3. It is necessary the Lord should continue mercies and deliverances, as 1well as at first vouchsafe them to us, because our dangers, our temptations continue. They that renew their disease daily, must also renew their Physic. They that fall daily, need to be raised daily. Iterated troubles, need iterated deliverances. It is true, there are some mercies that cannot be iterated any more, the benefits of them may, but not the mercies themselves. Thus the Creation of the world was at first, and it would be absurd to pray that God would create it. So the Incarnation of Christ, this was once done, that it cannot be done any more; Gods Predestination likewise of his people was from all eternity; neither can it be iterated. But then there are other mercies which are duly to be continued, yea, often to be repeated; such as pardon of sin, the daily quicknings and excitings of grace. It is true, some have of late affirmed, that sin is pardoned from eternity, and that we cannot pray for the pardon of it; only we may for the sense and assurance of the pardon. But it is absurd to think a sin should be remitted, before committed; and therefore as we multiply to offend, so God is said to multiply to pardon. Do not therefore think it enough that God hath once sanctified thee, once justified thee; and therefore thou needest not the help and daily succour of Gods grace; for if the same grace did not preserve and keep thee, which did at first regenerate thee, thou wouldst fall into thy old Chaos thou wast once in: We do not therefore fall from grace, because man of himself, if absolutely considered, cannot throw himself out of it; but because Christ will loose none of his Members, and therefore he keepeth them united to him. Even as we see it is in regard of the world, it is not enough that God did once make it; but it is necessary he should conserve and uphold it, as Heb. 1. he keepeth up all things by his power; hence conservation is called a Creation, and they require the same infinite power for ⟨p. 344⟩the one as as the other. Thus it is also in the work of grace, in the whole conduct to salvation. An infinite power, an infinite love must begin continue, and at last consummate. Thus by these Reasons you see, why God that hath delivered, doth continue to deliver.
3. It is necessary the Lord should continue mercies and deliverances, as 1well as at first vouchsafe them to us, because our dangers, our temptations continue. They that renew their disease daily, must also renew their Physick. They that fall daily, need to be raised daily. Iterated troubles, need iterated deliverances. It is true, there are some mercies that cannot be iterated any more, the benefits of them may, but not the mercies themselves. Thus the Creation of the world was at first, and it would be absurd to pray that God would create it. So the Incarnation of Christ, this was once done, that it cannot be done any more; Gods Predestination likewise of his people was from all eternity; neither can it be iterated. But then there are other mercies which are duely to be continued, yea, often to be repeated; such as pardon of sinne, the daily quicknings and excitings of grace. It is true, some have of late affirmed, that sinne is pardoned from eternity, and that we cannot pray for the pardon of it; onely we may for the sense and assurance of the pardon. But it is absurd to think a sinne should be remitted, before committed; and therefore as we multiply to offend, so God is said to multiply to pardon. Do not therefore think it enough that God hath once sanctified thee, once justified thee; and therefore thou needest not the help and daily succour of Gods grace; for if the same grace did not preserve and keep thee, which did at first regenerate thee, thou wouldst fall into thy old Chaos thou wast once in: We do not therefore fall from grace, because man of himself, if absolutely considered, cannot throw himself out of it; but because Christ will loose none of his Members, and therefore he keepeth them united to him. Even as we see it is in regard of the world, it is not enough that God did once make it; but it is necessary he should conserve and uphold it, as Heb. 1. he keepeth up all things by his power; hence conservation is called a Creation, and they require the same infinite power for ⟨p. 344⟩the one as as the other. Thus it is also in the work of grace, in the whole conduct to salvation. An infinite power, an infinite love must begin continue, and at last consummate. Thus by these Reasons you see, why God that hath delivered, doth continue to deliver.
- 13. Because our dangers and temptations continue.
