A55752:706
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.
First, there is this reason for it, because the Lord loves 1nothing but that which is like himself; as indeed no man doth, nor no creature. No man loves any thing but that which hath a likeness, a consimilitude with something within himself. For all love you know comes from similitude, all delight comes from likeness.
- 1Reas. 1. Godliness only is like to God.
Therefore the things that have no similitude with us, we neither love nor delight in them. Now therefore when God looks upon man, and sees his own Image upon him; when he sees that stamp upon a man, he loves it, and delights in it, for it is like himself. But now whatsoever is from nature, whatsoever is but moral virtues, it is but from the earth, and is earthly, it is but from the flesh, and it is fleshly. But that which is supernatural, that which is infused into us from God, that Image of his which is stamped upon us, is from Heaven, and is heavenly; it is from the Spirit, and it is spiritual. Now God that is a Spirit, and is holy, he loves that which is spiritual and holy, he loves his own Image wheresoever he finds it. Now godliness is only heavenly; for all other beauties that seem so gaudy to us, are but from the earth, and are the beauty of the flesh, therefore the Lord delights not in them: the Lord loves ⟨p. 239⟩it not with the love of complacency, so as to be well pleased with it. That is one reason.
Therefore the things that have no similitude with us, we neither love nor delight in them. Now therefore when God looks upon man, and sees his own Image upon him; when he sees that stamp upon a man, he loves it, and delights in it, for it is like himself. But now whatsoever is from nature, whatsoever is but moral vertues, it is but from the earth, and is earthly, it is but from the flesh, and it is fleshly. But that which is supernatural, that which is infused into us from God, that Image of his which is stamped upon us, is from Heaven, and is heavenly; it is from the Spirit, and it is spiritual. Now God that is a Spirit, and is holy, he loves that which is spiritual and holy, he loves his own Image wheresoever he finds it. Now godliness is onely heavenly; for all other beauties that seem so gaudy to us, are but from the earth, and are the beauty of the flesh, therefore the Lord delights not in them: the Lord loves