A55752:763
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.
Secondly, the second way, taken from the word here 1we find, it is powerful, whereas the form is weak, and powerless, and inefficacious, having a form of godliness (saith the Apostle) but denying the power. So that if you would know whether it be right godliness indeed that you have, consider whether it have the power of godliness or no, whether it be strong in you; for if it be weak and inefficacious, that it is able to do little, certainly it is not godliness. And therefore you may know it by the strength of it, it is powerful. As you may see by all that which makes up godliness. The Word of God is a powerful Word, that Word that begets this godliness. Therefore the Apostle saith, 1 Thess. 1. 5. The Gospel 2came to you not in word, but in power. And St. Paul speaking of it in another place, he saith, It is the power of God to salvation. I say it is a powerful Word that doth the thing for which it is sent; It hath such a power to heal the soul of a man that is sick to death. As we say of Medicines, that they are good when they are powerful, to do the thing that they are applied for. So this Word is powerful to work this change, to beget godliness.
Secondly, the second way, taken from the word here 1we find, it is powerful, whereas the form is weak, and powerless, and inefficatious, having a form of godliness (saith the Apostle) but denying the power. So that if you would know whether it be right godliness indeed that you have, consider whether it have the power of godliness or no, whether it be strong in you; for if it be weak and inefficatious, that it is able to do little, certainly it is not godliness. And therefore you may know it by the strength of it, it is powerful. As you may see by all that which makes up godliness. The Word of God is a powerful Word, that Word that begets this godliness. Therefore the Apostle saith, 1 Thess. 1. 5. The Gospel 2came to you not in word, but in power. And St. Paul speaking of it in another place, he saith, It is the power of God to salvation. I say it is a powerful Word that doth the thing for which it is sent; It hath such a power to heal the soul of a man that is sick to death. As we say of Medicines, that they are good when they are powerful, to do the thing that they are applied for. So this Word is powerful to work this change, to beget godliness.