A55754:402
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.
Thirdly, pray, and furnish your selves with all the graces of the spirit: not only go about things, but maintain a stock, fill the cistern every day within, whet and point the graces of God in you; for the inward man every day is subject to decay, as well as the outward man: and do not take aim at your selves, or at your strength, when you are in a good mood, or by the present temper; for it vanishes if there be not a supply from day to day from grace within, if you do not whet your souls every day.
Thirdly, pray, and furnish your selves with all the graces of the spirit: not only goe about things, but maintaine a stock, fill the cisterne every day within, whet and point the graces of God in you; for the inward man every day is subject to decay, as well as the outward man: and doe not take ayme at your selves, or at your strength, when you are in a good mood, or by the present temper; for it vanishes if there be not a supply from day to day from grace within, if you doe not whet your soules every day.
Fourthly and lastly, if this be true, that many 1are partakers of the form that have not the power of godliness; that when we come to look on the faces of our Churches, we find the form in many: but if we come unto their dealings and carriages in private, ye shall scarce find the power (it's as rare, as the other is frequent;) in their profession indeed there is a form, but yet ye shall find religious servants as idle as others, and wives as stubborn as others, husbands and masters as like Lyons in their families, and as false in their dealings as others: if this be true (I say) as it is too true, then be not deceived, God is not mocked, but try and examine your selves herein; for the Kingdom of God consists not in word but in power: the Lord will not judge you according to your intentions and purposes, but according to your works; and it's not he that saith, Lord, Lord, shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father, &c. Be not then children ⟨p. 18⟩in understanding for to take counters for gold, lay not out your money for counterfeit things, be not fools to take pains, and yet not have your turns served. Let me speak unto you as James doth, If you say ye have faith, and not works, can your faith save you? I say, if you have the form of godliness, and not the power, will that save you? if you would not be deceived then, examine your selves.