2. When we are more firmly rooted in Religion, Col. 2. 7. Rooted in him, and establihed: The fpreading of the Root fhews the growth of the Tree. When we are fo ftrongly faftned on Chrift, that we cannot be blown down with the Breath of Hereticks; a bleffed fign of growth. Athanafius was called Adamas Ecclefie, an Adamant_that_could not be removed from the Love of the Truth. 3. The third Sign of growth; When we have a more Spiritual Frame of Heart, ft. We are more Spiritual in our Principles; we oppofe Sin, out of Love to God, and as it ftrikes at his Holinefs. 2dly. We are more Spiritual in our Affections; we grieve for the firft Rifings of Corruption, for the Bubling up of vain Thoughts, the fpring that runs under ground. We mourn not only for the Penalty of Sin, but the Pollution. It is not only a coal that burns, but blacks. 3dly. We are Spiritual in the Performance of Duty; we are more ferious, reverend, fervent; we have more Life in Prayer, we put Fire to the Sacrifice, Rom. 12. Fervent in Spirit. We ferve God with more Love, which ripens and mellows our Duty, and makes it come off with a better Relish. 4. The fourth Sign of Growth; When Grace gets ground by Oppofition. The Fire by an Antiperiftafis, burns hottest in the coldeft Seafon. Peter's Courage increafed by the Oppofition of the High Prieft and the Rulers, As 4. 8. 11. The Martyrs Zeal was increafed by Perfecution: Here was Grace of the firft Magnitude. Queft. 6. What shall we do to grow in Grace? Refp. 1. Take heed of that which will hinder growth, the Love of any Sin: The Body may as well thrive in a Fever, as Grace can where any Sin is cherished. 2. Ufe all Means for growth in Grace. ft. Exercife yourselves to Goodness, 1 Tim. 4 7. The Body grows stronger by Exercife. Trading of Money makes Men grow rich; the more we trade our Faith in the Promifes, the richer in Faith we grow. 2dly. If you would be growing Chriftians, be humble Chriftians. "Tis obferved in fome Countries (as in France) the beft and largest grapes which they make their Wine of, grow on the lower fort of Vines; the humble Saints grow moft in Grace, 1 Pet. 5. 5. God giveth Grace to the Humble. 3dly. Pray to God for Spiritual growth. Some pray that they may grow in Gifts. It is better to grow in Grace than Gifts Gifts are for Ornament, Grace is for Nourishment; to edify others, to fave ourselves. Some pray that they may grow rich; but a fruitful Heart is better than a full Purfe. Pray that God will make you grow in Grace, tho' it be by Affliction, Heb. 12. 10. The Vine grows by Pruning. God's Pruning-knife is to make us grow more in Grace. Queft. 7. How may we comfort fuch as complain they do not grow in Grace? Refp. They may mistake; they may grow, when they think they do not, Prov. 13. 7. There is that maketh himself poor, yet he is rich. The Sight Chriftians have of their Defects in Grace, and their Thirft after greater Measures of Grace, makes them think they do not grow when they do. He who covets a Great Eftate, because he hath not fo much as he defires, therefore he thinks himself to be poor. Indeed Chriftians fhould feek after the Grace they want, but they muft not therefore overlook the Grace they have. Let Chriftians be thankful for the leaft growth; if you do not grow fo much in Aurance, blefs God if you grow in Sincerity; if you do not grow fo much in Knowledge, blefs God if you grow in Humility. It a Tree grows in the Root, it is a true growth; if you grow in the Root-Grace of Humility, it is as needful for you as any other growth. Of Of Perfeverance, 1 PET. i. 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salva tion. TH HE fifth and laft Fruit of Sanctification, is Perfeverance in Grace. The heavenly Inheritance is kept for the Saints, 1 Pet, 1. 4. and they are kept to the Inheritance; in my Text, Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation. The Apostle afferts a Saint's Stability and Permanency in Grace. The Saints Perfeverance is much oppugned by Papifts and Arminians; but it is not the lefs true, because it is oppofed. A Chriftian's main Comfort depends upon this Doctrine of Perfeverance: take away this, and you much prejudice Religion, and cut the Sinews of all cheerful Endeavours. Before I come to the full handling and difcuffing this great Point, let me firft clear the Senfe of it, which I first shall do by Way of Conceffion or Grant. When I fay, Believers do perfevere: ft, I grant, That fuch as are fo only in Profeffion, may fall away, 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas bath forfaken us. Blazing Comets foon evaporate. A Building on Sand will fall, Matth. 7. 26. Seeming Grace may be loft. No Wonder to fee a Bough fall from a Tree that is only tied on. Hypocrites are only tied on to Chrift by an external Profeffion, they are not ingrafted. Who ever thought artificial Motion would hold long? The Hypocrite's Motion is only artificial, not vital. All Bloffoms do not ripen into Fruit. 2ly, I grant, That, if Believers were left to ftand upon their own Legs, they might fall finally. Some of the Angels, who were Stars full of Light and Glory, yet did actually lofe their Grace; and if thofe pure Angels fell from Grace, much more would the Godly, who have fo much Sin to betray them, if they were not upheld by a fuperior Power. 3ly, I grant, True Believers, tho they do not fall away actually, and lofe all their Grace, yet their Grace may fail in the Degree, and they may make a great Breach upon their San&tification. Grace may be moritura, non mortua; dying, but not dead, Rev. 3. 2. Strengthen the Things which are ready to die. Grace may be like Fire in the Embers, tho not quenched, yet the Flame is gone out. This Decay of Grace I fhall fhew in two Particu lars; (1) The lively Actings of Grace may be fufpended, Rev. 2. 4. Thou. haft left thy firft Love. Grace may be like a fleepy Habit; the Godly may act faintly in Religion, the Pulfe of their Affections may beat low. The wife Virgins flumbered, Matth. 25. 5. The Exercife of Grace may be hindered; as when the Courfe of Water is ftopt, and doth not run. (2) Inftead of Grace exercifing in the Godly, Corruption may exercife; inftead of Patience, Murmuring; inftead of Heavenlinefs, Earthlinefs. How did Pride put forth itself in the Difciples, when they ftrove who fhould be the greateft? How did Luft put furth itself in David? Thus lively and vigorous may Corruption be in the Regenerate; they may fall into enormous Sins. But tho all this be granted, yet they do not, penitus excidere, fall away finally from Grace. David did not quite lofe his Grace; for then, Why did he pray, Take not away thy holy Spirit from me? He had not quite loft the Spirit. As Eutyches, when he fell from a Window, Acts 20. and all thought he was dead; No, faith Paul, there is Life in him: So David fell foully, but But there was the Life of Grace in him. Tho the Saints may come to that Pass, they have but little Faith, yet not to have no Faith: Tho their Grace may be drawn low, yet not drawn dry: Tho' Grace may be abated, not abolifhed; tho the wife Virgins flumbered, yet their Lamps were not quite gone out. Grace, when it is at the loweft, fhall revive and flourish; as when Samfon had loft his Strength, his Hair grew again, and he renewed his Strength. Having thus explained the Propofition, I come now to the amplifying this great Doctrine of the Saints Perfeverance. Queft. 1. By what Means do Chriftians come to perfevere? Refp. By the Manuduction and Help of Ordinances, Prayer, Word, Sacraments. Chriftians do not arrive at Perfeverance when they fit ftill and do Nothing. It is not with us as with Paffengers in a fhip, who are carried to the End of their Voyage, and they fit ftill in the fhip; or as it is with Noblemen, who have their Rents brought in without their Toil or Labour: but we arrive at Salvation in the Ufe of Means; as a Man comes to the End of & Race by Running, to a Victory by Fighting, Matth. 26. 41. Watch and pray. As Paul faid, Acts 27. 31. Except ye abide in the ship, ye cannot be faved: Believers fhall come to fhore ar laft, arrive at Heaven; but, Execpt they abide in the ship, viz. in the Ufe of Ordinances, they cannot be faved. The Ordinances cherish Grace; as they beget Grace, fo they are the Breaft-milk by which it is nourished and preferved to Eternity. 2. Auxilio Spiritus, by the facred Influence and Concurrence of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is Continually at Work in the Heart of a Believer, to carry on Grace to perfeverance; it drops on fresh Oil, to keep the Lamp of Grace burning. The Spirit excites, ftrengthens, increafeth Grace, and makes a Chriftian go from one step of Faith to another, till he comes to the End of his Faith, Salvation, 1 Pet. 1. 9. It is a fine Expreffion of the Apoftle, 2 Tim. 1. 14 The Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. He who dwells in an Houfe, keeps the Houfe in Repair; the Spirit dwelling in a Believer, keeps Grace in Repair. Grace is Compared to a River of the Water of Life, John 7. 38. This River can never be dried up, becaufe God's Spirit is a spring which Continually feeds it.. 3. Grace is carried on to Perfeverance, by Chrift's daliy Interceffion. As the Spirit is at Work in the Heart, fo is Chrift at Work in Heaven. Chrift is ever praying, that the Saints Grace may hold out, John 17. 11. Conferva illos; Father, keep those whome thou haft given me; keep them as ftars in their Orb; keep them as Jewels, that they may not be loft. Father, keep them. That Prayer Chrift made for Peter, was the Copy of his Prayer he now makes for Believers, Luke 22. 23. I have prayed for thee, that thy Faith fail not, that it be not totally eclipfed: How can the Children of fuch Prayers perish? Quest. 2. By what Arguments may we prove the Saints Perfeverance? Refp.. A Veritate Dei, from the Truth of God. God hath both afferted it, and promifed it. (1) God hath afferted it, 1 John 3. 9. His Seed remaineth in him. 1 John 2. 27. The Anointing ye have received of him abideth in you. (2) As God hath afferted it, fo he hath promifed it: The Truth of God, the ' most Orient Pearl of his Crown, is laid a Pawn in the Promife, John 10. 28. I will give unto them eternal Life, and they shall never perif. Jer. 32. 42. 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 shall not depart from me. God will fo love his People, that he will not forfake them; and they fhall fo fear him, that they fhall not for-fake him. If a Believer fhould not perfevere, God fhould break his Promife, Hof. 2. 19. I will betrothe thee unto me for ever, in Righ teoufnefs and Loving-kindness. God doth not marry his People unto himfelf and then divorce them; he hates putting away, Mal. 2. 16. God's Love ties the Marriage-knot fo faft, that neither Death nor Hell can break it afunder. 2. The fecond Argument is, a Potentia Dei, from the Power of God. In the Text, we are kept by the Power of Gol unto Salvation: Every Perfon in the Trinity hath an Hand in making a Believer perfevere. God the Father eftablifheth, 1 Cor. 1. 21. God the Son confirms, 1 Cor. 1. 8. God the Holy Ghoft feals, Eph. 1. 13. fo that it is the Power of God that keeps us. Alas, we are not kept by our own Power. The Pelagians held, that Man, by his own Power; might overcome Tempta Temptation, and perfevere. But St. Auftin confutes him. Man, faith he, prays unto God for Perfeverance, which would be abfurd, if be had Power of himself to perfevere. And, faith St. Auftin, if all the Power be inherent in a Man's felf, then why should not one perfevere. as well as another? Why not Judas, as well as Peter? So that it is not by any other than the Power of God that we are kept: As the Lord preferved Ifrael from perifhing in the Wilderness, till he brought them to Canaan: The fame Care will he take, if not in a miraculous Manner, yet in a fpiritual, invifible Manner, in preferving his People in a State of Grace, till he bring them to the Celeftial Canaan. As the Heathens feigned of Atlas, that he did bear up the Heavens from falling; the Power of God is that Atlas which bears up the Saints from falling. It is difputed whether Grace of itfelf may not perish, as Adam's; yet fure I am, Grace kept by the Power of God cannot perish. 3. The third Argument is taken: ab electione, from God's electing Love. Such as God hath from all Eternity elected to Glory, cannot fall away finally; but every true Believer is elected to Glory, ergo, he cannot fall away. What can fruftrate Election, or make God's Decree void? This Argument ftands like Mount Sion, which cannot be moved; Infomuch that fome of the Papifts hold, That fuch who have abfolute Election cannot fall away, 2 Tim. 2. 19. The Foundation of God ftands fure, having this Seal, The Lord knows them that are his. The Foundation of God is nothing elfe but God's Decree in Election; and this ftands fure, God will not alter it, others cannot. 4. The fourth Argument is taken, ab Unione cum Chrifto, from Believers Union with Chrift. They are knit to Christ, as the Members to the Head by the Nerves and Ligament of Faith, fo that they cannot be broken off, Eph. 5. 23. What was once faid of Chrift's natural Body, is true of his Myftical, A Bone of it fhall not be broken. As it is not poffible to fevere the Leaven and the Dough, when they are once mingled and kneaded together; fo it is impoffible, when Chrift and Believers are once united, ever to be feparated: Chrift and his Members make one Chrift. Now, is it poffible that any Part of Chrift fhould perifh? How can Chrift lofe any Member of his Body Myftical, and be perfect? In fhort, Si unus excidat quare non & alter? If one Believer may be broken off from Chrift; then, by the fame Rule, Why not another? why not all? And fo Chrift fhould be an Head without a Body. 5. The fifth Argument is taken ab emptione, from the Nature of a Purchase. A Man will not lay down his Money for a Purchase which may be loft, and the Fee-fimple alienated. Chrift died, that he might purchase us as a People to himself for ever, Heb. 9. 12. Having obtained eternal Redemption for us. Would Chrift, think we, have fhed his Blood, that we might believe in him for a While, and then fall away? Do we think Chrift will lofe his Purchase? 6. The fixth Argument is, a victoria fupra mundum, from a Believer's Victory over the World. The Argument ftands thus; He who overcomes the World, doth persevere in Grace; but a Believer doth overcome the World, ergo, he perfeveres in Grace, 1 John 5. 4. This is the Victory over the World, even our Faith. A Man may lofe a fingle Battle in the Field, yet at laft win the Victory: A Child of God may be foil'd ina fingle Battle against Temptation (as Peter was but at laft he is victorious. Now, if a Saint be crown'd Victor, if the World be conquered by him, he must needs perfevere. I come next to answer fome Objections of the Arminians. ift, The firft Objection of the Arminians, is, If a Believer fall perfevere in Grace, then, to what Purpofe are all thofe Admonitions in Scripture? Let him take heed left he fall, 1 Cor. 10. 12. And, Heb. 4. 11. Let us fear, left any of you feem to come fhort. Thefe Admonitions feem to be fuperfluous and vain, if a Saint fhall certainly perfevere. Anfw. No, thefe Counfels and Admonitions are neceffary to caution Believers against Carelefnefs; they are as Goads and Spurs to quicken them to a greater Diligence in working out Salvation. Thefe Admonitions do not imply the Saints can fall away, but they are Prefervatives to keep them from falling away; Chrift told fome of his Difciples, they fhould abide in him, yet he exhorts them to abide in him, John 15. His exhorting them was not in the leaft to question their abiding in him, but to awaken their Diligence, and make them pray pray the harder, that they might abide in him. 2ly. The fecond Objection is, Heb. 6. 4. It is impoffible for those who were once enlightned, and have tafted of the heavenly Gift, and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost, and bave felt the Powers of the World to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to Repentance. Anfw. This Place of Scripture hath no Force in it; for the Apoft le here fpeaks of Hypocrites, to fhew how far they may go, yet fall away. 1. They who were once enlightned: Men may have great Illuminations, yet fall away. Was not Fudas enlightned! 2. They have been made Partakers of the Holy Ghost; the common Gifts of the Spirit, not the fpecial Grace. 3. They have tasted the good Word of God. Tafting here is oppofed to Eating; the Hypocrite may have a Kind of Tafte of the Sweetness of Religion, but this Tafte doth not nourish. There is a great deal of Difference between one that takes a Gargle, and a Cordial; the Gargle only wafheth his Mouth, he taftes it, and puts it out again; but a Cordial is drunk down, which nourifheth and cherisheth the Spirits. The Hypocrite, who hath only fome Smack or Tafte of Religion (as one taftes a Gargle ) may fall away. 4. And have felt the Powers of the World to come: That is, they may have fuch Apprehenfions of the Glory of Heaven, as to be affected with it, and feem to have fome Joy in the Thoughts of it, yet fall away; as in the Parable of the ftony Ground, Matth. 13. 20. All this is spoken of the Hypocrite; but it doth not therefore prove, that the true Believer, who is effectually wrought upon, can fall away. Tho Comets fall, it doth not therefore follow, that true Stars fall. That this Scripture speaks not of found Believers, is clear from, v. 9. But we are perfwaded better Things of you, and Things that accompany Salvation. Of Perfeverance 1 PET. i. 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation. Use 1. EE the Excellency of Grace, it fohn 10. 27. My Sheep hear my Voice, and I perfeveres Other Things are but know them, and they follow me: And I give for a Seafon: Health and Riches unto them eternal Life. My Sheep, there is are sweet, but they are but for a Seafon; but Election; hear my Voice, there is Vocation Grace is a Bloffom of Eternity. The Seed of and I know them, there is Juftification; and God remains, 1 John 3. 9. Grace may fuffer I give unto them eternal Life, there is Gloan Eclipfe, not a Diffolution. It is called Sub- rification. How may this make us love God, ftance, for its Solidity, Prov. 8. 21. and dur- and fet up the Monuments and Trophies of his able Riches, for its Permanency, Prov. 8. 18. Praife! How much have we done to cause It lasts as long as the Soul, as Heaven lafts. God to withdraw his Spirit, and fuffer us to Grace is not like a Leafe which foon expires, fall finally! Yet that he fhould keep us, let but it runs parallel with Eternity. his Name be bleffed, and his Memorials eternized, who keepeth the Feet of his Saints, 1 Sam. 2. 9. 2. See here that which may provoke in the Saints everlasting Love and Gratitude to God. What can make us love God more than the Fixednefs of his Love to us? He is not only the Author of Grace, but Finisher; his Love is perpetuated and carried on to our Salvation, [VOL. I.] |