Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	heaven_n	life_n	write_v	3,782	5	5.8197	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08129	Certaine sermons, preached by the reuerend and iudicious diuine master Thomas Nevvhovse late preacher of Gods word in the citie of Norwich. And now set foorth for the vse and benefit of Gods people, by Robert Gallard, Master of Arts and minister in the same citie	Newhouse, Thomas, d. 1611.; Gallard, Robert.	1614 (1614)	STC 18493; ESTC S102789	66,753	182

reiect it Answ It is not possible that any man should resist the powerfull operation of the spirit of God in the conscience As for that of Stephen Act. 7.51 where hee vpbraides the Iewes that they had alwaies resi●●ed the holy Ghost it is to be vnderstood of the spirit speaking in the outward ministerie of the word not inwardly and effectuallie working in the conscience Thirdly iustification standing in the remission of sinnes and acceptation of a man vnto life for the only obedience of Christ imputed cannot bee made voide or frustrate for the Lord doth most perfectly pardon sin Esay 44.22 Micha 7.19 Iere. 31.34 Psal 103.12 Fourthly and lastly Regeneration cannot be lost for why the Author of it that is the spirit of God abideth euer 1. Ioh. 2.27 who is called the anointing and the oyle of gladnesse Psalme 45.7 and the graces of it as hope for else how could it bee the anchor and hold of the soule Heb. 6.19 Loue abideth euer 1. Cor. 13.8 a seede whereof remained in Peter in his deniall and the feare of God neuer vtterly quaileth Iere. 32.40 This also is manifest in experience for when the childe of God yeeldeth to any grieuous temptation hee sinneth not as one desperate and voyde of all hope to bee recouered nor of hatred against God not in a secure contempt of God as the Epicure but still retaines in his heart some remainders of these graces which being afterward reuiued and quickned hee raiseth vp himselfe and returnes vnto God Grace in time of some grieuous temptation is driuen into some narrow corner of the heart euen as they that are in a Sconce or Castle besieged flie into some streight corner or some inward and secret place yet after they come foorth As then this point is cleere by Scriptures so likewise reason will auouch and demonstrate the same The first reason is taken from the intercession of Christ who prayed not onely for Peter Luke 22.32 but for all the elect that should either then presently or hereafter beleeue Ioh. 17.20 who was alwaies heard of his Father Ioh. 11.42 Vnlesse therefore we will say that Christ his prayer is vneffectuall wee must needes conclude that the beleeuer cannot wholly be ouercarried of sinne And vnto this prayers of the faithfull who asking in faith to bee strengthened in temptation that they might not wholly bee foiled haue a promise to be heard Vnlesse therefore wee will say that God doth falsifie his promise we must necessarily affirme that the faithfull neuer fall totally from grace The second is taken from the mysticall vnion which is so firme and indissoluble that nothing can breake the same Hos 2.19 nay euen death it selfe doth not dissolue this bond for when the body is rotten in the graue and turned into dust and ashes then notwithstanding it remaines a part of that person which is really and truly though spiritually united vnto Christ which is a matter of no small comfort to the children of God and if it could bee broken it could neuer bee restored because faith is but once giuen Iude 3. And if it could bee restored and a new insition into Christ made then Baptisme which is the signe and seale hereof must bee iterated and repeated for the confirmation thereof The third reason is this If grace may be wholly lost then no man can bee assured of his saluation neither can haue peace with God nor pray in faith without doubting but the faithfull man is certaine of his saluation otherwise hee hath not faith because certaintie is of the nature of faith Certitude est de natura fidei and hath peace with God Rom. 5.1 and prayeth in faith without wauering Iam. 1.6 Ergo. The fourth reason is this The sonne abides in the house for euer that is in the Catholike Church Ioh. 8.35 but all the faithfull are sons by adoption Ioh. 1.12 and not onely sonnes but heires and fellow-heires with Christ Rom. 8.17 and therfore are neuer wholly cast out of the fauour of God though they fall dangerously Now that we see this point to be so cleere and euident let vs answer vnto some of those obiections that are vsually alleaged to the contrarie that wee may bee more confirmed in the present truth That election may be lost Obiection it is proued out of Moses prayer Exod. 32.32 where Moses prayeth to be blotted out of the booke of life To omit all other answers first Solution that prayer is not absolute but conditionall and therefore affirmeth nothing certainly Secondly it is not simple but comparatiue rather then the whole bodie of the people should perish and the glorie of God bee impeached he prayeth in an earnest affection to his brethren and in a feruent zeale to Gods glorie that hee might if it were possible bee raced out of the booke of life As for the place in Psalme 69.28 where Dauid prayeth that his enemies might be dashed out of the booke of life hee meaneth reprobate hypocrites who though in their iudgement and in the iudgement of the Church were falsely reputed to bee in the number of the Elect yet their names were neuer written in heauen and therefore Dauid prayeth that the Lord would detect and make manifest their hypocrisie But it will be replied that the Churches of Ephesus Ephes 1.4 1 Thess 1.4 1. Pet. 1.1 Thessalonica and the lewes are called Elect by the Apostles who afterward notwithstanding made totall defection and apostacie from God Answ There be two kindes of iudgements to be giuen of men the iudgement of certaintie whereby an infallible determination is giuen of any mans particular estate and this belongs to God properly and principally and to man so farre foorth only as the Lord shall reueale the estate of one man to another there is also the iudgement of charitie wherby those that liue in the Church haue giuen vp their names vnto God in Baptisme and professe the religion of Christ are commonly reputed to bee in the number of the Elect and according to this latter iudgement did the Apostles speake of the Churches Againe whole Churches are called Elect by a Synechdoche by reason of the better and more excellent part which are in thē Elect as the heape of corne wherein there is a greater quantitie of chaffe is so called by reason of the more principall part As for the conditionall decree it is a meere forgerie of mans braine hauing no footing in the word of God for to decree a thing conditionally is to decree nothing at all Conditionalis propositio nihil ponit in esse because the conditionall proposition affirmes nothing and besides that it doth most indignely suspend the will of God the supreme and soueraigne cause of all things ordering and ruling all secondary oauses and ouer-ruled by none vpon the will of the creature it doth most impiously ascribe vnto God either imprudence or impotencie for therefore doe men purpose and decree things conditionally either because they know not

losse yea and still I see how fresh his blessed name remaines among you pleasant as an oyntment powred out sweet as a bundle of myrrhe which sendeth forth most fragrant smels vpon these and such like grounds I am led to thinke that these his endeuors cannot misse of your courteous acceptance and tuition and therefore if I so farre presume as to shroud these orphan writings vnder your protecting wing I hope you will easily giue leaue to this my bold enterprise wherein I haue but signified my duty to your selues and my loue vnfained to him that is gone In these two treatises which in speciall wise I present vnto your view you shall finde Right Worshipfull these two pointes very soundly and plainely handled the first is the most wise and eternall decree of God the second is the freed and also the vnchangeable estate of Gods childe both of them matters of great waight and moment needfull to bee knowne in some sort of all and no way vnworthy to be read and vnderstood of the most worthie I wish I might haue spoken somewhat of each of them but least I should exceede the bounds of an Epistle I will your patience permitting onely spend a few lines in setting downe how lawfull and meet a thing it is to preach publish the doctrine of predestination As it was horrible presumption in the Bethshemites to peere into Gods Arke 1. Sam. 6.19 So it hath been and still is esteemed by many for a man to diue though neuer so little into the doctrine of Gods decree some holding it should not bee medled with at all others that it may be sparingly handled but onely in schooles before the learned but by their leaues they are much deceiued for though we may not curiously search into such things as be hidden and wrapt vp in the secret counsell of God yet are wee not forbidden to seeke the knowledge of those things which bee reuealed The Lord saith Deuter. 29. Secret things belong vnto God let vs haue nothing to doe therewith but further he saith reuealed things belong to vs and to our children surely those may we safely meddle with and endeauour to know nay wee are bound both to know and publish so be it wee keepe within the limits of wisedome and sobriety for if God who is wisedome it selfe thinkes it a meete thing to open this doctrine to his Church as hee doth in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles how can we conceale it without guilt of sacrilegious follie Shall wee bee so bold as to seale vp that which God hath opened God forbid But how iniurious they bee to the Church of God who would haue this doctrine smothered from the people and canuased onely in schooles of learning will easily appeare if we doe but consider the great good it brings to the people of God being perspicuously and plainely taught Our Sauiour Christ saith Luke 10. Reioyce in this that your names are written in heauen which place importes that the enrolling our names in the booke of life i. election is a matter of great ioy And in the 6. of Ioh. 3. All those saith Christ that the father hath giuen mee i. in election shal come vnto me and those that come to me I cast not away i. they shal not perish So that a beleeuer may hence assure himselfe that being elected bee cannot perish Were it not much then by concealing this doctrine of predestination to depriue Gods people of this ioy of this comfortable assurance Againe in this doctrine of Gods decree soundly and plainely taught a beleeuer shall finde that his appointment to saluation is not grounded vpon any thing in himselfe neither his will nor faith nor works nor worthinesse foreseene but onely the good will and pleasure of God As Ephes 1.5 Who hath predestinated vs according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace now were it not sinfull to hide from people this heauenly doctrine whereby they are taught to ascribe all the glory of their saluation to the free fauour and loue of God in their election Yes surely Yet moreouer in our predestination to eternall life wee plainely see as in a glasse an Ocean sea of Gods loue and fauour towards vs in that God passing by so many thousands as vessels of wrath set apart to perpetuall shame would select and appoint vs to the obtaining of eternall life by Iesus Christ Now how can it be loue being the loadstone of loue but that the liuely sense and feeling of this loue of God in our election should enkindle in vs a loue to him that hath so entirely loued vs and therefore it cannot but be very iniurtous to depriue people of the doctrine of election which might bee as the bellowes to blow vp in them this little sparke of heauenly loue to God But peraduenture some man may say Obiection though the point of election may in some sort be taught yet reprobation which is the passing by of many thousands and the appointing them to eternall wrath being a matter so full of horror as indeed it is were better concealed No Answere for God thinkes good to publish it in the scriptures shall wee shut vp where God will open Againe what is the point of reprobation but an illustration of the greatnes of the grace of election as contraries wee know laied one by an other are more perspicuous and how can we feele the sweetnes of Gods loue in our owne election till we see the terrour of his hate in the reiection of others To this purpose August tom 4. li. 1. ad simp q. 2. saith that God sheweth by the punishment of the one what hee giueth to the other Yea but this is a matter full of terrour Obiection Polan in epist libell de Predest Hereto I answere as a learned diuine of our times doth so that their harts are too tēder their eares too nice which cannot brooke this point And if this were a good reason it is a terrifying doctrine Ergo God may not be taught then might we not preach of Gods iudgements doomes day the torments of hell all which be matters full of terror But to giue more full satisfaction in this point the doctrine of reprobation is fearefull to whom either elect or reprobates not to the elect for God assureth them that they be not reiected Ergo to reprobates as Cain Iudas and the like Now must we for their sakes abstaine from teaching necessarie truthes Isaiah 8.14 Isaiah foretold long since that Christ himselfe should be as a stone for these to stumble at and as a rocke of offence for them to fall vpon yet who will say that Ergo Christ should not bee preachea nay Christ must be taught though all the world should be offended thereat Yet moreouer there be some who being giuen to picke quarrels sticke not to auouch that we in our doctrine of reprobation wherein wee teach that God hath ordained some men