A55754:441
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
Christ's Fullness, and Man's Emptiness, &c.Christ's Fulnesse, and Man's Emptinesse, &c.
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, If there be a Fullness in Christ, we should answer it with fullness of affection on our parts, fully believe and trust in him, fully love and adore him, fully delight in him, for it is reason the affection should be answerable to the Object. A little excellency desires little love and esteem; more excellency more love, but where there is a fullness of all excellencies, that we should prosecute with fullness of all our affections. All the excellency in the Creature in comparison of this, is but as a drop to the Ocean, and a spark to the whole Element of fire. Therefore if we proportion our affections to the object, which ought to be the Rule and square of them, we should bestow on the Creature but a drop of love and delight, but the full stream of our affections should be carried to him, in whom is the fullness of all perfection. It is true indeed, that as men hide treasure from thieves under straw or baser covering, so God hides this full excellency from the world under a base outside, that his secret ones only might find it out, and others seeing, might not see, but stumble at it. Thus he hid Christ himself under a Carpenters son, so he hides Divine Mysteries under the mean Elements of Bread and Wine, so the wisdom of God is hidden under the foolishness of preaching: and under Sheep-skins and Goat-skins, as the Apostle speaks, were hidden; and such as the world is not worthy of, yet there is such a fullness of excellency notwithstanding: for if ever we saw ⟨p. 6⟩beauty in Sun, Moon, Stars, men, women, &c. Or if ever we found delight in music, meats, drinks, friends, &c. All must needs be more abundantly in God, who is the Author, Maker, & giver of all these; As Solomon reasons; He that made the eye, shall not he see, so he that made all these things, shall he not have them eminently in himself, for as the worth of many pieces of silver is comprised in one piece of gold, so all the petty excellencies which are scattered abroad in the Creatures, are all united in God, yea the whole volume of perfections, which is spread through heaven and earth, is epitomized in him; Why do we not then with Paul, trample upon the Pomp and Glory of the world, for the excellent knowledge of Christ? Why do we not with David, turn away our eyes, hearts, and affections from beholding vanity, and pitch them all on him?
Secondly, If there be a Fulnes in Christ, we should answer it with fulnes of affection on our parts, fully beleeve and trust in him, fully love and adore him, fully delight in him, for it is reason the affection should be answerable to the Object. A little excellency desires little love and esteeme; more excellency more love, but wher there is a fulnesse of al excellencies, that we shold procecute with fulnes of all our affections. All the excellency in the Creature in comparison of this, is but as a drop to the Ocean, and a sparke to the whole Element of fire. Therefore if we proportion our affections to the object, which ought to be the Rule and square of them, we should bestow on the Creature but a drop of love and delight, but the full streame of our affections should be carried to him, in whom is the fullnesse of all perfection. It is true indeed, that as men hide treasure from theeves under straw or baser covering, so God hides this ful excellencie from the world under a base outside, that his secret ones only might find it out, and others seeing, might not see, but stumble at it. Thus he hid Christ himselfe under a Carpenters sonne, so hee hides Divine Misteries under the meane Elements of Bread and Wine, so the wisedom of God is hidden under the foolishnesse of preaching: and under Sheep-skins and Goat-skins, as the Apostle speakes, were hidden; and such as the world is not worthy of, yet there is such a fulnes of excellency notwithstanding: for if ever wee saw