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Life Eternal · John Preston

Life Eternal, Summary of contents

THat there is a God proved: Page 5

1 By the Creation. Ibid.

By the law, written in mens hearts. Page 13

By the Soule of man. Page 15

VSE 1.

To strengthen faith in this Principle. Page 22

VSE 2.

What consequences to draw hence. Page 28

Objections against this Principle. Page 30

2 That there is a God proved by faith. Page 19.45

The Scripture proved true by foure things. Page 48

VSE 3.

To confirme us in this Principle. Page 61

Difference in the assent of men to this. Page 62

4 Meanes to confirme our Faith in this. Page 68

Three Effects of a firme assent to this Principle. Page 70

3 That there is no other God, but GOD. Page 75

Five Arguments to prove that there is no other God. Page 76

The gods and religion of the Heathens false, proved three wayes. Page 80

Religion of Mahomet false. Page 82

VSE 1.

To beleeve that our God is God alone, and to cleave to him. Page 85

VSE 2.

To comfort us in this, that God will shew himselfe the true GOD, in raising the Churches. Page 87

VSE 3.

To keepe our hearts from Idolatrie. Page 88

Three grounds of Idolatrie. Page 89

What God is. Page 94

Doctrine.

God only and properly hath being in him. Page 97

What the being of God is, explained in five things. Ibid.

VSE 1.

There is something in Gods Essence not to be inquired into. Page 100

VSE 2.

To strengthen our faith and incourage us in wants and crosses. Page 103

VSE 3.

To give God the praise of his being. Page 112

VSE 4.

To learne the vanitie of the creatures, and the remedie against it. Page 116

Attributes of God of two sorts. Page 119

The First ATTRIBVTE.

The perfection of God. Page 120

Five differēces between the perfection of God, and the creatures. Page 121

VSE 1.

All that wee doe cannot reach to God to merit. Page 123

VSE 2.

To see the freenesse of Gods grace. Page 125

VSE 3.

To goe to God with faith though wee have no worth in us. Ibid.

VSE 4.

God hath no need of any creature. Page 126

VSE 5.

Though many perish it is nothing to God, he is perfect. Page 127

VSE 6.

Gods commands are for our good, hee is perfect. Ibid.

VSE 7.

To give God the honour of his perfection. Page 129

Foure signes of exalting Gods perfection. Ibid.

The creatures of themselves can doe nothing for us in three respects. Page 137

The Second ATTRIBVTE.

God without all causes. Page 140

Reason 1.

Else something should bee before him. Ibid.

Reason 2.

That which hath a part receiveth it from the whole. Page 141

Reason 3.

All other things have a possibility not to bee. Page 142

VSE 1.

God wills not things because they are just, but they are just because he wills them. Page 143

VSE 2.

God may doe all things for himselfe and his owne glorie. Page 144

VSE 3.

We should doe nothing for our owne ends but for God. Page 146

Eight signes to know whether a man make God or himselfe his end. Page 148

The Third ATTRIBVTE.

Doctrine.

God is eternall. Page 156

Five things required in Eternitie. Page 157

Reasons why God must be Eternall. Page 158

Foure differences betweene the Eternitie of God, and the duration of the creatures. Page 159

Consect. 1.

God possesseth all things together. Page 159

Consect. 2.

Eternitie maketh things infinitely good or evill. Page 160

VSE 1.

To minde more things Eternall. Page 161

Motives to consider Eternity. Page 167

VSE 2.

Not to be offended with Gods delaying, he hath time enough to performe his promises, being Eternall. Page 168

VSE 3.

To consider Gods love and enmitie are eternall. Page 171

VSE 4.

To comfort us against mutabilitie of things below. Page 172

VSE 5.

God is Lord of time. Page 174

PART II.

The Fourth ATTRIBVTE.

God is a SPIRIT. Page 2

Foure properties of a Spirit. Ibid.

VSE 1.

Gods eye chiefly on our spirits, therefore they must be kept fit for communion with him. Page 4

How to fit our spirits for communion with God. Page 6

Directions for cleansing the spirit. Page 10

VSE 2.

Gods government chiefly on the spirits of men. Page 25

Proved by 3 Demonstrations. Page 28

VSE 3.

To worship God in spirit. Page 32

Which consists in three things. Page 33

What necessity of the gestures of the bodie in Gods service. Page 38

How to conceive of God in prayer. Page 44

The Simplicitie of GOD.

Gods simplicity proved by sixe reasons. Page 48

Consec. 1.

To see what a stable foundation faith hath. Page 51

Consec. 2.

God cannot be hindred in his workes. Page 52

Consec. 3.

The Attributes of God are equall. Page 53

VSE 1.

To labour to bee content in a simple condition. Page 54

VSE 2.

To labour for singlenesse of heart. Page 59

Two things in simplicitie. Page 60

VSE 3.

To goe to God rather than to the creatures. Page 67

The Fifth ATTRIBVTE.

Gods immutability. Page 72

Five Reasons of Gods immutability. Page 73

Two Objections against Gods immutability. Page 76

Consec. 1.

How to understand severall places of Scripture. Page 78

Consec. 2.

Love and hatred in God eternall. Ibid.

VSE 1.

Take heede of provoking him to cast us off. Page 80

The time of Gods casting off a man, unknowne. Page 83

VSE 2.

Gods gifts and calling without repentance. Page 84

How to know vvee are in Covenant vvith God. Page 85

The unchangeablenesse of God takes not away endevour. Page 93

The occasion, end, and use of revealing the doctrine of Gods unchangeablenesse in Scripture. Page 96

VSE 3.

God dispenceth mercies and judgements, now as in former times. Page 98

Two cases wherein God punisheth his owne Children. Page 99

GODS Iudgements different in time and meanes. Page 101

VSE 4.

To see a difference betweene God and the creature. Page 103

Forgetting the creatures to be mutable, three inconveniences of it. Ibid.

VSE 5.

To esteem things by their unchangeablenes. Page 106

VSE 6.

To judge our owne spirits by constancie in well doing. Page 111

VSE 7.

To goe to God to get it. Page 113

Two causes of inconstancie. Page 115

3 Helps to strengthen purposes. Page 117

Meanes to helpe resolutions. Page 119

The Sixth ATTRIBVTE.

The greatnesse of God. Page 123

The greatnesse of God in sixe things. Ibid.

The greatnesse of God proved by foure Reasons. Page 127

VSE 1.

To know our interest in God, and to get an answerable greatnesse of minde. Page 129

Why men are led aside by outward things. Page 130

How to come to true greatnesse of minde. Page 137

VSE 2.

To feare him for his greatnesse. Page 140

VSE 3.

To thinke no affection or obedience enough for him, and therefore not to limit our selves. Page 142

VSE 4.

To reverence before him. Page 145

The Seventh ATTRIBVTE.

Gods immensitie. Page 147

3 Reasons of Gods infinite presence. Page 148

VSE 1.

God governes the world immediatly, a remedy against complaint of ill Governours. Page 150

VSE 2.

To choose God, and rejoyce in him, as a friend in all places. Page 152

VSE 3.

To see a ground of Gods particular Providence in the smallest things. Page 154

VSE 4.

To be patient and meeke in injuries offered by men. Page 156

VSE 5.

To walke with God. Page 159

How we are present with God. Page 160

How to make God present with us. Page 161

Why men desire companie. Page 166

VSE 6.

God observeth all the evill and good we do. Page 168

VSE 7.

Terrour to wicked men, God is an enemy they cannot flee from. Page 174

The Eighth ATTRIBVTE.

God is Omnipotent. Page 176

Omnipotencie of God, wherein. Page 177

4 Reasons of Gods Omnipotency. Page 178

Objections against the Omnipotencie of God. Page 181

VSE 1.

To rejoice in our God, who is Almighty. Page 186

VSE 2.

To make use of Gods Power, in all wants and straits. Page 191

VSE 3.

To beleeve the Omnipotencie of God. Page 194

Men doubt as much of the power of God, as of his will. Ibid.

VSE 4.

To seeke and pray to God in all straits with confidence. Page 198

2 Instances of Gods Power. Page 201