A62053:346
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission wherein is discovered, the nature, causes, and cure of those sins / by Geo. Swinnock.
London: printed for Geo. Swinnock, 1675
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 27: Negative godliness is not enough. Christs impartiality in Judgment.
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. By way of Position, But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in that Law doth he meditate day and night. His affection to the Law, and his meditation in it are both positive; and without these the man could neither be holy nor happy. He might have been able to say, I have not walked in the Counsel of the Ungodly, nor stood in the way of Sinners, not sate in the Seat of the scornful; and yet been a wicked and cursed man; for Negatives neither speak nor make any man holy. It is a positive quality, that gives being, perfection, and denomination to Piety. Therefore Jehu is branded for a wicked man, notwithstanding all his zeal against Baal, because he took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel, 1 King. 10.29, 30, 31. Philosophers tell us, That motions are imperfect, and but in fieri, whilst ⟨p. 210⟩they are passing from the Terminus a quo, and are not perfect, or in facto esse, till the Terminus ad quem be attained. Whilst a man is departing from evil, he is but an imperfect Christian; when he comes to the doing of good, which is the end of the former, then he is a Christian indeed.
2. By way of Position, But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in that Law doth he meditate day and night. His affection to the Law, and his meditation in it are both positive; and without these the man could neither be holy nor happy. He might have been able to say, I have not walked in the Counsel of the Ʋngodly, nor stood in the way of Sinners, not sate in the Seat of the scornful; and yet been a wicked and cursed man; for Negatives neither speak nor make any man holy. It is a positive quality, that gives being, perfection, and denomination to Piety. Therefore Jehu is branded for a wicked man, notwithstanding all his zeal against Baal, because he took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel, 1 King. 10.29, 30, 31. Philosophers tell us, That motions are imperfect, and but in fieri, whilst ⟨p. 210⟩they are passing from the Terminus a quo, and are not perfect, or in facto esse, till the Terminus ad quem be attained. Whilst a man is departing from evil, he is but an imperfect Christian; when he comes to the doing of good, which is the end of the former, then he is a Christian indeed.