Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
conscience_n evil_a good_a note_n 1,054 5 9.3782 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A17412 Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Being the last that were preached by the late faithfull and painfull minister of Gods word, Nicolas Byfield. Wherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great varietie of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinitie largely discussed. Published since the authors death by William Gouge. Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653. 1626 (1626) STC 4235; ESTC S107153 186,240 252

There are 5 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

overmuch at the monstrous abominations in opinion or life that are found amongst the wicked of the world and in false Churches A second Doctrine I observe from hence is That we ought to be rightly ordered in our minds as well as any other part of our soules or lives Yea the minde is to bee looked to in the first place Hence it is that in our regeneration our minds are especially renewed Rom. 12.2 and God requires to bee served with our mindes Mat. 22.37 Yea as God is an eternall minde so the service of the minde is most proper for God And besides our mindes give lawes to our lives and therefore if the minde be not good the life must needs bee evill The happinesse of the whole man depends upon the minde and therefore the Apostle reckons the impurity of the minde and conscience to be the worst impurity can befall a man Tit. 1.15 and the same Apostle makes it a signe of a man whose end is damnation to have his mind taken up and wholly bent to earthly things Phil. 3.19 This point may serve first to shew the wofull estate of such persons as have ill and unsound mindes And the minde is unsound when it is corrupt or putrified with ill opinions concerning either faith or manners 2. Tim. 3.8 1. Cor. 11.3 and when it is blinded with ignorance 2. Cor. 4.4 ● for without knowledge the minde cannot bee good Prov. 19.2 and it is a divellish mischiefe to have darkenesse in our mindes as that place in the Corinth shewes The minde is also unfound and in wofull taking when it is taken up with vile thoughts and contemplative wickednesse Rom. 1.21 Eph. 4.17 and when men have double minds Iam. 4.7 or wavering minds Iam. 1.7 And therefore one of the highest curses God inflicts upon men with whom he is angry is to plague them in their mindes either with a reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 or with a desperate minde Secondly this Doctrine shewes what harmefull creatures deceivers of mindes are they doe more mischiefe than such as deceive men in their estates or poyson mens bodies Tit. 1.10 Thirdly this should teach all carefull Christians to gird up the loynes of their mindes 1. Pet. 1.13 and to labour to get a sound minde 2. Tim. 1.7 and in particular to get the unity of minde which the Apostle here requires And so I come to the third point The third Doctrine then which I observe out of these words is That all true Christians are bound in a speciall manner to strive to be all of one minde which in this place is meant of unity and agreement in judgment and matter of beliefe in the points of Religion This is urged in divers Scriptures as 1. Cor. 1.10 2. Cor. 13.11 Phil. 2.2 Rom. 15. 5. and this was the great glory of the first christian Church that all the multitude were of one heart and one soule Act. 4. 32. There are many reasons to perswade us hereunto 1 From the nature of this agreement It is as it were one of the bonds of the mysticall union for though it bee not the principall one for that is the Spirit of Christ yet it is a speciall one it is like the veines and sinewes which tye the bodie together to breake this unity is to cut asunder the very veines and sinewes of the mysticall body of Christ 1. Cor. 1.10 2 From the equity and comelinesse of it Wee have but one God one Father one Baptisme one Spirit one Hope and therefore should have but one Faith Eph. 4.4.3.5 3 From the good effects of this unity for first it will make us the fitter to praise God and doe him service with the greater encouragement and comfort as wee may see Rom. 15.5 Secondly it will make us ever eate our meat with more gladnesse and singlenesse and quietnesse of heart Act. 2.46 Thirdly it will winne us the more favour and honour amongst the people as we reade in the example of those first Christians Act. 2.47 yea in the end of that verse we may gather that it is a great advantage for the conversion of others when they see us agree so well together and further it will be a singular joy to our Teachers to see us agree and to be all of one minde and to serve God with one shoulder as the Prophet Zephany speaketh Phil. 2.2 yea it wil be a signe to us that we are true Christians and have found true comfort in Christ and in brotherly love and that we have fellowship by the Spirit in the body of Christ and that we have right bowels and mercie unto others Phil. 2.1 2. 4 From the ill effects of dissenting Two of them may be gathered from the coherence in this place for first it is implyed That if Christians agree not in opinions they will hardly practise the foure other vertues here named towards the persons with whom they dissent they will not love them as brethren heartily nor be so pittifull to them in distresse nor so mercifull to helpe them if they be in need nor so courteous and kinde to them Secondly if this first rule be transgressed it is verie probable they will bring trouble upon themselves and that eyther in their consciences or in their estates It may be observed that all the while a man is in contention about his diverse or strange opinions in which he dissents he is not so quiet in himselfe nor enjoyes not firme rest and peace in his owne heart and conscience And experience shewes that many both Ministers and private Christians have brought a great deale of trouble upon their estates by dissenting Now out of other Scriptures we may observe diverse other ill effects of diversities in opinions as first it breedes confusion in the Church as the Apostle shewes ● Cor. 14.32 33. Secondly it breedes division and schisme 1. Cor. 1.10 When men begin to broach new opinions Schismes begins in the roote of it though it may bee a long time before it come to the full growth Thirdly it much disquieteth the hearts and heads of manie weake Christians in which respect Paul wished they were cut off that troubled the Galathians chap. 5. Fourthly it not only troubles Christians but many times workes still in them as it proves the subverting of their soules as the Apostles shew in the case of difference about the ceremoniall Law Act. 15.24 Ehes. 4.14 2. Tim. 2.14 16 17. Fiftly it drives men many times into diverse acts of hypocrisie or passion or pride or such vices as are contrarie to singlenesse of heart Acts 2.46 Sixtly it breedes many times strange censuring the authors of new opinions censuring of others as if because they received not their doctrine they were not spirituall enough but too carnally minded and that they were farre behinde them in knowledge as we may gather 1. Cor. 14.36 37. Thus the false Teachers vilified Saint Paul and the Apostles Thus of the motives to unitie in judgement Before I come
lusts and inordinate desires which being not resisted and subdued the inward cause of all that absurd and perverse carriage shewes it selfe openly Quest. 2. But what should men and women doe that they might attaine to this orderly and amiable conversation Answ. 1. They should heartily in secret bewaile their former disorders and seeke pardon of God and then reconcile themselves one to another by confessing their faults follies These things will never be mended till they be repented of 2 They should seriously attend to the doctrine of their duties and hear it with all conscience and desire to obey take notice of Gods preceptorie commandement in requiring these things and by all meanes take heed of prejudice in hearing but make conscience to heare this part of the word of God as the word of God as well as any other Thinke not this doctrine too base or meane to be heard or studied nor imagine that it is but the severitie of the Teacher to tell of so manie things to be done by men and women especially take heede of that profane jesting to put off the sound practice of this doctrine with jesting one at another Remember one thing by the way that it is a great testimonie of true uprightnesse of heart when men and women make conscience of it to be good at home as well as abroad Thus of the first generall doctrine Doct. 2. Secondly we may hence in generall note That the word of God and the instructions of the ministery of the word belong to women as well as men and therefore the Apostles call to the women to heare the word of the Lord. This point is to be noted the rather because many give out that the knowledge of religion and hearing of Sermons and studying the Scriptures is not fit for women God doth not require it of them Now that this dotage may be the more evidently consuted consider that which is here intimated There are a multitude of arguments may be brought as First the image of God by creation was stamped upon the female as well as the male Gen. 1.27 2 The profession of godlinesse good workes faith charitie and holinesse is required of women aswell as men 1. Tim. 2.10.15 and therfore all meanes of grace is necessary for them aswell as men 3 It is required of them to be teachers of good things though they are not allowed to teach publickly 1. Cor. 14. yet they must teach their children and the elder women must teach the yonger women Tit. 2.3 4 They are commanded expresly to learne the doctrine is publickly taught 1. Tim. 2.11 5 The Scripture is full of instances Of the good woman in the Proverbes it is said that shee was not only a good house-wife but the law of grace was in her lips Pro. 31.26 King Lemuel was taught prophecies by his mother Pro. 31.1 and women followed our Saviour to heare his Sermons some followed him I say from place to place Luke 8.3 and Mary was commended by our Saviour for choosing the best part when shee set her heart about religious duties and to sit at the feet of Christ to heare his word Luke 11. Our Saviour instructs a woman of Samaria in the great mysteries of conversion and salvation Iohn 4. At Philippi Pauls hearers at the first were only women Acts 16.13 and honourable narration is made of many christian women converted Act. 17.4.12 ult and we reade of Priscilla that shee was a meanes to instruct Apollos an eloquent and learned man and to make him more perfectly to understand the way of God Acts 18.26 and so wee reade of women that laboured with Paul in the Gospel Philip 4.3 6 If women must suffer for their Religion it is reason they have all the knowledge and helpes in Religion but women are in danger to suffer for Religion aswell as men Acts 8.3 9.2 22.4 7 Finally the way to be saved is the same for women aswell as men and therefore all meanes of salvation belong to them and are to be used by them aswell as men Which as it may incourage all women that are religious to study the things that belong to the kingdome of God so it should teach them to make conscience of what they heare and learne of the Virgin Mary to lay up the good Word of God in their hearts and keep it and to look to their waies in all things that they may please God for as God is no respecter of persons but loves godlinesse in women aswell as in men so hee doth require sound obedience and reformation and holinesse of life of women aswell as men For with God there is neither Iewe nor Greek bond nor free male nor female but all are one in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.27.28 Thirdly before I yet come to open the particular parts of the text it may be asked why the Apostle is so large in speaking to wives as spending so many verses upon them I answer it is not simply because wives are more faulty than husbands though many times it proues to bee so in many wives but 1 Because it is more against nature to obey than to rule 2 Because women have many hinderances or letts both in receiving the doctrine and in practising it sometimes they rest in the generall That they must obey and so never study particulars and therefore had neede to have it beaten out in particulars for them Besides they are in danger to be infected with temptations evill counsell evill example c. 3 Because the inferiour must mend first and therfore the Apostle begins with the wives and would faine have them in order before they require respect from their husbands 4 Because if the women be gained to religion they may be great meanes to worke good upon their husbands for as they are pernitious instruments of the divell to doe their husbands hurt if they bee wickedly bent so may they bee great meanes to doe them good if they be soundly reformed themselves as the Apostle imports in the first verse of this chapter Besides if the mother be godly and carefull though the father should not be so yet the children may bee by her instructed and well brought up and the advantage from her for the childrens good is the greater because shee is most with the children and usually they more affect her than the father 5 Because many times their provocations from absurd husbands are so great as if God did not speake very much to them they could never indure it with subiection To conclude when things are much urged or repeated in Scripture usually thereby three things are imported about the matter so urged the one is difficulty the other necessity and the third excellency all three may bee well thought on here The Lord is very long in giving the charge to wives and it is both because it is a very hard taske to learne to be a good wife and because it is a thing wonderfull necessary
so farre as it may fall into the observation of carnall men and so it comprehends of the former senses chiefly Inoffensivenesse separation from impure men freedome from grosse impurities and dissimulation a Christian and wise strictnesse of life and devoutnesse and well ordered zeale in matters of religion Now for the use of it If these be applied to these times it shewes first how wicked and prophane those sorts of people are who reproach godly men for the care and practise of these things as if to be a Puritane even in these senses were to bee some vile man not worthy to live amongst men Secondly it shewes that worlds of people that beare the name of Christians are not true Christians because their conversations are not pure for their swearing or drunkennesse or whoredomes or sinnes of deceit or dissimulation or fashioning themselves to this world or the liberty they take to live as they list testifies against them to their faces that their workes are not pure and therefore unlesse they repent they will all perish Rev. 3.1.2 and the rather because they cause by their evill lives not onely the hearts of the good to be grieved but the mouthes of the enemies of religion to bee opened to blaspheme Thirdly godly men that finde these cares in them should comfort themselves much in the testimonies of their owne consciences and the gracious acceptation of God who will shew himselfe pure with them that are pure 2. Cor. 1.12 Psal. 18. Thus of Purity in generall Now of Chastity as a part of a pure conversation and it may well bee that which is chiefely here intended Chastitie is either of the minde or of the body and it is a most certaine truth that God requires a chast minde aswell as a chast body and doth forbid unchast thoughts and desires aswell as unchast words or deeds For unchast thoughts and desires are first foolish and noi●ome 1. Tim. 6.9 secondly they hinder the power of religion and true knowledge and grace 2. Tim. 3.4 thirdly they fight against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 A man were as good have his body wounded with weapons as his soule wounded with lusts fourthly they cause many times many and monstrous sinnes in the life which arise at first from the nourishing of fowle desires and thoughts in the heart The wickednesse that was in the lives of the Gentiles did many of them spring from the lusts which they harboured in their hearts Rom. 1. lastly if men repent not of them in time they will drowne men in perdition 1. Tim. 1.9 But it is the chastitie of the body which is especially here intended our Saviour Christ divides those chast persons into three sorts some are termed Eunuches from their mothers womb and so are disabled for bodily fornication some are made so by other men who by violence for their owne service made some men Eunuches Now the third sort are they that made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of Heavens sake Of this third sort are all chast persons who by a godly care watchfulness keep themselves from the sinnes of filthinesse aswell as naturall Eunuches doe Mat. 19.12 Now these persons that are made chast for the kingdome of Heavens sake are either single persons or married persons of chastity in single persons other Scriptures intreat as 1. Cor. 7. of chastity in married persons this place intreats Now this vertue of chastity is of purpose imposed upon godly Christians by the Apostle because the sinnes of fornication were so rise and common among the Gentiles who oftentimes defended their filthinesse to be either no sinne or a very small sinne But before I come to speake of chastity in particular some doctrines would be in generall observed as first Doct. 1. A godly Christian must shew the proofe of his religion especially in keeping himselfe free from the sinnes that are most common and rise in the world and even the more sinne abounds in the world the more strict they should bee in resisting sinne as here even the more filthie the lives of others were the more chast should the conversation of godly Christians bee Because their love to God should constraine them the more to be zealous for his glory by how much the more God is dishonoured by other men and because they are flatly forbidden to follow a multitude to sinne and because God hath chosen them out of all other sorts of men to beare his Name and to hold forth the light of the Word in the middest of a crooked and perverse generation and because thereby the conscience of wicked men may bee the more effectually convinced and prepared to repentance Thus Lot is righteous in Sodome and Ioshua and his house will serve the Lord though all the Nation serve Idolls This point as it should inflame the zeale of the godly to contend for the truth more earnestly and to resist all the vices of the time so it shewes that they can hardly have any truth of grace in them that are so easily borne downe with the stream of evill example and are so apt to follow the fashion of the world Doct. 2. Chastity may be in married persons aswell as in single persons as here wives are said to bee chast in conversation though they withhold not due benevolence from their husbands God himself hath freed the comming together of man wife from the aspersion of impurity in that hee hath said that marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled And this shewes the wonderfull indulgence of God that for the respect he bears to his own institution of marriage and for the necessitie of marriage for the propagation of mankind and prevention of fornication is pleased to beare with and cover and not impute the many frailties follies vanites and wickednesses are found betweene man and wife And withall wee may hence see reason to condemne their doctrine as a doctrine of devills that forbid marriage as an impure thing and such as hinders holiness and the blemish will never bee wiped away from some of the Ancients who to establish their owne Idol of I know not what virginity have written most wickedly and most basely against marriage Quest. But what then doth God allow any kinde of comming together so it be between man and wife Answ. No he forbids comming together in the time of the womans separation for her courses Ezech. 18.6 Nor doth hee allow of brutish sensuality though it passe betweene man and wife for though God beare with many things yet the chastitie hee imposeth doth not onely restraine forraine beds but moderateth even the excesses of concupiscence in married persons so as in those things their conversation ought to be a conversation with feare Doct. 3. The practise of the duties of the second Table adorne religion aswell as the dueties of piety in the first Table Doct. 4. Some observe That a chast conversation is especially charged upon the woman which must be warily understood for God
but for a mortall life And therefore this point shewes that godly men that seeke vertue and grace have chosen the better part and that we should all covet spirituall gifts with more earnest affections than worldlings doe outward riches And it shewes the happy estate of poore Christians they may be very rich for all their poverty outward Revel 2.8 neither may hypocrites please themselves with saying they are rich Rev. 3.17 for God will discover their counterfeit wares And in generall wee may hence gather that the richest men in the Parish are vertuous men Doct. 4. It is evident from hence that God sees the spirits of men our hearts are all open and manifest before him Ier. 17.9 1. Kings 8.39 1. Sam. 17.7 Heb. 4. ● And this must needs bee so because God is omniscient 〈◊〉 ●ye and sees all things The Sunne may cease shining but God cannot cease seeing secondly because God formed the hearts of all men and therefore must nees know them Psal. 33.15 thirdly because God by his providence doth specially watch over the world of spirits and daily visits mens hearts Iob 7.18 Psal. 17.3 and receives presentments of all abuses He daily tryes the hearts and reines and weighs the heart of man Pro. 21.2 And therefore the use should bee divers first to teach men to labour for inward and secret goodnesse aswell as outward and in open conformity and to bee affraid of sin in secret for no darknesse can hide from God the day and night are all one to him and though no eye of man see thee yet art thou alwaies before the eye of God Wee should therefore keepe our hearts with all diligence Pro. 4. 23. And it may be a great comfort to the godly against all the scornes and censures of the world that traduceth them as hypocrites for God sees their hearts yea it may comfort them against the imperfections of their workes for God seeth the preparations and desires of their hearts and that they would faine doe better But especially this is terrible to wicked men for if God see the hearts of men in what case are they that have such evill hearts Ob. Why will some one say what fault can God finde with our hearts Sol. God sees the deadnesse and dulnesse that is in thy heart in his service He sees thy distractions and how far off thy heart is from him when thou drawest neere to him with thy lipps he sees thy hypocrisie and securitie and thy double and divided heart he sees thy carnall cavils and the boyling risings of thy heart against him and his truth he sees thy fearefulnesse and unbeleefe and the uncircumcision of thy heart thy unteachablenesse and forgetfulnesse he sees all the vanities and errours of thy imaginations all thy lusts and passions and wicked desires and all that frame of thy imaginations that are only evill continually he sees thy filthy nakednesse and all the Idols thou entertainest in thy heart and therfore if thou wilt not perish in the eternall abomination of God make hast to wash thine heart from wickednesse and seriously to repent of the sinnes of thy spirit Lastly the scope of this place teacheth us distinctly That God makes a great reckoning of such men and women as have me●ke and quiet spirits There is reason for it Because a quiet minde is like to Gods minde which is never stirred nor moved from everlasting to everlasting but is alwayes the same and because where the spirit i● meeke and quiet there all sinne is mortified and everie good gift and grace doth prosper And this should be a great encouragement to all such Christians and in particular to christian Wives that are meek and live quietly with their husbands for though their husbands should not love them the more or esteeme of this grace hence they may see that God will like them much the better for it and they are very comely and richly clothed in Gods sight Vers. 5. For even after this manner in time past did the holy women which trusted in God tyer themselves and were subject to their husbands Vers. 6. As Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord whose daughters ye are whiles yee doe well not being affraid of any terrour IN these two verses is contained the confirmation of the Proposition exhorting wives to be subject to their owne husbands vers 1. And this is made good by two reasons both taken from example the one in generall from the practise of holy women of ancient times that did so carry themselves towards their husbands vers 5. the other in particular from the practise of Sarah the mother of faithfull women vers 6. The example generally considered vers 5. is described and commended sixe wayes First for the maner of it It was in this maner that is just according to the precept now given by the Apostle Secondly for the antiquitie of it It was so in old time Thirdly for the subject persons in whom it was found viz. not only women that did so but the holiest women Fourthly for the cause of it viz. their trust in God Fiftly for the effect of it It adorned them Sixtly for the matter of it viz. They were obedient to their owne husbands Th●s of the order of the words Before I enter upon the particulars diverse things may be noted in generall about examples of goodnesse in others First we may hence evidently gather That it is not enough for us to doe good but we should strive so to doe it that wee might be examples to others Tim. 4.11 Matt. 5.16 Phil. 2. 15. and that for divers reasons For first God is interessed in us and our workes and there is a glory due to God which must be collected from our workes done before men Matt. 5. 16. Secondly wee must so act our parts in godlinesse upon the Stage of this world that we may thereby silence and convince wicked men that out of their hatred to the truth and frowardnesse of hearts would else take all occasions to speake evill of us and the good way of God Phil. 2.15 Thirdly our Teachers have a part in our works and we should hold forth the patternes of sound practise that they might be comforted in our learning from them and graced in their Ministerie Phil. 2.16 Fourthly by this meanes we may doe much good in helping forwards weake Christians For as the wicked take fire from evill examples so doe the godly from good examples both in Piety 1. Thes. 4.7 and Mercie 2. Cor. 8.1.6 c. Which should worke an effectuall care in all godly Christians to strive to expresse such conscience and power of godlinesse as may be profitable to others and so chiefly in such things as may most grace the profession of Religion or profite others as Wisedome mercie meekenesse just dealing contempt of the world affectionatenesse in Gods service patience undauntednesse or the like especially those that be Parents Masters Magistrates Ministers that have charge of others And
of this trusting in God Helpes to attaine this grace of trusting in God Rules to be observed in our right trusting in God Vid. 1. Tim. 5.5 Ier. 49.11 Note Doct. Godly women daughters of Sarah three waies What things marre a good action How we are said to do well Reasons why we ought alwayes to be doing well Causes of amazement in wives Why Husbands duties are noted in the last place Motives to perswade Husbands to be carefull of their duties What things cohabitation doth import Reasons why husbands ought thus to dwell with their wives In what cases it is lawfull for the husband to be absent Whether separation from bed and boord be lawfull Cases of Nullitie Concerning Divorce what rule is to be observed Excellency of divine knowledge in many respects Meanes to give power to our knowledge What this dwelling with knowledge imports How many waies husbands honour their wives In what things women are more frayle than men How godly men come to be heires Wherein the greatnesse and glory of our Adoption appeareth What kinde of persons we must be to attaine this Adoption Marks of Gods heyres and adopted children How Gods heirs must carry themsel●es Naturall life but a meane thing in divers respects Degrees of spirituall life The originall of this life It hath its originall from God three waies The nature of it consists in a saving knowledge or celestiall light Which knowledge must haue these properties and effects in it Divers things nourish this life This life differs from eternall life many waies 1 In respect of place 2 In respect of the meanes that preserve this life 3 In respect of the company 4 In respect of the quality of the life it selfe 5. In respect of the effects of life in each degree as to instance 1. For righteousnesse 2. for peace 3. for joy What men must doe to attaine this life A Christian hath many helpes to attain it Signes of this life are six Properties of this life are five What duties this doctrine should compell godly men to practise Grace manifold What is meant here by grace Two wayes considered What is excludes What it includes What priviledges follow on such as enjoy Gods grace Men transgresse against the grace of God many waies Godly men and women are heyres together many waies The excellency of prayer appeares in many respects From whence the sorts and difference of Prayer doth arise Prayer may be hindred seven waies in the bearing of it How it is interrupted in the making of it Five things of singular use to keepe us quiet in trouble Note For what reason we ought to be all of one minde Helpes unto unity of minde 2 Pet. 1. ult Aggravations against discord in opinion Many are the ill causes of dissenting In what things we may not be of one minde with the Church of Rome Wherein we expresse our compassion The motives or reasons to perswade us to it Who are brethren Reasons to perswade us to love as brethren With what kind of love we are to love the brethren Rules to be observed that brotherly love may continue Either such things we are to avoid Or such things wee are to pra●lise How to order ourselves towards our brethren in case of sinne against God or trespasse against us Three caveats to be looked unto in our loving of them What things bowells of compassion or mercy import When our bowels of mercy are right Motives to bee pittifull What things are comprehended under courtesie Divers kindes of blessing When wee blesse in deed Wherein particularly For what reasons a Christian should bee much affected with the consideration of his calling Reasons pro●ng the necessity of knowing our calling and assurance By what means a christian comes to know his calling Divert sorts of Christians Carnall Christians know not their calling and why Causes why many weake Christians know not their calling Note Godly men doe inherit blessings many waies 1. From men 2. From their owne consciences 3. From God and that divers waies In this life godly men have Gods blessing three waies What we must doe to get Gods blessing How godly men may grow in the comforts of Gods blessing Note Note For what reasons men ought to take off their affections from the love of this life In what respects the vanity of earthly things appeare Men have no reason to bee in love with earthly commodities and that for divers causes In what cases it may be lawfull for some persons to be in love with this life What such must doe to prolong their life What daies are evill in respect of wicked men Wherein godly mens daies are evill Great difference betweene the evill daies of wicked and godly men Evill daies common to wicked and godly men What are good daies in generall In particular there are divers sorts of good daies to the godly Mans life is short In what respect it is short Causes why most mens lives are so short Vses