A09977:562
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.
Now I come to uses for practise: and we will make such uses as the Scripture doth make of this point. The first is this.
Use 1 In 1 Sam. 15.28, 29. And Samuel said unto Saul, 1The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thee: and also the strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent: for he is not as man that he should repent. If GOD be unchangeable, take heed then, lest he come to this, that he cast thee off, as he did Saul: for if ever he do ⟨p. 81⟩it, he will never repent, never alter, never retract his decree. Saul lived, you know, many years after, for it was in the beginning of his reign; and yet because the will of GOD was revealed clearly to him, he was bid by a clear command, Go and kill all the Amalekites, and leave not any of them alive: Saul now had a heart contemning GOD in this commandment, therefore also GOD came to a resolution and decree, to cast him off: though Saul lived many years after, yet you could see no change in him, there was no alteration in his outward condition: But, saith he, and it is most fearful, God doth not repent: it is not with him as it is with man, for he may be entreated, and may repent; but the Lord is not as man that he should repent. Consider this, you that have clear commandments from GOD, you that have been told that you ought to be conscionable in your calling, that you ought to pray in your families, if you will be still breaking the Lords will, and live idly in your calling, and rebelliously sin against GOD, living as if there were no GOD in the world; take heed lest the Lord reject you; and when he hath done it, consider that he is an unchangeable God, and that all his decrees are immutable. Consider that place, He swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest. It was not long after the children of Israel came out of Egypt, yet ten times they provoked him, before he declared this resolution, and many of them lived forty ⟨p. 82⟩