them both. The Father alone begets, the Son is alone begotten, the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son. Concl. 3. All works external, and in reference to the creatures, as to create, to govern, to redeem, to sanctify, &c., are, in respect of the things wrought, equally common to the three Persons of the Trinity; who, as they are all one in nature and will, so must they be in operation, all of them working one and the same thing together, John v. 17, 19. Most true is that of Christ, Whatsoever things the Father doth, these also doth the Son: the like may be said of the Holy Ghost: so that we are sanctified by Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; there being the same power and will of all three: and in works external, and in respect of the creature, when only one Person or two are named, the whole Trinity is to be understood. Concl. 4. Though the works of three Persons toward the creature, world, or church, in respect of the thing wrought, are common to all the three; yet in respect of the manner of working, there is distinction of Persons that work; for the Father works through the Son, by the Holy Ghost. The Father works from none, the Son from the Father, the Holy Ghost from both, John v. 19; viii. 28; xvi. 13, there being the same order of working in the Trinity that there is of existing. The Father works by the Son and the Holy Ghost, sending them, and not sent by them; the Son works by the Holy Ghost, sending him from the Father into the hearts of believers, and is not sent by him, but by the Father; the Holy Ghost works, and is sent from the Father and the Son, not from himself. The works therefore of the Trinity are considerable, either absolutely, or in regard of the works wrought, and so they are the works of the whole Trinity in common; or relatively, when we consider in what order the Persons work, which Person works immediately, which by another. And so the Persons are distinguished in their works. This considered, Jude in ascribing sanctification to God the Father, is easily reconciled to those that ascribe it to God the Holy Ghost, and the Son; these last-named Persons being by Jude included in the working of sanctification, and only the order of working of the blessed Trinity noted. The Father sanctifying through the Son, by the Holy Ghost; the Father sanctifying by sending the Son to merit, and giving his Spirit to work; the Son, by meriting; the Holy Ghost, by working our sanctification, and immediately sanctifying us; in which respect he has the title of Holy, and sanctification most commonly is expressed as his work. This for the explication of the second particular in the first privilege of the faithful to whom Jude wrote, viz. The author of their sanctification, "God the Father." Obs. 1. Even our holiness administers matter of humility. Our very graces should humble us as well as our sins; as these latter because they are ours, so the former because they are none of ours. Sanctity is adventitious to nature. Heretofore holiness was natural, and sin was accidental; now sin is natural, and holiness accidental. When God made any of us his garden, he took us out of Satan's waste; we are not born saints: the best, before sanctification, are bad, and by nature not differing from the worst. The members that God accepts to be weapons of righteousness, were before blunted in Satan's service: when God sanctifieth us, he melts idols, and makes of them vessels for his own use. Before any becomes as an Israelite's wife, he is as a captive, unpared, unwashed, unshaven. Sanctification is a great blessing; but was this web woven out of thine own bowels? The best thou didst bring to thine own sanctification, was a passive reception of it, which the very worst of heathens partake of in common with thee, having a human nature, a rational soul; and was there not with that a corrupt principle of opposition to God, and all the workings of God? was not God long striving with a cross-grained heart? How many denials had God before he won thee to himself! how far was the iron gate of thy heart from opening of its own accord! and if he had not wrought like a God, omnipotently, and with the same power wherewith Christ was raised, had thy resistance been ever subdued? Eph. i. 19, 20. And when the being of grace was bestowed, from whence had thy grace at any time its acting? Didst thou ever write one letter without God's guiding thy hand? didst thou ever shed one penitential tear till God unstopped thy eyes, smote thy rock, and melted thy heart? didst thou hunger after Christ, till God who gave the food gave the stomach also ? Was ever temptation resisted, grace quickened, corruption mortified, holy resolution strengthened, power, either to do or will, received from any but from God? Doth not every grace, the whole frame of sanctification, depend upon God, as the stream on the fountain, the beam on the sun? When he withdraws his influence, how dead is thy heart in every holy performance! only when he speaks the word effectually, bidding thee go, thou goest; and do this or that, thou dost it. Obs. 2. The reason why all graces of a sanctified person are for God, they are from him. God's bounty is their fountain, and God's glory must be their centre. He planted the vineyard, and therefore he must drink the wine. We are his workmanship, and therefore we must be his workmen. All our pleasant fruits must be laid up and out for our Well-beloved. All things, but particularly our graces, are from him and for him: we can never give him more or other than his own, when we give all we can. The streams will rise as high as the fountain-head; and so should our graces ascend as high in duty as he who gave them. Where should God have service, if a sanctified person denies it? Obs. 3. Is God the author of sanctification? then mark its excellency and worth. It is a rare work certainly that has such a Workman; a beauteous structure that has such a Builder. What is a man to be desired for, but his sanctification? If we see a beauty on that body which has a soul, how much more on that soul which has the reflection of God himself upon it! Every saint is a wooden casket filled with pearls. "The King's daughter is all glorious within." Love Jesus Christ in his work-day clothes, admire him in his saints; though they be black, yet they are comely. Did the people of God but contemplate one another's graces, could there be that reproaching, scorn, and contempt cast upon one another that there is? Certainly, their ignorance of their true excellency makes them enemies; they strike one another in the dark. Obs. 4. Great must be the love that God bears to sanctification. It is a work of his own framing, a gift of his own bestowing. God saw that the work of the first creation was very good; much more that of the second. Wonder no more that the faithful are called his garden, his jewels, his treasure, his temple, his portion. God has two heavens, and the sanctified soul is the lesser. How does he accept of saints even in their imperfections, delight in their performances, pity them in their troubles, take care of them in dangers! He that has given his Son for them, promised heaven to them, and sent his Spirit into them, what can he deny them? Jesus Christ never admired any thing but grace when he was upon the earth the buildings of the temple he contemned, in comparison of the faith of a poor trembling woman. Certainly, the people of God should not slight those graces in themselves that God so values, as they do when they acknowledge not the holiness that God has bestowed upon them. Shall they make orts of those delicates that Jesus Christ accounts an excellent banquet? Obs. 5. The love of God is expressive, really and effectually in us, and upon us, even in sanctifying us. Creatures, when they love, will not put off one another with bare words, of bidding be clothed, fed, &c., much less does God. If there be love in his heart, there will be bounty in his hand. Thou sayest that God is merciful, and loves thee; why, what did he ever do for thee, or work in thee? has he changed thy nature, mortified thy lusts, beautified thy heart with holiness? Where God loves, he affords lovetokens; and such are only his soul-enriching graces. No man knows love or hatred by what he sees before him, but by what he finds in him. If our heart moves toward God, certainly his goes out toward us: the shadow upon the dial moves according to the motion of the sun in the heaven. Obs. 6. We are to repair in our wants of sanctification to God for supply. He is the God of grace; "The Lord will give grace and glory." He has the key of the womb, the grave, the heavens, but chiefly of the heart. He that sitteth in heaven can only teach and touch the heart. How feeble a thing and unable is man, whether thyself or the minister, to do this! He has the winds in his own keeping; and till he send them out of his treasury, how necessarily must thy soul lay wind-bound! Whither shouldst thou go but to him? And how canst thou go but by him? The means of grace are to be used in Lectio, quam non obedience to him, not in dependence illuminat Oratio. upon them. A golden key cannot open without him, and a wooden can open with him. Man may, with the prophet's servant, lay the staff upon the forehead, but God must give life. How many fat and rich ordinances have been devoured, the soul after all remaining as lean as before, for want of seeking God aright for a blessing! Parum prodest Obs. 7. How careful we should be to maintain that which God has set up in us, and how fearful lest it should be pulled down by Satan! Christ destroys the works of the devil, and Satan labours to oppose the work of Christ. Every plant indeed that God hath not planted is to be plucked up; but the plants that God's own hand hath planted are to be nourished. What God hath joined together none should separate; grace and the soul are of God's joining together. Who laments not the destruction of man's workmanship, the overthrow and demolishing of beautiful buildings, the rooting up of corn-fields and pleasant gardens by swine? But what are these to the destructions made by sin in the hearts and lives of people? Who can give way to sin, but it must be with a sinful patience? Keep thy heart with all diligence," Prov. iv. 23: the best endowment is to be most carefully preserved. Who loves not to keep his body healthful? and yet who regards the keeping of his soul holy? The whole Trinity of Persons adorn the heart with holiness; each of them is to have a corner in it, nay, the whole. Let not Satan have wells which he never digged, inhabit houses which he never built. If the Philistines tread not on the threshold on which Dagon fell, let not Satan lodge in the heart that God sanctifies. 66 This for the first branch considerable in the description of the parties to whom the apostle wrote, "Sanctified by God the Father." Then follows, 2. "Preserved in Jesus Christ." Wherein I consider two particulars: A privilege or was, enjoyment received, viz. preservation; "Preserved," &c. The means or way of enjoying it; and that "In Jesus Christ." Of both these briefly. (1.) The privilege bestowed is preservation, “To them that are preserved," &c. In the handling whereof I shall briefly give, The explication of it, and, The observations from it. For the explication. The word used by the apostle is TETηonμévog properly signifies, solicitously to be kept, as a thing lest it be lost, or taken away by others. 1 John v. 18, it is spoken of a regenerate person's keeping himself from being touched by the wicked one noti tavrov, keepeth himself as with watch and ward; guardeth himself so accurately, as he that watcheth a prisoner for fear of his escape. So Acts iv. 3, it is said, the apostles were put by the priests siç ronow, in hold. So Acts v. 18, they put them v noησu, in prison. And of these preserved ones it is said, They "are kept by the power of God," popμεvo, kept as a town is kept with a garrison from the enemies; præsidio circumvallati, encircled with military strength: SO are these saints preserved by Christ, decepti a seduclest being deceived by seducers, they Estius in loc. should perish. Conservati, ne toribus, pereant. This preservation of the godly is threefold. 1. Temporal, and of the body. 2. Spiritual, chiefly of the soul. 3. Eternal, of both in heaven. 1. The first, though it be not here intended, as indeed it is frequently denied to the faithful, yet it is often in Scripture bestowed upon them, and that several ways: sometimes when their enemies want means to effect their desires upon them, though they have poison, yet no power, no arms or instruments of force, 2 Sam. viii. 2; or when the enemies of the church have outward strength and forces, but are diverted another way, by reason of enemies coming against them from another place, 1 Sam. xxiii. 27; or when the enemies spend their hatred and forces upon one another, Judg. vii. 22; or when their forces are by the providence of God timely discovered, so that the people of God taking refuge in some place of security, strength, or distance, the enemy cannot at all come at them, 2 Sam. xvii. 16; or when there is such a curb of restraint put upon the spirits of enemies, as, though they find them, and have them in their hand, yet they shall not be able to put forth their inward poison against them; thus even the natural force of fire, seas, beasts shall be bridled up, when God will, from hurting his people, Dan. iii. 26; or when the enemies of the church are discomfited, either by their own preposterous fear or oversight, 2 Kings vii. 6, or the instrumentalness of the senseless creatures against them, Judg. v. 20, or the puissance of the church's forces, not only spiritual, but even visible and worldly; or when the faithful being taken, are delivered out of their hand, Gen. xiv. 12, 16; or when God makes an enemy of his church to be his own destroyer, to twist and use his own halter, 2 Sam. xvii. 23; or when God inclines the hearts and dispositions of the haters of his people to pity, tender, and favour them, though they are far from love to their grace; or when God works a really sanctifying change upon their hearts, making them to wash the stripes, and lick the wounds whole, which they have made, Acts xvi. 33; or when God takes his people out of this life from the evil to come, housing his flock against a storm, taking down his ornaments when he purposes to destroy the house; and this he ordinarily does by a natural death, though he can translate his people, and take body and soul immediately into heaven, as in the case of Elijah. 2. But principally, the care of God is in this life expressed toward his people in spiritual preservation. This spiritual preservation of believers in this life is, (1.) From punishment. The curse of the law, the wrath of God, Gal. iii. 13. Not from the law of God as giving precepts, but as being a covenant exacting perfect obedience, and condemning for an imperfect performance, Rom. vi. 14; 1 Tim. i. 9; -from the terror of the law, forcing for fear of punishment, as bond-slaves by the whip, Rom. viii. 15, the people of God being made a voluntary people, and worshipping God without servile fear, Psal. cx. 3. The faithful also are preserved from the guilt and condemning power of sin, Eph. i. 7, "God not imputing their trespasses," 2 Cor. v. 19; preserved from the curse of all external punishments, as they are the effects of vengeance. Sin may be, and may not be, in the godly; it is in them by habitation, not by dominion: so punishments are on them, and are not on them; on them as sensible pains, on them as castigations to better them, on them as consequents of sin, and God's expression of his dislike of sin; not on them as curses, not on them to satisfy wrath. The wrath of God lies not upon them, when the hand of God lies upon them: every affliction is medicina, not laniena; sent to kill sin, not the man the edge, the soul, the sting, the malignity of every trouble, is removed, so that it has little more than the notion of a misery. God's people are not delivered from evils as oppressive to nature, but as satisfactory to justice: whatever they suffer, though it be death itself, they may say, Christ hath laboured, and we enter into his labours, John iv. 38; he has borne the heaviest end; death lost its sting in his side. There is honey in the carcass of this lion; this serpent is but a gentle rod being in his hand. (2.) This spiritual preservation of believers is from sin, and in the state of holiness; their grace being preserved, and the image of God never totally obliterated in them: God preserving the jewel oft when not the casket; a man's self, his soul, though not his carcass; and from that which is the greatest enemy and evil, sin, so oft in Scripture called “the evil," John xvii. 15, and that which makes the very devil himself both to be and to be called the evil one, Matt. v. 37, he both having most and dispersing most of that evil; the world to be called an evil world, 1 John v. 19; Gal. i. 4; and men, evil men, Luke vi. 45. And so this privilege of preservation from sin, and in the state of holiness, aptly follows sanctification; the elect being not only made holy, but kept holy. Hence we read of "him that is able to keep us from falling," Jude 24; of Christ praying that his disciples, though not taken out of the world, yet should be kept from the evil, John xvii. 15, the world kept out of them, though not they out of the world; of the faithful, their being "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5; of the evil one's not touching him that is born of God, 1 John v. 18; and of his not sinning; of God's delivering Paul "from every evil work," 2 Tim. iv. 18; of preserving blameless to the coming of Christ; of finishing the good work begun unto the day of Christ, Phil. i. 6. All which places intend this spiritual preservation mentioned by Jude, which is that gift of God whereby the elect, being united to Christ by his Spirit and faith, continue in him, and can never totally and finally fall from holiness. Sundry ways God preserves from sin, and in holiness. 1. Sometimes by keeping his people from the very outward temptation to sin, if he sees it would be too hard for them; often dealing with his servants, as the people did with David, who would not let him go down to battle, lest the light of Israel should have been put out, 2 Sam. xxi. 17; as Gideon C 66 faliter intermitti amittitur. dealt with his soldiers, suffering not the fearful to go to fight, Judg. vii. 3; as we preserve a lighted candle in a windy night, by putting it into a lantern. 2. Sometimes by making them conquerors even for the present over the temptation: he strengthens them so with his Spirit, as that they break the strongest cords, with Samson, bearing away the very gates of the city, and overthrowing whole troops of temptations. Thus was Joseph preserved, Gen. xxxix., as Chrysostom expresses it, in a fiery furnace, even when it was heated seven times hotter than ordinary; the power of God being put forth therein, more than in preserving the three children. Thus were the blessed martyrs preserved from sin. We read in that holy martyrology, Heb. xi. 35, they were tortured, not accepting deliverance." How many have overcome fire with fire; the fiery flame with love to Christ hotter than fire! their holy resolution rising the higher the more opposition they had, as a flood that meets with an obstacle; or as a ball, the harder it is thrown against the ground, the higher it rebounds. 3. Always God so preserves his saints from sinning, that they sin not finally, they sin not away all their holiness; their faith fails not, Luke xxii. 32; there is something in them that sins not, the seed of God, a grain of mustard-seed, a principle of holiness, which, as it opposes, so it will Gratia nec toovercome their distempers; as a foun- tur, nec finaliter tain works out its muddiness when dirt is thrown into it; as life in a man, his diseases. A saint is not delivered fully from the being of sin, but from the total prevalency of it, from finally apostacy; so that his soul still continues in the state of grace, and has the life of holiness, for the essence, though not always in the same degrees: he may aliquo modo recedere, non penitus excidere. Grace may be abated, not altogether abolished: he may peccare, Actus omittitur, not perire: sin, but not to death; intermit the actings of grace, not lose the habit. Faith may be shaken in, not out of the soul; the fruit may fall off, but the sap not totally dry up. It is true, grace in itself considered, as a creature, might totally fail; our permanency is not respectu rei, but Dei; not from our being holy, but from our being kept holy. We are kept by the power of God; and if so, it will be to salvation. Notwithstanding the power of sin in us, and the power of Satan without us, the frowns and the smiles of the world, the music and the furnace, the wind and the sun, the tide of nature and the wind of example, holiness, though in the least degree, shall never be lost to be of no degree. Satan doth soli perseverantiæ insidiari, he only aims to take away grace; he would never care to take away gold, or names, or comforts, &c., if it were not to make us sin. He that offers to give these things to make us sin, would not snatch them from us but for that end. God was not delighted that Job should be tormented, but that his grace should be tried; nor Satan so much that Job should be tormented, as that his grace should be destroyed. But though he winnow never so violently, he shall never winnow out all our grace, Luke xxii. 31. All the power of hell shall never prevail against the God of heaven. vertitur, fides non habitus non amitactio per subvertitur; contitur; defluit fructus, latet sucnum amittunt defective. Pr. l. cutitur, non excu cus jus ad regmeritorie, non etEffectus justificationis suspenditificationis non tur, at status jusdissolvitur, Suffr. Br. p. 187. The immutable, eternal decree of God is the foundation of perseverance. Now the counsel of God shall stand, Isa. xlvi. 10. The elect cannot be deceived, Matt. xxiv. 24. The impossibility of seduction is grounded upon the stability of election: the foundation of God abideth sure, 2 Tim. ii. 19; it can never be moved out of its place. The purpose of • Quod datur ex Infallibiliter ser tur, illud ex de efficaci intentione decree of election, is most manifest, bevandi illam per- cause it is given with a previous intensona cu donation of infallibly bringing him to salcreto dilectionis vation, to whom it is given; for what festum est. Suffr. is election, but to ordain infallibly to obtain salvation? dimanare mani Br. p. 197. And this immutable purpose the all-powerful and faithful God backs with infallible promises. "The mountains shall depart, but the covenant of his peace shall not," Isa. liv. 10. "I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me," Jer. xxxii. 40. "My sheep shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand," John x. 28. "I will betroth thee unto me for ever," Hos. ii. 19. | God according to election must stand, Rom. ix. 11. falls, had it not been for God's power. Perfectiones sibi Of all that God hath given Christ by election he will The great design of Satan is to surprise relicta, sunt onlose nothing, John vi. 39. sanctity. The thief gotten into the dera ad ruinam. Gers. And that preservation flows from the house, presently inquires where the jewels and money are laid up. The devil had rather catch one fish than a hundred frogs; he is sure already (he thinks) of his own. Besides, they do not much credit his cause; but could he bring over to himself one sanctified person, he would boast in such an addition to his kingdom. It is the tree that bears fruit which is plucked and cudgelled; under other trees which have only leaves, men sit and walk indeed, but they pluck them not: and of all trees which bear fruit, those which bear the best are pulled and beaten most. It is the richly laden ship that is most endangered by the pirates; the soul enriched with holiness for which Satan lies most in wait. There are as many miracles wrought, as a saint is preserved minutes. Let us neither be secure nor discouraged. Not secure; we live in the midst of enemies. He that will be always safe. must never be secure we cannot trust God too much, nor our own hearts too little; the former is our keeper, the latter is our traitor. No Christian is his own keeper: we can neither stand nor rise alone; all we can do alone is to fall. Not discouraged: thy many robbers show thou hast something worth taking from thee: thy enemies, though they endanger thy holiness, yet grant it; in opposing thee, they speak thee none of theirs; nay, they engage Jesus Christ to oppose them, who will lose none of his; to pity thee, who will not suffer thee to be tempted above Cadit mundus, thy power. Let the world fall, yet a sed non cadit Christian falls not, as long as Christ on cat Chrisstands. "Christ shall confirm you to the end," 1 Cor. i. 8. Nay, this stableness of his counsel he shows by an oath also; which was, "That we being delivered," &c., "might worship him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our life," Luke i. 74, 75. This purpose, and these promises, God even in this life backs with such performances as prove perseverance infallibly to follow; he bestows upon his people an inward continuing principle of holiness, the seed of God remaining in God's people, which makes them that they cannot sin, 1 John iii. 9. "A well of water springing up unto everlasting life," John iv. 14. An anointing abiding in them, 1 John ii. 27. The Spirit abiding for ever, John xiv. 16. The fear of God in their hearts not suffering to depart from God, Jer. xxxii. 40. "Gifts without repentance," Rom. xi. 29. Upon these performances of God believers have been assured, and are commanded to labour for the assurance of their salvation; a privilege not to be attained, if assurance of perseverance were impossible; for without perseverance there is no salvation, I John v. 13; Heb. iii. 6; 2 Pet. i. 10. 3. The third and fullest preservation is eternal, which shall be perfectly from every enemy that may hurt in a way of sin and misery, truly called folix securitas, et secura fœlicitas, happy safety, and safe happiness; when the people of God shall neither offend, nor be offended; when there shall be neither a sin in the soul, nor a sinner in their society; when Satan shall no more solicit; when the faithful shall not only be exempted from foils, but even from fighting; when instead of swords, they shall only have palms in their hands. O blessed condition! to have rest on every side, fulness of grace, perfection of peace, to be freed from all fears, to be lodged in the bosom and locked up in the embraces of God to eternity, to be in our haven, our centre, our Father's house. O my soul! it is a heaven to hope it; what then is it to have it! And this for the explication of the nature of this preservation, the second kind of privilege bestowed upon the faithful. Obs. 1. Sanctified persons have many enemies. It is true, none are safe but such, and yet none so much solicited as such. What need this rhonous, this careful preservation, this garrison of God's power, if there were none feared to give and take the possession of thy soul from God? Is there not a false party within? The best governed city has some traitors, and so has the best governed heart: nay, is not the better party in the soul by far the lesser? and how oft do the disaffected conspire to let in the enemy without! which they had long ago done, and destroyed the good party too, for grace left to itself | Christianus, quia tus. Aug. Obs. 2. God keeps most graciously when he keeps us from sin then he keeps us as his own people. He keeps from sickness or poverty by way of a general providence, but from sin by way of peculiar preservation: whatever other preservation he bestows without this, it is but a reservation to eternal ruin. Christ, that loves all his members most tenderly, never desired of his Father to keep them free from outward troubles: he prays not that he should take his disciples "out of the world, but keep them from the evil," John xvii. 15; not that they should be exempted from sufferings, but preserved from sin, the evil: that they might never side with the times against God; that they might never apostatize, or forsake the truth. Every one seeks safety, but who desires this true safety, this soul safety? Worldly policy would that a man sleep in a whole skin, but true wisdom puts a man upon preserving a whole conscience: a whole skin countervails not for a wounded conscience. And yet this is the study of the times, every one labours to save one, to fall upon his feet, to keep from being plun dered, &c.; but who study to be kept from offending God? If thou couldst as easily keep thyself from God's wrath as from man's, by all thy projects, thy policy would be a good pattern: gain in the chest, and loss in the conscience, is but a bad exchange. He that will save his life when he should lose it, shall lose it when he would save it. Fear not troubles, because He sleeps not that preserves thee; but fear sin, because He sleeps not that observes thee. Account it a greater mercy, in all the sinful agitations of these times, that God has kept thee from being an actor, than a misery that God hath made thee a sufferer. Obs. 3. The people of God are never unsafe, Psal. xxxvii; xci. If the Lord be the watchman, what though it be an estate, a life, nay, a soul that is the city, we should not fear the loss of it. The meanest Agnoscit se juste est etiam filiis Dei Will non possint, ve nisi perseverantes ever now the cause of the abiding of perseverantes esse Nei. Arist. Rob. of the people of God stir not out without their lifeguard; if they wanted, there is not a creature in heaven or earth but would take their dedisse stulta se- part; they are the hidden, the secret, curitatis poenam the preserved ones. Security is not so great a sin as distrust, our Friend being much more able to help than our foes to hurt. What one said sinfully, every child of God may say holily, "I shall never be moved," Psal. xxx. 6. We must commit ourselves "to God in well-doing," 1 Pet. iv. 19; ii. 23. Christ, though he committed himself not to man, knowing what was in man, yet him- Obs. 6. He that will approve himself a true, must self living and dying he committed to his Father: we show himself a stedfast Christian. All the sanctified do quite contrary. Find out the danger in which are preserved. Instability is an argu- ovdeis épaσTijs God cannot keep, or the time when God did not ment of insincerity. He was never a ὅστις οὐκ αει φι keep, or the saint, for to him I speak, that God hath true friend that ever ceases to be a 1. 2. c. 21. not kept, and then distrust him. Say not, If worse friend. What has levity to do with eternity? an intimes yet come, what shall I do to be kept? constant Christian with an eternal reward? Not he not he that provided a city of refuge for those that that comes in first, in this race of Christianity, is killed men, find out a city of refuge for thee, when crowned; but he that holds out to the last. All that men labour to kill thee for God? Hath God so many which is done of any thing, is held as nothing, as chambers, so many "mansions in his house," John long as any thing remains to be done. "If any one xiv. 2, so many hiding-places upon the earth, (his, draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him," with the fulness of it,) in the earth, in heaven, and Heb. x. 38. A thatched roof suits not a precious shall his children be shut out? Thy work is not to foundation; nor a wicked conclusion, beautiful bebe solicitous how to be kept, but how to be fit to be ginnings of Christianity. Within a while all possikept. Labour to be always in well-doing; then who|bilities of falling will be removed; one stile or two will harm thee? Keep faith and a good conscience; more, and thou art haply at thy Father's house: the keep no sin allowedly in thy soul; do thy part, and longer thou continuest, the sweeter will be the ways let God alone with his. But this is our busy sinful- of God. It is harder often to begin than once to perseness, we will needs be doing God's work, and neglect vere. Take heed of falling from thy stedfastness. God preserves us, but we ourselves must not be negligent. Get a sound experience of the truth thou professest; tasting the sweetness, as well as hearing of its sweetness. Follow not religion, as some hounds do the game, only for company. Love the truth for single, not sinister respects: let Christ be sweet for himself. Tremble at the very beginnings of sin; look upon no sin as light; keep a tender conscience; as our apparel, so our consciences, when spotted, become neglected. Apostacy has modest beginnings. The thickest ice, that bears a cart, begins with a tender film, not able to bear a pebble: the least enemy must not be neglected. Presume not on thy own strength. He that carries grace in a proud heart, carries dust in the wind. A proud man is arbor decorticata, a tree whose bark is off: humility keeps in the sap of grace. Shun the occasions of sin; it is easier to pass by the snare than to get out. Lastly, pray to be preserved: from God is it that we stand: we are reeds tied to a pillar. The wicked go out of the way, and they call not upon God, Psal. xiv. 3, 4. our own. Obs. 4. A strong engagement lies upon God's people to endeavour the preservation of God's honour. It is true, in this case, protection draws allegiance. If he be a wall of fire to us, to our souls and bodies, let not us be a rotten hedge when we should defend his name, servants, ordinances; if he be a tower, let not us be a tottering wall. Let us labour to say, Lord, he that toucheth thine honour, toucheth the apple of mine eye. If we expect that God should keep us in our, we must maintain his cause in its, danger. Obs. 5. The gainsayers of perseverance are deceived. Their doctrine most clearly, as hath been proved, opposes Scripture, and most incurably wounds a Christian's comfort. What joy can we have that our names are written in the book of life, if again they may be blotted out? The life of our mortal life is the hope of an immortal; but how unsteady a foundation of hope is the stedfastness of our wills! nay, thus faith's foundation is overturned, which is this, "He that believes shall be saved:" but this opinion says, Some that believe shall not be saved; for it maintains, that some who truly believe do not persevere; and those which do not persevere shall not be saved: it makes the decree of God to depend upon man's most uncertain will. Arminians say that believers shall persevere, if they be not wanting to themselves, if they always will persevere. But what is this, but to say, Believers shall persevere if they persevere? for always to will to persevere, and to persevere, are all one. It is a prodigious error, to hold that God works nothing in us for perseverance, the effectual use of which depends not upon man's free-will. God gives, saith an Arminian, to persevere if we will; but God gives, say we, to will to persevere. And how can we est gratia, ut non pray to God for perseverance, the consolum possimus si dition whereof depends upon man's etiam ut velimus Will, and not upon God's working? in Christo perse Christ promises, John xiv. 16, to pray Cor. et gra. c. 11 the Father to give his disciples his ut sine isto dono Spirit, which shall abide with them for Nobis qui vere Christo insiti sumus, falis data velimus, sed erare. Aug. de et 12. Non solum This for the handling of the first particular in the second privilege; viz. the kind of it, preservation. The second follows; viz. The ground of this their preservation: "In Jesus Christ." For explication. The faithful may be said to be preserved in Christ two ways. 1. Merito passionis, by the merit of his suffering; and thus he saves from the wrath and curse of God: "There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus," Rom. viii. 1. He saveth" from the wrath to come," 1 Thess. i. 10. "The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed," Isa. liii. 5. He was as the brazen serpent in healing the beholders. All miseries, as curses, have left their stings in his side. He was the true Passover, for whom all the judgments of God pass over us: his cross is the tree cast into the waters of Marah, to his ignominy is our glory; take away their bitterness; his poverty our patrimony. 2. We are preserved in Christ, efficacia operationis, by his effectual working in us, and bestowing upon us such supplies of grace, as that we never fully and |