This ensuing Sermon was ordered by you to be printed, it hath stuck long in the birth, by reason of multitude of intervening impediments: Now at last it is come into the world, and is 1here humbly presented to you, as an expression of that respect and service which I acknowledge to be due, and shall ever be ready to pay. The subject matter of it is to discover and Anatomize that ugly and deformed Monster of sinful self-seeking, and •o show the sinfulness and cursedness of it. There are two Cities (saith Austin) The City of God, and the City of the Devil: The City of God is begun and built up by the love of God, and increaseth, even to the hatred of our selves; but the City of the Devil, begins from the love of our selves, and increaseth, even to the hatred of God, by the contempt of our brethren; for he that hateth and contemneth his brother, will in a little while hate and contemn God. It cannot be denied, (no not by one made up of Charity) that there are many Citizens of this City of the Devil. Many who instead of loving God, to the contempt of themselves, love themselves to the contempt of ⟨image 4⟩God: Many who seek their own, and not the things of Jesus Christ', or which is as bad, if not worse, who seek their own, under the hypocritical pretence of seeking the things of Christ. It is reported of Cnidius a great Architectist, who building a sumptuous Watch-Tower for the King of Egypt (to discover the dangerous rocks by night to his Mariners) caused his own name to be engraved upon a stone in the wall in great letters, and afterwards covered it with Lime and Mortar, and upon the outside wrote the name of the King of Egypt in Golden Characters, as pretending that all was done for his glory and honour: But herein was his cunning, he knew that the water in a little time would consume the plastering (as it did) and then his name and memory should abide & continue to after Generations. There are many such in this Nation, who in their outward discourse and carriage, pretend to seek only the glory of God, the good of his Church, and the happiness of the State. But if we had a window to look into their hearts, we should find nothing there written, but self-love and self-seeking. My care hath been in the following discourse, to set out the greatness and grievousness of this sin, and how destructive it is both to Church and Common-wealth.
THis ensuing Sermon was ordered by you to be printed, it hath stuck long in the birth, by reason of multitude of intervening impediments: Now at last it is come into the world, and is 1here humbly presented to you, as an expression of that respect and service which I acknowledge to be due, and shall ever be ready to pay. The subject matter of it is to discover and Anatomize that ugly and deformed Monster of sinfull selfe-seeking, and •o shew the sinfulnesse and cursednesse of it. There are two Cities (saith Austin) The City of God, and the City of the Devill: The City of God is begun and built up by the love of God, and increaseth, even to the hatred of our selves; but the City of the Devill, begins from the love of our selves, and increaseth, even to the hatred of God, by the contempt of our brethren; for he that hateth and contemneth his brother, will in a litle while hate and contemne God. It cannot be denied, (no not by one made up of Charity) that there are many Citizens of this City of the Devill. Many who instead of loving God, to the contempt of themselves, love themselves to the contempt of ⟨image 4⟩God: Many who seek their owne, and not the things of Jesus Christ', or which is as bad, if not worse, who seek their owne, under the hpocriticall pretence of seeking the things of Christ. It is reported of Cnidius a great Architectist, who building a sumptuous Watch-Tower for the King of Egypt (to discover the dangerous rocks by night to his Marriners) caused his owne name to be engrav'd upon a stone in the wall in great letters, and afterwards covered it with Lime and Morter, and upon the outside wrote the name of the King of Egypt in Golden Characters, as pretending that all was done for his glory and honour: But herein was his cunning, he knew that the water in a little time would consume the plaistering (as it did) and then his name and memory should abide & continue to after Generations. There are many such in this Nation, who in their outward discourse and carriage, pretend to seek onely the glory of God, the good of his Church, and the happinesse of the State. But if we had a window to look into their hearts, we should finde nothing there written, but selfe-love and selfe-seeking. My care hath been in the following discourse, to set out the greatnesse and grievousnesse of this sinne, and how destructive it is both to Church and Common-wealth.
- 1Civitas Dei incipit et construitur ex amore Dei, et crescit ad odium suiipfius. Civitas vero Diaboli incipit ab amore sui, et crescit usque ad odium Dei per contemptum proximorum. Qui enim proximū odit, et contemnit, mox etiam Deum odio babebit, et contemnit. Aug de Civ. Dei, lib. 1.Civitas Dei incipit et construitur ex amore Dei, et crescit ad odium suiipfius. Civitas vero Diaboli incipit ab amore sui, et crescit usque ad odium Dei per contemptum proximorum. Qui enim proximū odit, et contemnit, mox etiam Deum odio babebit, et contemnit. Aug de Civ. Dei, lib. 1.
