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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10194	The perpetuitie of a regenerate mans estate VVherein it is manifestly proued by sundry arguments, reasons and authorities. That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith, can neither finally nor totally fall from grace. It is also proued, that this hath beene the receiued and resolued doctrine, of all the ancient fathers, of all the Protestant churches and writers beyond the seas, and of the Church of England. All the principall arguments that are, or may be obiected against it, either from Scripture, or from reason, are here likewise cleared and answered. By William Prynne Gent: Lincolniensis.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1626 (1626)	STC 20471; ESTC S115319	355,787	462

infirmitie to his Saints and that for Christ their Mediators sake For so it is written That there is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus Besides we beleeue teach and confesse that faith and saluation are preserued in vs and retained not by our owne workes but only by the Spirit of God Againe they beleeue and confesse that Predestination or the eternall election of God belongs only to the good and the beloued sons of God and this is the cause of their saluation For it procures their saluation and orders those things which belong vnto it vpon this predestination of God our saluation is so founded that the gates of Hell cannot subuert it And againe by this doctrine of predestination wee are assured that wee are elected to eternall life out of meere grace in Iesus Christ without any merit of our owne that no man shall take vs out of the hands of Christ and that we shall constantly perseuere vnto the end And a little after God in his eternall purpose hath decreed that he will defend all those whom he hath elected called iustified euen amids their many and sundrie infirmities against the diuell the world the flesh and lead them on guide them in his waies and if they chance to slide at any time that he will put vnder his hand that so they may receiue solid consolations in all their crosses and temptations be preserued vnto eternall life he hath decreed that he will finish that good worke which hee hath begun within them that he will confirme and finish it vnto the end Which doctrine of Predestination doth afford vs excellent consolation For how great a benefit of God is this that he hath beene so carefull of the conuersion righteousnesse and safetie of euery Christian and so faithfull to procure it that he hath deliberated and ordained before the foundations of the world were laid how he would call and bring vs to saluation preserue vs in it that hee should fence our saluation with such strong garrisons that hee should place our saluation in his eternall purpose which can neuer be deceiued nor altered as in a most defensed Castle and place it to bee kept in the Almighty hand of our Lord Iesus Christ out of which no man can pull vs. If the custody and safegard of our owne saluation were committed to our selues good God how easily should wee loose it for the infirmity wickednesse and corruption of our flesh how easily would it bee wrested and taken from vs by the trecherie and power of Satan and by the policie of the world Therefore Paul builds the certainty of our happinesse vpon the foundation of Gods purpose when he collects from this that wee are called according to Gods purpose that no man can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And a little after Seeing our election to eternall life doth not depend vpon our virtues or righteousnesse but vpon the only merits of Christ and the good pleasure of our heauenly Father who cannot deny himselfe since that in his will and essence hee is immutable for this cause when his children doe disobey him and fall into sinne hee calls them to repentance by his word and makes the holy Ghost eflectuall in them by his word that they may returne into the way and amend their liues These and many such like sayings are to be found in this Lutheran Concordancie which giue sufficient testimonie that all the 〈◊〉 and Protestants in Germany concurre in judgement with vs that the true regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from Grace See more of this p. 488. 568. 569. 600 650. 661. 671. 781. Since Luthers and Bucers time and since this Concordancy was composed and the Diot of Ral●…sbon concluded This hath been the constant doctrine of the Lutheran and Protestant Churches that the regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from grace as appeares by those seuerall Catechismes which are publikely taught and receiued in these Churches and by those many learned Writers of those Churches whose names and workes I haue cited before Zanchius in his Confession in this particular point to the Senate of Argentine records it that many Churches many Vniuersities and great men throughout Germanie haue defended and confirmed this assertion and that this our Theses was publikely defended and approued in the Vniuersitie of Maspurge and afterward published in print by the said Vniuersitie as sound and orthodox The Diuines of the Vniuersitie of Leydon and the Professors of it on the 9. of December 1595 in the businesse of Cornelius Wiggerus declared their resolution to the States that the opinion of Wiggerus that the elect Saints of God might out of the liberty of their owne wills fall quite away from the couenant and grace of God was so contrary to the Scriptures and to the Confessions and receiued Catechismes of the Belgicke Church that they could not be reconciled neither could this his assertion bee taught in the Church of God without great hurt and scandall which resolution was subscribed by Iunius Trelcatius Gomarus Bastingius Vtengobardus and others as you may reade in the Conference at the Hage recorded by Bertius and Brandius and by Amesius in his Coronis to this conference pag. 361. 362. The Belgicke confession analized by Festus Hommius Artic. 29. 34. 35. and the Belgicke Catechisme Respons 1. 28. 32. 51 52 53 54. 58. 64. 76. and 126. and Bastingius in his Catechisme Exegisis ad Quaest. 45. 53. 54. concurre in this our present assertion The German Protestants and Orthodoxe Diuines haue from time to time defended it against the Rhemists as appeared by their seuerall 〈◊〉 at the Hage King lames in his Declaration against Vorstius informeth vs That all the Protestant Churches in Germanie had with open mouth complained against Arminius for maintaining of this heresie of the Apostacie of the Saints and those other assertions concurring with it The Church of Geneua hath alwayes maintained this assertion as I haue proued by her Confession and as it is euident by those Theses maintained and defended in her Vniuersitie Recorded in Theses Geneuenses Theses 27. de Fide Thes. 6. where our present assertion is publikely maintained and defended Indeed Mr. Mountague whom I may well stile the Father of lies so many forgeries and vntruths hath hee broached in this our present point hath recorded it that Iohn Deodate Minister of Geneua should tell him when he was with him at Eaton that the Church of Geneua did dissent from this and other priuate opinions of Caluin and Beza But his owne Dioceson Bishop Carlton in the examination of his Appeale hath taken him tardie in this informing vs that Deodate himselfe hath informed a Bishop of this kingdome in a Letter purposely written to him to cleere himselfe of this imputation that he neuer spake these words to Mr. Mountague neither

that the proper meaning of this place is onely this that in the militant Church of God there are two sorts of Christians some there are that are members and branches of Christ in outward shew and profession onely but not in truth these God the Father will cut off as dead rotten and fruitlesse members and he will cast them into hell fire to be burned because they do not abide in him bring forth fruit Others there are that are the true members and the liuing branches of Christ bringing forth much fruite those God the Father will bee alwaies purging that they may bring forth more fruite but yet not by their owne strength and vertue but by that sappe and nourishment which they receiue from Christ all therefore that you can collect from hence is only this That hypocrites and the dead branches of Iesus Christ may fall from grace and perish which no man will deny Yea but you will obiect that here are two words in the text which doe strongly imply that the true branches of Iesus Christ may bee broken off from him may become vnfruitfull and so be cast into the fire to wit this word ●…xcept and this word if which are both conditionall words I answer that neither of these words imply the thing which you intend For first this word except in this place of Iohn is a word of causality and not of condition As the branch cannot beare fruite of itselfe except it abide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee our abiding in Christ is not a condition but a cause of bearing fruite that which makes vs fruitfull in good workes is our abiding in Christ is the only substance and summe of these words and so you can collect no necessary consequence which makes against me from them All the argument which this sentence yeelds you is but this No regenerate man can beare any fruite except he●… abide in Christ therefore such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ may fall from grace which is a meere 〈◊〉 Secondly for this word if I answer that it doth necessarilie imply that the true branches of Iesus Christ may be broken off withered and cast into the fire Consider but the words themselues and you shall finde it so If any man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and withered If yee abide in me and my words abide in you you shall aske what you will and it shall be done vnto you What now will your arguments from these words bee surely no more but this If anyman abide not in Christ he is cast forth as a branch and withered therefore regenerate men may fall from grace If any man abide in Christ all his prayers shall be granted therefore regenerate men may fall from grace Who but franticke and distracted men would produce such arguments as these Yea but there is a great deale of profound matter in the white of an egge there is much included in these conditionall words which euery mans vnderstanding is not able to fathom these conditionall speeches must needes imply possibilitie of falling from grace else to what purpose are they vsed I answer Not to proue that regenerate men might fall from grace this was neuer Christs meaning in this place it is but your wrested strained and forced collection For the only end wherefore Christ did speake those words was onely to incourage and stirre vp his Disciples and his Saints to fruitfulnesse in good workes which he doth by these two seuerall meanes First by declaring vnto them the way and meanes by which they might be fruitfull and that is by continuing and abiding in him Secondly by propounding some certaine motiues to them to stirre them vp to fruitfulnesse which are of two sorts The first taken from the danger of vnfruitfulnesse euery branch in mee that beareth not fruite my Father taketh away and he is cast forth and withered Secondly From the aduantage and the great commoditie of fruitfulnesse in good workes both in respect of themselues and in respect of God In respect of themselues it would cause God to giue them a gratious answer to all their prayers and requests to him it would preserue and continue the loue of Christ to them and it would fill them full of joy In respect of God God should bee glorified by their fruitfulnesse in good workes This then being the onely end and scope of Christs words in this place to stirre vp his Disciples and to prouoke them to fruitfulnesse in good workes if you take the words as they are spoken and as Christ intended them then they make not for you at all then your conclusion and argument from them must be this Christ doth prouoke and stirre vp regenerate men and such as are his members to fruitfulnesse in good workes therefore they may fall from grace a ridiculous and absurde inconsequence To conclude all I say that the true branches of Iesus Christ can neuer fall from grace nor yet depart from Christ. First because Christ himselfe hath chosen them and ordained them that they should goe and bring forth fruite and that their fruite should remaine Iohn 15. 16. Secondly because Christ and the holy Ghost will alwayes liue dwell and abide within them Iohn 15. 3. cap. 14. 16 17. Ephes. 3. 17. Gal. 2 20. Math. 28. 20. 1 Iohn 4. 15. and cap. 5. 10. 20. Thirdly because that Christ doth loue them in the same manner as his Father loueth him Iohn 15. 9. Now Gods loue to Christ is perpetuall and neuer ends therefore Christs loue to them must bee perpetuall to and so Christ cannot but abide in them and they in him Fourthly because the true branches of Iesus Christ cannot bring forth ill fruite Math. 7. 18. they cannot fade nor wither they cannot cease from yeelding fruite Psal. 1. 3. Ier. 17 8. Fiftly because the feare of God is in their hearts that they shall not depart from Christ Ier. 32. 40. Sixtly because Christ hath prayed to his Father for them to keepe them through his owne name that so they might be in him and hee in them Iohn 17. 11. 23. That is as Athana●…us expounds it that the grace of his Spirit might remaine irreuocable and immouable in his Disciples that that which was granted to the Sonne by nature to bee in the Father might be granted 〈◊〉 vnto vs by the Spirit which when Paul knew who saith he shall separate vs from the loue of Christ for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Lastly because Christ spake these very words which you object to this only end that his ioy might remaine in his Disciples and that their ioy might be full Iohn 15. 11. n●…ither of which could be if that the true members of Iesus Christ might fall quite away from grace For then Christ could haue no joy in them nor they no ioy and comfort in him Therefore your collection from this

could not bee sure of heauen and of some benefit or aduantage by the death of Christ who is there that could loue the Lord at least in that degree as if hee were assured of all these That which kindles holy affections in vs that which warmes our heart●… and soules and doth euen fire and inflame them with an ardent feruent zealous and burning loue to God and Christ is the infallible and full assurance of their vnchangable and constant loue to vs and the serious consideration of that sure and certaine state of grace and glory which they haue prouided and prepared for vs If men were not in some good measure perswaded of their totall and finall perseuerance in the state of grace and secretly assured of the perpetuall and constant loue of God and Christ to them that they will loue them and preserue them to the end and giue them that eternall crowne of glory which is prepared for the saints in heauen they would not nay they could not loue the Lord as else they might and would doe they could not prise him aboue all things else they could not sequester their hearts and soules from other things to set and fixe them wholly vpon him as vpon their chiefest ioy and onely treasure And therefore this Doctrine which would robbe the Lord of the hearts and soules of all his children and lessen abate extenuate if not wholly extinguish the heate and vigor of mens loue to him must needes be odious and abominable to such as loue and feare the Lord and cannot be admitted to be true Ninthly If this should be admitted that the true regenerate saints of God might Apostatize and fall away from the state of grace it would robbe the Lord of all the praise and glory that is due vnto his name If men might loose those graces which God bestowes vpon them if it were not Gods goodnesse might and power but their owne strength their owne care and diligence that did preserue them in the state of grace if men could not bee sure of the loue of God and Christ of heauen and eternall happinesse but might loose them all at last who is there that could praise the Lord and giue him the glory which is due vnto his name There are but two chiefe grounds and causes of praysing God in a spirituall and heauenly manner The first is the free loue and bountie of God in bestowing grace vpon vs and working of it in vs without any merit or desert of ours the second is the perpetuity of his loue in the preseruation and continuance of th●…se graces which hee bestowes vpon vs. The chiefest ground and cause of euery true Christians thankfulnesse vnto God is this that God hath beene exceeding gratious mercifull vnto his soule and that this mercy of God indures for euer the 136 Psalme is wholly spent in praysing God and that onely vpon this ground be●…ause his mercy indures for euer Now this position that the true regenerate saints of God may fall away from grace it takes away both these causes and grounds of praysing God it attributes both the begining and the end the continuance and the perseuerance of grace to mans freewill and power and not to God it makes man both the beginer and the preseruer of his owne grace and it makes the grace and mercy of God together with those spirituall and heauenly graces which hee bestowes on men to be but momentary and fading and not ●…o indure for euer and so it robbes the Lord of all the praise and glory which is due vnto his name Therefore it must needes bee a damnable and pernitious Doctrine and cannot be admitted Tenthly if this were once admitted that the true regenerate saints of God might fall from the state of grace it would rob God of his worship and make men negligent and carelesse in his seruice for what man is there that would euer labour or take paines for grace if he might loose it after that he had gotten it who is there that will labour after perishing and fading treasures which he is not sure for to keep who is here that would labour and take paines for grace or spend his life in doing of God seruice if hee might loose the things which hee hath wrought and not receiue a full reward would any wise or well aduised man consume and spend his time and daies in purchasing of such a treasure or possession which hee were not sure alwaies to inioy would any man take paines to sowe the seed of grace wher he were not sure for to reap the fruites It is Christs owne counsell and aduise to all his saints Labour not for the foode that perisheth but for that which indureth vnto eternall life Iohn 6. 27. and lay not vp for your selues treasures on earth where moth and rust doe corrupt and where theeues breake thorough and steale But lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues doe not breake thorough nor steale Math. 6. 19. 20. If therefore grace were such a treasure that might bee lost and perish the Saints of God euen by Christs owne rule were not to seeke it nay they would not neither could they seeke it they could not serue the Lord with that diligent auxious and industrous care as now they doe they would grow very slacke negligent and carelesse in his seruice For though it be alwaies true that the true Saints and children of God ought not nor doe not serue the Lord onely or principally for the wages of heauen and eternall life or out of selfeloue or selfe respects but for himselfe yet that which doth most incourage them and make them more forwards actiue zealous and liuely in Gods seruice is the consideration of that large and great reward which God out of his mercy and goodnesse hath promised them for their seruice of purpose to incourage them and to make them actiue in it This is euident by the example of Moses Heb. 11. 24 25 26. who refused to be called the soune of Pharohs daughter ch●…sing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and why did he doe all this for he had respect vnto the recompence of reward So the Hebrewes themselues they tooke io●…fully the spoyling of their goods onely for this reason because they knew that they had in heauen a better and more induring substance Heb. 10. 34. Yea who euer he be that comes to God he must not onely beleeue that God is but also that he is a rewarder of all such as doe diligently se●…ke him for if he should consider the seruice of God abstracted from the reward it would make him negligent and weary of Gods seruice Wherefore if this assertion were once true that the true regenerate saints of God who haue spent their whole life and strength in doing of Gods seruice might after all their care and paines fall

because they did not beleeue that Christ had the words of eternall life neither were they sure that hee was that Christ the sonne of the liuing God For the Disciples which did beleeue this did continue with him euen for this very cause because they did beleiue it so that this example is impertinent because they were no true beleeuers The fourth example is from Dauid Dauid was a true regenerate man and Saint of God But hee fell from grace by committing adultery and murther For first hee prayes to God to create a new heart and to renew a right spirit within him Psal. 51. 10. Secondly hee was a murtherer and therefore had no eternall life abiding in him 1 Iohn 3. 14 15. Thirdly hee was guilty of adultery which disinherits men of heauen 1 Cor. 6. 10 Gal. 5. 21. and Ephes. 5. 5. Fourthly he lay long in these sinnes without repentance therefore a true regenerate man and Saint of God may fall from grace as Dauid did To this I answer that the Minor is false and that Dauid did not fall totally nor finally from grace in committing of these sinnes which I proue by these reasons First because it is not recorded in the whole booke of God that Dauid fell from the state of grace true it is it is recorded how he fell into these sinnes and I beleeue it to bee true because the Scripture tells me so but that Dauid fell totally from grace in committing of these sinnes the holy Ghost hath not recorded it it is but a bare collection of our Antagonists and therefore it is not to be beleeued Doubtlesse if Dauid had fallen totally or finally from the state of grace in committing these his sinnes the holy Ghost who hath recorded his sinne and life would haue recorded this his fall vnto vs since then the holy Ghost hath not recorded this his fall it is a point of arrogancie and strange presumption for our Antagonists so confidently to determine that Dauid fell away from the state of grace when as the Scriptures doe not warrant it Secondly it is euident that Dauid fell not away from the state of grace when as hee lay in these his sinnes because in the midest of these his sins which he fell into out of infirmitie and not out of any precogitated malice his heart was vpright towards God and the whole bent and frame of his heart was turned towards him for God himselfe testifieth of him that hee was a man after his heart Acts 13. 22. that hee went fully after the Lord. 1 Kings 11 6. and that his heart was perfect with the Lord. verse 4. and therefore since that God himselfe hath giuen such Elogies and testimonies of him it cannot stand together with them that Dauid should fall quite away from grace though hee fell into these sinnes Thirdly it is euident and plaine by Psal. 51. 11. for there hee prayes to God in his penitentiall Psalme which was penned when as the Prophet Nathan came vnto him and informed him of his sinnes of murther and adultery Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me If Dauid then immediately vpon the sight of these his sinnes did pray to God not to take away his holy spirit from him it is certaine then that hee had the spirit of God abiding in him notwithstanding these his sinnes else hee would haue prayed thus to God restore and giue me thy holy spirit ô Lord and not Lord take not thy holy spirit from me if then the spirit of God were still within him then certainely hee was not fallen totally from the state of grace Yea but saith Hunnius and some other of our Antagonists the spirit of God which hee lost by these his sins was now restored to him and therefore he prayes to God not to take it away from him not because hee lost it not before but because it was now restored vnto him againe I answer that this is but a meere cauill and an idle conceite not grounded on the Scripture For if Dauid had lost the Spirit by this sinne or if God had restored it to him againe no doubt but the Scripture would haue mentioned it and Dauid himselfe would haue expressed or at least haue intimated it in this Psalme of his which wee see hee doth not doe Againe if Dauid had lost the Spirit of God by these his sinnes I would demand of our Antagonists when this holy Spirit of God returnes vnto him againe whether before or after his repentance or in the very act of his repentance If before his repentance then Dauid was in the state of grace and not in the state of damnation before hee did repent which you your selues deny If after his repentance that cannot bee for repentance is the worke of the holy Ghost and vnlesse Dauid had had this holy Spirit of God he could not haue repented thus yea then Dauids prayer had beene in vaine for how could hee haue prayed vnto God not to take away his holy Spirit from him if he had it not as yet restored to him for when he penned this Psalme he did but begin he had not fully finished his repentance for these sinne therefore the holy Spirit of God was not restored to him after his repentance If it were restored vnto him in the very beginning and act of his repentance from whence doth that appeare sure I am there is no ground in Scripture for to warrant it and if it were so then it follows that the Spirit of God may bee restored vnto men before their actuall repentance which you denie because the very beginning of repentance or a thought to repent is no perfect actuall repentance no such repentance as you require to regaine the Spirit and the state of Grace And therefore seeing that the Scripture informes vs that the holy Ghost abides and dwells in mens hearts and soules for euer Iohn 14. 15. 16 and 1 Iohn 1. 20. 27. we may safely say that the holy Spirit of God was neuer taken away from Dauid but continued in him still Againe to what end should this prayer of Dauid serue if God had now restored his Spirit to him He had as yet committed no such sinne since the restitution of the Spirit to him as might cause God to depriue him of it and therefore this prayer of his was not so fitting to the purpose in this sense therefore we must take it in the ap●…st sense and as Dauid did intend it Dauid he was affraid left God should depriue him of his holy Spirit for those sinnes which he had committed against him before and this was the cause and ground of this his prayer now therefore this his prayer and the whole Psalme hauing reference only to his former and not to his future sinnes it must needs follow that this prayer of Dauid extendeth meerely to the Spirit which hee had before his sinnes committed and not to the Spirit newly restored to him

shallow weake and carnall inconuenience and pretence this is which is obiected against our Orthodox and comfortable assertion The second pretence and inconuenience that is obiected against this totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints is this that it will make men idle negligent and floathfull in the wayes of God for if men cannot fall from grace they need not they will not be industrious for to please the Lord. I answer you as Christ once answered the Sadduces in another case Math. 22. 29. Yee doe erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God For when once the seed of true and sauing grace is sowen in mens hearts it makes them much in action and they cannot but be operatiue and stirring in the worke and seruice of the Lord. First because the loue of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost and it is much in larged and increased in them by this assurance of their totall and finall perseuerance in the state of grace Now this loue of God doth so warme and heate and so inlarge the hearts and soules of all the Saints and it is of such an operatiue working and stirring nature that it alwayes stirres them vp to action they cannot be idle though they would this very loue of God constraines men for to please and serue the Lord and to be exceeding fruitfull and abundant in his worke and seruice as you may reade Acts 2. 37. cap. 4. 20. Cant. 4. 9 10. cap. 8. 6 7. Iohn 21 15. cap. 14 15. 22. 23. cap. 15. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 15. 1 Thes. 1. 4. Gal. 5. 6. and Ephes. 3. 19. Therefore though the Saints of God can neuer fall from grace yet because this loue of God is seated and spread abroad in their hearts they cannot be idle and sloathfull in the worke and seruice of the Lord. Secondly though the true regenerate Saints of God can neuer fall from grace yet they cannot be idle and sloathfull in Gods seruice because it is the very ioy the very comfort and reioycing of their hearts and soules their very heauen vpon earth and the very essence and substance of their happinesse to obey and serue the Lord and to be abundant in his worke Nothing is there that brings so much delight and ioy vnto the Saints as frequencie in holy duties and assiduitie and diligence in the seruice of the Lord as you may see Prou. 3. 17. cap. 21. 15. Psal. 42. 1 2. Psal. 84. 1. 2. 10. Psa. 119. 97. Psal. 122. 1. Isai. 26. 8. 9. and cap. 58. 13. Now that which a man doth most of all delight and ioy in hee will bee sure neuer to neglect and sleight he will be diligent and frequent in it euen for the very ioy and comfort that is in it and therefore though the Saints of God can neuer fall from grace yet because their only ioy and chiefest comfort consists in seruing God they cannot but be operatiue and diligent in his seruice Thirdly though the true regenerate Saints of God can neuer fall from grace yet they cannot but be operatiue and stirring in his seruice because the Spirit of the Lord which is within them will neuer suffer them to be idle but will alwaies incite and stirre them vp to action as you may finde it in the 1 Sam. 11. 6. Iudges 14. 19. cap. 15. 10. Acts 4. 20. Isai. 1. 1. 2. Rom. 8. 1. 11. 14. 15. 26. cap. 12. 11. and Gal. 5. 16. 17. 25. Fourthly though the Saints of God can neuer fall from grace yet they cannot be idle and sloathfull in Gods worke because it will be hurtfull and prejudiciall to themselues The lesse men are in the worke and seruice of the Lord the lesse ioy and comfort haue they here and the lesse glory hereafter but the more fruitfull and abundant they are in all good workes the more ioy and comfort haue they here and the more glory shall they haue hereafter Dan. 12. 3. Math. 5. 12. and Luke 10. 17. Therefore though they cannot fall from grace yet selfe-loue and the care of their eternall happinesse will make them diligent and fruitfull in Gods seruice Fiftly though the true regenerate Saints of God can neuer fall from grace yet they cannot grow cold and negligent in his seruice because there is in euery regenerate man an ambitious and inward desire of attaining to perfection and to the vtmost end euen to the very toppe and height of grace As it is in naturall so it is likewise in spirituall things they both desire accomplishment and perfection And therefore a good Christian doth alwaies goe from grace to grace from faith to faith and from strength to strength He forgets that which was before and presseth forwards towards the marke of the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus indeauouring to attaine vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Psal. 84. 7. Psal. 92. 12. 13. 14. Phil. 3. 13 14 15. and Eph. 4. 13. Therefore he cannot be idle and sloathfull in Gods seruice though he cannot fall from grace euen in this respect Sixtly though the Saints of God can neuer fall from grace yet they cannot bee negligent and carelesse in his seruice because it is not for Gods glory that they should be idle and sloathfull in his worke The more diligent and painefull that the Saints are in Gods seruice the more honour and glory doe they bring to God Math. 5. 16. Ioh. 17. 4. and Phil. 1. 11. Now the true regenerate Saints of God they tender Gods glory aboue all things else they will not suffer him to be dishonoured vpon any tearmes and therefore they cannot be negligent and backward in his seruice though they cannot fall from grace because then they should dishonour God Lastly to omit all other reasons though the Saints of God can neuer fall from grace yet they cannot be idle and sloathfull in Gods seruice because that grace it selfe is of an actiue growing stirring and increasing nature and will not suffer any man to sit still and idle Grace is that which makes vs diligent and carefull in Gods seruice it is that which incites and stirres vs vp to action and can any one then imagine that grace should make men negligent and idle in Gods seruice This is all one as if a man should say that fire makes men cold that life makes men dead that knowledge makes men ignorant or that reason makes them bruitish therefore since grace is of a stirring liuely growing and increasing nature seeing it is the prime and onely cause that makes men diligent and actiue in Gods seruice it is certaine that this totall and finall perseuerance in the state of grace can neuer make men negligent and sloathfull in the worke and businesse of the Lord. Yea as I haue formerly proued that this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace is the onely meanes to make men idle and sloathfull in the worke and seruice of the