A55752:686
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.
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.
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 Athiests. 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 godlinesse, but it is such a form as is disjoyned from the power of it: therefore even that he puts among the rest, having a form of godlinesse, but denying the power thereof.
It is true, this form is good, his meaning is not to reject that; for wheresoever there is the power of godliness there is also the form; that you must take for granted, it is impossible that they should be disjoined. Wheresoever there is true gold, there will be a yellowness, there will be all the qualities of gold: though many times you have counterfeit pieces, that carry the colour having not the ⟨p. 233⟩true qualities of the metal. So here the Apostles intent is not to reject the form: but all the scope of the Apostle, and the main matter which he drives at is, that men should not have the form without the power, and life, having a form of godliness, but have denied the power thereof.
It is true, this form is good, his meaning is not to reject that; for wheresoever there is the power of godliness there is also the form; that you must take for granted, it is impossible that they should be disjoyned. Wheresoever there is true gold, there will be a yellownesse, there will be all the qualities of gold: though many times you have counterfeit pieces, that carry the colour having not the