N00357:792
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard Pastor to the church of North-Hampton in New-England. ; [Nine lines from Philippians]The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard Pastor to the church of North-Hampton in New-England. ; [Nine lines from Phillipians]
Boston: printed by Samuel Green for Samuel Phillips, 1687
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Safety of Appearing in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. › Chapter 10
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.
Answer,
1. When God says whoever will; he does not limit the call to them that will, the offer is general, and therefore is made unto them that will not, as well as unto them that will: men that are unwilling ought to come, mens duty does not depend upon their willingness to do it: God commands those that are unwilling: the generality of the Jews were not willing to come to Christ: yet God required them to come, Joh. 9.29. this is the work of God that ye believe on him, whom he hath sent: God makes conditional promises unto such, and will punish such men for their not coming unto Christ: it will be a poor excuse at the last day for men to say they were not willing, out of their own mouth God will condemn them.
2, When God says whosoever will: he does not require any antecedent willingness before their coming: the meaning is not that men must first find themselves willing, and so come to Christ: men must not wait for a willing spirit, as a ground of encouragement to come to Christ, God does not require that men should be first willing and then come: it is a concomitant willingness only that God does require not an antecedent: for indeed no man is indeed truly willing to believe in Christ, until he does so.