A62050:471
Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an…
Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an exhortation with motives, means and directions to be speedy and serious about the work of conversion. By George Swinnocke M.A. sometime fellow of Balliol College in Oxford, and now preacher of the Gospel at Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire.Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an exhortation with motives, means and directions to be speedy and serious about the work of conversion. By George Swinnocke M.A. sometime fellow of Baliol Colledge in Oxford, and now preacher of the Gospel at Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire.
London: printed by E.M. for Tho. Parkhurst, 1659
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.
Besides, this request of mine should rather encourage thee, in regard this absolute resignation of thy self to Christ, tendeth to the perfection and happiness of thy soul. Thy misery by thy fall is chiefly in this, that thou hast thereby lost the Image of God. Thy want of conformity to him, is the cause why thou hast not communion with him. Beasts do not converse with men, nor trees with beasts, because they do not live the life of each other. Sense must fit trees to converse with beasts, and reason must fit beasts to converse with men, and grace and holiness must fit thee to converse with God. When thou once livest the life of God, as this unreserved soul-resignation or sanctification is called, Ephes. 4.18. thou mayst then bathe thy soul in his love.
Now this is the way to it. The life of Christianity consisteth in an hearty dedication of thy self and all thou hast to Christ. When thou hast done this thou art a Christian indeed.
The excellency of every thing standeth in two things;1 first, the perfection of beauty in which it was made; and the perfection of use for which it was made; now ⟨p. 195⟩the beauty of man consisteth in this, that he was made like unto God, Gen. 1 26. and his end and use is this, that he was made for God; first to serve him, and after to enjoy him; for the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself; therefore to recover the Image of God, which consisteth in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, to work to the service and glory of God, to aspire to the possession and fruition of God, must needs be mans greatest good.