A09977:347
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.
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,1 is from him, and not from themselves: If God will say to the creature; Go, and do such a man good, it will do it, because there goes a concourse of efficacy from him to do it: So, if he say to a creature, Go to such a man, and afflict him, it will do it, though it be never so small and mean a creature; therefore of themselves they neither do good nor hurt, the efficacy that they have is from him, and not from ⟨p. 138⟩themselves: they are mere instruments; and if God withdraw his blessing and cursing, they can do us neither good nor hurt.
Answ. 1 Though they be something; yet their efficacy is not from themselves, but from the Lord. A horse is able to doe something, but to save a man, it is a vaine thing; the builder builds, but it is nothing, and the watch-men watch in vaine without the Lord; the efficacie that they have to doe us hurt or good,1 is from him, and not from themselves: If God will say to the creature; Goe, and doe such a man good, it will doe it, because there goes a concourse of efficacie from him to doe it: So, if he say to a creature, Goe to such a man, and afflict him, it will doe it, though it be never so small and meane a creature; therefore of themselves they neither doe good nor hurt, the efficacie that they have is from him, and not from