A09977:104
Life eternalLife eternall
Life eternal or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.
London: printed by Richard, 1631
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.
Object. 1 Men are ready to say that, which you shall find, in 2 Pet. 3.4.1 All things have continued alike since the creation. That is, when men look upon the condition of things, they see the Sun rise, and set again, and see the rivers run in a circle ⟨p. 31⟩into the sea, the day follows the night, &c. the winds return in their compasses, and they have done so continually, and there is no alteration; therefore they doubt whether there be such a God, that hath given a beginning to these things, and shall give an end?
Object. 1 Men are ready to say that, which you shall finde, in 2 Pet. 3.4.1 All things have continued alike since the creation. That is, when men looke upon the condition of things, they see the Sunne rise, and set againe, and see the rivers runne in a circle ⟨p. 31⟩into the sea, the day followes the night, &c. the winds returne in their compasses, and they have done so continually, and there is no alteration; therefore they doubt whether there be such a God, that hath given a beginning to these things, and shall give an end?
Answ. 1 For answer to this, consider that these bodies of ours, which we carry about with us, which we know had a beginning, and shall have an end, that there is something in them, that is as constant as any of the former; as the beating of the pulse, the breathing of the lungs, and the motion of the heart, and yet the body had a beginning, and shall have an end: Now what is the difference between these two? It is but small, this continueth only for some tithes of years, but the world for thousands; the difference is not great; and therefore why should you not think it had a beginning, as well as your body, and likewise shall have an ending.