Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world

NOW then briefly, Hence we have a Use of instruction, where we have an answer to the Objection both of the Arminians, & of our late Wantons; Arminians they make this Objection; when we preach (sometimes) that all men naturally are dead in sins and trespasses, and there is no free will in man, but man is as void of Grace ⟨p. 292⟩as the dead Carcass that lies in the grave is void of natural life; Now they say, If men be so dead in sins, Why do you preach to them? Were it not a vain thing to go and preach in the Church-yard? Would they regard what you say? you preach that all are dead, and that there is no life at all in men to do any good, Why do you speak to them? This point answers that Objection.

NOW then briefly, Hence we have a Use of instruction, where we have an answer to the Objection both of the Arminians, & of our late Wantons; Arminians they make this Objection; when we preach (somtimes) that al men naturally are dead in sins and trespasses, and there is no free wil in man, but man is as void of Grace ⟨p. 292⟩as the dead Carkass that lies in the grave is void of natural life; Now they say, If men be so dead in sins, Why do you preach to them? Were it not a vain thing to go and preach in the Church-yard? Would they regard what you say? you preach that al are dead, and that there is no life at al in men to do any good, Why do you speak to them? This point answers that Objection.

Though it is a truth that all men naturally are dead in sins, and are before the Lord as a dead Carrion; there is no dead Carrion more loathsome in the eyes of us, than every natural Soul is in the Eyes of God: but yet we come and preach to them. Why? because that in our preaching, it is God; God and Christ speaks, though our voice have no power to raise from the dead: yet the voice of God hath power to raise from the dead. If Christ will speak to one that is dead, he shall come forth; as you know in the 11. of John. when Christ came to Lazarus, saith Christ, I say to thee Lazarus arise. It were a vain thing for any of us to go to the grave, and say, arise; but if Christ come he can raise them presently: So we preach to a congregation that are mixed; some that have lain in the grave of sin forty years perhaps together, yet when we speak in the name of Christ, and Christ speaks together with us, we may speak to dead Souls: for together with the word that is spoken there doth go a power and a life, for it is the word of God (and not the word of man) that breaths forth life.