41 z; II. I. II, Queffions, and Cafes ofConfcience Chap.42, fbeba,and inhis unjuft îentence against Mephibofheth.- ThusNoah loft his tempe- rance : Lot hisçha(tity : Jeremy , and. Jonah, their patience, &c. But as for thofe fanftify inggraces, proper, and peculiar to them, and eflentiall to aChri- ftian, beingonce had, they can never be loft, notwithflanding all the power and malice of the Dive', and the flefh, For Rom. 11.19. thegifts , and calling of God are roithout repentance, So alío ?oh. ro.28. Secondly, The faving graces ofthe Spirit maybe conldered in their quality ; Tor they are either true, or falfe : the true are in the regenerate alone : the falfe in Hypocrites, and temporaries : Now thefe may loole their illumination, faith, love,and zeale,becaufe they arebut either common graces,or in thew,& appear- ance only. Hence Mattn.. 35. 29. From him that hash not fhallbe takenawayeven that whichhe bath, with Luke. 8. 18. uef . But may not true fantïifying, andfavinggraces in the regenerate be ut- terly killed, or at'leaflfor ís timequench:d ? Aufw. Firft, As Tome feeminggraces in theunregenerate may be quite loft, fo true graceinthe faithfùll may be feemingly loft, but not quite : For Marrh. 25.29. To him that bath (hall begiven, and he(hall have abundance. So Job. 15. 2, Every branch in me that bearethfruit, fhall be purged, &c. Yet may they feemingly loofe thofegraces which they keep in truth"; as for example, they may feemingly loofe their raving knowledge, when through the reli&s of igno- rance, they fall into Tome grofs Errors, Herefies, or Schifines. They may feemingly loofe their faith, when being violentlyaffaultedby temptations, it re- ceives tome grievous foils, and lies covered under incredulity , as fire under albes, or theSun under a cloud : They may feem to loofe repentance, when they are overtaken afre(hby their old fins : efpecially whenafter they are clean- fed, they.relapfe into grofs fins, not only through ignorance , but wittingly a- gainitknowledge, andConfcience, &c. yet thefe favinggraces are not loft, but only hid, and covered for a time. Secondly, Other graceswhich fpringfrom thofe which are fundamental", and abfolutely neceffary to the beingofa Chnllian, may for a time be loft, as full alfurance, peaceof Confcience, zeal ofGods glory, the fence and feeling ofhis love, joy iii theholy Cho%+, &c. which tend CO the well beingof a Chrillian , may in réfpe&of prefent apprehenfion, not only be much dulled, but quite ex- tim:uithed : Aswe fee in Job, who thought God hisEnemy. So David corn- plaines, Pfal. 22. 1. and 51. 8, 1o,11, 12. and 88. Yet in thefe intermiftions the true C hriftian hath reliefs longings after the fence, and feeling of renewed graces, and thews as much fervency ofaffe&ion, and intirenefs of love towards them by his bitter mourning for their abfence, as heformerly did inhis joy, and rejoycing in theirpretence. Thirdly,Saving and fundamental! graces may be loft in force degrees, at leaf+ in refpe&oftheir operations:As the thongFaith may be{takenwith doubtings,fer- vent love may be cooled, allured hope may quail, &c. As we fee in the examples ofyob, David, Peter, the Galatians, and the Angel of the Church of Ephefui, Rev. 2.4.. and of Sardis, Rev. 3.2. yea thefe graces maynot only be threwdly !Laken, but call into a dead fwoune,in which they will appear,neither toothers, nor to then that havethem:But yet all this is to be underftoodof their fun&ions, and operations, which maydecay in their degrees : but asfor the habitsof thefe graces, they never decay in Gods Children, not fo much as in their degrees, but grow continually till they come to their full f+azure : whence they are faid to beTrees of righteoufnefs of Gods own planting, Pfa1.1. 3. Ifs. 61. 3. and gods building, .Pfa1.92. 14. andGods Children who grow till they clime to perfeEl a e, Ephef.4. 13, 14, 15. and their gracesare Fountains of living water which f ow continually, Ifa. 58, 1I. Hence the path the juf+is compared to themern ing light, &c. Prov. 4,18. Obje&
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