A55752:1298
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…
Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ...
London: printed by J.T., 1658
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.
It may be here objected that when God offereth Christ to all, and beseecheth them and persuadeth them, and 1commandeth men to come in and believe, and yet knoweth before hand that man of himself hath no ability to believe, It may seem that God hath some collusion and deceit in this, in that notwithstanding he knoweth men cannot believe of themselves, yet he offereth Christ and persuadeth and commandeth men to lay hold on him by faith.
It may be here objected that when God offereth Christ to all, and beseecheth them and perswadeth them, and 1commandeth men to come in and believe, and yet knoweth before hand that man of himself hath no ability to believe, It may seem that God hath some collusion and deceit in this, in that notwithstanding he knoweth men cannot believe of themselves, yet he offereth Christ and perswadeth and commandeth men to lay hold on him by faith.
- 1Objection 2.
To this I answer first, that God may seriously offer 1and give a thing, and yet know aforehand that the party to whom it is offered will not receive it out of the stubbornness and refractoriness of his own will. A Prince may offer and give a pardon to a Rebel, and yet know aforehand that the Rebel to whom it is offered, out of pride and contempt will not receive it; so I say when God offereth Christ, he offereth him in good earnest, here is no deceit, what he promiseth he will perform, he offereth him to the reprobate, to this I will add two similitudes, The one by St. Ambrose on those words The Sun shineth upon the just and unjust, now (saith he) if any but of neglect or carelessness of it hides himself in a place to keep the Sun off from him, the fault is not in the Sun but in him. And another useth this similitude; the death of Christ is like a medicine, that hath efficacy enough to heal all mankind, if they will apply it, now if men will not take it, and receive it, it is not out of a defect in the thing it self, but out of the contempt and stubbornness of their own will.