the full assurance of hope firme unto the end Tilenus Tepidus I know Mr. Diodati in his Annotations upon the 5. verse of that 6. Psalm saith Hereby is shewen the fear of Gods children anguished and pressed by the feeling of his wrath lest they should die out of his grace unreconciled and by that means be excluded and debarred from their desired aim to be everlastingly instruments of his glory But 't is probable David had no intelligence of that comfortable Doctrine defined by the Synod in this last age as appears by his fearfull complaint and expostulation if that Psalme were his Psal 77. I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was over whelmed My soul refused to be comforted will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Hath be in anger sbut up his tender mercies There could not have been this conslict of diffidence and anxietie in him if he had been established in the principles of the Synod for annexing the Lords Publick declarations by the mouth of Samuel touching him I Sam. 13 14. c c. 16. 6. 7. to the conscience of his own integrity he might have collected a certainty of his present regeneration when he was anointed King and from thence have concluded undeniably his election from all eternitie and consequently the impossibility of his rejection from God's favour But there is some likelyhood He thought that in the designation of his everlasting mercy towards them God considered men as faithfull according to the way of the Arminians and as persevering in their faithfulnesse For he saith Psal 4. 3. Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself If that text will not serve the turn yet there is one unavoidable Psal 103. 17 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting Vpon them that fear him To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his commandements to do them And to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 50. the last And governing his persuasions by these principles there is no wonder he was so exceedingly transported with a fear of God's displeasure And that such were his principles may be collected also from hence in that when the Paroxisme of the temptation was somewhat over he doth not make his recourse to the immutable decree of God's Election to cure the remanent palpitation of his spirits but onely to former experience of God's mercifull despensations towards his people Psal 77. 11. 15. I will remember the works of the Lord thou hast redeemed thy people c. But since the cleering up of this soul-setling doctrine by the great judgement and pietie of the Synod He that hath once tasted the graciousness of the Lord in his effectuall vocation and firmly believes that the things concerning his everlasting happiness are so established and carryed on by the irresistible power of an irrespective Decree as is there taught he may cast away all anxiety and care and repose himself with confidence under the wings of that security Dr. Absolute But the Synod declares fidelibus perpetuò esse vigilandum orandum ne in tentationes inducantur That the faithfull must watch and pray lest they fall into temptations and that when they grow remiss and torpid quit their guard and neglect their duty as you do they are many times surprized of the flesh and the world and carried captive into hainous and enormous sinnes whereby they offend God and grieve the Holy Spirit and incurre the guilt of death and the like Tilenus Tepidus 'T was well you stopt there Mr. Doctor But I had thought your worship had been better versed in this point For my part such Mormo'es and bugg-beares never trouble me I am taught by the Synod to believe that all the sins in the world shall never be able to separate an Elect person from the love of God but rather make for his greater advantage Mr. Indefectible But suppose by your sins you should provoke God to anger so far forth that he should cut you off as our Saviour threatens the Jewes Ye shall die in your sins And Ezek. 18. 24. When the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed in his sin that he hath sinned in them shal he die Tilenus Tepidus I did not expect such a supposition or objection from you of all men living for to speak properly God is never angry but with the Reprobates and I know 't is your avowed opinion that the Elect can neither fall finally nor totally and all the Synodists are of the same judgement They distinguish therefore of righteousness into that which is inherent or the righteousness of works and that which is imputed or the righteousness of faith And they confess the Elect may forsake his inherent righteousness and fall into most foul and horrid sins but yet he doth not fall from his imputed righteousness the righteousness of Christ which he hath by faith They do also distinguish between death temporal and death Eternal affirming that the sins of the Elect though never so many or heinous do not incur the guilt of eternal death but only temporal which is never inflicted upon them neither as a curse nor before their restitution for if you ask them what doom David had layn under if death had surprized him in his murther and adultery they will tell you roundly it was impossible he should die without repentance Dr. Dubius I suppose David's case was extraordinarie and a special reason is given by them of the Synod why he could not die before repentance viz. because after his sin he was to beget a son of whom the Messias should descend Tilenus Tepidus I conceive that ground is too loose to bear the superstructure the men of that opinion would raise upon it for they are not all saints in our Saviour's Genealogie neither did David's sin bereave him of the facultie of generation The son of Jesse might have propagated a stem for the Messias to branch out of and yet have died in his sin afterwards the impossibilitie therefore of his dying without repentance is grounded upon a more solid and impregnable foundation viz. the eternal decree and love of God which equally concerns all the Elect. That immutable love wherein God elected them doth exert it self and prompt him infallibly to confer the grace of repentance upon them first or last how great and how many sins soever they run into And if men had the will to improve this most excellent comfortable doctrin the advantage of it would be unspeakable Men do beat their brains and exhaust their treasure
favour that God would vouch safe to doe them presently upon their return from the Babylonish Captivitie as appears cleerly in the fore-going and following verses and yet through their fault and want of complyance this did not take effect their renewed defection crost God's promise and the event happened far otherwise for if you consider that people soon after their return from that Captivitie they grew worse and worse as appears Nehemiah the last and if you will refer the fulfilling of the promise till after the exhibition of the Messias though that is against the scope of the words yet then they grew worst of all They resisted the Holy Ghost Act. 7. 5. and rejected the Counsell of God against themselves Luk. 7. 30. and judged themselves unworthy of eternal life blaspheming and persecuting the Author means and ministery of it Act. 13. 45 46 50 and so were cut off for their wilfull unbelief Rom. 9. 32. In the Covenant therefore we are to consider two things 1. A Promise on Gods part and 2. A stipulation of duty on their part who are concerned in the promise The Promise on Gods part is I will be their God and I will not that is of my self or without provocation turn away from them to doe them good but I will put my fear in their hearts But to what end is all this why that they may be my people and fear me as my people and not depart from me as is exprest in the 39. and 40. verses of that Chapter This then being a voluntary duty which God requires we must not imagine it to be intimated as the infallible effect or event of his promise but as the end why he makes that promise to them and the Ingagement which it puts upon them But if they will not choose to have the fear of God before their eyes and to excite that grace which he puts into their hearts but out of an evill heart of unbelief depart from the living God they by this their prevarication and apostacy becomming Non populus ceasing to be his people he ceaseth likewise to be their God Thus the Spirit of God by Azariah hath resolved it to Asa and all Iudah and Benjamin 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if yee seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you Yea and cast you off for ever as David addeth to his Son Solomon 1 Chron. 28. 9. So that there is a kind of reciprocal ingagement betwixt God and man and something is to be performed by either party in order to salvation Now it so happens many times that all which is promised to be done on God's part is effectually done in regard of the sufficiency of it and yet nothing done that is required to be done on mans part in respect of the event See 2 Tim. 2. 13. Hence it is that sometimes God is said to have done all viz. all his part Ezek 24 13. I have purged thee but thou wast not purged and for my part what could have been done more Isai 5. 4. Sometimes again he is said to have done nothing Isa 53. 1. To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed that is in respect of the effect or the event for God was not wanting in sending his Prophets to make the Revelation So Deut. 29 4. The Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to hear unto this day Not that God was wanting in affording necessary means and assistance hereunto for then Moses should rather have upbraided God's illiberalitie than the Prophets Obstinacie which he had no reason to do God having wrought so many signes and miracles of mercy for them and of justice upon their enemies as many times gained credit and acknowledgement amongst the Egyptians and other nations as they past along and captivated the understanding and subdued the will and affections of Ioshuah and Caleb but God is said not to have given them hearts c. in regard of the event because though he had administred abundant means to that purpose yet through their wilful obduration he could not prevail so far with them they had frustrated the effect as 't is said of our Saviours Country-men in respect of his ministery Mat. 13. 58. and therefore Moses must not be thought to excuse them by laying their blindness and stubbornness at Gods door but to upbraid them that they had made their hearts so impenetrable hitherto to all those gratious and powerful dispensations that by them though sufficient God had not effected such an advertencie as might have begotten a willingness throughly to confide in him and obey in him verse 6. this was the end which God seriously intended and aimed at Mr. Indefectible This is inconsistent with that of the Apostle Rom. 11. 29. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Dr. Dubius Sir It will be a very hard matter to draw an argument from that Scripture to infer your conclusion The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Ergo what The regenerate cannot fall from grace and their interest in Gods favour Which is a plain non sequitur It does not follow For of whom speaketh the Apostle that Doth he not speak it of the Israelites And yet he tells you but ten verses before that they were broken off for their unbelief All that can be concluded from those words will amount but to this that God is so faithful and tenacious of his promise wherewith he had gratified their fathers that as 't is verse 23. If they abide not still in unbelief he is no less willing and ready than able to graft them into the Covenant again And upon this occasion my brethren give me leave to acquaint you with a few more of my doubts and scruples in order to my better satisfaction and settlement in these points for I hope you will not mistake me as if I were peremptory in my assertions for I speak only tentative to trie whether I can draw out of you any better arguments or answers to objections then I have hitherto met with in those that have handled these controversies I tell you then that the Text last quoted with some other passages in the 9 10 11. Chapters of that Epistle to the Romans have begotten a great doubt in me whether the Apostle in his discourse Chapt. 9. treateth at all of that absolute and peremptory decree of Reprobation whereby men are irrevocably excluded from salvation and all the necessary means that lead to it Let me give you the reasons of my doubting Mr. Preterition I am afraid we shall not have time now to examine them yet seeing you are so desirous let us have them briefly that we may be the better prepared to deliver our opinion about them at our next meeting Dr. Dubius Then take them thus I suppose it will be granted that the Apostle in those Chapters applies his discourse
deny that God hath destined Reprobates as they are called to infidelity impiety and sins as means and causes of their damnation The Reason 1. God himself hath stigmatized Jeroboam with this Character as a brand of infamy 2 King 23. 15. Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin And Hab. 2. 15. Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunken also that thou mayest look on their nakedness 2. If a Prince should make a decree to take away the life of his subject and then necessitate him by force or winde him in by subtlety to be instrumental and subservient to his own ends in the perpetration of an act which the said Prince himself hath made to be criminal that the execution of his said subject might appear to be just this argues cleerly that his first decree against him even by the verdict of his own conscience was unjust and so is his execution also 3. It is accounted an act of horrid tyranny in Tiberius who because it was unlawful to strangle Virgins He caused the hangman first to defloure a virgin and afterward to strangle her See also the Reason of the next XI They do utterly deny that God is the Author of sin The Reason 1. Because He is Holy and a pattern of holiness Lev. 11. 44. ch 19. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. 2. His wayes are right and equal and he can do no iniquity Ezek. 18. 25 29. Hos 14. 19. Psal 45. 7. 92. 16. Zeph. 3. 5. Deut. 32. 4. 3. He hates sin Psal 5. 4 5. 45. 7. Prov. 11. 20. Isa 59. 2. Deut. 12. 31. Isa 61. 8. Zee 8. 17. Am. 6. 8. Ier. 44. 4. Hab. 1. 13. 4. 'T is a burden to him Isa 7. 13. ch 43. 24. 5. He forbids sin Exod. 20. 1. c. Iob 36. 21. Ezek. 45. 9. Rom. 6. 12. 1 Cor. 15. 34. 6. He cannot be tempted with evil Jam. 1. 13 14 15. 7. He is provoked to anger by it Isa 3. 8. Hos 12. 14. Exod. 23. 21. Mark 3. 5. 8. 'T is enmity to him Rom. 8. 7. 9. 'T is the work of the Devil Ioh. 8. 44. Gen. 3. 1. 10. He sent his Son to destroy it 1 Iohn 3. 8. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. 11. He doth revenge it and punish the sinner for it Jer. 5. 25 29. Deut. 18. 12 13. Rom. 1. 18. Eph. 5. 6. Psal 11. 5 6. 12. Mans destruction is from himself Hos 13. 9. Prov. 5. 22. XII They do utterly deny that election of particular persons is made without consideration of faith and perseverance therein as the condition prerequired in him that is to be chosen unto glory The Reason Ps 103. 17 18. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him considered as such Ps 3. 3. The Lord hath set apart the man that is godly for himself Ps 50. ult To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Rev. 3. 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Isa 48. 10. I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction Jam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Heb. 6. 12. Who through faith and patience inher it the promise See Heb. 10. 36. Rev. 7. 14 15. See also the proofes of the 2 and 4 affirmatives XIII They do utterly deny that particular men are reprobated from eternal life without consideration had of sin and infidelity and perseverance therein as going before The Reason Exod. 32. 33. Whosoever sinneth Him will I blot out See the 2 4 Affirmative Rev. 22. 15. Without are doggs 1 Cor. 6. 9. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God See 2 Thess 2. 12. Luke 14. 17 21 with 24. verse A general reason of both the former Negatives The execution of Gods decree sheweth what the decree it selfe was for God worketh in time all things according to the counsel of his own will from eternity Eph. 1. 11. So that man must be considered in the decree as he is considered in the execution of it otherwise the act decreeing and the act executing should have respect to different Objects and Consequently this act could not properly be called the execution of that Decree Ex. Gr. If a decree be past against T B as a Malefactor and R S doth arrest T B being clear and innocent this action cannot be said to be the execution of the former decree which was made against T B the Malefactor though R S pretends to do it in persuance of the same So in other Cases But in the execution of the divine decree of Election and Reprobation We see men are looked upon according to their several qualifications Mat. 25. 31. 41. Then shall the King say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat Goe ye Cursed For I was c. Rom. 2. 6 7 8 9. He shall render to every man according to his works To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Rom. 8. 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live See Psal 11. 5. To the end an Emphatical place Concerning Children They hold That all the children of the faithful are sanctified in Christ so as none of them departing this life before they come to the use of reason can perish Proofs out of Scripture Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head This seed which is Christ was promised before ever any seed of mankinde was conceived Mat. 18. 11. Luke 19. 10. See Mat. 18. 11 12. Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost 1 John 3. 8. He came to destroy the works of the Devil Rom. 5. 12 18. As by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life Hebrews 2. 14 15 17. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver and make reconciliation c. Consider 1 John 2. 12. with Mat. 19. 14. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdome of God See Psal 127. 3. Concerning Children What they do utterly deny I. They do utterly deny that some
by works of righteousness which we had done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour 1 Pet. 1. 3 23. The father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath begotten us again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God c. See Ezek. 36. 26 27. Renewed in understanding will affections c. Ephes 4. 23. Renewed in the spirit of your mindes Col. 3. 10. In knowledge See 1 Cor. 1. 4 5. Tit. 2. 11. Acts 26. 18. To whom I send thee to open their eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 15 9. God through the Holy Ghost purifying their hearts by faith Heb. 9. 14. The blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit and the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly 1 Thes 5. 23. To do that which is savingly good c. Mat. 7. 17 18. and chap. 12. 33 34 35. Make the tree good and his fruit good Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life See verse 18. II. They hold that the grace of God is the beginning proceeding and fulfilling of all good so as even the regenerate man himself without grace preventing exciting following and co-working cannot think will or do good or resist any temptation to ill so that the good deeds and actions which any man can conceive are to be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ Proofes out of holy Scripture That the grace of God is the beginning c. James 1. 17 18. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above John 8. 36. 2 Cor. 4. 6. If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed 2 Cor. 3. 17. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie Phil. 1. 6. chap 2. 13. It is God which hath begun a good work in you which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Heb. 12. 2. The author and finisher of our faith 2 Thes 2. 14. Whereunto he called you by our Gospel See verse 15 16 17. 1 Pet 5. 10. c. 2 Pet. 1. 1 3 His divine power hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness Or resist any temptation to ill c. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evil day Ephes 6. 13. Watch and pray c. Mat. 26. 41. Lead us not into temptation Mat. 6. 13. The good we do to be ascribed to the grace of God c. 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am what I am Gal. 2. 20. The life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope c. 1 Pet. 5. 10 11. But the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen See Rom. 1. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 4 5. Ephes 1. 3. c. Rom. 16. 25 26 27. Rev. 1. 5 6. III. They hold that to hear Gods word to be sorry for sin committed to desire saving grace and the spirit of renovation nothing of which notwithstanding can a man do without grace is profitable and needful for the obtaining of faith and the spirit of renovation Proofes out of holy Scripture St. Luke 19. 13 Negotiamini dum venio Trade till I come for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance Luke 19. 26. See Mat. 13. from v. 10 ro 17. Iohn 6. 45. See Luke 16. 11 12. chap. 19. 17. Every man that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing Acts 17. 11 12. They of Berea received the word with all readiness of minde and searched the Scriptures Therefore many of them believed Iohn 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrin whether it be of God See Psal 25. 12 14. Psal 111. 10. Prov. 1. 7. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation See Acts 2. 37 38. chap. 16. 29 30 Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. If thou wilt incline thine â—ar unto wisdome and apply thine heart to understanding If thou seekest her as silver Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord Prov. 8. 17. I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall finde me Luke 11. 13. Your heavenly Father will give the spirit to them that ask him See the example of Sergius Paulus Acts 13. 7 12. Especially that of Cornelius Acts 10. 1 2 4 5 34 35. See also Gal. 3. 24. Prov. 3. 32. Iob 28. 28. 2 Tim. 2. 21. James 1. 21. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. See the reason of the Negative following IV. They hold that effectual grace whereby a man is converted is resistible and though God doth so work upon the will by his word and the inward operation of his holy spirit as that he gives both power to believe and supernatural abilities and makes a man actually to believe yet can man of himself despise that grace not believe and so through his own default perish Proofs out of Holy Scripture Ezek. 11. 20. compared with the 21. verse I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh That they may walk in my statutes and keep mine Ordinances and do them But whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations I will recompense their way upon their own heads Mat. 11. 20 21 22 23. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloath and ashes And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day Ezek. 24. 13. I have purged thee and thou wast not purged Acts 2. 41. They that gladly received his word were baptized 1 Thes 2. 13 19. See v. 19. Acts 11. 21. Ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe See Rom. 1. 16. Acts 13. 46. 48. Luke 14. 16. c. Mat. 22.
over our rebellions and yet God hath been pleased out of his unsearchable wisdome and to shew his own dominion and liberty so to order the matter that although the word cannot really promote our spirituall good which is a work far above the spheare of it's power and activity yet receiving it in vain though it be not in our power confessedly to receive it otherwise it will aggravate our condemnation for this cause I think it prudent to avoid the certain danger with the no-probable-good that according to those principles of the Synod will accrew by it Mr. Narrowgrace If you be of that minde we must leave you to the mercy of God and the use of your own praiers which are the only reserve we can commend to your assistance and benefit Tilenus Carnalis Alas Sir you are as much out of the story now as ever for the grace of praier without which the duty will be a vain oblation if not abominable must be derived from the same supernal fountain and we cannot pump it up our selves it comes freely and when it comes it is so impetuous and overflows the soul with such inundations of the spirit that 't is impossible to resist it And since you see me altogether silent to this office you may conclude that this silence begins in heaven and that God will not have me pray in that he denies me his grace to that effect But Sir you do well to take your leave of me for it is evident that God hath not imploy'd you as intending my amendment by your ministery since I find the confusion of your doctrine more apt to furnish a cushion for the secure and areless or a halter for the doubtfull and depairing then any sacred Amulet against the charmes and poison of impicty And yet because when the wheel is once in motion a little strength will be sufficient to continue it and the fire is easily blown up after 't is once kindled therefore you may please to make your third experiment upon Tilenus Tepidus And I am affraid you can produce no argument to quicken his remisness into a more thorow pace of devotion which the dexterous use of that buckler of the Synods doctrine will not be able to put by Let us heare therefore how you will urge him to a further progresse in Pietie Mr. Efficax Do but reflect upon Peter's redoubled exhortation 2 Pet. 1. 4. He supposeth that they had escaped the foul corruption that is in the world through lust And besides this saith he giving all diligence add to your faith virtue c. and vers 10. give diligence to make your calling and election sure Tilenus Tepidus If S. Peter had understood our calling and election in the same sense the Synod understands them in his exhortation had been to little purpose For in that sense 't is as sure already as the wisedome trueth and power of God or the blood of Christ or the seales of the divine decrees can make it The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. It were arrogance to go about to lay any other foundation and a folly to imagine we are able to fortify it by our indeavours Mr. Simulans But Sir we should make a Conscience of the duty though there were no other necessity of it but necessitas praecepti because 't is the will of Almighty God Tilenus Tepidus I perceive Sir you have forgotten your own distinction though 't is so little while since you used it You told us God hath a two-fold will an outward revealed will and an inward secret will His outward will is signified by his commands but saith Piscator they are not properly God's will for sometimes he nills the fulfilling of them As for example Gen. 22. 2. with 12. He commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac yet he nill'd the execution of it but his secret will is the will of his good pleasure which he hath therefore decreed shall ever come to passe Whereupon one of your Divines concludes there is a kind of holy Simulation in God Vnde percipitur esse simulationem quandam sanctam c. Now whereas you urge me to give all diligence that I may grow in grace if this were the will of Gods Beneplaci ure he would move and impell me indeclinably to effect it but if it be onely his outward will and improperly so called Hee having by an irrevocable Decree predetermin'd my not doing of it though it be outwardly commanded then my not doing his outward will is the performance of his secret will and this being his proper will wherein consists his good pleasure my compliance therewith must needs be the more acceptable especially since to this he affords me his providential concurrence which he denies me towards the accomplishment of the other Mr. Knowlittle We are taught that there are degrees of glory One glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another of the starrs and so there shall be in heaven 1 Cor. 15. Now grant that you are secure as you presume as to the estate of glory yet you should be earnest in your endeavours to capacitate your self for the highest degrees of it Tilenus Tepidus There are some have made a question of those different degrees of glory In the parable every one at the end of the day received his penny as much they that wrought but one houre as they that had born the heat and burden of the day And the righteous shall all shine as the Sun in the kingdom of the Father and every one shall enter into the joy of the Lord which is fulnesse of joy But besides this if a sparrow falleth not to the ground without God's Providence and if the hairs of our heads be all numbred as our Saviour saith they are shall we not think as well that every degree of happinesse and every beam of glory and spark of joy are likewise apportioned and predetermined for all the Elect Dr. Absolute 'T is true the state of eternal bliss as to all the degrees of joy and glory in it is firmly and irreversibly decreed to all the Elect but yet through your remisness and especially if that betrayes you to any wasting sin you may damp your hopes and lose the sense and comfortable apprehension of the influences and effects thereof which you know was David's case Psal 6. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure Have mercy upon me O LORD for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed My soul is also sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Return O Lord deliver my soul O save me for thy mercies sake and restore to me the joy of thy salvation Psal 51. For in death there is no remembrance of thee From hence you see there is ground enough for the Apostles exhortation Hebr. 6. 11. We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to