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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	apostle_n	heart_n	zion_n	22	3	8.4898	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13547	The parable of the sovver and of the seed Declaring in foure seuerall grounds, among other things: 1. How farre an hypocrite may goe in the way towards heauen, and wherein the sound Christian goeth beyond him. And 2. In the last and best ground, largely discourseth of a good heart, describing it by very many signes of it, digested into a familiar method: which of it selfe is an entire treatise. And also, 3. From the constant fruit of the good ground, iustifieth the doctrine of the perseuerance of saints: oppugneth the fifth article of the late Arminians; and shortly and plainly answereth their most colourable arguments and euasions. By Thomas Taylor, late fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge, and preacher of the Word of God, at Reding in Bark-shire.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1621 (1621)	STC 23840; ESTC S118185	284,009	494

demonstrate that the people of God and his dearest Saints were farre from a life led in pleasure Iacob professed Few and euill haue my dayes been that is full of affliction And Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God when hee was of age saith the Text he refused the pleasures of Pharaohs Court and the treasures of Egypt The like of the Apostles and other Saints But especially if we will be conformable to our Head Did he spend his dayes or nights in pleasure Yea was not his life painfull and sorrowfull c Doe wee euer reade of him that he laughed but that hee wept wee often reade The ordinary estate and condition of Gods people is to suffer aduersity Heb. 11.25 The way to heauen is all strawed with crosses By many afflictions we must enter into heauen Act. 14.22 And all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecutions 2. Tim. 3.12 And wee must acknowledge the bitter things laid on the brests of the world to be of God to weane vs from the loue and pleasure of it II. The second Generall proposed is Markes of a man in whom pleasures preuaile aboue the Word And they are seuen 1. An vnder-valuing of better pleasures as of Gods House in earth or in heauen when men account of no such pleasure as that they enioy in earth and earthly things This marke is giuen 2. Pet. 2.13 They shall receiue the wages of vnrighteousnesse as those who account it pleasure to liue deliciously for a season that is when men as Epicures place their felicity in present pleasures which is indeed the life fitter for brutes whose soule if it be not their sense riseth not beyond their sense then for men who are not onely reasonable but Christians Yet many such there are in the world as 1. When men are heauie to the Temple which argues no pleasure in Gods presence nor in the presence of Christ who walkes in the midst of the seuen golden Candlesticks Reuel 1. Nor in the presence of the Spirit who blowes especially there nor in the presence of the Angels who desire and stoupe downe to see the things handled 1. Pet. 1.12 nor of the Saints who are said to meet the Lord in Sion Psal. 84.7 Now where could a good heart with more pleasure rest it selfe than in Gods resting place in Christs society in the way of the Spirit in the Ministery of Angels and fellowship of Saints Did not the Prophet count one day in Gods house better than a thousand else-where And did he not professe Psa. 26.8 Lord I haue loued the habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth And was it not prophesied of all Beleeuers that they should assemble as Doues fly to their windowes and as clouds driuen by the winde Esa. 60.8 2. When the delight is more in temporall food than in spirituall and a man can bee more ioyfull at his owne table than at Gods Whereas Dauid found nothing so sweet to his taste as the Word preferred it before his daily food yea before his sleepe Psal. 119.148 Will not euery man say that to taste how good God is is the best taste yet most men taste more sweetnesse in the white of an egge than in him 3. When men haue more delight in the diuels bookes than in Gods and can be more iolly in tossing and shaking the cards and dice than in turning and reading Gods Booke Or to speake of more lawfull recreations than they If a man take more pleasure in any recreation than in better exercises his pleasure is sinfull and choking 4. When men take more pleasure in their speciall calling than in their generall in gathering money than in gathering grace in worldly riches more than in heauenly now it is choking Dauid esteemed the Word aboue thousands of gold and siluer The wise Merchant esteemed the Pearle aboue all his estate And a good heart as Paul esteemes all things dung and losse for Christ. And according to the estimate of things is the pleasure and delight in them 5. When men preferre an empty ioy aboue fulnesse of ioy the pleasures of Gods left hand before those of his right Psalm 16.11 a drop of pleasure before a riuer and a drop of life in misery before the Well of Life in mercy and glory Psalm 36.8 9. 2. Marke When men make light account of Gods Call in respect of the call of their pleasures let them be otherwise neuer so lawfull now they are sinfull Gods Commandements must stand by while their pleasures command them 1. Sam. 15.3 Saul had an expresse Commandement to smite Amalek and haue no compassion on man woman infant suckling Oxe or Sheepe But it pleaseth Saul to haue compassion on the King and the fat beasts A good booty Hee shall enrich himselfe with the Kings ransome and such a large prey will spare his owne beasts at least serue him for sacrifice a long time Lots wife had an expresse charge and menace on paine of death not to looke behind her But the care of her house and goods with the loue of her friends made her forget the Commandement to her owne destruction God commands not to sweare at all but passe the ordinary speech by yea and nay Yet men ordinarily sweare and accustome themselues to breake the Commandement Why for it is their pleasure and custome and they cannot leaue it God commands to doe no seruile worke on the Sabbath day nor to meddle with the duties of the calling no manner of worke Oh but now it would pleasure my neighbour and aduantage my selfe to serue a customer Now a man is at the command of his owne pleasure and Gods Law must stand aside God commands not to runne easily out of our calling on the weeke-day or if any time be to be spared to redeeme it to the generall But games or sports or drinking-company calls day by day now farwell the Commandement Gods Booke and counsell farwell both callings nothing can call so forcibly as his play and pastime nothing so necessary nothing so pleasing What other is the cause of all adulteries slanders reuenges railings murthers and effeminate contentions among men but that they are as slaues to their owne lusts and the command of them and Gods Commandements can take no place 3. Marke When a man will not bee at so much charge for God for good duties and his owne saluation as for his pleasures and lusts When men can waste and riot out abundance of money in feasting gaming excesse of apparell but to maintaine Gods Worship to feast or cloath the poore seruants of Christ they haue no will or desire nay their hawkes and dogs are more chargeable to many than God himselfe his seruice and all the poore members of Iesus Christ. Let pastime call there are pounds and pieces ready But let the poore call let the Law and good order call for them there are not pence wrung out let Preachers

well as any Ephes. 2.2 But as stiffe and bad ground becomes good by good husbandry and manuring so do our harts by the husbandry of the good Husband-man He alone changeth the heart He takes away the stones and stifnesse of it and makes it a soft heart So the Apostle Paul speaking of himselfe conuerted saith By the grace of God I am that I am 1. Cor. 15.10 He onely can create a cleane heart and renew a right spirit in a man Psal. 51.10 and put his feare into his heart that he shall neuer depart from him Ier. 32.40 Doctr. Some seed falls on good ground Though there be but a small parcell of good ground in comparison of the bad yet some there is where the seed is cast It is true that where the Word is preached it is to most in vaine as here three to one lose their parts in it But yet some good there bee the seed falls into some good ground in some though very few it is successefull When the whole world was a field of brambles fit for the fire of Gods wrath yet of Noah he saith Thee haue I found righteous and he being a Preacher of righteousnesse shall make an Arke if it be but for eight soules Gen. 7. When all Sodome was as a cursed Heath and a dry Wildernesse yet Lots family was as a little pikle exempt in which the Word became fruitfull Gen. 19. In the Ministery of the Prophets much of their labour was lost as themselues lamentably complaine Esa. 49.4 and 53.1 Who will beleeue our report or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed shewing that very few will beleeue the doctrine of Christs humiliation and abasement to which that place leades vs in Ioh. 12.38 and yet there was one of a City and two of a Tribe and still a small remnant whom the Lord would saue Our Lord Iesus while himselfe preached the doctrine of the Gospell most cleerly and confirmed it powerfully by many miracles yet but one heere and there receiued it scarce one of a thousand so as himselfe laments their hardnesse of heart and weepes ouer Ierusalem and saith plainly that few shall be saued and that the way which leads to life is narrow and the gate straite and few finde it But yet he hath a little flocke Feare not little flocke Luk. 12.32 When many tooke offence at his doctrine concerning the eating of his flesh Ioh. 6. yet his Disciples acknowledged that hee had the words of eternall life Ioh. 10.20 When some said he was mad and had a diuell others said These are not the words of him that hath a diuell nor yet the workes for can the diuell open the eyes of him that is borne blinde When the multitude decreed to excommunicate whosoeuer should confesse him yet the blinde man will iustifie him in the Synagogue Ioh. 9. When the whole Councell and body of Iewes assemble against him there is a Simeon a Zachary Hanna and Elizabeth which adore him yea at his Crosse his mother his Disciple Iohn and many other good women The Disciples of our Lord when they preached after him some raised vp persecution but some beleeued sometimes one of a City as Lydia Act. 16.14 And sometimes a few more as at Athens Act. 17.32 some mocked at the Resurrection but some claue vnto Paul as Dionysius the Areopagite and Damaris and some other see Rom. 10.16 And euer since the smallest number receiue the Gospell yet some doe who are as the gleanings to the haruest and as the Grapes to the vintage and but an handfull to the rest Reasons 1. From the similitude in our Parable such is the wisedome and care of the Husbandman that he will not bestow his seed where is no hope but that all the seed and labour will be lost though there be many stones and many thornes in a field he will sowe because all is not so but if it were all so hee would not lose his seed so the Lord the wise Husbandman of his Church will much lesse bestow his labour and husbandry on a soyle altogether hopelesse and fruitlesse but hee will see some good ground intermingled for whose sake he doth bestow his seed Againe doth the seed belong to any but good ground or doth the Word properly belong to any but the true Beleeuers No it hath an effect in others but it is the portion onely of these 2. The proper end vse of the seed is to gather in an haruest and the proper end of the Word is to gather and preserue a Church vnto Christ. God hath sanctified a Ministery for the gathering of the Saints Ephes. 4.11 Christs owne Ministery in Ierusalem was to gather them to life and safety as the Hen gathers her chickens Math. 23.37 and to worke faith in so many as are ordained to eternall life Act. 13.48 And therefore where God sends and continues his Word faithfully preached there are some to gather some to bee brought to the faith one time or other The grace of God hath appeared bringing saluation Tit. 2.11 And therefore ordinarily where God affoords this grace it brings saluation to some though neuer so few ordinarily the Word attaines euen this end in some 3. As the Lord when hee will prosper a people and maintaine their naturall liues blesseth the seed sowne to increase and thereof giues them an haruest but on the contrary when hee will send a famine to consume hee affoords them no seed or no haruest Euen so where hee hath a good purpose to preserue any to eternall life hee sends the Word to this purpose Paul must goe to Corinth and stay there a yeere and sixe moneths because the Lord had much people in that City Act. 18.10 11. For their sakes it is sent and for their sakes continued insomuch as the Apostle 1. Thes. 1.4 5. doubts not to make it a note of the election of some where God sendeth a powerfull Ministery And contrarily where God hath no delight in a people and none to call by the ordinary meanes he sends a famine of the Word Amos 8.11 When the Nation of the Iewes proues so barren as the labour is not worth the while then the Kingdome shall be taken from them and giuen to a better people Math. 21.43 As in the times of ignorance and darknesse of Popery for many hundred yeeres together when was no preaching no ordinary meanes which times God hath now ouer-passed and now admonisheth all to repentance So as wee doubt not but where Christ vttereth his voice he hath some sheepe to heare him Ioh. 10.27 see Act. 22.18 4. Those many epithites and titles giuen to the Scripture shew the same The Word is called The ministery of the Spirit of life of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 3.8 because it ordinarily findes out some in whom it is effectuall and vpon whom it bestoweth the Spirit and life and righteousnesse It is a Word of wisedome subiectiuè effectiuè it will finde

the Apostles ayme 1. Pet. 5.7 8. He cares for you but watch for the diuell who as a roring Lion seeketh to deuoure Vse 1. In that the diuell comes learne not to content thy selfe with comming to Church but see thy ende bee better than his yea contrary to his Hee comes with a purpose to hinder the power of the Word in thy heart to hinder thy faith and saluation Come thou with a purpose to set forward the power of the Word in thy heart to set forward thy faith and saluation Quest. How may I know that the worke of faith and saluation is set forward in mee by the Word Answ. 1. If it haue brought thee to the sight of thy sinne and the sence of thy danger by it This is the first effectuall worke of the Word as Christ first conuinced the woman of Samaria of her adultery Peter tels the Iewes Act. 2. that they had slaine Iesus Christ. 2. If the Law being a Schoolemaster to Christ haue sent thee out of thy selfe to apprehend the remedy of the Gospell as the Iaylor being cast downe said Oh what shall I doe to be saued Beleeue in the Lord Iesus said the Apostle and thou shalt bee saued Act. 16.30 31. This is the method of sound Ministery first truly to humble then to raise againe 3. If thou findest it a Ministery of the Spirit conueying the Spirit into thy heart for the consumption of corruption and repairing thee to a new life of grace Gal. 3.2 Receiued ye the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith preached 4. If thou carriest it into thy soule as a light into a darke place 2. Pet. 1.19 to follow the directions of it and to guide thy wayes according to euery precept of it If now thou intendest when thou commest to bee led further into the sight of thy sinne led neerer vnto Iesus Christ to draw of his fulnesse led further into the sanctification of the Spirit and led as a blind man by the guidance of the Word certainely the Word is of power to set forward thy faith and saluation notwithstanding all Satans malice Vse 2. The diuell knowes that faith is by heareing and saluation by faith 1. I would our Popish Recusants knew so much so they would make a better vse of this knowledge than to withstand both faith and hearing 2. I wish our formall Protestants knew it who will scarce step out of dores to heare but in policy will heare so much as they may bee counted no Atheists or Papists but indifferent men as they be too indifferent whether they heare or no. 3. I wish they knew it who by reading at home will beleeue and bee saued by their eyes which are vnsufficient to breed faith For God hath giuen the sence of hearing this preeminence Rom. 10.14 How can they beleeue vnlesse they heare The sight is a sence of discipline but hearing the sence of faith 4. I wish our Atheisticall scorners who think they know so much as they contemne the Ministery that they knew as much as the diuell then would they not barre and excommunicate themselues so wilfully from the meanes of faith and saluation they would not turne away the eare if they knew that faith were dropt in by the eare 5. I would our carelesse and sleepy hearers knew it who shut the dore of faith lest they should bee saued Neuer will God open their hearts as Lydias by the Word who shut their eares 6. I wish they also would learne a lesson from the diuell who content themselues to liue in dry and barren places destitute of the meanes of faith and saluation as Lot who chose Sodom for the fruitfulnesse of the ground before Canaan and delight in the hills of Samaria among idolatrous Papists rather than in Sion Hill among true worshippers I am sure thou wouldest chuse to dwell with the Lord hereafter then chuse to dwell now where the Lord dwelleth In a word Let vs all perswade our selues of that whereof the diuell himselfe doubts not 1. That God hath appointed hearing for the engendring of faith For as by hearing the diuels voice we lost our faith and happinesse so the Lord hath appointed by hearing his voice againe as the most conuenient meanes to recouer our faith and saluation 1. Cor. 1.21 It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue And he hath tyed faith and saluation to preaching both by precept and promise and tyed vs to them though himselfe be free We haue no other ordinary meanes 2. We would rate our selues if we should carelesly or wilfully lose our money or gold or slip the meanes of getting and encreasing them But behold faith is much more precious than gold 1. Pet. 1.7 and saluation far more precious than faith If it were a small thing to lose faith yet it is something to lose saluation more to lose it so wilfully Vse 3. Seeing Satan comes to Church to steale the Word know that thou neuer commest to Church but Satan an enemy a theefe comes with thee to rob thee of the Word of the treasure of faith and bereaue thee of life euerlasting Therfore deale with him as with a theefe 1. Suspect him trust him not onely a watchfull eye preuents an vntrusty fellow 2. Locke that thou hearest from him keepe the Word in a safe place vnder locke and key hide it in the middest of thy heart Psal. 119.11 couer this heauenly seed Motiues 1. Thus wee doe for our money wee are carefull of our Euidences Iewels Plate and things of worth let vs also esteeme the Word as Dauid aboue thousands of gold and siluer 2. Naturall wisedome teacheth a man if hee haue some speciall Iewels and knowes he hath theeues about him not to leaue them abroad or lay them in the way of a cunning theefe from whom he can scarce by all his care keepe them 3. Satan cannot steale if thou leaue not thy wealth abroad Therefore doe for the Word as for thy seed in thy field the Husbandman so soone as he hath cast it couers it with the Plough or Harrow and so preuents the picking vp of birds so must thou couer the seed of the Word in the furrowes of thy affections lay it deepe in the ground of thy heart by serious attention meditation conference practice Else if the seed lie on the ground vncouered vncared for these birds presently picke vp all to thy losse and sinne 3. If thou perceiue that this theefe hath stolne away the Word from thee follow him with Hue and cry repent thy sinne lament thy losse complaine to God pray thou maist recouer the losse and preuent the like for time to come Quest. How may I know the diuell hath robbed me of the Word Answ. 1. If after much plaine and powerfull preaching and hearing thou hast learned little Many will commend Sermons where the diuell gets all from them Many commend the Preacher

men can run ouer these or any of them dayly and not humble themselues for them yea and reforme them they are withering apace I feare such a man will soone come to nothing 6. Hatred of Gods children and the way of iust men whether open or secret How can they keepe their greenenesse who cannot abide the greenenesse and graces of others but can be wittie in priuy girds and scornes of such as endeuour to preserue themselues from withering That these are withering see Psalm 129.6 They that hate Sion shall be as grasse on the house toppe which withereth before it come forth And whatsoeuer many conceiue of themselues this is certaine If thou auoyd society with Gods people and bee ashamed of them or fellowship with them in the Gospell if more perillous times come thou wilt easily wither and stand as Iudas with them that apprehend Christ. Vse Seeing so many great Professors wither away so dangerously let him that stands take heede lest hee fall 1. Cor. 10.12 See we men of so great illumination affection reformation as in this stony ground wither quite away How necessary then is that exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 12.15 Take heede that no man fall away from the grace of God and Chap. 3.12 Take heede of the euill heart of vnbeliefe to depart from the liuing God A necessarie exhortation for all the hypocrite because he is in danger of finall withering and shall perish in it and the lesse hee feares it his danger is not the lesse As also the sound Christian who though he cannot fall quite away because the Lord puts vnder his hand yet by fearing to fall he auoydes falling and being falne recouers himselfe againe Let euery godly man looke hee stand on firme ground for Reprobates may seeme to stand and be greene for a while Neither let any content himselfe that he heareth good Sermons or that hee reioyceth therein for the present For as we read Ioh. 5.35 Iohns hearers esteemed him a burning shining light and reioyced in his light but it was but for a season And this Text of ours tels vs that many heard our Lord himselfe and that with ioy yet withered away and Ioh. 6.66 many that had heard Christ and followed him for a time as if they had beene sound Disciples as the Text calleth them went away from him and walked no more with him Obiect There is no feare so long as we be Protestants and not Papists so long as wee professe the truth and denie the grosse points of Popery which cut men from Christ. Answer There is a two-fold withering one in iudgement the other in practice That in iudgement is two-fold either totall or partiall Totall when a man departs from the whole doctrine as they that turne from the truth of Christ and sup vp the whole filth of Antichrist Partiall when a man holds most truthes but departs from the sincerity of it And this ouerturnes many Protestants who will neither be Papists nor yet sincere Protestants but so farre iudge Religion woorth holding as they can gaine by it Withering in practice is either in profession or in action Thou mayest hold the profession of Religion and yet by persisting in wicked manners manifest thou acknowledgest not Christ thy Lord and that thy selfe art not of the truth Doe wee thinke Demas cast off the whole profession of Religion when hee forsooke the truth and exchanged it for the world Or did the Galatians turne Gentiles and quite forsake the profession of Christ when they turned to another Gospell Or did the Pharises or such as sinne the sinne against the holy Ghost wholly renounce the profession of Religion Oh then neuer stand vpon profession but vse the meanes to preserue thee from withering in iudgement or practice in whole or in part Quest. What be the meanes to keepe vs from withering Answ. 1. Get sound iudgement to discerne the truth from errour And this is obtained in the publique Ministerie If wee would not quench the Spirit we must not despise prophecie If we would not fall we must be grounded on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles by priuate reading meditating and conferring of the Scriptures which notably begets and confirmes soundnesse of iudgement And by prayer which obtaines the Spirit who is called the Spirit of iudgement The Lampe failes without oyle And they that forsake the Assemblies shal finde their light of iudgement and vnderstanding to grow dimmer daily till they be wholly put out 2. Sound perswasion of the truth thou professest that thou mayest not please thy selfe that thou hearest the truth from the mouth of the Preacher or hast it in thy Bible at home no nor content thy selfe that thou hast it in thy mouth or discourse but that thou hast the experience of it in thine heart How doth experimentall knowledge fixe it selfe in the soule Let a man once taste the sweetnesse of Christ and his merits he can neuer be a Papist in the point of merit but he will detest his own works as drosse dung in comparison Let a man once come to the experience of Gods fauour and loue through his Christ it will be stronger then death no water can quench it hee shall not hang in a doubtfull suspence of his saluation or feare finall falling away hee shall be farre from wauering and much more from withering in these points Let a man once get experience of the sweetnesse of godly life of Gods blessing accompanying it of inward peace and tranquillity of minde of safety vnder the wing of God and the many priuiledges which goe with the carefull watch ouer the heart and life This man shall not easily fall from his fruitfulnesse nor be drawne to such sinnes as blast and ouerturne others by the rootes and that suddainly Whereas hee that holdes his Religion because the Prince holdes it will runne with the time and swimme with the streame the times and winds are not more mutable than he let the times change but a little his Religion is withered and gone Or if men hold holy Doctrines onely swimming in the braine and attaine vnderstanding rather to furnish their discourse than to guide their course and want the experience of God the sence of faith the breath and motions of heauenly life in the seate of life that is their hearts and soules they shall easily bid truth farewell if with conuenience they cannot hold it in their iudgement or hold it forth in their practice 3. Sound affection and loue to the truth vpholds from withering in it when the wise Christian esteemes the Pearle worth selling all to buy it Loue any thing better than Grace thou art gone Demas loues the world better and easily forsakes the Truth How many lights in the beginning of their profession haue been extinct by the world comming vpon them The profits pleasures and aduancements of it haue made them idle dissolute almost profane If thou wouldest auoide that fearefull Apostasie threatened

it But exhortations are such meanes while 1. they admonish vs of our imbecillity in our selues 2. driue vs to our hold to get strength from God and implore his ayde and helpe 3. dayly to awaken vs out of our dulnesse and security 4. to vphold vs being ready to faint and grow weary by cherishing Faith and other graces 5. not to bring in doubting but keepe vs in good assurance while wee vse the meanes prescribed still looking at the promises And for threatnings and comminations against Apostates and back-sliders as Ioh. 15.6 Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me I take away and cast out and Heb. 10.26 If we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaines nothing but a fearefull expectation of vengeance 1. These and the like threats are properly meant of seeming branches that bring leaues but otherwise are barren and fruitlesse as a true branch in Christ cannot be vers 5 2. All these comminations are conditionall if a branch beare not fruit which though it be impossible in a true branch yet they are of vse to them to stirre vp their care and watch and further can conclude nothing 3. Many such places as Heb. 10.26 are of such as sinne against the holy Ghost which themselues say is not incident vnto a true elect person 2. Conclusion No prayer or petition in Scripture either for not losing the Spirit or for restoring the Spirit concludes against the elects perseuerance in grace but for it Because first prayer of the Spirit argues the presence of the Spirit and being a prayer of Faith cannot be denied Secondly it is ordinary for the Saints to pray Take not away thy holy Spirit Psal. 51.11 for he is sometime taken from them not in respect of his existence but of his powerfull working not in respect of the sauing gift but of the measure degree and operation of it As hee is taken away from the wicked not in respect of the gift of Regeneration which they neuer had but of some common gifts either naturall or ciuill for office or the like as in Saul 1. Sam. 15.16 Thirdly it is as ordinary for them to pray for the returne of the Spirit and creating a new Spirit who is indeed quite gone not in himselfe but in their sense and apprehension But this concludes nothing that because they feele him not therefore hee is not there no more than a man in a swoone may conclude he hath no life or a child in the wombe not to liue because it vnderstands not the life of it Fourthly it is not as they say in vaine for them thus to pray though they cannot fall away because 1. it is an obedience to Gods Commandement 2. a testimony that we depend on his strength and promise for perseuerance 3. that we shal attaine this gift in Gods owne meanes which is Prayer 3. Conclusion No phrase in all the Scripture concludes against the perseuerance of the Elect though in some phrases they picke many quarrels As wee may see in some of most seeming contrariety For this in the Text that some beleeue onely for a time we haue formerly shewed that this was farre from iustifying faith of which our question is but is meant of temporary faith which hath no promise of perseuerance as this hath But how weake were the conclusion Some fall from temporary faith therefore others may fall from iustifying faith Gal. 3.3 Some begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh Answ. 1. The Apostle writes not to particular Beleeuers of whom wee speake but to foolish Apostates that neuer truly beleeued 2. By spirit is not there meant the Spirit of Regeneration but they begun in the doctrine of the Gospell called spirit and life Ioh. 6.63 and the ministery of the Spirit 2. Cor. 3.8 3. By ending in the flesh is not meant the state of a man vnregenerate but the fleshly doctrine of false apostles sauouring wholly of fleshly and carnall wisedome So as the Apostle chargeth them not with falling from true Regeneration which they had not and of which we now speake but from the profession of the Gospell which they had receiued Now how inconsequent is this Many fall from professing the truth therefore the Elect fall from grace Exod. 32.32 Some are said to be blotted out of the Booke of Life not wicked onely Psal. 69.28 but the Elect as Moses prayed that he might Answ. 1. Symbolicall or figuratiue arguments proue nothing as this is for God needs no bookes 2. Moses wisheth not simply but conditionally If it might be If Gods glory and his peoples good might thereby be preferred Suppositions are no positions 3. The Lord himselfe denies that Moses or any Elect could be blotted out saying Not thee but him that sinneth against me that is le ts sinne raigne in him 4. There is a two-fold booke a two-fold writing and a two-fold blotting First there is a Booke of Gods eternall Decree of Election in which Booke of life who euer are written they are neuer blotted out for the foundation of God abideth sure and hath his seale 2. Tim. 2.19 This Booke is sealed And if a man say Quod scripsi scripsi What I haue written I haue written Ioh. 19.22 Num Deus quenquam scribit delet saith Augustine Doth God write any man in his Booke and blot him out againe Secondly there is a booke of the execution of that Decree which lies in earth as that in heauen the Church-booke wherein men are actually enrolled into the company of the Church and receiued into Gods Couenant Family by professing the Word and Sacraments Now such as are written in this Book are written in in the iudgement of charity not of certainty True members are indeed written the hypocrite only in the opinion of himselfe and others And this is the two-fold writing one true the other imaginary Augustine on Psalme 69. expresseth it excellently thus Dicuntur scripti quia sic putant putantur nec sic accipere debemus c. sed hoc dictum est secundum spem ipsorum qui ibi se scriptos putabant So also there is a twofold blotting 1. Out of the Church when their hypocrisie is discouered and they thrust out of the company of the faithfull among whom they were written and numbred 2. Out of the other Booke in heauen when they are declared and manifested neuer to haue been written there Now the argument is weake Because some are blotted out of the booke of the Church therefore some out of the Booke of Election and because some are declared neuer to haue been written in the Booke of Life therefore those that are indeed written there may fall away Rom. 14.15 We reade of some destroyed for whom Christ died therefore members of Christ may fall away and perish Answ. 1. By destroying is meant not a casting off the foundation but a scandalizing of our brother in indifferent things of which the Apostle there