A44687:149
The reconcilableness of God's prescience of the sins of men with the wisdom and…The reconcileableness of God's prescience of the sins of men with the wisdom and…
The reconcilableness of God's prescience of the sins of men with the wisdom and sincerity of his counsels, exhortations, and whatsoever other means he uses to prevent them / in a letter to the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq.The reconcileableness of God's prescience of the sins of men with the wisdom and sincerity of his counsels, exhortations, and whatsoever other means he uses to prevent them / in a letter to the Honorable Robert Boyle Esq.
London: printed for Brabazon Aylmer, 1677
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.
§. XVII.
That which his declarations to men do amount unto, is, in sum, thus much, That, whereas they have, by their defection, and revolt from him, made themselves liable to his Justice, and very great consequent miseries; he is willing to pardon, save and restore them to a blessed state, upon such terms as shall be agreeable ⟨p. 88⟩(the recompense due to his injured Law, being otherwise provided for, at no expense of theirs) to the nature of that Blessedness they are to enjoy, the Purity of his own Nature, and the Order, and Dignity of his Government. That is, that they seriously repent, and turn to him, Love him as the Lord their God, with all their Heart and Soul, and Might, and Mind; and one another as themselves. (being to make together one happy Community, in the participation of the same Blessedness) Commit themselves by entire Trust, subjection and devotedness to their great and merciful Redeemer, according to the measure of light, wherewith he shall have been revealed and made known to them; Submit to the motions and dictates of his ⟨p. 89⟩Blessed Spirit, whereby the impression of his own holy Image is to be renewed in them, and a Divine Nature imparted to them; And carefully attend to his Word as the means, the impressive instrument or seal, by which, understood and considered, that impression shall be made, and the very seed out of which that Holy Nature, and the entire frame of the New Creature shall result and spring up in them; so as to make them apt unto the obedience that is expected from them, and capable of the Blessedness they are to expect. That if they neglect to attend to these external discoveries, and refuse the ordinary aids and assistances of his good Spirit, and offer violence to their own Consciences, they are not to expect he should over-power them, ⟨p. 90⟩by a strong hand, and save them against the continuing dis-inclination of their own wills.