fulfill their pennance injoyned if they be devout in certaine superstitions in their will-worship and voluntary religion their conscience is quiet for a time notwithstanding their soule and blacke sinnes even their abominable Idolatries I do these to wit that all this is but a blindfolding smothering and stupifying the conscience for a time laying a double and a farre greater guilt upon it it is farre from being any meanes truly to pacifie it For how can any man have true peace from any or from all such actions as are in themselves an actuall denying of the true head of the Church Iesus Christ and are a cleaving to a false head which is Antichrist And how can any man merit for himselfe when our Saviour saith when hee hath done all that is commanded hee is an unprofitable servant and hath done but his dutie which thing hee must say and acknowledge All these before mentioned build their hopes upon false grounds Those that follow build their presumptuous false hopes upon a misse-application of true grounds 7. Many acknowledge that they have sinned doe deserve eternall damnation but they say God is mercifull therefore their heart is quiet without all feare of Condemnation It is most true that God is most mercifull but how Know hee is not necessarily mercifull as if he could not choose but shew it to all men Hee is voluntarily mercifull shewing mercy onely to those unto whom he will shew mercie God could and did hate and in his justice comdemne Eâ—au notwithstanding his love and mercy to Iacob God is all iustice as well as all mercy but he hath his severall obiects of justice and mercy and hath his severall vessels of wrath and mercy into which respectively hee doth powre his wrath or mercy When God speaketh of obstinate sinners he saith that hee will not â—e mercifull to their iniquities and saith againe Hee that made them will not have mercy on them And David prayeth with a Propheticall Spirit saying to God Be not mercifull to wicked transgressours And who are these but such as hate to be reformed who are presumptuous and turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Now concerning them that alwayes erre in their heart hee hath in effect sworne that hee will shew them no mercy For hee hath sworne that they shall not enter into his rest 8. Some others goe farther they acknowledge that GODS Iustice must be satisfied and they thinke it is satisfied for them they dreaming of universall redemption by Christ who indeed is said to dye to take away the sinnes of the world This causeth their conscience to be quiet notwithstanding that they live in sinne It must be granted that Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all This ransome may be called generall and for all in some sense but how namely in respect of the common nature of man which he tooke and of the common cause of mankinde which hee undertooke and for that in it selfe it was of sufficient price to redeeme all men and it was paide in such sort that it is appliable to al without exception by the preaching and ministry of the Gospell And it was so intendedby Christ that the plaster should be as large as the sore and that there should be no defect in the remedy that is in the price or sacrifice of himselfe offered upon the Crosse by which man should be saved but that all men and each particular man might in that respect become saveable by Christ Yet doth not the salvation of all men necessarily follow hereupon nor doth it follow that all men may be saved if they will nor yet must any part of the price which CHRIST paid be held to be superfluous though many be not saved by it For it being of infinite value because he was the eternall son of God that suffered and so it was to be because he was to feele the wrath of an infinite God it receiveth not the consideration of more or lesse And the whole price and merits of Christ are not to bee applied by parts but the whole merit is to bee applyed to each particular maÌ„ that shal be saved But know that the application of the remedy and the actuall fruit of this all-sufficient ransom redoundeth to those which are saved onely by that way and meanes which God was pleased to appoint which for men of yeares iâ— faith by which Christ is actually applyed Which condition many to whom the Gospell doth come make impossibleto themselves through a wilfull refusing of the Gospell and saluation it selfe by Christ upon those termes which God doth offer it Vpon this sufficiency of Christs ransome and intention of God and Christ that it should be sufficient to save all is founded that generall offer of Christ to all and to each particular man to whom the Lord shall please to reveale the Gospell likewise that universall precept of the Gospell commanding every man to repent and beleeve in Christ Iesus as also the universall promise of salvation made to every one that shall beleeve in Christ Iesus Although in an orthodox sense â—ightly understood Christ may be said to have dyed for all yet let not every one nor any one presently presume he shall be saved For God did intend this all-sufficient price for all otherwise to his elect in Christ than to those whom he passed by not elected for he intended this not only out of a generall and common love to mankinde but out of a peculiar love to his Elect. He gave not Christ equally and alike to save all and Christ did not so lay downe his life for the Reprobate as for the Elect. Christ so dyed for all that his death might be applyable to all He so dyed for the Elect that his death might be actually applied unto them He so dyed for all that they might have an object of faith and that if they should beleeve in Christ they might be saved But he so died for the Elect that they might actually beleeve and bee saved Hence it is that Christs death becommeth effectuall to them and not to the other though sufficient for all Now that many beleeve not they having â—he means of saith the fault is in themselves through their wilfulnesse or negligence but that any beleeve to Salvation it is of Gods grace attending his Election and Christs dying out of his especiall love for them and not of the power of mans free will God sending his Gospell and giving the grace of faith new obedience to those whom of his free grace he hath ordained to eternall life both where he pleaseth and when he pleaseth Furthermore it must be considered that notwithstanding the all-sufficiencie of Christs death whereby the new Covenant of grace is ratified and confirmed the Covenant is not absolute but conditionall Now what GOD prodoundeth conditionally no man must take absolutely For God hath not said that all men without exception shal be saved by Christs death albeit he saith Christ died for all but Salvation is promised to all onely under the Condition of Repenting and Beleeving in Christ that dyed I call them conditions not for which GOD ordained men to life but
that if hee offer grace to day who can tell whether he wil offer it to morrow Or whether he will offer it again Who knoweth whether God will take him from the meanes of Salvation or will take the meanes of Salvation from him All this our holy and wise God hath revealed in his Word to make men wise to take the opportunity and time of grace while it is offered Wherfore whosoever have let slippe their first times offers of grace have sinned plaied the fooles egregiously for which they have cause to be much humbled But for you to conclude hence that the date and time of your conversion is out hath no sufficient ground For it is not possible for you to know that your time of conversion is past all recoverie But you shold rather for the present time beleeve and hope that it is not past Indeed to presume to put off receiving grace untill to morrow is foolish and dangerous but if God give you time till to morrow that you live and it can be said to day so long as you yet live and the externall meanes of Salvation are not taken from you either in their exercise or out of your remembrance but you doe yet live to heare what God hath commanded you to doe and to heare what good things hee yet offereth unto you with Christ or if the meanes be taken from you or you are detained from them by sicknesse c. so long as you yet live to call to remembrance what God hath commanded you to beleeve and doe you cannot say the time is too late If you would yet condemn your selves for refusing grace heretofore and would be now willing and desirous to accept of it Moreover would you now with all your heart use the meanes of Salvation and indevour to beleeve and repent if you thought it were not too late And doth it grieve you that you have let slip the opportunitie And would you gaine and redeeme that lost time if you knew how Then I dare in the name of God assure you that the date of your conversion is not out It is not too late for you to turne unto the Lord. While it is to day I may boldly say harden not your heart which if you doe not you must know that now is an acceptable time now is the day and time of your Salvation At what time soever GOD doth send his Minister unto you by whom GOD doth beseech you they intreating you as now I doe in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to GOD this is the acceptable day if you will be intreated by them The day wherein GOD will accept of you is not past Moreover at what time soever and by what meanes soever any man shall humble himselfe for sinne and aske grace the date of Gods acceptance of him is not out Learne this in the example of Manasses and many other who had refused grace in their yongertime yet were converted in their age You have Gods expresse words for it who saith From the dayes of your fathers that is for a long time Yee are gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them Returne unto me and I will returne unto you saith the Lord of Hoasts That place in the Proverbes rightly understood doth not contradict any thing which I have said nor yet serve for that for which it is alledged For by refusing there he meaneth a constant and obstinate refusing of wisedomes counsell untill such time that God hath broughtsome misery on them theÌ„ they should call upon him By calling upon him in that place is not meant a hearty praying with godly sorrow for sin making request for pardon and for grace but a crying or howling rather like those in Hosea under the sense of Gods judgements praying in truth onely to be eased of it For at what time soever a sinner shall repent GOD will turne to him And whosoever looketh towards Christ the true Temple shadowed forth by the materiall Temple at Ierusalem and confesseth his sinne and asketh pardon God will pardon for so hath he promised But may not a man pray too late and seek repentance in vain as Esau did who found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with teares Did not the foolish Virgins seeke to enter into the Bride-chamber but were not admitted And doth not our Saviour say many shall strive to enter in and shall not be able No man can aske grace and forgivenesse of sinnes too late if he aske for grace and power against sin heartily But a man may aske a temporall blessing or the removall of a temporall evill when it may be too late As for Esaus carefull seeking of repentance you must understand it not of his owne repentance from his prophanenes and from other dead workes but of his Father Isaacks repentance he would have had his father to change his minde and to have given him the birth-right which was already bestowed upon Iacob Read Gen. 27. 34. 38. Whereas the foolish Virgins did assay to enter into the Bride-chamber when the doore was shut know that this is a parable and must not be urged beyond its generall scope which is to shew that formall professors of Christianitie such as have onely a forme of godlinesse without the power of it they although they will not live the life of the righteous yet they could wish their end might be like theirs And because of their outward profession of Christs Name in this life they securely expect eternall life but because before their death they did not provide the oyle of truth and holinesse therefore at the day of Iudgement they shall be disappointed of entering into Heaven which in the time of their life they did so much presume of The like answer may be given unto that place alledged out of Luk. 13. 24. Yet unto that place more may be said You mistake when you say that Christ saith many shall strive to enter and shall not be able He saith Strive to enter in at the straight gate for many I say to you shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able he doth not say many shall strive to enter There is great difference in the signification of the Greeke words and so there is betweene striving and seeking signified by them Seeking imports onely a bare professing of Christ such as is shewed in giving the name to Christ comming to Church hearing the Woâ—d and receiving the Sacraments For thus did the men spoken of by our Saviour who are said not to be able to enter But to strive to enter is to doe all these and more it is to strive in seeking for him that they take up their crosse and follow him they give their hearts to him as well as their names they are heartie and sincere in Praying Hearing Receiving they strive to subdue their lusts which offend Christ
meditation holy exercises and workes of mercie excepting onely necessary repasts and a generall providence over their estate should be thought as it is by some to be meerely â—ewish and to be onely the private opinion of some few Zelots more nice then wise Know that in all things wherein weâ— are tyed by a commandement common to us and the Iewes to observe that as the Iewes did by vertue of that commandement is not to bee Iewish as to forbeare to kill and to commit adulâ—erie and such like The same reason is for keeping the fourth Commandement which as hath beene proved is one of the Motals Besides know that the observing the Lords day by vâ—rture of the fourth Commandement and the change of the 〈…〉 day unto the Lords day to â—e by divine institution and that it should bee kept strictly holy as I have shewed you is the professed doctrine of this our Church of England And I would that all would know and see that the taking away of the morality of the fourth Commandement unloosing the conscience from the immediate bonds of Gods Commandement and tying the conscience to observe a day for Gods solemne worship only by humane constitution doth overthrow true Religion and the power of Godlinesse and opens a wide gap to Atheisme proâ—anenesse and all licentiousnesse As daily experience doth shew in those Countries where the moralitie of the Sabbath is not maintained and in such places where the Lords Day is not holily and duely observed CHAP. VII Shewing how to end the day with God VVHen you have walked with God from morning untill night whether on a common day a day of Fast or on the Lords Day according to the former directions it remaineth that you conclude the day well when you would give your selfe to rest at night Wherefore First looke backe and take a strict view of your whole carriage that day past Reforme what you finde amisse and rejoyce or be grieved as you finde you have done wel or ill as you have gotten or lost in grace that day Secondly sith you cannot sleep in safetie if God who is your keeper doe not wake and watch for you and though you have God to watch when you sleepe you cannot be safe if hee that watcheth be your enemy Wherfore you shall do wel if at night you not onely conclude the day with your Family by reading some Scripture and by prayer but you must alone renew and confirme your peace with GOD with prayer with like preparation therto as you received directions for the morning commending and committing your selfe to Gods tuition by prayer with thanksgiving before you goe to bed Then shall you lye downe in safety All this being done yet while you are putting off your apparell when you are lying downe and when you are in bed before you sleepe it is good that you commune with your owne heart If other good and apt meditations offer not themselves some of these will be seasonable 1. When you see your selfe stript of your apparell consider what you were at your birth and what you shall be at your death when you put off this earthly Tabernacle if not in the meane time how that you brought nothing into this world nor shall carry any thing out naked you came out of your mothers wombe and naked shall you returne This will be an excellent means to give you sweet content in any thing you have though never so little and in the losse of what you have had though never so much 2. When you lye downe you may thinke of lying downe into your winding-sheete and into your grave For besides that sleepe and the bed doe aptly resemble death and the grave who knoweth when he sleepeth that ever he shall awake againe to this life 2. You may thinke thus also If the Sunne must not goe downe upon my wrath lest it become hatred and so be worse ere morning then it is not safe for me to lye downe in the allowance of any sinne lest I sleepe not onely the sleepe of naturall death but of that which is eternall for who knoweth what anight wil bring forth Now it is an high point of holy wisedome upon all opportunities to thinke of and to prepare for your latter end 4 Consider likewise that if you walke with God in uprightnesse your death unto you is but to fall into a sweet sleepe an entring into rest a resting on your bed for a night untill the glorious morning of your happy Resurrection 5. Lastly if possibly you can fall asleepe out of some heavenly meditation Then will your sleepe be more sweete and more secure your dreams fewer or more comfortable your head will be fuller of good thoughts and your heart will be in better plight when you awake whether in the night or in the morning Thirdly being thus prepared to sleepe you should sleepe onely so much as the present state of your body requireth you must not be like the sluggard to love sleepe neither must you sleepe too much for if you doe that which being taken in its due measure is a restorer of vigor and strength to your body and a quickner of the spirits wil make the spirits dâ—l the braine soâ—tish and the whole body lazie and unhealthy And that which God hath ordained for a furtherance through your sinne shal become an enemy to your corporall and spirituall thrift Thus much of walking with God in all things at all times CHAP. VIII How to walke with God alone SECTION 1. THere is no time wherein you shall not be either alone or in Company in either of which you must walke in all well-pleasing as in the sight of God Touching being alone First Affect not solitarinesse be not alone except you have just cause namely when you set your selfe apart for holy duties and when your needfull occasions do withdraw you for out of these cases two are better then one saith Salomon and woe be to him that is alone 2. When you are alone you must be very watchfull stand upon your guard well armed lest you shall fall into manifold temptations of the Divell For solitarinesse is Satans opportunity which he wil not lose as the manifold examples in Scripture and our daily experience doth witnesse Wherefore you must have a ready eye to observe and an heart ready bent to resist all his assaults And it will now the more concerne you to keep close to God and not lose his company that through the weapons of your Christian warfare you may by the power of Gods might quit your selfe and stand fast 3. Take speciall heede lest when you be alone you your selfe conceive devise or plot any evill to which your nature is then most apt And beware in particular lest you commit alone by your selfe contemplative wickednesse which is when by feeding your fancy and pleasing
fruit and from love and feare of God and from conscience of the Commandement to doe the will of GOD. Not onely feare of wrath and hope of reward causeth him to abstaine from evill and doe good but chiefly love of God and conscience of duty Now if you would know when you obey out of conscience of the Commandement and from love of Christ consider 1. whether your heart and minde stand ready prest to obey every of Gods Cōmandements which you know as well as any and that because the same God which hath given one hath given all If yea then you obey out of Conscience 2. Consider what you doe or would doe when Christ and his true Religion and his Commandements goe alone and are severed from all outward credit pleasure and profit Doe you or will you then cleave to Christ and to the Commandement Then love of Christ feare of God and conscience of the commandement was and is the true cause of your wel-doing especially if you will and indev our all this when that all these are by the world cloathed with perill contempt 3. Consider whether you can goe on in the strict course of godlinesse alone and whether you resolve todoe it though you shall have no company but all or most goe in the way of sinne and withall perswade thereunto When you wil walke with God alone without ether company this sheweth that your walking with God is for his sake So walked Noah and Eliah as he thought But the cause of an hypocrites well-doing is onely goodnesse of nature or good education or meere civility or some common gifts of the spirit also selfe-love slavish feare onely or the like See this in Ahabs repentance in Iehu his zeale and Ioash his goodnesse Ahabs humiliation was only from a slavish feare of punishment The zeale of Iehu was only from earthly ioy and carnall policy for had it beene in zeale for God he would as well have put downe the Calves at Dan and Bethel as to stay the Priests of Baal And the goodnes of Ioash it was chiefly for Iehoiada's sake whom he reverenced and to whom he held himselfe beholding for his kingdome and not for Gods sake For the Scripture saith that after Iehoiadans death his Princes sollicited him and hee yeelded and fell to Idolatry and added this also he commanded Zechariah the High Priest Iehoiada's sonne to be slaine because hee in the name of the Lord reproved him for his sinne Secondly the upright mans actions as they come from a good beginning so they are directed to a good end he propoundeth the pleasing of God and the glory of his Name as the direct chiefe and utmost end not as if a man might not have respect to himselfe and to his neighbour also propounding to himselfe his owne and his neighbours good as one end of his actions somtimes but these must not bee propounded either onely or chiefly or as the farthest and utmost marke but onely as they are subordinate to these chiefe ends and doe lye directly in the way to procure Gods glory For so farre forth as a mans health and well-fare both of body and soule lyeth directly in the way to glorifie God hee may in that respect ayme at them in his actions Our Saviour Christ in an inferiour and secondary respect aymed at his owne glory and at the salvation of man in the worke of mans redemption When he said Glorifie thy Son and prayed that his Church might be glorified here he had respect unto himselfe and unto man But when he said that thy Sonne may glorifie thee here he made Gods glory his utmost end and the only marke which for it selfe hee aymed at The upright mans ayme at his owne and at his neighbours goods is not for themselves as if his desire ended there but in reference to GOD the chiefe Good and the highest end of all things Indeed such is GODS wisedome and goodnes that he hath set before man evill and good Evill that followeth upon displeasing and dishonouring him by sinne that man might feare and avoyd sinne Good and recompēce of reward that followeth upon faith and indevour to obey that he might hope and be better induced to beleeve and obey This GOD did knowing that man hath need of all reasonable helps to affright him from evill and to allure him to good Now God having set these before man man may and ought for these good purposes to set them before himselfe Yet the upright man standeth so straight and onely to God that so farre as he knoweth his owne heart he thus resolved that if there were no feare of punishment nor hope of reward if there were neither Heaven or Hell he would indevour to please and glorifie GOD even out of that duty hee oweth to him and out of that high and awful estimation which he hath of Gods Soveraigntie and from that entire love which hee beareth unto him He that ordinarily in doing of common and earthly businesse though they concerne his owne good hath a will to doe them with an heavenly mind and to an heavenly end principally certainly hee standeth well and uprightly resolved albeit intemptations and feares he doth not alwayes feele the said resolution But the hypocrite not so hee onely or chiefly aymeth at himselfe and in his aime serveth himselfe in all that he doth If he looke to GODS will and glory as sometimes he wil pretend he maketh that but the by and not the main he seeketh Gods will and glory not for it selfe but for himselfe not for Gods sake but for his owne Thus did Iehu Sixthly An upright man may know hee is upright by the effects that follow upon his well-doing First his chiefe inquiry is and hee doth observe what good commeth by it and what glory God hath had or may have rather then what earthly credit and benefit hee hath gotten to himselfe Or if this latter thrust in it selfe before the other as it will oft-times in the best he is greatly displeased with himselfe for it The hypocrit not so all that he harkeneth after is pleased with after hee hath done a good deed is what applause it hath amongst men c. Secondly when an upright man hath done a prayse-worthy action he is not puft up with pride and high conceit of his owne worth glorying in himselfe but hee is humbly thankefull unto God Thankefull that God hath enabled him to doe any thing with which he will be wel-pleased and accept as well done Humble and low in his eyes because of the manifold failings in that good worke and because he hath done it no better and because whatsoever good hee did it was by the grace and power of God not by any power of his own Thus David shewed his uprightnesse in that solemne thanksgiving when hee said But who am I and what is my people that wee should bee able to offer
was felt witnesse your owne experience for before the hammer and fire of the Word was applyed to your hearts you had no sense of it and never complained thereof You must not call a heavie heart a hard heart you must not call a heart wherein is a sense of an indisposition to good a hard heart except onely in â—omparison of that softnesse which is in it sometimes and which it shall attaine unto when it shall bee perfectly sanctified in which respect it may bee called hard Whosoever hath his will so wrought upon by the Word that it is bent to obey GODS will if he knew how and if he had power this man whatsoever hardâ—esse hee feeleth his heart is soft not hard The Apostle had a heart held in and clogged with the flesh and the law of his members that it made him to thinke himselfe wretched because hee could not bee fully deliverd from it yet wee know his heart was not an hard heart Amongst those that are sanctified there remaineth more hardnesse in the heart of some than in others and what with the committing of grosse sinnes and a cursorie and slight doing of good duties and through neglect of meanes to soften it the same mens hearts are harder at one time than at another of which they have cause to complaine and for which they have cause to bee humbled and to use all meanes to soften it But it is false and dangerous hence to conclude that such are not in state of grace because of such hardnesse in the heart For as GODS perfectest Children on earth know but in part and beleeve but in part So their hearts are softened but in part SECTION 7. Removall of feares rising from doubts about falling from Grace THere yet remaine many who though they be driven up into so narrow a corner that they cannot reply to the answers given to take away their false feares and doubts but they are inforced to yeeld that they find that they now are or at least have beene in state of grace they now see they have beleeved and have beene and it may bee now are sanctified yet this they feare that they either are already fallen or shall not persevere but shall fall away before they dye Touching falling away from grace first know that of those that give their names to Christ in outward profession there are two sorts The first sort are such who have received onely the common gifts of the Spirit as first illumination of the mind to know the mystery of Salvation by Christ and truâ—y to assent unto it Secondly Together with this knowledge is wrought in them by the same spirit a â—â—â—hter impression upon the affections which the Scripture calleth a taste of the heavenly gift and of the good Word of GOD and of the powers of the world to come By these gifts of the Spirit the souâ—es of these men are raised to an abilitie to doe more than nature and meere education can helpe them unto carrying them further then nature or art can doe by working in them a kinde of spirituall change in their affections and a kinde of reformation of their lives But yet all this while they are not ingrafted into Christ neither are deepely rooted as the Corne in good grouÌ„d nor yet are throughly changed and renewed in the inward man they have at best only a formâ— of godlinesse but have not the power thereof Now these men may and oft doe fall away not onely into some particular grosse sinnes of which they were sometimes after a sort washed but into a course of sinning falling from the very forme of godlinesse and may so utterly loose thoâ—e gifts received that they may turne Papists Anabaptists or may fall into any oâ—her Heresie and in the end become very Apostates yet this is not properly a falling from grace It is onely a falling away from the common graces or gifts of the Sâ—irit and from those graces which they did seeme to have and which the Church out of her charitie did judge them to have but they fall not from true saving grace for they neuer had any For if ever they had beene indeed incorporated into Christ Iesus and had beene sound members of his body and in this sense had ever beene of us as the Apostle Iohn speaketh then they should never have departed from us but should no doubt have continued with us The second sort of such as have given their names to Christ are such as are indued with true iustifying faith and saving knowledge and are renewed in the spirit of their minde whereby through the gracious and powerful working of the sanctifying Spirit the Word maketh a deeper impression upon the will and the affections causing them not onely to taste but which is much more to feed and to drinke deepe of the heavenly gift and of the good word of GOD and of the powers of the world to come so as to digest them unto the very changing and transforming them by the renewing of their mindes and unto the sanctifying of them throughout in their whole man both in spirit soule and bodie so that CHRIST is indeed formed in them and they are become new creatures being made partakers of the divine nature Now concerning these It is not possible that any of them should fall away either wholly or for ever Yet it must bee granted that they may decline and fall backe so farre as to grieve the good spirit of GOD and to offend and provoke God very much against them and to make themselves guiltie of eternall death They may fall so farre as to interrupt the exercise of their faith wound their Conscience and may loose for a time the sense of Gods favour and may cause him like a wise and good father in his iust anger to chide correct threaten them making them beleeve hee will turne them out of doores never to receive them into his heavenly Kingdome untill by renewing their faith and repentance they returne into the right way and doe recover GODS lo-ving countenance towards them againe That you may understand and beleeve this the better consider what grace God giveth unto his elect and how and from what they may fill also you must observe well the difference that is betweene the sinning of the regenerate and unregenerate together with their different condition wherin they stand while they are in their sinnes In the first act of Conversion I speake of men of yeeres and discretion GOD by his Word through his holy Spirit doth infuse an habit of holinesse namely an habit of Faith and all other saving graces this every childe of GOD receiveth when he receiveth that holy annointing of the spirit that which the Scripture calieth the Seede remaining in him Secondly God by his gracious meanes and ordinances of the Gospell doth increase this habit and these graces Now because every man
them runne not long and in time may quite be dryed up But the saving graces of the regenerate receive their light warmth and life from the Sunne of righteousnesse therefore can never be totally or finally Eclipsed And they doe rise from that Well and Spring of living water which cannot be drawn dry orâ—o dammed up or stopt but that it will runne more or lesse unto eternall life As the regenetate man doth not sinne in such sort as the unregenerate with all his heart so neither is hee when he hath sinned in the same state and condition which the unregenerate is in Hee is in the Condition of a Sonne who notwithstanding his failings abideth in the house for ever but not as the other who being no sonne but a servant is for his misdemeanor turned out and abideth not in the house for ever Although the regenerate as well as the unregenerate doe draw upon themselves by their sinnes the simple guilt of eternall death yet this guilt is not accounted neither doth it redound to the person of the truly regenerate as it doth to the other because Christ Iesus hath so satisfied and doth make intercession for his owne that his death is made effectuall for them but not for the other Their Iustification and Adoption by Christ remaine unaltered although many benefits flowing from thence are for a while justly suspended they remaine children still though under their Fathers anger as Absolom remained a sonne uncast off not dis-inherited by David when yet his Father would not let him come into his presence This spirituall Leprosie of sinne into which Gods Children fall may cause them to bee suspended from the use and comfortable possession of the Kingdome of God and from the enjoyment of the privileges thereof untill they bee cleansed of their sinne by renewed faith and repentance Yet as the Leoper in the Law had still right to his house and goods albeit he was shut out of the City for his Leprosie so the truly regenerate never loose their right to the Kingdome of heaven by their sinnes For every true member of Christ is knit unto Christ by such everlasting bonds whether we respect the relative union of Christ with his members by faith to Iustification which after it is once made by the spirit of Adoption admitteth of no breach or alteration by any meanes oâ— whether we respect the reall union of the Spirit whence floweth Sanctification which though it may suffer decay and admitteth of some alteration of degrees being not so strong at one time as at another yet can never quite be broken off as hath beene proved these bands â— say are so strong and lasting that all the powers of sinne Satan and Hell it selfe cannot sever the weakest true member from Christ or from his love oâ— from Gods love towards him in Christ This strength of grace that keepeth men from falling totally or finally from CHRIST doth not depend upon the strength or will of him that standeth but on the Election and determination of him that calleth And whereas it may bee demanded why a man being at his highest degree of holinesse that ever he attained at which time hee had most strength did yet fall backe more than halfe way may not as well or rather fall quite away I answer It is not in respect of the nature of inherent holinesse in him for Adam had holinesse in perfection yet fell quite from it There is nothing in the nature of this grace and holinesse excepting onely in the root whence it springeth but that a man may now also fall wholly from it But it is because grace is now setled in man upon better termes For the little strength we receive in regeneration is in point of perseverance stronger then the great strength which the first Adam received in his Creation Adam was perfectly but changeably holy Gods children inregeneration are made imperfectly but unchangeably holy This stability of grace now consisteth in this for that all that by faith and by the holy Spirit are ingrafted and incorporated into Christ the second Adam have the spring and root of their grace founded in him and not in themselves as the first Adam had They are stablished with their brethren in Christ Wherefore all that are actuall members of CHRIST cannot fal from grace altogether For as Christ dyed to sinne once and being raised from the dead dyeth no more so every true member of Christ having part with him in the first resurrection dye no more but live for ever with Christ For all that are once begotten againe unto a lively faith and hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible are kept not by their owne power unto Salvation but by the power of God through faith in Christ Iesus Now that a man effectually called can never fall wholly or for ever from state of grace I in few words reason thus If Gods Counsell on which mans Salvation is founded be sure and unchangeable and if his calling be without repentance If Gods love be unchangeable and altereth not but whom God once loveth actually him he loveth to the end If Christs office of Prophet Priest and King in his teaching satisfying and making intercession for and in his governing his people bee after the order of Melchisedecke unchangeable and everlasting he everliving to make intercession for them and if his undertaking in all these respects with his Father not to lose any whom he giveth him cannot be frustrate If the Seale and earnest of the Spirit be a constant Seale which cannot be razed but sealeth all in whom it dwelleth unto the day of Redemption If the Word of truth wherewith the regenerate are begotten be an immortall seed which when once it hath taken a conception and hath taken roote doth live for ever If God be constant and faithfull in his promise and omnipotent in his power to make good this his word and promise saying I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turne away from my people and children to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Then from all and from each of these propositions I conclude that a man once indeede a member of Christ and indeede in state of grace shall never totally or finally fall away The patrons of the doctrine of falling from grace when they cannot answer the invincible arguments which are brought to prove the certainetie of a mans standing in state of Salvation they make a loud cry in casting in certaine popular obiections such as are very apt to take with simple and unstable people They first come with suppositions and aske this and like questiona If David and Peter had dyed in the act of their grosse sinnes whether should they have beene saved