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purified by faith z; nor are done in a right manner, according to the word a; nor to a right end, the glory of God b; they are therefore finful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God c. And

Seeft thou how Ahab humbleth himfelf before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his fons days will I bring the evil upon his houfe. Phil. i. 15. Some indeed preach Chrift even of envy and ftrife; and fome alfo of good will: v. 16. The one preach Chrift of contention, not fincerely, fuppofing to add affliction to my bonds. V. 18. What then notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Chrift is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

z Gen. iv. 5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not refpect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. With Heb. xi. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witnefs, that he was righteous, God teftifying of his gifts and by it he being dead, yet fpeaketh. Heb. xi. 6. But without faith it is impoffible to please him: for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him.

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a 1 Cor. xiii. 3. And though I beflow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. If. i. 12. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts?

¡b Matth. vi. 2. Therefore, when thou doft thine alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the fynagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory

yet of men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. v. 5. And when thou prayeft, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray ftanding in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be feen of men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. v. 16. Moreover, when ye faft, be not as the hypocrites, of a fad countenance for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unte men to faft. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward.

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V. 22.

c Hag. ii. 14. Then answered Haggai, and faid, So is this people, and fo is this nation before me, faith the Lord; and fo is every work of their hands, and that which they offer there is unclean. Tit. i. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind and confcience is defiled. Amos v. 21. I hate, I defpife your feaft-days, and I will not fmell in your folemn_affemblies. Though ye offer me burnt-offerings, and your meat-offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beafts. Hof. i. 4. And the Lord faid unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of jehu, and will caufe to cease the kingdom of the houfe of Ifrael. Rom.ix. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that fheweth mercy. Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteoufnefs, which we have done, but according to his mercy he fa

yet their neglect of them is more finful, and difpleafing unto God d.

CHA P. XVII. Of the Perfeverance of the Saints.

THE

HEY whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and fanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the ftate of grace; but fhall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally faved a.

II. This perfeverance of the faints depends not upon their own free-will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchange

ved us by the wafhing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft.

d Pfal. xiv. 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. Pfal. xxxvi. 3. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit : he hath left off to be wife, and to do good. Job xxi. 14. Therefore they fay unto God, Depart from us; for we defire not the knowledge of thy ways. v. 15. What is the Almighty, that we should ferve him? and what profit fhould we have if we pray unto him? Matth. XXV. 41. Then fhall he fay alfo unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. v. 42. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirfty, and ye gave me no drink: v. 43. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in naked, and ye clothed me not: fick and in prifon, and ye vifited me not. v. 45. Then fhall he anfwer them, faying, Verily I fay unto you, In as much as ye did it not to one of the leaft of thefe, ye did it not to me. Matth. xxiii. 23. Wo

able

unto you, fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye pay tithe of mint,. and anife, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; thefe ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

I. a Phil. i. 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift. 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall. John x. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. v. 29. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all: and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 1 John iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin, for his feed remaineth in him and he cannot fin, because he is born of God.

the

1 Pet. i. 5. Who are kept by power of God through faith unto falvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. v. 9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the falvation of your fouls.

II. b 2 Tim.

able love of God the Father b; upon the efficacy of the merit and interceffion of Jefus Chrift c; the abiding of

II. b 2 Tim. ii. 18. Who concerning the truth have erred, faying, that the refurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of fome. v. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God flandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity. Jer. xxxi. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, faying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. Heb. x. 10. By the which will we are fanctified, through the offering of the body of Jefus Chrift once for all. v. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified. Heb. xiii. 20. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, V. 21. Make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Heb. ix. 12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. v. 13. For if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the afhes of an heifer fprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the flefh; v. 14. How much more fhall the blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without fpot to God, purge your confcience from dead works to ferve the living God? v. 15. And for this caufe he is the Mediator of the new teftament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the

the

yea

tranfgreffions that were under the
firft teftament, they which are called
might receive the promise of eternal
inheritance. Rom. viii. 33. Who
fhall lay any thing to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justi-
fieth: v. 34. Who is he that con-
demneth? It is Chrift that died,
rather, that is rifen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who alfo
maketh interceffion for us.
v. 35.
Who fhall feparate us from the love
of Chrift? fhall tribulation, or di-
ftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or
nakednefs, or peril, or sword? v. 36.
(As it is written, For thy fake we are
killed all the day long; we are ac-
counted as fheep for the flaughter.)
v.37. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors, through him
that loved us. v. 38. For I am per-
fuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, v. 39. Nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature,
fhall be able to feparate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jefus
our Lord. John xvii. 11. And now
I am no more in the world, but these
are in the world, and I come to thee.
Holy Father, keep through thine
own name, thofe whom thou haft
given me, that they may be one, as
we are. v. 24. Father, I will that
they alfo whom thou haft given me,
be with me where I am; that they
may behold my glory which thou
haft given me for thou lovedst me
before the foundation of the world.
Luke xxii. 32. But I have prayed for
thee, that thy faith fail not; and
when thou art converted, ftrengthen
thy brethren. Heb. vii. 25. Where-
fore he is able also to fave them to
the uttermoft, that come unto God

by

the Spirit, and of the feed of God within them d; and the nature of the covenant of grace e: from all which arifeth also the certainty and infallibility thereof f.

III. Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their prefervation, fall into grievous fins g; and for a time continue therein b: whereby they incur God's displeasure i,

and by him, seeing he ever liveth to might be made manifeft, that they make interceffion for them. were not all of us.

pray

d John xiv. 16. And I will the Father, and he fhall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; v. 17. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it feeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and fhall be in you. 1 John ii. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you: and ye need not that any man teach you: But, as the fame anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie and even as it hath taught you, ye fhall abide in him.

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John iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin, for his feed remaineth in him and he cannot fin, because he is born of God.

e Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they fhall not depart from me.

f John x. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they fhall ne ver perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. 2 Theff. iii. 3. But the Lord is faithful, who fhall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 1 John ii. 19. 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: but they went out, that they

IIL g Matth. xxvi. 70. But he denied before them all, faying, I know not what thou fayft. v. 72. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. v. 74. Then began he to curfe and to fwear, faying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

b Pfal. li. (the title) To the chief mufician, a pfalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone into Bathsheba. v. 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltinefs, O God, thou God of my falvation: and my tongue fhall fing aloud of thy righteousness.

If. lxiv. 5. Thou meeteft him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteoufnefs, those that remember thee in thy ways behold, thou art wroth, for we have finned: in those is continuance, and we shall be faved. v. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that firreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou haft hid thy face from us, and haft confumed us, because of our inquities. v. 9. Be not wroth very fore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, fee, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 2 Sam. xi. 27. And when the mourning was paft, David fent, and fet her to his houfe, and she became his wife, and bare him a fon: but the thing that David had done, displeased the Lord.

k Eph.

and grieve his Holy Spirit k; come to be deprived of fome measure of their graces and comforts /; have their hearts hardened m, and their confciences wounded n; hurt and fcandalize others o, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves p.

CHAP. XVIII. Of Affurance of Grace and Salvation.

A

Lthough hypocrites, and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with falfe hopes and

k Eph. iv. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the day of redemption.

/ Pfal. li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladnefs: that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice. V. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. v. 12. Reftore unto me the joy of thy falvation; and uphold me with thy free fpirit. Rev. ii. 4. Nevertheless, I have fomewhat against thee, because thou haft left thy firft love. Cant. v. 2. I fleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, faying, Open to me, my fifter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

v. 3. I have put off my coat, how fhall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how fhall I defile them? v. 4. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. v. 6. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my foul failed when he fpake: I fought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

m If. lxiii. 17. O Lord, why haft thou made us to err from thy ways? and hardened our heart from thy

carnal

fear? Return for thy fervants fake, the tribes of thine inheritance, Mark vi. 52. For they confidered not the miracle of the loaves, for their heart was hardened. Mark xvi. 14. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven, as they fat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief, and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had feen him after he was rifen.

» Pfal. xxxii. 3. When I kept fi lence, my bones waxed old; through my roaring all the day long. v. 4. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of fummer. Pfal. li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness: that the bones which thou haft broken, may rejoice.

2 Sam. xii. 14. Howbeit, becaufe by this deed thou haft given great occafion to the enemies of the Lord to blafpheme, the child alfo that is born unto thee, fhall furely die.

p Pfal. lxxxix. 31. If they break my ftatutes, and keep not my commandments: v. 32. Then will I vifit their tranfgreffion with the rod, and their iniquity with ftripes. 1 Cor. xi. 32. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

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I. a Job

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