A55752:685
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...
London: printed by J.T., 1658
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.
The Apostle in this place as you may see intends to describe the diseases of the latter times, which are the times into which we are fallen. And you may see in the former part of the Chapter how many the diseases of the soul are: so that the diseases of the body, as many as they are, do hardly exceed the diseases of the inward man. He tells them that in the latter times there should be men that should be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God. And then he puts this as the last of all, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
The Apostle in this place as you may see intends to describe the diseases of the latter times, which are the times into which we are fallen. And you may see in the former part of the Chapter how many the diseases of the soul are: so that the diseases of the body, as many as they are, do hardly exceed the diseases of the inward man. He tells them that in the latter times there should be men that should be lovers of themselves, coveteous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusars, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traytors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God. And then he puts this as the last of all, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
There is something in that why he puts it down last: for when men hear themselves accused of all those things formerly named by the Apostle, perhaps they will be ready to answer, We hope we are not so bad, I hope we serve God, I hope we are worshippers of God as well as others, I hope we are not Atheists. Saith the Apostle, deceive not your selves in that. I deny not saith he, but that notwithstanding all these diseases which are all mortal diseases, you may yet have a form of godliness, but it is such a form as is disjoined from the power of it: therefore even that he puts among the rest, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.