Arguments toproue thecertàìntieofourperfeuerance. 679 pofitionofthecloudes or ofthe earth, and the firedoth con- tinue light andhot in it felfe, and yet being couered with afhes dothgiue neither light nor heate to the flandersby;fo thefe graces ofGods fpitit, faith, hope, affiance, loue and fuch like, may in refpe& oftheir fubflance habituallie re- maine in vs, and yet fora timenot fend foorth the light and heate ofioy,comfort,peace and the ref} ; and though theyre- taine their nature f}ill, yet they maybe hindred from exerci- fing their a6tions and functions; as namelie, when as the confcience is wounded with fome wilfull finne committed again(} the knowledge,or in the fpirituall confli6 of tenta- tions,as before I haue (hewed at large. Laf}ly, this is not to bee vnderflood oftheir meafure and degree, for thefe graces. haue theirfull and waine, their ebbe and tide,their perfe& firength and their faint languifhing ; but oftheir fubf}ance and true being, inwhich refpe& they neuer vttérly failebut continuewithout intermiffionvnto the end, for as the gift offaith, fo all other the like gracesare the workeofGod, as our Sauiourteaclhethvs, Iohn 6.29. and wemay affure our Iehn 6,29. felues ofthis, That he that bathbegunne thisgood werkein vf, will air f nsJhandperre51 it vntilltheday ofIefus Chrifi, as the Phil.t.6. Apode fpeaketh,Phil.x.6. CHAP. XIIII. O f thefourth andfifth reafon toproue thecertaintk of our perfeuerance,groundedupon Gods power and truth. He fourth reafon may bee taken fromGods-om- 4,Secri.I. nipotencie and almightie power : for ifGod in Thefourth refpe&ofhis infinite loue, beewilling that wee reaJongroun- 1? fhall be faued, and perfeuere in the meanes of dedupon Gods our faluation ; and be immutable alto and vnchañgeable in sas "potencye bislue and will;and likewife in refpeóó ofhis power infinit and almightie, able to elle&whatfoeuer heewilleth : then firreliebeingallured that we are in the Date ofgrace, and in Godsloue and fauour,there is nodoubt but we (hall beefa- Xx 4 ued
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