A57979:53
A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemn fast,…A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemne fast,…
A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemn fast, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1644 by Samuel Rutherfurd.A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemne fast, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1644 by Samuel Rutherfurd.
Edinburgh: printed by Evan Tyler, 1644
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
The use of this shall answer two questions.
1. Why doth God suffer sin to be, and so much sin in England and Ireland?
1. Why doth God suffer sinne to be, and so much sinne in England and Ireland?
2. Why doth he suffer his people in Covenant with him, to be a land of blood?
2. Why doth hee suffer his people in Covenant with him, to bee a land of bloud?
The former question is a general, a wicked Marcion asketh, why the Lord, who foresaw the event, did suffer Eve and the Devil to confer? and if he was able, why did he not hinder sin to be, except he had been either envious, and would not, or weak, and could not hinder the enters of sin in the world? Tertullian answereth, Because the Lord is free in his gifts. Augustine answereth, Epist. 59. ad Paulinum, Quia voluit, because it was his will. Prosper and Hilarius both with Augustine, say; The cause may be unknown, it cannot be unjust. Though it were in the Potters hand, to turn clay into brass, yet his power should not destroy his liberty, to cause him to make a lame vessel such, as if it had reason and will to fall, it should not be broken. Why should Daniels enemies prevail so as to cast him to Lions? that these knees that bowed often to God, and these hands which was lifted up to him, should be eaten with Lions? O lame vessel believe, believe but dispute not. And the answer is clear, sin is the worst thing that is, but the existence of sin is not ill: otherwayes (saith Augustine) God should never permit it to be. Yea sins being in the world, is (silva justiciae divinae, officina gratiae Christi) A field for the glory of revenging justice, and sin is the work house of the pardoning grace of God. And therefore there be good reasons why the Lord should permit sin, and such sins.