The Works of John Donne (Volume 1); With a Memoir of His Life (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMONS PREACHED ON CHRISTMAS DAY. SERMON I. PREACHED AT ST. PAUL'S, 1622. Colossians i. 19, 20. For it pleased the Father, that in Him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto himself; by Him, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. The "whole journey of a Christian is in these words; and therefore we were better set out early, than ride too fast'; better enter presently into the parts, than be forced to pass through" them too hastily. First, then, we consider the collation and reference of the text, and then the illation and inference thereof. For the text looks back to all that was said from the twelfth verse. For the first word of the text (for), which is a particle of connexion, as well as of argumentation, is a seal of all that was said from that place. And then the text looks forward to the twenty- third verse, where all these blessings are sealed to us, with that condition, If ye continue settled in the gospel. This is the collation, the reference of the text; for the illation, and inference, the first clause thereof, For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, presents a double instruction; first, that we are not bound to accept matters of religion, merely without all reason and probable inducements; and secondly, with what modesty we are to proceed, and in what bounds we are to limit that inquisition, that search of reason in matters of that nature. When the apostle presents to us here the great mystery of our reconciliation to God, he, in whose power it was not, to infuse faith into every reader of his epistle, proceeds by reason. He tells us, That the Father hath translated us into the kingdom of his VOL. I. D dear Son, the Son of his l...