A55754:376
Sun-beams of gospel-light shining clearly from several texts of Scripture, opened and applied. 1.…Sun-beams of gospel-light shining clearly from severall texts of Scripture, opened and applyed. 1.…
Sun-beams of gospel-light shining clearly from several texts of Scripture, opened and applied. 1. A heavenly [sic] treatise of the divine love of Christ. 2. The Christians freedom. 3. The deformed form of a formal profession. 4. Christs fullness, and mans emptiness. By John Preston, doctor in divinity, chaplain in ordinary to King James, Mr. of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Lincolns Inn.Sun-beams of gospel-light shining clearly from severall texts of Scripture, opened and applyed. 1. A heavemly [sic] treatise of the devine love of Christ. 2. The Christians freedome. 3. The deformed forme of a formall profession. 4. Christs fulnesse, and mans emptinesse. By John Preston, doctor in divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to King James, Mr. of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed for John Stafford, 1644
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.
For the first, that you may the better conceive what Godliness is, I will first show you what it is not.
For the first, that you may the better conceive what Godlinesse is, I will first shew you what it is not.
First then, it is not bare nature; but that godliness 1which God requireth of all men, is more then so. God indeed hath commanded nature, yea even corrupt nature, to bring forth many fruits of godliness; as much abstinence from pleasure, much patience, much temperance, and such like, which are all very beautiful in their own Spheres; but because they come not from God, nor his Spirit of sanctification, or because they have no respect of God, therefore they are not godliness, neither doth God regard them.
First then, it is not bare nature; but that godlinesse 1which God requireth of all men, is more then so. God indeed hath commanded nature, yea even corrupt nature, to bring forth many fruits of godlinesse; as much abstinence from pleasure, much patience, much temperance, and such like, which are all very beautifull in their owne Spheres; but because they come not from God, nor his Spirit of sanctification, or because they have no respect of God, therefore they are not godlinesse, neither doth God regard them.
- 1What godliness is not.What godlinesse is not.
Secondly, it is not the act of religion proceeding from self-love, though offered to God, in regard that men see that God is the governor of the world, that he hath the keys of heaven and earth, and men may do much to God for such respects,