A85953:714
Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of…
Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of Christ. And, 3 The Excellency of mans immortal soul. By Jeremiah Burroughs, late preacher of the gospel at Stepney, and Giles-Cripple-gate, London. Published by William Greenhill. William Bridge. Philip Nigh. John Yates. Matthew Mead. William Adderly.Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of Christ. And, 3 The Excellency of mans immortal soul. By Jeremiah Burroughs, late preacher of the gospel at Stepney, and Giles-Cripple-gate, London. Published by William Greenhill. William Bridge. Philip Nye. John Yates. Matthew Mead. William Adderly.
London: printed for Nath. Brook, 1660
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Treatise 3 › Sermon 9: The Ninth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul.
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.
Twelfthly, Whosoever would have their souls saved, let them take this course, account the preciousness of the time of your lives to consist in this, that it is a day of salvation; account it therefore a mercy of God that your lives are continued upon this reason, not because you may get great estates, and live and have your pleasures and delights, but because God hath appointed the time of mans life here in this world, to be the time to provide for his eternity; few men and women in the world know how to judge aright of the preciousness of their time, the time of their lives; and that man or woman that comes to know aright how to judge of the preciousness of this time of life, and of what doth depend upon it, such a one is in a good forwardness to salvation.
Twelfthly, Whosoever would have their souls saved, let them take this course, account the preciousness of the time of your lives to consist in this, that it is a day of salvation; account it therefore a mercy of God that your lives are continued upon this reason, not because you may get great estates, and live and have your pleasures and delights, but because God hath appointed the time of mans life here in this world, to bee the time to provide for his eternity; few men and women in the world know how to judge aright of the preciousness of their time, the time of their lives; and that man or woman that comes to know aright how to judge of the preciousness of this time of life, and of what doth depend upon it, such a one is in a good forwardness to salvation.
Thirteenthly, The last thing that I shall Name is this, be sure to go with those that go in the safest way, and the straightest way; many of you, you question about many things that others do, whether they need do so or no; why can none be saved but those that do so? but I appeal to your consciences, do not you think the strictest way of godliness is the ⟨p. 338⟩safest way for salvation? now, if it be the safest, if you did but understand the infinite consequence of the salvation of your souls, there need be no other Argument to persuade you to any strict way of godliness, but this; whatever it be, whether absolutely necessary, or no, I am sure it is the safest way; and I am sure there was never yet any upon his sick-bed that did repent him that he was too strict and too precise, but I have known many that have repented them of being too loose, and too careless: Now in a matter that is of great consequence, you will be sure to take the safest way: If there be any people in the world that walk so as your consciences tell you they are in a more strict way than others, more holy, more close to God, more self-denying, more faithful, it doth concern you to inquire after those, and to walk after those, and join with them; surely those that go on in the safest way for the salvation of their souls, those I will make a pattern to me; I will not look what the common course of the world, and the generality of the world doth; The Scripture tells us that There are but few that shall be saved; And therefore the fewness of men shall never discourage me; be they never so few, be they never so mean, If I am persuaded in my conscience it is the safest way, that is the way that I will walk in, and surely it is the way for the soul to have comfort at the great day, when it shall appear before the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. I beseech you consider of this, if you were all now to appear before Jesus Christ, to have your eternal estates determined of, in what mens conditions would you wish your selves to be in? if it might be at your liberty, and Christ should say, now I am to pass the sentence of eternity upon you for your salvation or damnation; now what kind of mens estates would you wish your selves to be in? who would you rather be like unto?