Joseph Stennett.
The Works of the late Reverend and Learned Mr. Joseph Stennett : in five volumes ; to which is prefix'd some account of his life (Volume 1) online
. (page 13 of 28)
Online Library → Joseph Stennett → The Works of the late Reverend and Learned Mr. Joseph Stennett : in five volumes ; to which is prefix'd some account of his life (Volume 1) → online text (page 13 of 28)
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make a very agreeable impreflion on them,
and thereby eafily attrad our thoughts to
them ; whereas thofe that are fpiritual and
invifible, and therefore not to be reliflied by
flefh and blood, thofe that do not at prefent
exift, but mufl be fought for in futurity,
foon efcape our attention and difappear, un-
lefs the eye of faith be kept in a very fteddy
pofture, which is difficult to be done amidft
the various diverfions the fenfes and fancy
are continually giving us.
So that if great attention and conftant ap-
plication of mind are neceffary to the obtain-
ing of a great degree of true knowledge \ if
it be needful, as the wife man direcfts, to in-
cline our ears to wifdom^ and to apply our
hearts to underjlanding "^ — to Jeek her as Jilver,
and to fearch for her as hid treafures ^ : not
to fuffer her fayings to depart from our eyes^
and to keep them in the midji of our hearts ^ ; to
hear her^ watching daily at her gates^ and wait-
ing at the pofts of her doors ^, &c. Then it is
certain that our bodies in their prefent condi-
tion mufl needs be a hindrance to our know-
^ Prov. 2. 2. I y Prov 4. i f .
* Ver. 4. I 5= rrov. 8. 54.
M 4 ledge
i68 A fermon at the funeral
ledge of the deep things of God * ; feeing they
take up fo much of our time, and ingrofs fo
many of our thoughts.
(2.) They not only hinder our progrefs in
the way of knowledge, but alfo caufe us to
wander out of it j and as they keep us in
much ignorance, fo they betray us into many
errors. Senfible things, by means of our
bodies, fo eafily ftir up our paffions, and fo
ftrongly imprefs our imaginations, that our
underftandings are often clouded, and our
judgments corrupted by them. The lower
region of the foul fends up fo many grofs and
dark fteams into the upper, that we feldom
attain that clearnefs and fimplicity of mind
which is requifite to make a judgment of
things, after an unbiafs'd and uncorrupt
manner : for truth is fo commonly attended
with felf-denial, and our carnal intereft fo
much on the fide of error, that when we
confer with fefh and blood ^, as we are too
prone to do in our inquiries after truth, 'tis
no wonder if we embrace its oppofite, put-
ting darknefs for lights and light for dark-
nefs ".
(3.) While we are in the body, we dwell
with men that have bodies made like ours, and
who by means of their near alliance and inti-
mate converfation with us, often lead us out
of the way of truth, and caufe us to adopt
thofe falfe opinions which they have fooliflily
» 1 Cor. 2. 10. I "^ Ifa. 5. 20.
b Gal. I. i^.
en^err
Serm. IV. of Mr. John Belcher. \S^
entertained, efpecially fuch of them as are
made current by long prefcription, and by
the common vogue of mankind. For we
ealily receive impreflions from the motions
and manners of thofe with whom we ufually
converfe : as iron Jharpeneth iron, fo a man
Jharpeneth the countenance of his friend ^. And
as in water face anfwers to face, fo doth the
heart of man to man ^. The very looks and
geftures of our fellow-creatures engage us
into a kind of fympathy with them : their
words, their adions, and the very air of their
countenances are fo artificially managed, when
they would perfuade us to embrace their fen-
timents, that they too often ftrike the organs
of our fenfes and imagination powerfully
enough to infpire our minds with the fame
fentiments and pafTions which are cherifhed
in their own. And thus the converfation e-
ven of great and wife and good men, fome-
times has an evil influence upon us, becaufe
we are apt to give that deference to them,
which is only owing to truth 3 and to treat
them as if they were lords over our faith, ra-
ther than helpers of our joy ^.
(4.) Again, as by expending fo much of
our time, and fo much of the ftrength of our
thoughts in the purfuit of earthly things, and
by abandoning ourfelves to the ill condud: of
our own palfions, and to the groundlefs opi-
nions of others j the eyes of our minds mufl
♦* Prov. 27. 17. j ff. I * Rom. 8. 13;
t Ver. 8. I * Dcut. 6. ^.
» Cal. 5. I7« \ ' f ^aL iu I, 2.
ought
Serm. IV. of Mr. John Belcher. 1-7 5
ought to put our trufi % and whom alone we
ought xofanBify in our hearts^ in making him
our fear and our dread \
(5.) Laftly, the natural groflhefs and frail-
ty of our bodies in this mortal ftate, occafion
our moral imperfedlions and wanderings as
well as our intelle
and thereby eafily attrad our thoughts to
them ; whereas thofe that are fpiritual and
invifible, and therefore not to be reliflied by
flefh and blood, thofe that do not at prefent
exift, but mufl be fought for in futurity,
foon efcape our attention and difappear, un-
lefs the eye of faith be kept in a very fteddy
pofture, which is difficult to be done amidft
the various diverfions the fenfes and fancy
are continually giving us.
So that if great attention and conftant ap-
plication of mind are neceffary to the obtain-
ing of a great degree of true knowledge \ if
it be needful, as the wife man direcfts, to in-
cline our ears to wifdom^ and to apply our
hearts to underjlanding "^ — to Jeek her as Jilver,
and to fearch for her as hid treafures ^ : not
to fuffer her fayings to depart from our eyes^
and to keep them in the midji of our hearts ^ ; to
hear her^ watching daily at her gates^ and wait-
ing at the pofts of her doors ^, &c. Then it is
certain that our bodies in their prefent condi-
tion mufl needs be a hindrance to our know-
^ Prov. 2. 2. I y Prov 4. i f .
* Ver. 4. I 5= rrov. 8. 54.
M 4 ledge
i68 A fermon at the funeral
ledge of the deep things of God * ; feeing they
take up fo much of our time, and ingrofs fo
many of our thoughts.
(2.) They not only hinder our progrefs in
the way of knowledge, but alfo caufe us to
wander out of it j and as they keep us in
much ignorance, fo they betray us into many
errors. Senfible things, by means of our
bodies, fo eafily ftir up our paffions, and fo
ftrongly imprefs our imaginations, that our
underftandings are often clouded, and our
judgments corrupted by them. The lower
region of the foul fends up fo many grofs and
dark fteams into the upper, that we feldom
attain that clearnefs and fimplicity of mind
which is requifite to make a judgment of
things, after an unbiafs'd and uncorrupt
manner : for truth is fo commonly attended
with felf-denial, and our carnal intereft fo
much on the fide of error, that when we
confer with fefh and blood ^, as we are too
prone to do in our inquiries after truth, 'tis
no wonder if we embrace its oppofite, put-
ting darknefs for lights and light for dark-
nefs ".
(3.) While we are in the body, we dwell
with men that have bodies made like ours, and
who by means of their near alliance and inti-
mate converfation with us, often lead us out
of the way of truth, and caufe us to adopt
thofe falfe opinions which they have fooliflily
» 1 Cor. 2. 10. I "^ Ifa. 5. 20.
b Gal. I. i^.
en^err
Serm. IV. of Mr. John Belcher. \S^
entertained, efpecially fuch of them as are
made current by long prefcription, and by
the common vogue of mankind. For we
ealily receive impreflions from the motions
and manners of thofe with whom we ufually
converfe : as iron Jharpeneth iron, fo a man
Jharpeneth the countenance of his friend ^. And
as in water face anfwers to face, fo doth the
heart of man to man ^. The very looks and
geftures of our fellow-creatures engage us
into a kind of fympathy with them : their
words, their adions, and the very air of their
countenances are fo artificially managed, when
they would perfuade us to embrace their fen-
timents, that they too often ftrike the organs
of our fenfes and imagination powerfully
enough to infpire our minds with the fame
fentiments and pafTions which are cherifhed
in their own. And thus the converfation e-
ven of great and wife and good men, fome-
times has an evil influence upon us, becaufe
we are apt to give that deference to them,
which is only owing to truth 3 and to treat
them as if they were lords over our faith, ra-
ther than helpers of our joy ^.
(4.) Again, as by expending fo much of
our time, and fo much of the ftrength of our
thoughts in the purfuit of earthly things, and
by abandoning ourfelves to the ill condud: of
our own palfions, and to the groundlefs opi-
nions of others j the eyes of our minds mufl
♦* Prov. 27. 17. j ff. I * Rom. 8. 13;
t Ver. 8. I * Dcut. 6. ^.
» Cal. 5. I7« \ ' f ^aL iu I, 2.
ought
Serm. IV. of Mr. John Belcher. 1-7 5
ought to put our trufi % and whom alone we
ought xofanBify in our hearts^ in making him
our fear and our dread \
(5.) Laftly, the natural groflhefs and frail-
ty of our bodies in this mortal ftate, occafion
our moral imperfedlions and wanderings as
well as our intelle
Online Library → Joseph Stennett → The Works of the late Reverend and Learned Mr. Joseph Stennett : in five volumes ; to which is prefix'd some account of his life (Volume 1) → online text (page 13 of 28)
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