A03617:78
The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.HThe vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H
The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.H.The vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H.
London: printed by Tho Cotes for Andrew Crooke, 1638
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1 COR. 2.14. The natural man receiveth no• the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 COR. 2.14. The naturall man receiveth no• the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishnesse unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
WE have propounded heretofore five general circumstances of preparation. First a man must know that the offer of grace is free. Secondly that a man must will Christ and grace before he shall have Christ & grace. Thirdly, he that doth will Christ, shall have Christ and salvation by him; all which we have already handled out of that place Revel. 22.17. Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. And now we are come to the fourth circumstance, which is that no man by nature can will Christ and Grace; and for this purpose I have chosen this Text. And a little to make way for our selves, if you take your eyes back to the beginning ⟨p. 82⟩of the Chapter, about the 3, 4, and 5. Verses, you may see how the holy Apostle doth express his earnest desire to preach nothing, not know any thing but Christ Jesus, and him crucified, and therefore he looks not after the excellency of humane eloquence, or wisdom of men, though he could have had this too; and happily expressed this also, yet he proclaims it in the ears of the Corinthian Doctors, that he desired nothing in that University (for Corinth was a famous University as Cambridge and Oxford is) but to know the Lord Jesus and him crucified, and therefore his speech and preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power the Corinthian Doctors bragged of, that humane wisdom and learning wherewith they were endued, but he tells them he desired not this, nor never look after it. Now least some might cavil at the Apostles neglecting of this elegance, whereby […] might sugar over his doctrine that was to be d vered by him to the people, least by the nor regarding of this, he might bring a neglect upon himself and upon his doctrine; the Apostle therefore to remove these filly objections and secret cavils, discovers unto us from the fifth Verse to the end of the Chapter, the excellency of the Gospel of the Lord, delivered in the plainness of it in the sixth Verse;