A90296:135
A vision of unchangeable free mercy, in sending the means of grace to undeserved…A vision of vnchangeable free mercy, in sending the means of grace to undeserved…
A vision of unchangeable free mercy, in sending the means of grace to undeserved sinners: wherein Gods uncontrollable eternal purpose, in sending, and continuing the gospel unto this nation, in the middest of oppositions and contingencies, is discovered: his distinguishing mercy, in this great work, exalted, asserted, against opposers, repiners: in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, April. 29. being the day of public humiliation. Whereunto is annexed, a short defensative about church-government, (with a country essay for the practice of church-government there) toleration and petitions about these things. / By John Owen, minister of the gospel at Coggeshall in Essex.A vision of vnchangeable free mercy, in sending the means of grace to undeserved sinners: wherein Gods uncontrollable eternall purpose, in sending, and continuing the gospel unto this nation, in the middest of oppositions and contingencies, is discovered: his distinguishing mercy, in this great work, exalted, asserted, against opposers, repiners: in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, April. 29. being the day of publike humiliation. Whereunto is annexed, a short defensative about church-government, (with a countrey essay for the practice of church-government there) toleration and petitions about these things. / By Iohn Owen, minister of the gospel at Coggeshall in Essex.
London: printed by G.M. for Philemon Stephens, 1646
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.
2. They want all holy Communion with God, wherein the only happiness of the soul doth consist; He is the life, light, joy, and blessedness of the soul: without him, the soul ⟨p. 39⟩in the body is but a dead soul,1 in a living Sepulchre. It is true, there be many that say, who will show us any good? but unless the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, we perish for evermore. Thou hast made us for thy self, ô Lord, and our heart is unquiet, until it come to thee. You who have tasted how gracious the Lord is, who have had any converse and communion with him, in the issues and goings forth of his grace, those delights of his soul with the children of men, would you live? would not life it self, with a confluence of all earthly endearments, be a very hell without him? Is it not the daily language of your hearts, Whom have we in heaven but thee? and in earth there is nothing in comparison of thee? The soul of man is of a vast boundless comprehension, so that if all created good were centred into one enjoyment, and that bestowed upon one soul, because it must needs be finite and limited, as created, it would give no solid contentment to his affections, nor satisfaction to his desires. In the presence and fruition of God alone there is joy for evermore: at his right hand are rivers of pleasure, the wellsprings of life and blessedness. Now if to be without communion with God in this life, wherein the soul hath so many avocations from the contemplation of its own misery, (for earthly things are nothing else) is so unsupportable a calamity, ah what shall that poor soul do, that must want him for eternity? as all they must do, who want the Gospel.
2. They want all holy Communion with God, wherein the onely happines of the soul doth consist; He is the life, light, joy, and blessednes of the soul: without him, the soul ⟨p. 39⟩in the body is but a dead soul,1 in a living Sepulchre. It is true, there be many that say, who will shew us any good? but unles the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, we perish for evermore. Thou hast made us for thy self, ô Lord, and our heart is unquiet, untill it come to thee. You who have tasted how gracious the Lord is, who have had any converse and communion with him, in the issues and goings forth of his grace, those delights of his soul with the children of men, would you live? would not life it self, with a confluence of all earthly endearements, be a very hell without him? Is it not the daily language of your hearts, Whom have we in heaven but thee? and in earth there is nothing in comparison of thee? The soul of man is of a vast boundles comprehension, so that if all created good were centred into one enjoyment, and that bestowed upon one soul, because it must needs be finite and limited, as created, it would give no solid contentment to his affections, nor satisfaction to his desires. In the presence and fruition of God alone there is joy for evermore: at his right hand are rivers of pleasure, the welsprings of life and blessednes. Now if to be without communion with God in this life, wherein the soul hath so many avocations from the contemplation of its own misery, (for earthly things are nothing else) is so unsupportable a calamity, ah what shall that poor soul do, that must want him for eternity? as all they must do, who want the Gospel.