N01435:25
A sermon concerning obedience & resignation to the will of God in every thing.…
A sermon concerning obedience & resignation to the will of God in every thing. Occasioned by the death of that pious gentlewoman, Mrs. Mariah Mather, late consort of Increase Mather, D.D. Who entered into her everlasting rest, on the Lords Day, April.4. 1714. : [Seven lines of Scripture texts]A sermon concerning obedience & resignation to the will of God in every thing. Occasion'd by the death of that pious gentlewoman, Mrs. Mariah Mather, late consort of Increase Mather, D.D. Who entered into her everlasting rest, on the Lords Day, April.4. 1714. : [Seven lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by T. Green, 1714
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.
Answ. 1. There is the Secret Will of God. His Unalterable Decree is called his Will: Eph. 1.11. Who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will. This Will is in many things kept secret from the knowledge of Angels in Heaven; and much more from the knowledge of Men on the Earth: Rom. 11.34. Who has known the Mind of the Lord? Or who has been his Counsellor? All the Men in the World fulfil this Will, and cannot but do so: For it is Irresistible: Rom. 9.19. Who has Resisted his Will? It is impossible for that Will not to take effect: Isa. 46.11. My Counsel shall stand, and I will do all my Pleasure. Men may purpose and not perform; but it is not so with God. If the Lord of Hosts has purposed, who shall disannul it? The Divine Decree is not the Rule by which we are to act. Men may fulfil that, and yet greatly Offend God in what they do. When Judas Betrayed Christ, and caused him to be ⟨p. 4⟩delivered into the wicked Hands that Murdered him, never man was guilty of a greater Sin, yet this was by the Determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge of God. And when Herod Mocked him, and Pilate Condemned him, and the Jews Crucified him; they have been suffering Vengeance for that Sin for more than Sixteen Hundred Years, nevertheless, says the Apostle, They did whatsoever thy Hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done, Act. 4.28. When the Ten Kings gave their Power to the Beast, they fulfilled the Will of God, Rev. 17.17. Not the Will of his Precept, but of his Decree. Many things are done by the Permissive Will of God, which are not according to his Approving Will. God has Decreed that his Church in this world shall be subject to great Persecutions; that's no Rule for us to Pray that the Church may be Persecuted. On the other hand; we may act Contrary to the Decree of God, & yet as long as it is kept Secret, Please him in what we do. When David ⟨p. 5⟩