them as Iohn 14. 21. Christ promiseth to manifest himselfe which is by shedding abroad his love and his Fathers love into the heart which is evident by the former words he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and after he saith wee will come to him and make our abode with him ver 23. and 27. My peace I will give unto you Now such appearances will be set upon the score of every sin many yeares after as they were upon Solomons And the reason is because nothing wounds an ingenuous loving Nature more then matter of unkindnesse if it had beene my enemy sayes David I could have borne it Psal 55. 12 14. but it was thou ôh man mine acquaintance we tooke sweet counsell together a bosome friend to whom I had committed my secrets opened my heart Thus when God hath unbosomed himselfe as it were to a man and told him what was in his heart towards him this goes nigh him if hee lifts up the heele against him And the reason of that further also is 1 because of all things else a man cannot endure to have his love abused you come nigh him when you doe so for his love is himselfe and commands all in him so that abuse his love and you strike at his heart it is lesse to abuse any excellency in a man to reproach and extenuate his parts learning c. though these are deare to him but his love is his bowels And therefore when God hath opened his heart to a man and set his love upon him and revealed it to him and hee carries himselfe unworthily it paines him at the heart Besides 2. it is against the law of Nature and of Nations to seeke out for a peace and get it concluded and then secretly to prepare for and enter into a war nothing more hatefull or can exasperate two Nations one against another more then this It was the aggravation of Absaloms sin that being newly reconciled with his father and taken into favour againe after two yeeres discountenance hee then began to rebell more closely Reas 2 2 Reason is intimated in the word folly as if the Lord should have said Set aside the unkindnesse and wrong you doe to me yet therein you befoole your selves you will have the worst of it And indeed when God doth afterwards draw nigh to a man againe upon that his recovery of his peace it appeares to be folly even in that mans owne apprehension when hee hath tasted how sweet God is then come and aske him What will ye returne to sin againe hee will then say Aske mee if I will wound or cut my flesh It is impossible thinkes he I should any more be so besotted if there were no other motives hee thinkes it the greatest folly in the world And therefore GOD on purpose chooseth out that expression and placeth it here in this case because it is indeed the greatest folly in Gods sight and is so apprehended by our selves looking upon sinne after peace is spoken to us It is folly to sin against GOD at any time but especially then and that will appeare by these particulars 1. Because before a man had that peace hee felt the bitternesse of sin for GOD never speakes peace till that bee felt now that is an argument even to sense never to returne to it againe which a foole will be warned by A burnt Child dreads the fire even as a Child will take heed being taught by sense When a man shall be in great distresse and his Conscience shall suggest to him as Ier. 4. 18. Thy wayes and thy doings have procured these things to thee this is thy wickednes a speech like that when you say to your Children when they have gotten any harme or cold or sicknesse this is your playing and gadding and going in the Snow and your eating of fruit c. so doth GOD speake there to them when they were in distresse this is your wickednesse for it is bitter it reacheth to the heart it woundeth the Conscience the wounding of which of all else is the greatest misery When once a man after this hath peace restored to him and hee comes newly out of such a distresse aske him then how he likes turning to such a sin againe and he will tell you it is the greatest folly in the world aske David if hee will murther any more after his bones have been broken and set againe 2 Thou wilt easily acknowledge it is folly to return to sin again if thou considerest the terms upon which thou didst obtaine thy peace Reckon what paines it cost thee to wash out the guilt and staine which sinne had made what vows and resolutions thou madest what bonds thou didst seale unto what promises never to returne what prayers and teares what rappes and knocks at Heaven Gates ere thou couldest get an answer or God to speake one word he making as if hee had not beene within why is it not folly now to lose that in an instant thou hast beene a getting so long haply many yeares and with so much paines and cost You use it as an excuse to prodigalls to say things lightly come by are lightly gone and yet you count them and call them fooles for it as not knowing what it is to earne a penny how much more folly is it when a man having afore morgaged his peace and God restored it again after much suite and waiting many a term then to come home and venture to cast all away at one throw at dice such a fool art thou when thou returnest to sinne to drink that at one draught which thou hast been getting many a yeare what madnesse is it when thou hast taken much paines to wash thy selfe then to wallow in the mire again and make thy selfe new worke what folly is it who but Children and fooles will doe thus That which the Church said in another case may well be alluded to in this Cant. 5. 31. I have washed my feet how shall I defile them 3 Consider what it is thou dost hazard to lose by returning to folly thy peace David lost it as appeares Psal 51. 12. therefore sayes he restore to me the joy of thy salvation In losing of which thou wilt be so much a loser that if the sinne thou choosest were able to give thee all the world it could not recompence thee no not the losse of one houres communion with God which in a moment will bring thee in more sweetnesse than all thy sins can doe to eternity If all the pleasures of sin were contracted and the quintessence of them strained into one cup they would not afford so much as one drop of true peace with God doth being let fall into the heart It is peace which passeth understanding Few pleasures here do exceed the senses nay the senses are capable of more than the things can give but this passeth understanding Gods loving kindnesse is better than life If it were propounded to thee
with him and though hee falls yet hee puts under his hand and gives him well dayes and some comfortable visitations yet such as are not deep enough to worke him fully off from it For as God strives with wicked men so he sometimes strives with his own also which may seeme to bee the true meaning of that speech Gen. 6. where having mentioned the sinne of his owne children ver 2. That the Sonnes of God tooke to them wives of that wicked seed of Cain hee sayes My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man for that he also is but flesh Hee meanes not this of all mankinde for he sayes hee also is but flesh now with what other creatures doth hee joyne them in this comparison but with others of the sonnes of men so as the meaning is I see my Children that they also are corrupt and degenerate as well as the rest of mankinde and my Spirit hath striven with them In which striving GOD lets them see how if hee did not in the end shew foorth his free love to the full in the rescuing of them and healing their backsliding they would bee undone so as in the end through his grace which is sufficient they obtaine the greatest conquest over that lust of any other when the heart is once thoroughly awakened and setled in a thorow peace And as those doubts they were most troubled with once which though they had at times some light against yet by fits did still arise are yet in the end so overcome as they arise no more but they enjoy the greatest freedome from them So is it often herein And these strivings to not overcomming I resemble to the thawings of the Ice in a great frost as when in the day time the Sunne shines and in the Sunshine it thaweth a little but yet so as at night or in the shade it freezeth when sometimes the weather also begins to change for a night and yet falls a freeing againe so here there is not such a thorow shedding abroad the love of God in the heart as should make a thorow generall thaw to the purpose as wee say and so when the heat of that is withdrawen it freezeth againe but in the end there comes a more thorow and generall thaw and change that carries all away melts the heart and so alters the temper and constitution of the weather as I may so speake as it freezeth no more And such a thawing of his heart had David when Nathan came to him and not afore though it may bee hee had those lesser relentings often before But let those that are in such a case take heed they bee not hardened thorow the deceitfulnesse of sinne and of all the times that passe over you in your lives these are the most climactiericall and criticall and most dangerous For God will not alwayes strive but if thou beest his childe if such thawings will not do it hee will use some great afflictions in the end to divorce the heart and thy sin his love will one way or other overcome thee and in the end prevaile As when Israel went on stubbornely in the way of his heart sayes God I have seene his wayes and will heale him and guide him Esay 57. the Lord may so heale thee as those lusts of all other shall not in that grosse maner breake forth any more And in those times when God dealeth thus with him a man will after say that in such passages of his life hee had more free love spent on him then in all his life time before or after and when he is freed and healed he will be more thankfull and fearefull then ever before or then otherwise he would have been and so get ground by his stumblings If any of you being now in such a conflict as this in such a vicissitude and chance of war If yet thou findest a constant fight against thy sin and that those breakings and meltings of thy heart by God do winne ground of it and that the comforts and hope which at times are vouchsafed doe strengthen stablish thy heart in well doing as 2. Thess 2. ult and makes thee more fearefull every time thou risest then ever so as to looke upon another fit if it should come which knowing the deceitfulnesse of the heart thou fearest as the fit of some great sicknesse lest it should returne againe esteeming it as the greatest crosse that can befall thee which thou wouldest buy off with thy blood and bleedest most of all to thinke that thou hast so unconstant a heart which as it hath abused Gods love formerly so thou fearest will doe so againe if thus thou go on to fight it out the love of God will in the end overcome in thee but if thou findest that those encouragements frō God do through thy corruption which turnes Gods grace into wantonnesse nourish thy lusts and make thee lesse fearefull against the next time and thy heart harder and secure and to slight sinne more because thou hast beene so oft visited from on high and pardoned thy case is dangerous and may prove desperate 6. Though he may returne yet not presently Luke 5. last Hee that hath tasted old wine doth not straightway drinke and desire new not whilest the love of God and the tast and relish of it is fresh in his mouth when the impression is worne out indeed and begins to bee forgotten then haply he may returne Vse To conclude with the use of this point If it be folly to runne into the same sinne though we repent of it afterwards then what folly is it in them that utterly fall away and after they have beene enlightned and tasted of the good word of God then fall againe to the pleasures of sinne and never repent of them as many doe that come and try a little what is in religion and the wayes of God and then returne againe to their vomits and never returne to piety againe Foolish soules who hath bewitched you are yee so foolish that having begun in the spirit yee end in the flesh as Gal. 3. 3. Folly indeed to spend the harvest of your time in seeking God and then to leave him when you are about to take leave of the pleasures of sinne Alas poore soules whither will yee goe doe you ever thinke to have such a God againe Thou hast the words of eternall life said the Disciples to Christ and as Saul said to his servants to keep them from falling away unto David Can the sonne of Iesse give you vineyards and make you Captaines of thousands 1. Sam. 22. 7 So can the world give you that peace that I can give you may Christ say to you yea and heaven besides hereafter Is the devil with all the wages of sinne you post after able to make you amends you thereby dishonour God in returning to sinne and bring an evill report upon the good land and discredit your Master in changing your service but withall you befoole your selves most you returne to folly For even that which you thinke to gaine the worlds good word and opinion by even that you lose for though they make aspoile of you and triumph in such and glory in their flesh a while yet they never inwardly think well of such a one nor truely love him A back-slider is like luke-warme water having been once heated which good men spue out and evill men regard not for what use can indeed bee made of it Like salt that hath lost its savour it is good for nothing but the dunghill Like one that hath beene maried but lives divorced she is undone for her mariage ever after Such is the condition of those that fall away and repent not You who have but turned unto folly and are not grown to a despising and despiting Gods wayes Returne Oh Shulamite returne And you that have peace and communion with God take heed you do not lose him you will never have such a God againe FINIS
said And thus farre it is true that sinning thus between interrupts and hinders the obtaining our petitions that answerably as wee doe thus dash and betray and undoe our prayers The answer to it so in a proportion we finde in the way to our obtaining the thing wee prayed for so many rubbes and difficulties doe arise for as wee lay blocks in Gods way comming towards us to doe us good so hee in ours therefore often when a businesse goes prosperously on and wee think wee shall carry it comes some accident betweene the cup and the lip that casts all behinde hand againe because answerably wee dealt with God For when wee had prayed and were encouraged and in good hopes then by some sinne or other wee spoyld all and bereaved our selves of our expectation But yet this you are to consider that as in the end praying useth to overcome sin in Gods Children so also God in the end overcomes difficulties and brings the matter to passe and know it is not sins past so much that hinder the prayers of Gods people as the present unfitnesse and indisposition of their hearts for mercy TIDINGS OF PEACE TO BEE SPOKEN to Consciences distressed Psal 85. ver 8. God will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints c. THE maine thing intended to bee insisted upon out of these words is dispatcht yet that I may not leave so faire and fruitfull a crop still standing upon the ground unreaped I will goe on more briefly to have in the rest of that harvest the Text affords This Psalm as was said was penned as a Prophecy of and prayer for the returne of Gods people out of the Captivity of Babylon and the setling and establishment of that Church and State upon its former Basis yet so as therein there is a further and more especiall aime had to the peace and glory to bee brought in by Christ till when this Prophecy otherwise had but a poore and slender accomplishment in regard of much outward glory or peace that that Church enjoyed And therefore the peace here spoken of and promised for the present is to be extended largelier then to outward prosperity or an happy issue out of that calamity even to speaking peace to drooping and weather-beaten consciences and accordingly we finde this kinde of peace to have beene specially promised by the Prophet Isaiah to the people at their returne out of the Captivity both in Isaiah 48. from 20. to the end and Isaiah the 57. from the 14. to the end there being many broken hearts that had wanted the light of Gods countenance long having beene during the Captivity banisht from the Ordinances of the Temple hanging up their harps mourning whose thoughts were as if God had meant to destroy them as appeares Ier. 29. 11. who afterwards were refreshed with in ward peace at the restauration of those Ordinances as well as with outward as by those places doth appeare Therefore in relation to this kind of peace onely I will at this time handle the words In the words you have a discovery of Gods proceedings in treating of peace or proclaiming war with his people and subjects Obser 1 1. You see that sometimes God doth not seake peace to his owne children This was their state for the present when this Psalme was penned Hee will speake peace therefore at present he did not yea it may incline us to think that God at present spake the contrary for the Prophet speaks this by faith as contrary to sense and present experience hee beleeves God intends to come againe to a treaty of peace though now hee seemes to have nothing but anger and blood and war in his looks speeches and actions and to threaten and proclaime warre and take up Armes against them And thus God often deales with his owne Children whether a people or a particular man so with a nation Esay 63. 10. They rebelled and hee fought against them so with a particular man God frowned upon and rated his Child Ephraim and spake bitter things against him it is the phrase used Ier. 31. 20. though yet Ephraim is my pleasant Child sayes he David had not a good word from him a long time Psal 51. 8. Make me to heare againe of joy and gladnesse And Psal 50 7. Heare oh my people and I will speake but not against them they might hope because hee ownes them for his people Heare oh Israel and I will testifie against thee and yet it followes I am the Lord thy God Iob sayes he did not speake onely against him but also wrote bitter things hee wrote as it were bookes against him Iob 13. 26. hee writing over in his Conscience the sinnes of his youth in letters of blood and wrath and terrors for them Obser 2 There must needs be some great reason for this they being his people which is the second thing that is intimated and may be observed out of these words namely the reason or moving cause provoking God thus to interrupt the peace of his people they had fallen into some grosse folly or other some sinfull inordinate dispositions had beene indulged unto and nourished in them which is usually though not alwayes the cause of this his dealing this is evident by this that the conclusion of their peace when it is made up againe hath this clause as the onely article of reconciliation between them that they returne no more to folly implying they had formerly runne out into some inordinacy which to reduce them from God had tooke up armes against them and thereby taught them wisdome to take heed of losing and then buying peace at so deare a rate againe And indeed all the quarrells that God hath against a Nation a particular place or person that belongs to him doe begin there They rebelled and Hee fought against them Esay 63. 8. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse I was wroth Isa 57. Reason The reason is for anger is out of love as well as hatred which therefore he expresseth though with griefe hee should be put to quarrell with those hee hath set himselfe to loue And as wicked men whom hee alwaies hates may out of his patience have a truce so on the contrary with his owne God may take up a quarrell yet He loves them remembers them with everlasting kindnesse The Vses of both are these Vse 1 1 As peace with God is deare to you so to take heed of turning unto folly Onely take this advertisement that they are not meere follies or ignorances that doe interrupt or breake the peace as it is not simply the outrage of some Pirats that will cause two States at peace to enter into a warre unlesse that State consent to their act and maintaine them in their rapine So it is not simply the rising of lusts that warre in our members against the Law of the minde that breake the peace betweene God and us unlesse they be approved of and consented unto nourished and
thou must lose thy life next moment if thou shouldst commit such a sinne wouldest thou venture if thou didst beleeve it Now The loving kindnesse of God is better than life and wilt thou lose the enjoying of it though but for a moment 4. It is folly to returne againe because the pleasures of sin will be much lesse to thee after thou hast had peace spoken Take them at the best when they are freshest and when thy palate was most in relish and taste with them when thou wert carnall and ere thou knewest what sweetnesse was in God and they then were but poor sorry pleasures but now they will prove farre more empty than before they are empty vaine pleasures even to him that hath thē in their flower and in his season of sinning and therefore all wicked men are weary and do inwardly complain of their condition onely they cannot finde sweetnesse in God and so are faine to keepe themselves to their husks but alas to thee they are farre lesse worth than to another man who knows not God and therefore thou art like to have a worse bargaine of it another man can make more money of a sinne and get more pleasure out of it than thou art able to doe For first thy conscience having beene scorched with sinne as scalt flesh deares more and is more sensible in comming to the fire than other parts of the body is become of a quicker sense whereas wicked mens is seared and so they commit all uncleannesse with greedinesse but thine is tender galled in the act which allayes much of the pleasure of thy sinne and mingleth the more bitternesse with it And 2. besides this galling of conscience which is common to thee with many an unregenerate man thou hast a principle of grace an inner man which is dead to such pleasures that tasts them not that is like Barzillai who through age 2 Sam. 19. 35. could not taste either what he ate or drank as young men doe no more can that New man in thee and therefore it can be but halfe as pleasant to thee as to another man If one side of a man be taken all with a numbe palsey what pleasure is it to that man to exercise his limbs in the actions of life He is but halfe a man and lives but halfe a life so it is with thee when thou hast grace in thy heart but halfe thy heart can take pleasure in sinning that new man the other halfe reluctates grieves for it hates what thou doest and all this must needs strike off much of the pleasure But 3. If wee adde to this that this new man in him having once tasted what sweetnes is in God and How good the Lord is is then like a man that hath eaten sweet-meats other things are out of taste with him and therefore also it is folly to returne No man sayes Christ Luke 5 ult having dranke old wine desireth new for hee saith the old is better a manused to high fare cannot agree so well with thinne dyet so the soule having beene used to taste of great pleasures in God the impression remembrance of them leaves his soule lesse satisfied than another mans a stomack that hath beene enlarged to full diet looks for it and riseth more hungry from a slender meale now communion with God inlarges the faculties and widens them and makes them more capable of greater joyes than other men have and therefore the creature is lesse able to fill them still he remembers with much griefe whilest he is eating his huskes what fare hee had in his fathers house and oh Then it was better with me than now Call me not Naomi but call mee Marah as she said For I went out full and am come home empty so doth hee say when he comes from the act of sinning he went with his heart full of peace and meeting with a bargaine of sinning thought to eke out his joy and make it fuller but hee comes home empty Vse 1 1 Use is to those who have had peace spoken to them let them at such times feare themselves and God most for then comes in this as you see here as the most seasonable admonition that can be given to returne no more to folly 1. Feare God then most for of all times else then sins provoke him most to come and call him Father and the guide of your mouth and yet to fall to sinne this is to doe as evill as you can you cannot doe worse Ier. 3 4 5. So Ezra 9. After such an escaping should we againe breake thy Commandements wouldest thou not be angry till thou hadst consumed us In times of affliction it is the property of a good childe to love GOD most in times of speaking peace to feare God most and his goodnesse and to fear to offend him for his goodnesse sake Did I onely say that God is provoked most then if you return to folly Nay I adde further he is grieved which is more then to be provoked and therfore you shall marke that expression and admonition not to grive Gods Spirit then comes in when the Spirit hath sealed us up to the day of redemption Ephes 4. 30. Then by sinning wee are said more properly to grieve him then before when hee hath so far ingaged himselfe to love a man and expressed himself to him and set his seale upon him for his God is angry with wicked mens sins but hee is grieved for yours To grieve him is more then to anger him Meere anger is an affection can ease it selfe by revenge and by comming even againe with the party and when wee can or intend to doe so our mindes are not so much aggrieved but please themselves rather to thinke of the revenge which wee meane to execute so when wicked men sinne whom GOD meanes to meet with hee is said to be angry rather then grieved and sayes I will ease my selfe of mine adversaries Isay 1. 24. and avenge my selfe of mine enemies But here as when a mans wife that lies in his bosome or his child shall wrong him so is it when one sins whom God hath set himselfe to love and done much for and made knowne his everlasting kindnesse unto and sealed to the day of redemption this goes to his heart grieves him rather then angers him and such are the truest and deepest griefes What should hee doe with you in this case if afflict you and by that meanes goe about to turne you from your iniquity therein he shall but afflict himselfe as it were for Though they rebelled yet when they were afflicted hee was afflicted Esay 63. 9 10. As when a Father that is a Magistrate or as one that maintaines a Student in a Colledge if either punisheth a childe or pupill in his purse he punisheth himselfe so must God afflict himselfe to afflict you Put not the Lord into these straits if you have any love in you And 2. as thou art therefore to feare God
most then so thy selfe most and to be more watchfull over thy own heart thou art then apt to returne to folly if thou takest not heed as when a man hath beene very hot or sweat much hee is apt to take the greatest cold Hezekiah after GOD sealed peace to him and answered his prayers and renewed the lease of his life his heart got cold he did returne to folly The reason is because then the heart is apt to grow lesse watchfull and to thinke it selfe fortified enough against any tentation As S. Peter having seene Christ transfigured in the Mount grew confident in his own strength And know that the Devill watcheth such an opportunity most for hee gets a great victory if he can foile thee then after hee hath beene foiled himselfe and when thou art most triumphing over him how many battels have beene lost through security of victory and recoyling of the enemy and besides our corrupt nature so farre as unrenewed is apt to gather heart to it selfe to slight sinne as thinking its pardon easily gotten Therefore when thou art tempted labour often to renew those thoughts which thou hadst of thy sinne at that time when thou wert suing for peace before thy peace was gotten when thou wouldest have given a world for Gods favour also what thoughts thou hadst of it when God spake peace how thou didst abhorr it yea thy self look what sin was most bitter to thee an enemy to thy peace as if uncleannesse Idlenes neglect of prayer ill company c. and preserve in thy heart those bitter apprehensions of it say of it thou hast bin a bloody sin to me as Moses wife said of her husband and though I have got peace my life saved yet it was a bloody sin to Christ his blood was shed to purchase this my peace shal I return to it And when tempted to it again have recourse to the kindnes God shewed thee in pardoning and say how shall I do this and sinne against God say as he said Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend 2. Sam. 16. 16. and what shall I Absalom-like now I am new reconciled to my Father fall a plotting treason again what shall I make more worke for prayer more worke for God breake my bones again lie roaring again Think thus I was burnt in the hād afore I shal be racked surely now Sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee Vse 3. The doctrine of assurance if not abused and of Gods speaking peace to men is no dangerous doctrin to make men secure and presumptuous in sinning when peace is preached in any mans heart this use naturally flowes from that Doctrin returne no more to folly The very scope of the whole Epistle of S Iohn is to help all beleevers to assurance as appeares by the 1. Iohn 1. 4 5. and the 5. Chap. 13. These things I write to you that yee might have communion with God and that your joy might be full But this will open a way to all licentiousnesse No sayes S. Iohn Chap. 2. 1. These things I write unto you that ye sin not nothing guards the heart more against tentations then the peace of God it is said to guard the heart Phil. 4. 2. Yea and if you doe sin the assurance of Gods love is the speediest way to recover you so it followes If any one doth sinne wee have an Advocate with the Father c. And hee that hath this hope in him that is to live with Christ and knowes what manner of love the Father beares us purifies himselfe as hee is pure 1. Iohn 3. 1 2 3. If there were no more but selfe-love in a man it were then no wonder if he doth abuse it For selfe-love where the love of God is wanting is unthankfull and ungratefull willing to take all the love and kindnesse which is afforded and abuse it and work upon it for its owne advantage and it is true also that because wee have too much of this principle unmortified in us therefore God trusteth so few with much assurance because they would abuse it But where true love to God is seated and much of it implanted there the love of God the peace of God doth as kindly and naturally enkindle and enflame and set it awork even as arguments sutable to self-love doe work upon and stirre that principle For grace is more for GOD then for our selves it being the image of Gods holinesse whose holinesse consists in this to aime at himselfe in all and therefore when Gods free grace towards a man is revealed it raiseth him up to higher straines of love to God and hatred of sin And therefore it is observable Psa 51. 12. that David when he prayes for the restoring of the joy of his salvation hee prayes not simply for it or alone but withall prayes for a free spirit Establish me with thy free spirit that is a spirit of ingenuity which is kindly sweetly and freely wrought upon therefore when we have a free spirit wrought in us then that free love that is in God towards us will worke most kindly upon it and constraines us to love him that loved us first The love of Christ constrains us 2. Cor. 5. 14. Because we thus judge that if Christ died for all then they which live should not live unto thēselves but unto him that died for them S. Paul gives the reason why this love of Christ did thus constraine him because hee did thus judge that is this consideration of Christs love hee having a principle of love in his heart to Christ hee found to be a powerfull prevailing reason to perswade him to live to Christ Having a new judgement hee saw force and strength in the argument And so shall we if we thus judge and it will have this naturall consequence as naturally to follow upon it in our hearts as any reason in any other kinde hath that is brought to enforce any other conclusion And therefore as the minde is constrained as it were to assent to a truth proved by force of reason that if you grant this then this or that will follow so because we judge this reasonable by an argument drawne out of loves Topicks that if Christ died for all who otherwise must themselues have died that then they should live to him this will constraine us to love him and live to him Amor Dei est extaticus nec se sinit esse sui luris THis Text and admonition here gives a ust occasion to consider a little of that so often questioned case of Conscience concerning relapses of Gods Children into the same sinnes and folly againe The case of relapsing into the same sinne after peace spoken resolved and whether after peace spoken Gods people may returne againe to folly Some have held that a man after a second repentance could not fall into the same sinne again others if he did it excluded him from mercy for time to come For