A90296:55
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.
Begin we with the first of these,1 the rule whereby, &c. or all events and effects, especially concerning the propagation of the Gospel, and the Church of Christ, are in their greatest variety, regulated by the eternal purpose and counsel of God: all things below in their events, are but the wax, whereon the eternal seal of his purpose, hath left its own impression, and they every way answer unto it. It is not my mind to extend this to the generality of things in the world, nor to show how the creature, can by no means deviate from that eternal rule of providence whereby it is ⟨p. 8⟩guided, no more then an arrow can avoid the mark, after it hath received the impression of an unerring hand, or well-ordered wheels not turn, according to the motion given them by the master spring, 2or the wheels in Ezekiels vision move irregularly to the spirit of life that was in them.
Begin we with the first of these,1 the rule whereby, &c. or all events and effects, especially concerning the propagation of the Gospel, and the Church of Christ, are in their greatest variety, regulated by the eternall purpose and counsell of God: all things below in their events, are but the wax, whereon the eternall seal of his purpose, hath left its own impression, and they every way answer unto it. It is not my minde to extend this to the generality of things in the world, nor to shew how the creature, can by no means deviate from that eternall rule of providence whereby it is ⟨p. 8⟩guided, no more then an arrow can avoid the mark, after it hath received the impression of an unerring hand, or well-ordered wheels not turne, according to the motion given them by the master spring, 2or the wheels in Ezekiels vision move irregularly to the spirit of life that was in them.
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