03.06. CHAP. VI. That religion is a lasting and persevering principle in the souls of men

CHAP. VI. That religion is a lasting and persevering principle in the souls of men — The grounds of this perseverance assigned— -Jir sty negatively, it doth not arise from the absolute impossibilitiy of losing of grace in the creature, nor from the strength of man’s free will — Secondly, affirmatively, the grace of election cannot fail ’—The grace of justification is neither suspended nor violated — the covenant of grace is everlasting — the Mediator of this covenant lives for ever — the promises of it immutable — the righteousness brought in by the Messiah everlasting — Art objection ansivered concerning a regenerate man’s willing his own apostacy — An objection answered, drawn from the falls of saints in scripture — A discovery of counterfeit religion, and the shameful apostacy of false professors — An encouragement to all holy diligence, from the consideration of this doctrine.

I COME now to the third property of true religion contained in these words, and that is, the perseverance of it. And here the foundation of my following discourse shall be this proposition: —

“ True religion is a lasting and persevering principle in the souls of good men.”“ It is said of the hypocritical Jews, that their goodness was as the “ early dew, that soon passes away.” But that principle of goodness which God planteth in the souls of his people, is compared to a well of water, evermore sending forth fresh streams, and incessantly springing up towards God himself. Our Saviour compares hypocritical professors to “ seed sown upon stony ground,’’ that springs up indeed, but soon withers away, but this well of water, which is in the sincerely pious soul, springs up into everlasting life; it springs and is never dried up; “it is a spring of water, whose waters fail not,”“ or lie not, as it is expressed by the Prophet, Isa. I8:11, or if you look upon it under the metaphor of oil, as it is sometimes expressed in scripture, then it is truly that oil that faileth not, whereof the widow of Sarepta’s cruise of oil was but a scant resemblance. Amongst other texts which the learned Dr. Arrowsmith brings to prove the infallibility of the perseverance of saints, this saying of our Saviour’s which is the subject of my whole discourse, is one; who also quoteth Theophylact for the same opinion, namely, the perseverance of this principle, yea, and somewhat more, even the growth and multiplication of it. To the same purpose the same excellent author quoteth John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” In which our Saviour strongly asserteth the certain glorification of his people, by using a verb of the present tense, “ I give unto them eternal life;” he will as certainly give it them, as if they had it already; excqit the words do imply that they have it already, namely, the beginnings of it, even in this life: and if so, then the words yet more strongly assert the doctrine of perseverance; for how can that life be called eternal, which may be ended? In the same words he seemeth purposely to prevent fears, and beforehand to answer objections, by securing them both from internal and external enemies; they shall never perish, namely, of their own accord, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand; for the word in the oriffinal is such as doth secure them from the power of devils as well as men; and what is said of the church in general, is also certain concerning every true member of it in particular; “ the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Christ hath not only chosen and ordained his people that they should be holy, but also that they should persevere in holiness; not only that they should bring forth good fruits, but that their “ fruits should remain.”“

Hence they are said to be born again of incorruptible seed, which liveth and abideth for ever. And he that is born of God, is said to have the seed of God in him, and remaining in him, and so remaining in him as that he shall never again commit sin, that is, shall not become any more ungodly, 1 John 3:9. To all which may be added that strong and strengthening text, “I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord:’“ which one text doth excellently assert both those high and comfortable doctrines of assurance and perseverance; and these doctrines are worthy to be honoured in the church, by a vindication of the passage from the corrupt glosses and cavils of the Papists, who have endeavoured to rob Christians of the sweetness which may be drawn out of that pregnant honey-comb: in a word, let the holy Psalmist’s experience of the supporting virtue of this doctrine shut up the proof of it at present, who found himself wonderfully comforted by it after all his fears and falls, where he sings of the loving-kindness of the Lord in time past: “ Thou hast holden me by thy right hand;””’ and, at present, “ I am continually with thee;’’ that is, thou art continually with me; and, with the like courage and confidence, he speaks of all time to come, “ Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory.”“ Now, although the doctrine of the perseverance of saints be thus fully and clearly laid down in scripture, yet it is easy to err in giving an account of it, and of the grounds of it. And therefore I shall proceed to the grounds of it, which I will briefly lay down negatively and affirmatively. First, negatively: —

1. The certain perseverance of the saints in a state of grace doth not arise from the absolute impossibility of losing of grace in the creature: it is one thing to affirm, that grace shall not be lost, and another thing to affirm, that it is absolutely uiiloseable.

God hath told us, that the world shall no more be drowned, but who will say for all that that it is not in itself capable of drowning? whilst we think to honour God by asserting the permanency of grace, we must take heed lest we make a god of grace, and so dishonour him. Grace, as it is in God, in the fountain, which divines sometimes call active grace, is eternal and unchangeable, not subject to any defection or alteration. There is no time, or place, or case, wherein the love and goodness of God faileth towards believers. It is one and the same in God towards his people, even when they are under the greatest desertions, and have no sense at all of it; we must not say the sun is grown dark, as often as a dark cloud interposeth between it and our sight. Yea, however it be most certain that the pure and holy God hateth sin even in his people, yet it is also certain that the good and gracious God loveth the persons of his saints, even at what time they sin: “ For the love of God towards the regenerate,’’ saith Davenant, “ is not founded upon their perfect purity and holiness, but upon Christ Jesus the Mediator, who hath transferred their sins upon himself, and so hath redeemed them from the wrath of God.’’ The love and kindness of God towards his people is absolutely unchangeable and everlasting. But grace in the creature, itself being a creature, is not simply and absolutely unchangeable or unloseable: there is a possibility of losing inherent grace, if it be considered in itself; yea, and it would actually be lost and perish, liut that God upholdeth his people with one hand, whilst he exerciseth them with the other. Though with all my might I desire to maintain the perseverance of the saints, yet I dare not, as the manner of some is, ground it upon the firmness and rootedness of faith in man, but upon the goodness and faithfulness of God, which is such towards believers, that he will keep them by his mighty power “ through faith unto salvation,’’’ as the Apostle expresseth it.

2. It doth not arise from the strength of man’s free will, as if he were of himself able to keep him-, self for ever in a state of grace, when God had once put him into it. The saints indeed shall for ever will their own perseverance, as we shall see afterwards, but it is God that worketh in them even this will. Man’’s own free will, or self-sufficiency, is so far from being the ground of his perseverance in grace and holiness, that I do believe nothing in the world is more directly contrary to grace than habitual and predominant self-confidence; and, even in the saints themselves, there is nothing that tends more towards their a^ostacy, than this self-conceit and confidence of their own strength, as something distinct from God, though the same be not habitual and predominant; for they themselves are many times sadly weakened and set back by that means, and sufler many lamentable spiritual decays. This,sccms to have sometimes been the case of Hczekiah and of David too, and had like to have been the case of Paul, when he had so much abounded in revelations. Sure it is, that nothing doth more estrange the hearts of God’’s people from him, nor bind up the influences of divine grace and favour from them, than this security, confidence in the strength of their own wills, and vain opinion of selfsufficiency, which thing the sad experience of holy Christians doth attest: not only the Apostles James and Peter, but indeed all the true disciples of Christ in the world agree to that proverb, “ God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” In a word, though “ to do justly,” and “ to love mercy,”“have indeed much of religion in them, yet unto perseverance it is also required that a man deny Jbimself and the sufficiency of his own free-will; and, in the Prophet’s expression, “ Walk humbly with his God.” You know whose boast it was, “ Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended;” and again, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee;” and what was the lamentable consequence of this self-confidence, you know likewise: wherefore “let him that standeth” by his own strength, “ take heed lest he fall.

I proceeed now to speak something affirmatively concerning the grounds of the saint’s perseverance in a state of grace. I have already showed you that active grace is absolutely of an immutable nature: and although passive grace be not so, yet it shall not be totally and finally lost, For,

1. The grace of election cannot fail. When I think of that uncertain, conditional, mutable decree of saving men, which some ascribe to God, who is infinite and eternal wisdom and oneness, methinks I may, with great reason, apply the Apostle’s words spoken concerning himself, and say, when God is thus graciously minded to choose his people to eternal life, “ Doth he use lightness, or the things that he purposeth, doth he purpose according to the flesh,” after the manner of men, who are unsteady and wavering in their determinations? Is there with him yea, yea, and nay, nay? What doth the Apostle mean by those words, “ The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his?” The Apostle, in the foregoing verse, having related the apostacy of Hymeneus and Philetus, and the overthrow of some men’s faith by their means, immediately subjoins this comfortable doctrine of the stedfastness and firmness of God’s decrees of election, to prevent the offence which the saints might take against the falls of others, and to relieve them against the fears that they might possibly conceive concerning their own perseverance; as if he had said, let no one be offended, as if the salvation of believers were uncertain; it appears that these men were none of God’s people, because they are seduced, and the faith that they had is overthrown; and as for your part who are chosen, fear not lest ye also should apostatize, it is not possible to deceive the elect in the necessary and fundamental truths of the gospel, Matthew 24:24; fear not lest ye also should be drawn away by the error of the wicked into perdition, “ for the foundation of God standeth sure,”’ &c. In which sentence, says Dr. Arrowsmith, almost every word breathes firmness and performance: nothing more firm in a building than the foundation; that you may not doubt of that, it is also called sure, or steady; this sure foundation is said to stand, that is, say the Dutch annotators, abideth stedfast and certain; for it is the foundation not of man’s laying but of God’s, with whom there is “ no variableness nor shadow of change;’’ yea, farther, this foundation is said to be sealed; now, what is accounted more firm and sure than those things which are sealed with a seal? especially such a seal as this, ’^ The Lord knoweth who are his;” though the wisest of men are often deceived in their opinions, yet the knowledge of God is infinitely infallible, according to that of Augustine, “ If any of the elect perish, God is deceived; but God is not deceived, therefore none of the elect can perish, for the Lord knoweth who are his.’’ When Samuel indeed went to separate one of the sons of Jesse from the rest of his brethren to be king over Israel, he first pitched upon Eliab, and afterwards rejected him, 1 Samuel 16:1-23; but God is guilty of no inconstancy in that eternal election which he makes of men to be kings and priests unto himself Those several acts of divinp grace mentioned Romans 8:29-30, though they be many links, yet run one into another, and all from first to last make up but one chain; concerning which divine and mysterious concatenation one may boldly use that peremptory prohibition which our Lord useth concerning a less indissoluble conjunction, What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”

2. The grace of justification is neither suspended nor violated; it admits neither of intercision nor recision, neither of pause nor period. There is nothing between justification and glorification in the Apostle’’s sentence, but the copulative and, Romans 8:30. There is nothing between a justified soul and glory, but a mere passage into it. May we be allowed to triumph with the holy Apostle in the same chapter, Who shall bring an accusation against God’s elect.? “ It is God that justifieth.’““ But what though you be at present justified, may some say, is there not a possibility of being unjustified again, may not the righteousness of the righteous be taken from him, may you not be condemned hereafter? But who is he that shall condemn us? it is Christ that died.” As if the Apostle had said, the love of God towards his justified ones is not grounded upon their purity, loveliness, or perfection, but it is founded upon their Redeemer, which Redeemer hath done enough, both to bring them into a justified state, and to keep them in it for ever; it is Christ that died to free them from sin, it is Christ that is risen again for their justification; “ who is at the right hand of God,’*’’ to deliver them from all their enemies, that maketh intercession for them, for their perseverance. God loves nothing but the communications of himself; so far as anything partakes of the divine image, so far it partakes of divine favour and complacency, so that whilst a good man bears a resemblance to God so long he shall be accepted of him, and embraced in the arms of his love; and that shall be for ever, as we shall see under the next head.

Until you have blotted out all the image and superscription of God out of a pious soul, until you have rased out all the stamps and impressions of goodness; in a word, until you have rendered him wicked and ungodly, you cannot remove him from the embraces of God, which thing men and devils shall never be able to do, as I have partly showed already, and shall yet show more at large.

It is true indeed that Adam fell from a just state, though not from a justified state; for that supposes sin formerly committed. But this is no great wonder; for he had his righteousness in himself, and his happiness in his own keeping: but the condition of believers is now more safe and firm, as depending not upon any created power or will, but upon the infinite and effectual help and strength of a Mediator, which will never fail.

3. The covenant of grace is everlasting. It hath pleased God to enter into a covenant of grace and peace with every believing soul; which, I suppose.

I need not go about to prove, all Christians acknowledging it, though they do not all agree in one notion of it. Now this covenant, wherein God engages himself to be their God (for that is the summary contents of it on his part) is expressly called by the Apostle, “ the everlasting covenant.” And again, Jeremiah 32:40, “ I will make an everlasting covenant with them f which covenant, and the everlastingness of it, are fully explained in the following words, “ I will not turn away from them to do them good f the inviolable nature of this covenant is also expressly asserted in that famous place, Jeremiah 31:31-32, “ I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, (which my covenant they brake;’“) as if he had said, I will make a covenant that shall not be subject to breaches. In the former covenant with their fathers, I gave them laws to keep, which they kept not; but, in the new covenant, I will give them also a heart to keep my laws; it is not possible that covenant should be broken, one principle part of which is a heart both able and willing to keep it. The similitudes which God useth in the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirtyseventh verses of that same chapter, do also further confirm and illustrate this doctrine of the everlastingness of this covenant of grace.

Under this head let me glance at three things.

(1.) The Mediator of this covenant lives for ever, and lives to make intercession for believers; and from this the Apostle argues, that they shall be saved to the uttermost, or evermore, as the margin reads it. From this also the Apostle argues the unchangeable state of believers, as we observed before on liom. John 8:34. Christ Jesus is always heard and accepted of the Father in all the requests that he maketh to him, according to that in John 11:41-42, “ Jesus lifted up his eyes and said. Father, I thank thee, that thou hast heard me, and I know that thou hearest me always.” If these things be so, then the perseverance of the saints is built upon a most certain foundation, is secured against the very gates of hell; for Christ hath prayed for them that they may be where he is; and, in the mean time, that they may be kept “ from the evil,”’ and that their faith, “ fail not.”’

2. The promises of this covenant are immutable, “ they are in Christ Jesus yea and amen;’’ as if one should say in Latin, Certo certiora, perfectly sure and certain. God, who is truth itself, will not, cannot be unto his people as a liar, or “ as waters that fail,’’ as the Prophet’s phrase is. The infinite fountain of grace and truth cannot possibly become like one of the brooks which Job speaks of, which seem to be full of water, and are so at a certain winter season, but when the poor scorched Arabian comes to look for water in summer he goes away ashamed, because they are now vanished, they are consumed out of their place. Now the promise is conceming not only grace, but the final perseverance of it: if he promise pardoning grace, it is in these full and satisfying expressions, “ I will remember their sin,*” any one of their sins, “no more.”

If he promise purging and purifying grace, it is in the like amplitude of phrase, “ that they may fear me for ever;’“’ and again, “ they shall not depart from me;” with many other places of like importance.

3. God is said, to dwell in the souls of his people, in opposition to a way-faring man, “who turneth in to tarry for a night.” God indeed hath promised, that it shall be said to them that were not his people, “ Ye are the sons of the living God,” Hosea 1:10; but never on the contrary, hath he any where threatened them that are the sons of the living God that it shall at any time be said to them, “ Ye are not my people.” True indeed, as to external profession, church-membership, mere covenant holiness, and outward communion, God doth many times disinherit and reject them that were so his people; but, as to true godliness, participation of the divine image, internal and spiritual communion, we may confidently say with the Apostle to the Corinthians, “ God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;” or, with the same Apostle to the Thessalonians, “ Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” Do what? why, that which he was speaking of and praying for, namely, “ Preserve spirit, and soul, and body, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I conclude then, that grace in the creature is a participation of him who is essential and perfect grace and goodness, a communication made by him of his holy nature, which becomes a living principle in the souls of men, a fountain sending forth a continued stream of holy dispositions and affections without intercision or cessation; though these streams run sometimes higher, sometimes lower, sometimes swifter, sometimes slower, yet they are never wholly dried up as the brooks of Tenia were.

For, where God hath once opened a fountain in the soul, he feeds it with fresh supplies from himself; as a fountain itself would dry up, if it were not nourished by the supplies of subterraneous waters. The perseverance of grace depends purely upon the supports and supplies of uncreated essential life and goodness. Eut how do we know that God will certainly afford these supplies? We build upon his goodness and love in Christ towards his people, which is infinite and unspeakable; and upon his faithfulness in accomplishing his promise, namely, that he will never leave nor forsake them, that he will keep them by his power unto salvation. They that are of the number of God’s holy and chosen ones, shall, no doubt, continue of that number according to that in 1 John 2:19 - They that are truly in Christ shall abide in him. The seed of God remaineth in the godly, and they cannot sin, because they are born of God; “ He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one touclieth him not.”“* What can be more express and ample than that consolatory promise of our Lord made to his poor frail sheep, “ I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.” But some one may say perhaps. What if man will apostatize? what if the saints themselves will forsake God? will he not then say of them, as the Apostle of the unbelieving husband, “ If they will depart, let them depart?’’ Will not God forsake them that forsake him?

A?is. Yes, God will forsake them that forsake him; but they never shall forsake him: they being rightly renewed after the image of God, and perfectly overpowered by his grace, shall never will any such departure: “ I will betroth thee unto me for ever.” “It is certain,” saith Dr. Arrowsmith, “ that God will condemn all impenitent sinners; but it is as certain that all justified and regenerate sinners shall repent; — this always occurs through the influence of the Spirit.” It seems unreasonable to demand, what if man himself will apostatize? seeing he is, by the grace of God, so renewed in his will, and put into such a condition, that he cannot will any such thing. “ God doth not give unto his saints,” saith Augustine, “ only such help without which they could not persevere if they would (which was that v.hich he gave Adam;) but he also worketh in them the will: that because they shall not persevere except they both can and will, his bountiful grace bestoweth upon them both the can and the will: for their will is so inflamed by the Spirit of God, that they therefore can, because they so will; they therefore so will, because God worketh in them to will.” Neither is it any disparagement or injury to the freedom of man’s will, that it should be overpowered by divine grace, and determined only to that which is good. The indifference and fluctuation of the will of man is indeed the imperfection of it; and the more God reveals himself to the soul, as the chief good, the more this indifference of the will is destroyed, and the faculty is determined; not by being constrained, but indeed perfected. O happy liberty, for a soul to be indifferently affected towards its own happiness, and to be free to choose its own misery! The noblest freedom in the world is, when a soul being delivered from its hesitancies, and healed of its indifferences, is carried like a ship with spread sails and powerful winds in a most speedy, cheerful, and steady course into its own harbour, into the arms and embraces of its own object. The grace of God doth never so overpower the will of man, as to reduce it to a condition of slavery, so as that man should not have a proper dominion over his own acts; but I think we do generally conclude that, in the world to come, in the future state, the wills of all glorified saints shall be so advanced and perfected in their freedom, as not in the least to verge towards anything that is evil, but shall in the most gladsome and steady manner be eternally carried towinds their full and glorious object, which the glorified understanding shall then represent in a most true, clear, and ample manner; and this we take to be the soul’s truest liberty in the highest elevation of it. Now, althouojh it be not altogether thus with us in this present world, for, by reason of the weakness and rauddiness of our understandings which do here represent God unto us so faintly and disadvantageously, it comes to pass that the will cannot so freely and fervently, with so ardent and generous motions pursue its excellent object, as it shall do hereafter, yet I believe that the more God reveals himself to any soul, the more the fluctuations and volatileness of it are healed, and a true liberty of will, increased; and that he doth so far reveal himself to every truly pious soul, as to establish this noble freedom in him, in such a degree as will keep it from willing a final departure from him, and carry him certainly (how remissly and faintly so ever) towards the supreme and sovereign Good, till he come to be perfectly swallowed up in it. A will thus truly and divinely free, though it be not the proper efficient cause, yet certainly is an inseparable concomitant of final perseverance. So then the more God communicateth himself to any soul, the more powerfully it willeth a nearer conjunction with him; and no soul, I conceive, to whom God communicateth himself savingly, can at any time will an utter separation from him. As for the foukst faults of scripture saints, that are any where recorded, I know not what more can rationally be inferred from them, but that grace in the creature admits of ebbs and flows, is subject to augmentations and diminutions; which I know no sober person that denies. But I think the history of their lapses, if we take it altogether, hath a very favourable aspect upon the doctrine of perseverance; yea, for aught I know, one great design of God in penning those relations, might be to confirm this very doctrine, by giving us so express and ample an account of their repentance and recovery, that we are indeed to believe they were strengthened by their falls, so far were their falls from proving mortal to them: one would think, that if ever the habits of grace should be utterly suffocated and extinct, if ever they should languish even unto death, it would be under the power of such contrary acts as David and Peter committed, and especially Solomon, whose acts, for aught I can see, were as foul, and also often repeated, which is the likeliest thing that I know to destroy gracious habits. I know there are instances given of Joash, Hymeneus, Alexander, and Demas, utterly falling from that apparently gracious state, wherein for some time they had been. But it did never yet appear to me beyond contradiction, that ever they were any of them in such a state. Joash is put amongst the number of hypocrites by some that have examined his story: and for aught that can evidently appear to the contrary,

Demas might be no better. Most is pleaded for Hymeneus and Alexander, who put away a good conscience, and made shipwreck of faith, 1 Timothy 1:19. But it does not yet appear that the faith which they made shipwreck of, was any more than the profession or doctrine of the true faith; yea, rather it doth appear that it was no more. Neither does it at all appear, that they ever had that good conscience, which they are said, in our translation, to have put away, which may as fitly be rendered, rejected; for that we find to be the most common use of the Greek word airiijOio), to reject, repel, or thrust away from one. I am not confident that this apostacy of theirs was total either, supposing it to be an apostacy; for however their faith was shipwrecked, possibly some plank or other of it might be left. And who dare say that it was final? the Apostle doth not, that I perceive, give them up for lost, but executes discipline upon them, as it seems, for their recovery, of which one might think, by the following words that he had some hopes — that they may learn not to blaspheme.”’ In short then, as to these two men, I conceive, that good conscience which they put away they never had, ^nd the faith which they had was not the good faith. And as to the other two that were named, and indeed as to all other instances of the like nature, I suppose we may give this general answer, that either they did but seem to stand, or they did but seem to fall; the former perhaps was the case of Joash, the latter of Demas. Whenever you observe therefore the backslidings of any seeming Christians, take heed of concluding rashly against the perseverance of saints, but rather infer with the holy Apostle, “ They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would, no doubt, have continued with us:”’ which words, if they be meant only of a communion in doctrine and profession, so as to conclude against a separation of such as are indeed in such a communion; then we may argue the more strongly, from the less to the greater, against the final apostacy of any that are in a higher and more excellent communion. As for those texts of scripture that seem to suppose a man’’s falling away from grace, and turning from righteousness, I conceive a fair answer may be given to them, by the distinguishing of righteousness; and so it may be granted, that many men have turned away from, and utterly made shipwreck of, their legal righteousness, consisting in an external conformity to the letter of the precepts of the law, void of the supernatural and divine principle: it is indeed the common lot of these men that spring up thus fairly, and yet have no root, to “wither away.” And yet, on the other hand, it abides an everlasting maxim of truth, “ Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.’’ If there be any texts that seem to speak of apostatizing from an evangelical righteousness, a righteousness of faith, and so cannot well be solved by this distinction, as that in Hebrews 10:38, and some others, it must be considered that suppositions are made of things impossible as well as possible, yea, and that even in the scriptures themselves, as some have observed from Galatians 1:8, 1 Corinthians 15:14, which texts do not at all imply what they suppose, I know indeed that eternal salvation is ordinarily entailed upon perseverance, and so is promised to us in scripture, as it were conditionally, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” — “ You hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight, if ye continue in the faitb, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,” &c. To the same purpose are those words, “He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved;” and “He that overcometh, and keepeth my words unto the end, to him will I give,” &c. All which do strongly imply that there is no salvation but in a way of perseverance; and the words being laid down thus conditionally, especially the words first quoted, are indeed cautionary and quickening to the dull and sluggish minds of men, but do not necessarily imply any uncertainty or doubtfulness in the thing itself, no more than those words of the Apostle Peter, 2 Peter 1:10, compared with the latter end of the twelfth verse, where he doth affirm them to be “ established in the truth,” and yet at the same time doth speak to them by way of caution and encouragement. There are many texts that seem to suppose the apostacy of men in a state of regeneration, but not one that doth assert it, that ever I could yet find; but they are almost without number, that, to my apprehension, do more than seem to assert the contrary, namely, their final perseverance: of which perseverance we have also, through the goodness of God, thousands of instances; but no man could ever yet produce one instance of the contrary, but by mere conjecture; which conjectures, let them that make them see that they neither be over charitable towards men, or uncharitable towards God. Wherefore I do conclude that what is said concerning heaven and hell in the parable, as to one branch of it, is true of grace and wickedness; a gulf is fixed, and they that would pass from God to sin and the devil cannot: not that there shall ever be in any a real and predominant desire so to pass, as I suppose I have already proved; but it denotes the impossibility of the thing. It is Equally impossible that a pious soul should fall from God, and become a hater of him, fall from his love and image, and take upon him the image of the devil, as it was for Lazarus to quit Abraham’s bosom for the flames of hell: the case seems to be the same, the former being the most real heaven, and the latter the truest hell.

True religion is that hcly fire which, being once Ivindled in the soul from heaven, never goes out; whereof the fire of the altar was but a faint and imperfect resemblance: it is as true in this respect of good men, as it is of wicked men in another, “their fire never goes out. And here, now, we are presented with another crreat difference between true and counterfeit reliorion.

All counterfeit religions on will fade in time, thoucrh ever so specious and flourishing; all dew will pass away, though some lies much longer than other; all land-floods will fail; yea, the flood of Noah at length dried up, though it were of many months’ duration. But this well of water which our Saviour speaks of here, will never utterly fail; cold adversity cannot freeze it up; scorching prosperity cannot dry it up; the upper springs of uncreated grace and goodness will evermore feed those nether springs of grace and holiness in the creature. Though heaven and earth pass away, yet shall the seed of God remain, ’* He that hath begun a good work will certainly perform it.” Where the grace of God hath begotten a divine principle and spirit of true religion in a soul; there is the central force even of heaven itself, still attracting, and carrvins; the soul in its motions thitherward, until it have lodged it in the very bosom and heart of God. If any principle lower than true religion do actuate a man, it will certainly waste and be exhausted; though it may carry him swiftly in a rapid motion, yet not in a steady; though it may carr)’ him high, yet not quite through. A meteor that is exhaled from the earth by a foreign force, though it may mount high in appearance, and brave it in a blaze, enough to be envied by the poor twinkling stars, and to be admired by ordinary spectators, yet its fate is to fall down, and shamefully confess its base original. That religion which men put on only for a cloak, will wear out and drop into rags, if it be not presently thrown by as a garment of fashion. You have read of the seeming righteousness of Jehu, founded in ambition and cruelty — the piety and devotion of Joash, grounded upon a good and virtuous education — the zeal of Saul for the worship of God, and his fat sacrifices, growing upon a root of superstition, as Samuel that man of God interprets it, 1 Samuel 15:22; and you have seen the shameful issue of all these dissemblers, and the offensive snuff in which all this candle-light religion ended, very much unlike to that sun-like lustre of true and genuine goodness, “which shineth more and more unto the perfect day,”’ according to that elegant description which the Spirit of God makes of it in the writings of Solomon, whose pen hath as much adorned this great truth as his life hath blotted it: “ But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” To this purpose I might fairly allege the frequent testimonies which the Holy Ghost in scripture gives concerning such hypocritical and unprincipled professors; that, having no root, they wither away in a scorching season, that chey are again entangled in the pollutions of the world, and overcome, that, like dogs, they turn to their own vomit again, and, like sows, wallow in the mire from which they had been washed, together with many others of the same nature: as also the prophecies that are made concerning them, that that which they seemed to have shall be taken away from them, that they shall proceed no further; “for their folly shall be manifest unto all men,”“ that “ evil men and seducers,”“ and of those — self-seducers are the worst, “shall wax worse and worse,”“ with other places of the like nature. It were easy to record many histories of many men, especially of great men, who have speedily, I had almost said disdainfully, thrown off that semblance of humility, meekness, self-denial, justice, and faithfulness, which they had put on for a vizard during their probationaryship for preferment, the better to accomplish their selfish designs, and to be possessed of some base ends of their own. Still I will not deny but that a hypocrite may maintain a fair conformity to, and correspondence with the letter of the law of God; he may continue fair and specious to the very end of his life; yea, perhaps may go to his grave undiscovered either to himself or any in the world besides. I believe many men have lived and died Pharisees, have never apostatized from that righteousness which they professed, but have persevered in their formality and hypocrisy to the last. But although that counterfeit righteousness and religion may possibly not fade away, yet nevertheless, being of an earthly and selfish constitution, it is transitory and fading; and if it were soundly assaulted and battered with persecutions and temptations, no doubt, would actually vanish and disappear; on the other hand, the promise of God is pregnant and precious. ’’ They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall walk and not faint.”

Take encouragement from hence, all ye that love the Lord; go on in the strength of God; be the more lively, by how much the more you are assured that this well of water shall spring up in you into everlasting life. Make this good use of this comfortable doctrine: Will God indeed work in you “both to will and to do.^” why then so much the rather “ work out your own salvation,” according to the Apostle. Will the Lord God be “with you.?” will he “ not fail you nor forsake you till you have finished all your work?” why then “be strong and of good courage,” and do as good David infers and argues. Have you this hope, this firm ground of hope in the promise and goodness of God.’^ why then, “ purify yourselves as God is pure,” according to the Apostle. Stop the mouths of those men that say the doctrine of perseverance is prejudicial to godliness: let them see, and be forced to acknowledge it, that the more a pious soul is assured of the infinite and unchangeable love and care of God towards him, the more he is winged with love and zeal, with speed mounting up thither daily, where he longs to arrive. They that understand the doctrine of perseverance, do also understand that they must accomplish it in a way of dutiful diligence and watchful willingness; and if any grow profane and licentious, and apostatize from the way of righteousness which they have known, it is an evident argument to them that they are no saints, and then what will the doctrine of the perseverance of saints avail them?