belongs to take order, that none who are given unto him be lost. Undoubtedly, that life of Christ in us, which is thus underpropped, though it be not privileged from temptations, no, nor from backsliding, yet it is an abiding life. He who raised our souls from death, will either preserve our feet from falling, or, if we do fall, will heal our backslidings, and save us freely. Bp. Reynolds. If God has made thee the object of his mercy and favour, thou mayest be assured of a continuance of his love. He pardoned thee, when thou wast an enemy: will he leave thee, now thou art his friend? He loved thee, when thou hadst rased out in a great measure his image, and drawn it with fresh colours; he justified thee, when thou wast ungodly: and will he cast thee off, since he has been at so much pains about thee, and written in thee a counterpart of his own divine nature in the work of his grace? Were his bowels first moved when thou hadst no grace, and will they not sound louder when thou hast grace? Thou hadst a rich present of his grace when thou couldst not pray for it, and will he not much more give thee whatever is needful when thou callest upon him? He was found of thee when thou didst not seek him, and will he hide himself from thee when thou art inquiring after him? God considered, before he began with thee, what charge thou wouldst stand him in, both of merit in Christ, and of grace in thee; so that the grace he hath given thee is not only a mercy to thee, but an obligation on himself. Since his credit is engaged to complete it, thou hast more unanswerable arguments to plead before him than thou hadst; namely, his Son, his truth, his promise, his grace, his name, wherein before thou hadst not the least interest. To what purpose hath God called thee and washed thee, if he did not intend to supply thee with as much grace as shall bring thee to glory? Hath God given thee Christ, and will he detain any thing else? Charnock. We may now consider how it fareth with believers. Jesus saith, "Whosoever believeth on the Son of Man shall not perish, but bave everlasting life;" John iii. 14, 15. And it is further said, "He that believeth on the Son hath (or possesseth) everlasting life;" Joha iii. 36. Here we read, that faith gives a present possession of everlasting life; it is begun in the soul on earth, and shall be perfected in heaven. And to strengthen the believer's hope, it is added, “he shall never perish." A full absolution of eternal misery, and a full promise of eternal life, with a present possession of it, is granted to believers on the mere account of faith. And what further security can they want or have? Beveridge. It is a greater mercy to give the first grace of conversion, than to crown that with glory. It is more grace and favour for a prince to marry a poor damsel, than, having married her, to clothe her like a princess. He was free to do the first, or not; but his relation to her pleads strongly for the other. God might have chosen, whether he would give thee grace or no; but having done this, thy relation to him, and his covenant also, do oblige him to add more and more, till he hath fitted us as a bride for himself in glory. Gurnall Perseverance makes us not in Christ, but shows we are so ; unites no branch unto the vine, but proves it is united; merits not the crown of heaven, but shows our walk is heaven-ward. A persevering walk is an evidence that we are blest with persevering grace, and are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them who believe to the saving of the soul. Heb. x. 39. Berridge. All that are justified, renewed, and sanctified, shall persevere to the end; which we prove, 1st. From God's everlasting unchanging love and faithfulness in his promises. 2. From the relationship and union of believers to Christ, and his undertaking for them. 3. From the constant abode of the Spirit of God in them. 4. From the nature of grace, which is an incorruptible seed, that shall never be taken from them, and they can never lose. Some believers, through the remains of sin in them, and the power of temptation upon them, may fall foully into sin, but they shall never fall finally from grace. And it is plain, from 1 Johu ii. 19. that when we know of any professors falling totally, they were not that, in sincerity and reality, which they appeared to be. Vincent. Finally, St. Paul bas declared his views concerning this subject in a manner which one would expect to terminate the controversy. "Moreover,” says this apostle, "whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." This is both a declaration and a promise; and in both respects is unconditional and universal. In the most express language it asserts, that every one who is effectually called is justified, and will in the end be glorified also. Dr. Dwight. We are not to understand, by "the grace of God," that grace which is implanted in the souls of men at the time of their regene ration; for that cannot be received in vain; it always produces its proper fruit and designed effect; it begins, carries on, and finishes the work of sanctification; it is an immortal, incorruptible, neverdying seed; it cannot be lost in any part or branch of it; it is a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life; it is closely and inseparably connected with eternal glory; to all those to whom God gives grace, he gives glory; whom he calls and justifies, them he also glorifies. Grace will complete what grace begins, To save from sorrows and from sins; Dr. Gill. WATTS. To be saved, is to be preserved in the faith to the end. "He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." Matt. xxiv. 13. Not that perseverance is an accident in Christianity, or a thing performed by human industry; they that are saved, are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation. 1 Pet. i. 3—5. But perseverance is absolutely necessary to the complete saving of the soul: because he that falleth short of the state, that they that are saved are possessed of, as saved, cannot arrive to that saved state. He that goeth to sea, with a purpose to arrive at Spain, cannot arrive there, if he be drowned by the way; wherefore perseverance is absolutely necessary to the saving of the soul; and therefore it is included in the complete saving of us. "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; they shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end." Isa. xlv. 17. Per severance is here made absolutely necessary to the complete saving of the soul. But (as I said) this part of salvation dependeth not upon human power, but upon him that "began a good work in us.” Phil, i. 6. This part, therefore, of our salvation is great, and calleth for no less than the power of God for our help to perform it; as will be easily granted by all those that consider 1. That all the power and policy, malice and rage, of the devils, and hell itself, is against us. Any man that understandeth this will conclude, that to be saved is no small thing. The devil is called a god, a prince, a lion, a roaring lion; it is said, that he hath death, and the power of it, &c.; but what can a poor creature do, whose habitation is in the flesh, against a god, a prince, a roaring lion, and the power of death itself? Our perseverance, therefore, lieth in the power of God: the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 2. All the world is against him that shall be saved: but what is one poor creature to all the world? especially when you consider, that with the world is terror, fear, power, majesty, laws, gaols, gib bets, hangings, burnings, drownings, starvings, banishments, and a thousand kinds of deaths. 1 John v. 4, 5. John xvi, 33. 3. Add to this, that all the corruptions that dwell in our flesh are against us; and that not only in their nature and being, but they lust against us, and war against us, to bring us into captivity to the law of sin and death. Gal. v. 17. 1 Pet. ii. 11. Rom. vii. 23. 5. All the delusions in the world are against them that shall be saved; many of which are so cunningly woven, so plausibly handled, so rarely polished with scripture and reason, that it is ten thousand wonders, that the elect are not swallowed up with them; and swallowed up they would be, were they not elect, and was not God himself engaged, either by power to keep them from falling, or by grace to pardon, if they fall, and to lift them up again. Matt. xxiv. 24. Eph. iv. 14. Rom. iii. 10. 5. Every fall of the saved is againt the salvation of his soul: but a Christian, once fallen, riseth not, but as helped by omnipotent O Israel, thou art fallen by thine iniquity; but in me is thy help," says God. Hos. xiii. 9. xiv. 1. Psa. xxxvii. 23. power. 66 Christians, were you awake, here would be matter of wonder to you, to see a man assaulted with all the power of hell, and yet come off a conqueror. Is it not a wonder, to see a poor creature, who in himself is weaker than the moth, (Job iv. 19.) to stand against and overcome all devils, all the world, all his lusts and corruptions? Or, if he fall, is it not a wonder to see him, when devils and guilt are upon him, to rise again, stand upon his feet again, walk with God again, and persevere, after all this, in the faith and holiness of the gospel? He that knows himself, wonders; he that knows temptation, wonders; he that knows what falls and guilt mean, wonders; indeed, perseverance is a wonderful thing, and is managed by the power of God; for he only is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy. Jude 24. Bunyan. DEATH. "Christian" has now persevered through all the various changes of his earthly pilgrimage; he has had to encounter with many trials, troubles, and persecutions, and has passed the dens of many wild beasts in safety; he has at length arrived at the verge of Jordanthe black gulf, That swallows millions at a meal. Here thousands daily enter; but none but the real "Christian" will pass through the gulf, and reach the promised land; for "broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go that way; but narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt. vii. 13. This will be Christian's trying hour: though he may have passed through many trials and difficulties by the way, yet they are all as light as atoms, compared with this. Here the weak Christian will tremble; and the strong one will have enough to do, when he finds himself a prisoner in the hand of the ghastly tyrant, Death; who will not listen to the bribes of the rich, nor attend to the entreaties of the poor. |