Of Eletlion. Cbrifl.. . And a< thus, in point of Faith, fo in Holinefs: As we receive at fir!\Wl the Spmt to regenerate us.' fo there !S the Prom1fe of pottrmg out the Spirit af- Chap. 12 , ter: As we read mChn!l sSpeeches, and the !lory ofthe Apo!lles times, there ~ IS an addwg of one grace to attother, as our Apo!llc 10 his fecond Epi!l!e exhorts, 2Pet, I.f,6. Andbejidrsthu,givittga!Jdiligence, addto o 11 r faith; v trtut; a11d to verttu, knowledge; Aud to lmowledge, temperrma; tmd to temperana, patieuce; rmdtopatiencr,godlinefi. And they are degrees of the fame Grace, as each is to have its perjefl work, thereby tomt~ke "' entire <thmtlng tJothing, }a!Iles I· 3,4. K11owmg thu, that tbe trial of.J•our faith worketh patiena. But let patimce have her perjefl work, that )'e may be perjefl and emire, w,;ntittg 11othi11g. And tllefe Acceffes arc not always wrought anew infenfibly, as Plants that growwe ktJow uot how; but femetimes fenfibly, difcernably in the Addition, with a notoriety to themfelves, and others: There arifcth up a new Aurum Spring in fome , which is as a firlt Converlioo, and is by Chri!t !liled a fecond Convedion, Excrpt ye be converted, f§c. Matth. 18. ~- fays Chri!l to his Difciples, that were converted already. There are great windfalls of the Spirit , who /;lows whw and where he lif/s, after Regeneration, that do betall fome .Chri!lians, and efpecially fuch as have kept their Garments pure from the fir!\; For to him th,,t hath, jha!J be given. And Difciples growing up in fuch Additamems as thefe, are termed aPerjeflion, Luke 6. 40. The 'Di{czplt is not above hi; Mafia : b11t every 011e that is perjtfljha!J be as hu Mafler. And therefore let fuch Chriftians expeCt eminent fulfillings of thefe Promifes, in this manner as bath been fpoken, after they have fuffered a \Vhile. But yet, le!! we lhould re!lrain the Promife her·e, folely, and only to fuch Chri!lians, as have continued to walk up to their Converfion Principles; and fo exclude all thofe that after Calling have foully fain into grolfer Evils again!\ light; or declined, and fwerved greatly from the fir!\ zeal; I lhall therefore (hew you out of the Scriptures, That, z. This fame word, make Perfdl, under the import of which the Pro– mife here runs; doth in the fignificancy of it, yea, aod the application of it alfo, reach and extend unto fuch cafes, unto this ollapfed Chri(lians alfo: And if to fuch, then certainly to all, or any other fort, that may be fuppofcd ro fall our, in Gods true Called One.s. The God of all Grace hath in !tore' for luch, Riches laid up, to re!toregnd perfeCt them again ; although it ufually co!ls them very full dear in Soul fufferings, and fad Trials, for and from fuch c¥travagancies e're they attain it. For of f"ch finnings of his People, God hath fa id ', it i< bitter, and reacheth to the Heart, Jer. 4• 1 g, And every one doth, and will feel them fuch, fooner, or later, whom God bath called, e're they arrive at the performance of this Promife, of being made perfefl, f/abltjht: But after they have fo fuffered a while, his Grace will perfeCt, and ftablilh them : And yet perhaps , when they are re!lored to that perfeCtion God intends to them afterward, it is but in refpetl: of fome greater mealure of fub!lantial Spiritual Faith and Holinefs, than ever they had afore, without thofe fuperadditions, and overpluffes of Glorious Toyes, ~c. that themfelvp once had; or others that have kept their garments pure, have the priviledge of. I need not !land long in lhewing that there fall out fuch cafes of bacldliding, that yet are not fin king into a total falling away, or extinCtion ofGrace: As, I ; The wje of Leaving ones frfi Love, and declining from that Spiritual fervent Zeal of good works, which a Chri!lian had once at his fir!t calling , er after– wards: And therewith a cooling, and defervefcency in holy adings, inward, and outward. T his was Chri!l's charge ag2in!l the Angel and Church of£. phefm, Rev. 2. 4· I hav e fomewhal againfl thee, bteauje !hou baflleft thyf rfl Love : Ver(. 'i· Remember from whmce Thott art fal!z, and do thy frfl works. and that thi' is laid to them that had true Grace !\ill , in an eminent mea(ure abiding in them, and who continued !\ill to Ad holily , though in a lower degree, I need not fland to prove : Read the Verjes afore and a.trer. Again, 2. You read of a far deeper defeCl:ioo in the Angel of the Church of S,zrdis , even to the lowc!l degree; next to a totallofs of Grace, and the State of 1t; · Re'IJ,
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