Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	ardent_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	67	3	9.9680	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

of Galatia if the greater part of them onely if the chaffe of them if the Goates and not the wheate and sheepe among them fall away this example proues nothing at all against me All that this example proues if you racke it to the vtmost is only this that men may fall from the word the doctrine and Gospell of faith but not that they may fall from the grace of faith The third example is taken from the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatira and Pergamus these they lost their first loue and fell from grace Reu. 2. 4 5. therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer that neither of these Churches fell from grace though they fell into some sinnes for which the Lord reproues them by Saint Iohn For it is there said of the Church of Ephesus verse 2 3. that shee had workes and labour and patience that shee could not beare them which were euill that shee had tried them which saide they were Apostles and were not and shee found them to be lyars that shee had patience and that shee had laboured for Gods name sake and had not fainted of which God tooke speciall notice and God himselfe tells her that hee had but somewhat to say against her all that was in her was not out of order she was not generally faulty something only was amisse and what was that she had lost not her loue but her first loue that is shee had lost the degrees the zeale the heate and feruencie of her loue her loue was not so intense so hot so zealous and so ardent as it was before but yet the habit of her loue was still remaining in her shee had loue in her still though not in that degree as shee had it before yet she had it in such a degree that shee hated the deedes of the Nicholitans whom God hated and shee could not beare them which were euill verse 3 6. which shee could neuer haue done if this habit and grace of loue had beene vtterly extinguished and abolished in her and therefore because that all things in her were not amisse because there were many graces and good things in her of which God tooke speciall notice it is most certaine that she was not fallen totally nor finally from the state of grace The same answer may serue for all the other Churches for they had all workes charity seruice faith patience they did hold fast the name of Christ and not deny his faith and their last workes were 〈◊〉 then their first vers●… 9. 13 19. and of this God himselfe takes speciall notice and can you thinke that these Churches which had these things in them were fallen quite from grace Can any Church or person haue all these graces in them and yet be fallen totally from the state of grace Credat 〈◊〉 Apella non ego others may beleeue it if they will but men of any judgement cannot doe it because it is a plaine contradiction that a man should bee fallen totally from grace and yet haue many graces in him still So that these examples proue nothing at all against mee Yea I may boldly say they are vnanswerable proofes and euidences for mee For say I if these Churches of God when as they fell into those sinnes for which God reproues them did not fall totally from the state of grace as it is manifest they did not then it is plaine that the Saints of God doe neuer fall from grace for if they fall not from the state of grace by falling into sinne they fall not from it by any other meanes and so they fall not from it at all So that these maine examples and proofes on which you doe rely they are the strongest euidences that make against you Thus much for the second sort of examples The third sort of examples are taken from some particular Saints of God and these are many in number First the examples of the second and third ground are produced against vs. The second and third ground they had true grace and faith but they fell away from grace Math. 13. 5 6 7 20 21 22. Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer that the Major is false for though they did receiue the word with joy for a time yet they had no true and sauing grace at all within them as is euident by these reasons First because they neuer came to that maturity and ripenesse as to bring forth fruite there was only a blade and outward shew of grace within them there were only the buds and leaues but not the fruites of faith in them now faith without fruits and workes is but a dead and empty faith yea no faith at all 1 Thes. 1. 3. Iam. 2. 14 17 26. Secondly because the faith the which they had it did not altar and change it did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 their hearts it made them not good and firtle gro●…nd they were but stonie and thornie ground still the word the which they did receiue it wrought no chang or alteration in them they were still the same they were before Now how is it possible that such as were neuer changed and regenerated such as continued in their carnall and old estate being as bad as euer such in whose hearts there was no alteration and renouation wrought that they should haue true grace or faith within them For true grace and true faith they doe regenerate transforme and alter men they purifie and 〈◊〉 their hearts and soules and make them new men and new creatures Rom. 12. 2. Acts. 15. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ephes. 4. 22 23 24. Gal. 5. 24. and Col. 3. 9 10. and therefore these two grounds could haue no true and sauing grace or faith because they were not thus truly regenerated purified and transformed into good ground but continued stonie and thornie as they were before Thirdly because it is said of one of the groundes that afflictions and temptations made the seeds that was sowen in it to wither away and of the other ground that the thornes and weeds sprung vp and choaked the seede that was sowen in it Now this is the propertie of true justifying and sauing faith that it makes men to abide the triall and to hold out in times of persecution affliction and temptation Iam. 1. 12. and 1 Pet. 1. 7. that it ouercomes the world and the cares and troubles and temptations of it 1 Iohn 5. 4 5. and therefore these two grounds which were ouercome of temptations persecutions and afflictions and of the cares the pleasures and riches of this world had no true justifying and sauing faith within them Fourthly because that true justifying and liuing faith of which only our question is intended is alwaies rooted and grounded in the soule so that it can neuer wither nor yet be rooted and weeded out as we may reade at large Ephes. 3. 17. Col. 1. 23. cap. 2. 5. 7. 1 Cor. 15. 58. Ier.

once truly registred in the booke of life Reu 3. 5. Secondly because God hath promised such that they shall be had in euerlasting remembrance and that he will giue them an euerlasting name which shall not be cut off Psal. 112. 6. Isai. 56. 5. Thirdly because God hath promised all such as are registred in the booke of his remembrance that they shall bee his in the day when hee makes vp his Iewells and that he will spare them euen as a Father spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Mal. 3. 16 17. Fourthly because Christ bids his Disciples to reioyce because their names were written in heauen Luke 10 20. if then their names might haue beene blotted out againe they had had no iust cause of true and solid ioy and so Christs exhortation had beene in vaine Fiftly because they whose names are written in the booke of Life cannot bee seduced by the beast they cannot bee withdrawne from God Reu. 13. 8. Sixtly because those that are receiued in the booke of Life they were written in that booke from the foundation of the world Reu. 17. 8. they were predestinated to Eternall life from all eternity by the determinate counsell and Decree of God which shall stand fast for euer and shall not bee repealed Psal. 89. 28. 33. 34. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Isai. 54. 10. Seuenthly because all such as are written in the Lamhes booke of life shall enter into the new Ierusalem Reu. 21. 27. they shall surely be saued Lastly because there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning with God Iam. 1. 17. he neuer repent him of his gifts and calling Rom. 11. 29. therefore hee will neuer suffer any of those to fall to die or perish whom he hath registred in his Booke of life Now all those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ they haue their names written in heauen and ingrauen in the booke of Life Mal. 3. 16. 17. Luk. 10. 20. Phil. 4 3. Hebr. 12. 23. Reu. 3. 5. cap. 13. 8. cap. 17. 8. c. 20. 12. and c. 21. 27. Therefore they can neuer fall quite away from grace But it may be obiected that mens names may be blotted out of the Booke of life For Moses prayeth to God to bl●… him 〈◊〉 of the Booke of life rather then the Israelites should b●… destroyed Exod. 32. 32. and Paul hee could wish himselfe accursed from Christ for his brethren the Iewes that so they might bee saued Rom. 9. 3. Yea God himselfe saith expresly Exod. 32. 33. Whosoeu●…r hath sinned against me him will I blo●… out of the booke of Life and Reu. 22. 19. If any man shall take away from the words of this Prophecie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of life All those places proue that mens names may be razed and blotted out of heauen and the Booke of Life I answer first That these wishes and prayers of Moses and Dauid they doe only serue to testifie their exceeding loue and their ardent affection to the Israelites but they doe not proue that such as haue their names written in heauen and ingrauen in the booke of Life may haue them blotted out againe First because they are but meere wishes and desires proceeding only from a passionate loue and zeale they are patheticall and hyperbolicall speeches and doe not necessarily imply either a reality or a possibilitie in 〈◊〉 thing desired and wished for It is common for men to wish and desire things that are impossible out of passion and affection these therefore being but wishes and desires proue nothing at all against mee Secondly these wishes and desires they are not absolute but conditionall they are subordinate to Gods will and therefore they proue nothing absolutely Thirdly they are such wishes and prayers which were altogether impossible to bee performed because they were contrary and repugnant to Gods infinite justice For it could not stand with Gods justice to condemne a righteous man that so many wicked ones might be saued Fourthly these wishes of theirs if they were absolute were impossible to be performed in respect of Gods eternall and immutable Decree God had predestinated Paul and Moses to eternall life and hee had reprobated and cast off these Israelites for whom these wishes of theirs are made these wishes therefore of theirs could not alter and change Gods purpose and decree which is immutable irreuocable and impossible to be repealed Fistly their damnation could not be satisfactory vnto God for the sinnes of their brethren therefore these zealous desires of their●… were impossible to be performed and so they proue not any thing at all against me Secondly to that of Exod. 32. 33. Whosoeuer hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my booke I answer First that this booke here spoken of is only the booke of this temporall but not of eternall life as will easily and plainly appeare by comparing this ver●…e with the 27 28 29 and 35. verses of the same chapter and with Psal. 119. 13. 15. For the Israelites had there made a Calfe and committed idolatry against God in worshipping of it For which sinne of theirs the sonnes of Leuy by Moses command slew 3000. of their brethren Yet Moses fearing that the justice and wrath of God were not fully satisfied with the death of these 3000. men but that he had some greater temporall judgement in store for them makes recourse vnto God for them by prayer confesseth their sinne and the greatnesse of it and desireth God to pardon it if not then he desires God rather to take away his life and to blot him out of his booke then to suffer so many of his people for to perish To which prayer of his God returnes this answer Whosoeuer hath sinned against mee him will I blot out of my booke that is he shall be slaine and my iudgement of the Plague and Pestilence which I haue prouided for the punishment of this his sinne shall seize vpon him for to cut him off So that Moses his prayer being but to remoue the temporall judgement of the Plague which God did afterwards inflict vpon them for this their sinne this booke of God may here bee well taken and accepted for the booke of this temporall life Hierome Gregorie Parerius and others make this to be the exposition of the place and so it makes not against mee Secondly I answer that there is a difference betweene the booke of Life liuing and betweene that booke of life wherein the righteous are written and recorded Dauid hee makes the difference Psal. 69. 28 Let them bee blotted out of the booke of the liuing and not be written with the righteous A man may be blotted out of the Booke of the liuing that was 〈◊〉 written with the righteous H●… that is written in that booke of li●…e wherein the righteous are recorded can 〈◊〉 bee blo●…e out as I haue proued before he that is written in 〈◊〉 booke of the liuing may therefore this booke of

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