Ufe. Objefl. Anfw. Ohiefl. Anfw. Ufe 2. :fhe Parable of the· dieorperin., no more than the Lord}efus, John 14.r9. So that if Gods purpofe is firm, his promife fure, his Spirit able, the Spirit of !if~ and grace in rh: hearrs ofrhe Faithful, lhall be kept even t0eternity. SECT. III. LET that Opinion rhac the Graces of Saints are fading and mortal, rot and die, and be had in everlaHing dere!tation of rhem that know the Lord. Bur we fee how many f.\11 off and fall back, and I have found it by experi-- ence fo. The feed that is call inro rhe earrh, firft dies, and then lives and growes; fo no fooner cloth the lord fill his Saims, bur there is much [elf-confidence on ir, and reHmg in ir,henceitdies, yet it lives and grows again. And hence the Lord keeps his people F?Or & fenfible of their own weaknefs as long as rhey live;but if ir quire dies and wnhe~s, they were neverr~e Lords, nor never ha.d one Dram ofGrace, l J•hn 2.19. Ifu be taken away, he did bur feem to have lt. All flefhly excellencies in men, as common gifts be, do wirher, J[a.4o.6,7. All Flefh isgr~tfi: But Plants in G~ds Orchard never lofe rheir greennefs, though Planes and How- • .ers in the field may, Pfal. r. 3. Whofe leaffhatt not wither. Bm this may make men fecure, fay the Arminians. r. Nothing~ uts more life in the Saints. It would link them elfe, if it were nor rhus, as when the Lord told. 'fofhua, where ever th811 ferttff thy foot, thou fhalt profper~ not 11 man able to ftand at,ainfl thee, this puts lifeimo him. 2. Though they cannot fall quite, away, yet they may fall [o as to lofe the fweemefs ofGrace, and prefence of God. If a man fhould ear too much, and ever be fick, though 1\0t die after it; or if one il1ould fall and ,break his bones, though he dorh nor lofe his life : Is this any gap for aay to rejoyce? 3. Though rhey cannor wholly drive away nor beat our rhe breath of rhe Spirit, yer they may grieve the Spirit 6y which they 111re fe~~led, Eph+3o. Which is more fjjd to a holy hearrrhan all evils in the world befide. But therefore lenhis Conceit die and perifh, which is raifed up by Satan to difgrace rhe Image of Cod and Spirit ot Gr.1ce in r.he hearts of rhe Faithful; for who will make men 'feekafrerperiihing things, under a colour of making men feek forrhe Spirir, .it is to rcfi!1: and quench the Spirit ofGod ia them. \. SECT. IV. IT may comfort the beam of the Faithful exceedingly againll fears of Apo(la~y, when they fee great Cedars fafl, How lhall I Hand? And when they hear offo:ne temptation rhat may be hereafter, then they fear. And when they feel the'evil of their own hems (which the Lord lees them feel to humble them rhat they may grmv~o1ver, and fo !land the falter) they fay, I lhall fall, and when they have 'found the L0rds prefence, oh if now I fhould relapfe after this health! How fhalll ~o~ whether I fha!Jfland or no ? ' 'Tis nor only difcernable by perfeverance, but by fomwhat begun, though very •<:!ifficnlr ro befeen. As, · " 1. Obferve Cods feveral and various difpenfarions of himfelf and his Grace toward thee, whether they iiTuefrom his everlalling love or no; for if fo, then he will everlaflingly keep that whicb he harh given thee. O!!eft. How /hall 1 k!towthat? Anfw. Look as that iifues fro:n eternal wmh, that feparates the foul fro:n God, or therein •cis expre!l:; fo that is the exprel!ion of erernal love which draws thee to God in Jefus Chrift. Ob{erve cherefore the Lords carriage, Dorh
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