A53688:296
The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance
The doctrine of the saints perseverance, explained and confirmed, or, The certain permanency of their 1. acceptation with God & 2. sanctification from God manifested & proved from the 1. eternal principles 2. effectual causes 3. external means thereof ... vindicated in a full answer to the discourse of Mr. John Goodwin against it, in his book entitled Redemption redeemed : with some digressions concerning 1. the immediate effects of the death of Christ ... : with a discourse touching the epistles of Ignatius, the Episcopacy in them asserted, and some animadversions on Dr. H.H. his dissertations on that subject / by John Owen ...The doctrine of the saints perseverance, explained and confirmed, or, The certain permanency of their 1. acceptation with God & 2. sanctification from God manifested & proved from the 1. eternal principles 2. effectuall causes 3. externall meanes thereof ... vindicated in a full answer to the discourse of Mr. John Goodwin against it, in his book entituled Redemption redeemed : with some degressions concerning 1. the immediate effects of the death of Christ ... : with a discourse touching the epistles of Ignatius, the Episcopacy in them asserted, and some animadversions on Dr. H.H. his dissertations on that subject / by John Owen ...
London: printed by Leon. Lichfield, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But secondly,1 Sin procureth by the way of merit, the taking away of the Spirit, and removal of the Habit graciously bestowed; Believers deserve by sin, that God should take his Spirit from them, and the Grace that he hath bestowed on them: They do so indeed, it cannot be denied: but will the Lord deal so with them?2 Will he judge his house with such fler and vengeance? Is that the way of a Father with his Children? until he hath taken away his Spirit and grace? although they are Rebellious Children, yet they are his Children still: and is this the way of a tender Father to cut the throats of his Children, when it is in his power to mend them? The casting of a wicked man into Hell, is not a punishment to be compared to this: the loss of Gods presence is the worst of Hell. How infinitely, must they needs be more sensible of it who have once enjoyed it,3 then those who were strangers to it from their womb? Certainly the Lord bears another Testimony concerning his kindness to his Sons and Daughters,4 then that we should entertain such dismal thoughts of him. He chastises his Children indeed, but he doth not kill them; he corrects them with rods, but his Kindness he takes not from them: notwithstanding of the attempt made by the Remonstrants in their Synodalia, I may say that I have not as yet met with any tolerable extrication of those difficulties: more to this purpose will afterwards be insisted on.
But secondly,1 Sinne procureth by the way of merit, the taking away of the Spirit, and removeall of the Habit graciously bestowed; Believers deserve by sinne, that God should take his Spirit from them, and the Grace that he hath bestowed on them: They doe so indeed, it cannot be denied: but will the Lord deale so with them?2 Will he judge his house with such fler and vengeance? Is that the way of a Father with his Children? untill he hath taken away his Spirit and grace? although they are Rebellious Children, yet they are his Children still: and is this the way of a tender Father to cut the throats of his Children, when it is in his power to mend them? The casting of a wicked man into Hell, is not a punishment to be compared to this: the losse of Gods presence is the worst of Hell. How infinitely, must they needs be more sensible of it who have once enjoyed it,