A09977:367
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.
Use 2 If God be without all cause, then he may do all things for himself, and for his own glory;1 because he that hath no cause above, or without himself, he needs not do any thing but for himself. The Angels, they have a cause above, and without themselves, therefore they must do nothing for themselves, but for another, Rom. 11. last, Of him are all things, therefore to him be glory: that place shows us a ground of this, why we must not expect, that God should do any thing for any other end, for any other creature in the world; for having no end above himself, it is impossible that he should have any end but himself, Prov. 16.4. The LORD hath made all things for himself; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Whereas this objection might be made; Will he cast men to hell? will he damn them for his own glory? Yes (saith he) all his actions even that also is for his own sake; Rom. 9.22. ⟨p. 145⟩there it is more large: What if GOD willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath filled to destruction? &c. This is enough, he hath no end, no cause above himself; and therefore it is reason enough, he doth it because he will do it. And this is a thing to be observed out of the 19. and 20. verses, where the same reason is given that we now speak of, Who hath? &c. saith the Apostle, if you look on God, and the creatures, you shall find this difference between them; all the creatures are made, as pots are made by the potters; and therefore, as they have an author of their being, so they do serve for another end; so that the potter he may appoint what end he will, and no man can say, why doest thou it? So God, because he is the first cause, he may have what end he will, and no man can say, why doest thou so? he may make some vessels of honour, and some of dishonour, and all for himself, and his own glory: therefore, when you see that he did not spare the Angels, but cast them down into hell, there to be reserved in chains of darkness till the last day; when you see him not sparing the old world, when you see him suffering the Gentiles to walk in their own ways; when you see him to suffer a great part of the world to be damned, and to perish; when you see him let the Churches to be made havoc of, you should be ready to say thus, To him be glory for ever: