A09977:588
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
Sermon 14: THE FOURTEENTH SERMON.Sermon 14: THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON.
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.
Again, I add this further; he that saith, to what purpose is it to endeavour, whosoever it is that says so, I would ask that man this question; Didst thou ever go about any holy duties, and yet didst find this stop in it, that though thou wouldest do them, thou couldest not be accepted? hadst thou ever a serious resolution to forsake such and such a sin, and the occasions of it, and yet thou didst find such a bar as this, that thou couldest not alter GODS decree thereby, and for that only reason hast gone on in it? Did ever any man upon his death-bed say so? No man will say so: but it is because he would not. Therefore complain not of the unchangeable decree of GOD, but of the stubbornness of thy heart, that thou wilt not buckle, and come in unto him.
Againe, I adde this further; he that saith, to what purpose is it to endeavour, whosoever it is that sayes so, I would aske that man this question; Didst thou ever goe about any holy duties, and yet didst finde this stoppe in it, that though thou wouldest doe them, thou couldest not be accepted? hadst thou ever a serious resolution to forsake such and such a sinne, and the occasions of it, and yet thou didst finde such a barre as this, that thou couldest not alter GODS decree thereby, and for that onely reason hast gone on in it? Did ever any man upon his death-bed say so? No man will say so: but it is because he would not. Therefore complaine not of the unchangeable decree of GOD, but of the stubbornesse of thy heart, that thou wilt not buckle, and come in unto him.
The best way in this Doctrine of the unchangeableness of Gods decree of election, is this: It ⟨p. 96⟩is good to consider in what manner it is delivered in the Scripture, and to what purpose, and to make that use of it, and then thou shalt be sure not to abuse it. As for example; to what end, and for what occasion is this Doctrine of election delivered? You shall find that it is on this occasion. Rom. 9.18, 19