A90296:68
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. To some people, to some Nations, the Gospel is sent, God calls them to repentance and acknowledgement of the truth, as in my text, Macedonia: and England the day ⟨p. 13⟩wherein we breath. Now there is in this a two-fold aim: 1. Peculiar towards some in their conversion; 2. General towards all for conviction, and therefore it is acted according to a two-fold purpose, which carries it along, and is fulfilled thereby.
2. To some people, to some Nations, the Gospel is sent, God calls them to repentance and acknowledgement of the truth, as in my text, Macedonia: and England the day ⟨p. 13⟩wherein we breath. Now there is in this a two-fold aim: 1. Peculiar towards some in their conversion; 2. Generall towards all for conviction, and therefore it is acted according to a two-fold purpose, which carries it along, and is fulfilled thereby.
First,1 His purpose of saving some in and by Jesus Christ, effectually to bring them unto himself,2 for the praise of his glorious grace:3 upon whomsoever the seal of the Lord is stamped, that God knows them and owns them as his, to them he will cause his Gospel to be revealed.4 Acts 18. 10. Paul is commanded to abide at Corinth, and to preach there, 5because God had much people in that City: though the devil had them in present possession, yet they were Gods in his eternal counsel. And such as these they were, for whose sake the man of Macedonia is sent on his message. Have you never seen the Gospel hover about a Nation, now and then about to settle, and anon scared and upon wing again, yet working through difficulties, making plains of mountains, and filling valleys, overthrowing armies, putting aliens to flight, and at length taking firm root like the Cedars of God? truly if you have not, you are strangers to the place wherein you live. Now what is all this, but the working of the purpose of God to attain its proposed end, of gathering his Saints to himself. In effectual working of grace also, for conversion and salvation, whence do you think it takes its rule and determination, in respect of particular objects, that it should be directed to John, not Judas; Simon Peter, not Simon Magus? Why only from this discriminating counsel of God from eternity, to bring the one, and not the other to himself by Christ,