The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in several treatisesThe dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in severall treatises

3. A man may lose some measures and degrees of spiritual life: yet not life it self. He may suffer a great decay in his Faith, a great abatement in his Love, and Zeal, &c. and yet life is not lost. Thus it was with the Church of Ephesus, Rev. 2.5. — Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first Works. — We are not to think that the Church was fallen from Grace: but only from some measures and degrees of Grace. And concerning the same Church Rev. 2.4. when it is said, — She had lost her first love: it is not meant, that she had lost the Grace of Charity: you see the fruits of it in the second and third verses:

3. A man may lose some measures and degrees of spiritual life: yet not life it self. Hee may suffer a great decay in his Faith, a great abatement in his Love, and Zeal, &c. and yet life is not lost. Thus it was with the Church of Ephesus, Rev. 2.5. — Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first Works. — Wee are not to think that the Church was fallen from Grace: but only from some measures and degrees of Grace. And concerning the same Church Rev. 2.4. when it is said, — Shee had lost her first love: it is not meant, that shee had lost the Grace of Charity: you see the fruits of it in the second and third verses:

But she had lost the degrees. It was not extinguished, but cooled only. The word is [[Greek or Hebrew].] which signifies, not that she did altogether [Amittere] lose it: but somewhat [Remittere] remit and abate of the fervency of it. As one saith of Peter.¹ —The strength of spiritual life was moved in him; but not removed; shaken 'twas, but not shaken off. He remitted the Grace of Faith, intermitted the act of Faith, but lost not the Habit.