A09977:346
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. But the creatures are of great moment, experience shows them to be something: for, who lives without them? Again, are not we commanded to pray for outward blessings? and we are not to pray for that which is nothing. Again, doth not the Scripture reckon them so? they are things for which we must be thankful, and the want of them doth afflict us, and we must esteem it as a chastisement. Now, no man will be thankful, or afflict himself for that which is nothing; and therefore there is something in the creature, they are not altogether nothing or vanity.
Object. But the creatures are of great moment, experience shewes them to be something: for, who lives without them? Againe, are not wee commanded to pray for outward blessings? and wee are not to pray for that which is nothing. Again, doth not the Scripture reckon them so? they are things for which we must be thankfull, and the want of them doth afflict us, and we must esteeme it as a chastisement. Now, no man will be thankfull, or afflict himselfe for that which is nothing; and therefore there is something in the creature, they are not altogether nothing or vanitie.
To this we will give a threefold answer:1
- 1That the creatures in themselves are of no moment to us, are nothing in three respects.
Answ. 1 Though they be something; yet their efficacy is not from themselves, but from the Lord. A horse is able to do something, but to save a man, it is a vain thing; the builder builds, but it is nothing, and the watch-men watch in vain without the Lord; the efficacy that they have to do us hurt or good,