Downame - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133 .D76 C551 1608 v.1

4.See7.B. Ourperfeue- ranceprooued byGods inamM- tabilitie in bis gifts. Rom 1 1.29. Pfaff. S 1.9. t o 11.11.15. 67S Arguments toprone the certaintie ofourperfeuerance. caufe he changeth the effe&s ofhis loue into the effeós of hatred in outward fhew,as when inwardlyhee fuffreth them tobevexedwith the terrorsofconfcience, andwith the ap- prehenfion of his anger and difpleafure, and outwardlie whippeth and tcourgeth them with temporarie afilio`lions; all which hedoth not for anyhatred to their perfons, for he neuerhateth thofe whom heebath once loued in Chrift, but for the hatred oftheir finnes, and loue ofthe firmer, whom by this meanes hee bringeth by the rough and'vnpleafant way ofrepentance, vnto the eternall pleafures ofhis king- dome. And thus it appeareth that Gods loue and anger may !land together, and that notwithfianding his momentane difpleafure, his louemaybe eternall. Now fecondlywee are toknow, that as God is immutable in his loue,foalfo in his gifts,asfaith,repentance, hope affiance, charitie, &c. accor- ding to that Rom, i 1.29. Thegifts andcalling ofgodare t'ith out repentance. Butyet this is tobee vnderfiood withdiuers cautions ; for firfi it is not tobe vnderflood ofall the gifts of God, not of temporarie gifts, nor of the gifts ofthe fpirit which arecommon to the wickedwith thegodly; for thefe being not effentiall to a Chriftian nor necefharie to faiva- tion, the Lord giueth or taketh away, as in his infinite wife- dome he thinkethbefi; neither yet are we to vtiderfiand it ofall gifts of the fpirit which are proper to the elc&, for force alfoofthefe being not ofthe eflenceoffairh,but onely effe6ls and fruites thereof,he taketh away from his children for a time; asnamely,thepuritie oftheirconfcience,and the peace which doth accompanie it, the fenfe and feeling of . Gods loue and fauour, cheerefulnes offpirit,ioy in the holy Ghofi,patience,the gift ofprayer and fuch like; becatife his loue and the faluation ofthe faithfull may !land with the want ofthefegifts fora time. Neither are wee tovnderfiand this ofthe a6}ions and fenfible fruites ofGods graces, for thefe allo haue their intermiilions, the graces themfclues notwithfianding remaining : for as the Sunne dothalwaies fhine,and yetfometitnes the beames thereof are not difcer- ned,being hindred from fpreading themfelues by the inter- pofition i

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