these make Religion odious, by making Religion a mask for their idleness and laziness, 2 Thes. 3.6. Now we command you, Brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly Now who they are that walk disorderly, you may see in verse 11. For we hear that there ⟨p. 44⟩are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies. Such vagrant Professors that live idly, that will have an ore in every mans boat, a sickle in every mans harvest, a curious eye upon every mans way and work, are to be shut out of the communion of Christians, and to be shunned as a man would shun a Serpent, an ill Air, a contagious disease, or as the Sea-man shuns rocks and sands and shelfs. It was a great vanity in Dionysius that would needs be the best Poet; and in Caligula that would needs be the best Orator; and in Nero that would needs be the best Fiddler; and so became the three worst Princes, minding more other mens business then their own callings; so it is a very great vanity in many professors to mind more other mens business then their own; from the society of such, Saints must withdraw. No man is too Noble to have a calling; if Iron had reason, it would choose rather to be used in Labour then to grow rusty in a corner. By Mahomets Law the Grand Turk himself was to be of some Trade. The hour of Idleness is the hour of temptation; an Idle person is the Devils Tennis-ball tossed by him at his pleasure. God ordained the neck of the consecrated Ass should be broken (Exod. 13.13.) instead of sacrificing him; peradventure because that creature hath ever been the Hieroglyphic of sloth and laziness. Among the Egyptians Idleness was a capital crime.1 Among the Lucans he that lent money to an Idle person, was to lose it. Among the Corinthians Idle persons were delivered to the Carnifex. By Solon's Law Idle persons were to suffer death. The Ancients call Idleness the burial of a living man. And Seneca had rather be sick, then idle. Now shall Nature do more then Grace? Shall poor blind Heathens be so severe against Idle persons; and shall Christians embrace them?