A44434:195
An exposition on the Lord's prayer with a catechistical explication thereof, by way of…
An exposition on the Lord's prayer with a catechistical explication thereof, by way of question and answer for the instructing of youth : to which is added some sermons on providence, and the excellent advantages of reading and studying the Holy Scriptures / by Ezekiel Hopkins ...
London: printed for Nathanael Ranew, 1692
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.
2. God's Will of Purpose permits the Evil of Sin for Wise and Gracious Ends, that he may bring good out of Evil; even those very Sins and Wickedness which his Will of Precept forbids, his Will of Purpose permits; for if God did not will to permit them, there would be no such thing as Sin in the World.
Secondly, Hence ariseth another very remarkable difference, that we may effectually resist God's Will of Precept, so as to hinder the accomplishment of it; but whatsoever we do so it is our Sin, and will without repentance be our condemnation. So Stephen accuseth the Jews, Act. 7.51. You do always resist the Holy Ghost: that is, by your Practices you do always go contrary to the Commands of God, revealed by his Spirit in his Word. And were it not for this resisting of the Will of God, we should be perfectly holy and blameless.
But we cannot resist the Will of God's Purpose, so as to hinder the Execution of it; although sometimes to endeavour it, may be so far from Sin, as to be our necessary and indispensable Duty: For though it may be the Will of God to bring us into Poverty or into Prison, or to lay sore Diseases upon us; yet it is not only lawful for us, but we are obliged as far as lies in us, to hinder these Evils of Punishment from befalling us, and to preserve our Estates, our Liberty, our Health, and all our outward Comforts, by all lawful and ⟨p. 51⟩allowed ways and means: Much more, if God should will to permit a Sin in others, or in our selves, are we bound to hinder the Commission of it; for, for us to be willing to permit, because God is, though it be a conformity of our Wills to God's Will of Purpose, yet this is not our Rule to walk by: And it is a wretched Rebellion against his Will of Precept, which alone we are to respect in all our Actions, and endeavour to conform our selves unto. Doubtless it was God's Will of Purpose, that Christ the Lord of Life and Glory should be Crucified; but yet the Jews conforming themselves according to this Will, were guilty of the most horrid Wickedness that ever was committed in the World; for both these we have confirmed to us,