A53713:863
Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Of communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, each person distinctly in love, grace, and consolation, or, The saints fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, unfolded by John Owen ...Of communion with God the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, each person distinctly in love, grace, and consolation, or, The saints fellowship with the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, unfolded by John Owen ...
Oxford: printed by A. Lichfield for Tho. Robinson, 1657
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.
They have no true, unquestionable right I say even unto the temporal things they do possess; it is true they have a civill right in respect of others, but they have not a sanctified right in respect of their own Souls. They have a right and Title that will hold plea in the Courts of men, but not a right that will hold in the court of God, and in their own Conscience. It will one day be sad with them when they shall come to give an account of their enjoyments. They shall not only be reckoned withal for the abuse of that they have possessed, that they have not used, & laid it out for the glory of him whose it is but also that they have ever laid their hands upon the Creatures of God, and kept them from them for whose sakes alone they are preserved from destruction. When the God of Glory shall come home to any of them, either in their consciences here, or in the ⟨p. 255⟩Judgement that is for to come, and speak with the terror of a revengeful judge: I have suffered you to enjoy Corn, Wine, and Oil, a great portion of my creatures; you have rolled your selves in wealth and prosperity, when the right heirs of these things lived poor, and low, and mean at the next doors; Give in now an answer what, and how you have used these things, what have you laid out for the service and advancement of the Gospel? what have you given unto them for whom nothing was provided? What contribution have you made for the poor Saints? have you had a ready hand, and willing mind to lay down all for my sake? When they shall be compelled to answer as the truth is, Lord, we had indeed a large portion in the world, but we took it to be our own, & thought we might have done what we would with our own, we have eat the fat, and drank the sweet, and left the rest of our substance for our babes; we have spent somewhat upon our lusts, somewhat upon our friends, but the truth is we cannot say that we made friends of this unrighteous mammon, that we used it to the advancement of the Gospel or for ministering unto thy poor Saints, and now behold we must dye, &c. So also when the Lord shall proceed further and question not only the use of these things, but also their Title to them, and tell them the Earth is mine and the fullness thereof: I did indeed make an original grant of these things to man, but that is lost by sin;
They have no true, vnquestionable right I say even unto the temporall things they do possesse; it is true they have a civill right in respect of others, but they have not a sanctifyed right in respect of their own Soules. They have a right and Title that will hold plea in the Courts of men, but not a right that will hold in the court of God, and in their own Conscience. It will one day be sad with them when they shall come to give an account of their enjoyments. They shall not only be reckoned withall for the abuse of that they have possessed, that they have not used, & laid it out for the glory of him whose it is but also that they have ever layed their hands upon the Creatures of God, and kept them from them for whose sakes alone they are preserved from destruction. When the God of Glory shall come home to any of them, either in their consciences here, or in the