N00798:22
Love's pedigree. Or A discourse showing the grace of love in a believer to…Love's pedigree. Or A discourse shewing the grace of love in a believer to…
Love's pedigree. Or A discourse showing the grace of love in a believer to be of a divine original delivered in a sermon preached at the lecture in Boston, Febr. 29. 1699[/]1700. / By S. Willard, teacher of a church there. ; [Two lines from James]Love's pedigree. Or A discourse shewing the grace of love in a believer to be of a divine original delivered in a sermon preached at the lecture in Boston, Febr. 29. 1699[/]1700. / By S. Willard, teacher of a church there. ; [Two lines from James]
printed by B. Green, 1700
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.
4. It utterly exceeds the power of man to recover this Principle, and the activity of it. Of the Natural mans inability to exert any truly Gracious action, the Scripture abundantly informs us, Josh. 24 19. Ye cannot serve God. Rom. 8.7, 8. The Carnal mind is Enmity against God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the Flesh, cannot please God. 2 Cor. 3 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing, as of our selves. Now this defect ariseth from the loss of the Image of God on his Heart, and his incapacity of getting it again by any Endeavour of his own. Because he hath not a root of Grace in him, therefore he cannot act Graciously; for no Effect can exceed the Virtue of its Cause: And because there is a contrary Principle in him, which reigns over every Faculty and Power within him, he therefore is not able to withstand it. Indeed he cannot so much as desire to Love God, much less is he able to restore this Grace to his heart again. The Will therefore as well as the Deed, must be of his operation in us, Phil. 2.13. It is God who worketh in you to will and to do, of his own good pleasure. The restoring of lost Grace to fallen man is a work of Omnipotency, and therefore none ⟨p. 15⟩but he who is Almighty is able to do it in us: It is therefore compared to a Creation, 2 Cor. 4.6. God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, &c. And to a Resurrection, Eph. 2.1. You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Love is a thing that is not to be purchased; all that a man would offer for it will be despised, Cant. 8 7. Which may be interpreted: well of our loving God, as of his loving us.