A09977:568
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 The second use I take out of Rom. 11.28, 29. As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the Fathers sake. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 1The meaning of it is this: saith the Lord, I have cast away the Jews, and they are now enemies for the Gospels sake, that is, that the Gospel might come sooner to you; they have rejected it, that upon their refusal, it might come to you Gentiles; they are enemies and cast off, yet they are beloved for their fathers sake; that is, in regard of the promise that I made to their father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and in regard of that covenant, I will not alter; not, saith he, to all the Jews, but those whom I have elected, so far as my covenant reacheth, with whom I have made it. Do not think that there is any change of the Lord toward them, For the gifts and calling of the Lord, that is, the calling of them by the work of the Spirit, and the gifts of saving grace, that he hath bestowed upon the elect Jews, they are without all repentance, there is no change in them. Then if ever thou art in covenant with God, and hast this seal in thy soul, that there is a change ⟨p. 85⟩wrought in thee by the covenant, then thy election is sure: and be sure God will never alter it, for he is unchangeable. This thou must consider, that thou mayest have strong consolation. Beloved, our consolation, if it be upon any thing, but upon GOD that is unchangeable, it is weak, and twenty things may batter it, and overthrow it: but when it is grounded upon the immutability of his counsel, it is called in Heb. 6.18. strong consolation, 2so that all the Devils in hell, all temptations of the world, and all the objections that our own hearts can make cannot batter it; for it is built upon the lowest foundation, even upon the unchangeable God. So that this doctrine is for comfort to all the Saints of God. Therefore consider thou, whether thou art in the state of grace, whether thou hast made the match with Jesus Christ, if ever there was a covenant between Christ, and thy soul.