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K.i-

Serious

Thoughts

UPON THE

PERSEVERANCE

OF THE

AINT S

LONDON:

Printed

in the Year,

MOCCLI.

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17 (

UNIVERSITY
OF FLORIDA
LIBRARIES

292
; SPClAL
SLLECTIONS

,' ''r* r

_=-. -- 1 '-

Serious. Thoughts

Upon the PERSEVERANCE of the

S A INTS.

SA N Y large Volumes have been
l already published on this impor-
tant Subjeft But the very Length
of them makes them hard to be underflood, or
even purchased by common Readers. A fltort,
plain Treatife on this Head, is what ferious
Men have long defired, and what is here offered
to thofe whom GOD has endowed with Love and
Mecknefs of Wifdom.
2. By the Saints I understand, Thofe who are
holy or righteous, in the Judgment of Goo
himself: Thofe who are endued with the
Faith that purifies the Heart, that produces
a good Confcience: Thofe who are grafted in-
to the good Olive tree, the spiritual, invifible
Church: Thofe who are Branches of the true
Vine, of whom Ci lsr fays, I am the Fine, .t
are the Branches: Thofe who fo effecually know
CFi rsr, as by that Knowledge to have efcaped
the Pollutions of the World: Thofe who fee the
Light of the Glory of Goo in the Face of JEsus
CHRIST, and who have been made Partakers of
the HOLY GHOST, of the Witnefs and the Fruits
A z of

- -

[4 ]
of the Spirit: Thofe who live by Faith in the
Son of -Go : Thofe who are fanified by the
Blood of the Covenant: Thofe to whom all, or
any of thefe Chara&ers belong, I mean by the
Term Saints.
3. Can any of thefe fall away ? ByfaAitg away
we mean, not barely falling into Sin. This, it
is granted, they may.' But can they fall totai/P
Can any of there fo fall from Gon, as to perilh
everlailingly ?
4 I am fenfible, either Side of this Queftion,
is attended with great Difficulties: Such as Rea-
fon alone could never remove. Therefore to
the Law and to the Tetlimony. Let t~lb ivij
Oracles decide: And if thefe peak for us wp
; neither Ceek nor want farther Witnefs.
S. On this Authority, I believe, a Saint may
'fall away ; that one who is holy or righteous, in
S the Judgment of Gon himself, may nevertheless
fo fall from GoD, as to perith everlaftingly.
S 'I. For thus faith the LR D, Wen the rigbet-
teus turneth away from his Rigbhteuounfs, and com-
mitteth Iniquiy, in bis 'refpafi that be batb trrf-
pd, an d in bh Sin that be bath fjnned, in them
fall be die.
That this is to be undcrftood of eternal Death,
appears from the 26th Verfe:
pWen a righteous Man turnetb away from bis
Rigbteouf/efs and committetb Jniuity, and diab in
tbhm, (here is temporal Death,) for bit Iniquit y
that he bath done, he fali die: Here is Death
eternal.
It
Ezek. xvii. 24.

[s]
It appears farther from the whole Scope of
the Chapter, which is to prove, 'Te Soul tbat
finneth, it a/ll.die.
If you fay, the Soul here means the Body :"
I answer, that will die whether you fin or no.
6. Again, thus faith the LoRD, t W'hen I
Hall fay to the Rigbteous, that be hall purely live,
if be tru to his own Rigbteoufef/s (yea, or to
that Promife as absolute and unconditional) and
cotmitteth Itiquity, all bis Rightecufnefs ball not
he rmembred, bt for his Ikiquity that he bath com
mitted f all be die.
Again, J Whebn the Righteous turnetb from his
Righbtoufnefi and ommitteth Iniquity, be fall vexa
aie bthereby
Therefore one who is holy and righteous, in
the Judgment of GoD himself, may. yet fo fall
as to perifh everlaffingly,
7. But how is this confifient with what Goa
declared elsewhere, If his Cbi/dren f arfake my
Law and walk not in my judgments I will vil?
their Offences with the Rod,.and their Sin vwit
Stourges. Neverthlefi. my loving Kindnfs will I
not utterly take from him, nor ufJfer my Truth ro
fail. My Covenant will I not r reak, nor alter the
Thing that is gone out of my Lips : I bave fworn once
ly my HRoliffif,. that I will iot fail David.
I answer, There is no Manner of Inconfilft
ency between one Declaration and the other.
The Prophet declares the juf Judgment of GOD,.
against every righteous Man who falls from his,
Righteoufnefs. The Pfalmift declares H, the old
A 3 hvinC
Ver, 4.. 33. v. t 3.' T v. 18 j Pfalk
S9. v. 31-34. v. 48. al, 22,.-3.

__~.~.__. -_IC_. ~_ I L I

U .. -- .; ,
>1!. ,s, .: r. .. ,

a.,? Avtng Kiervseb wirbh GOD fware rIe tm avi in
h bshruh. 1 hae foud,n faith he, David ty Sr-"
S I, ) r~'cant, withb my p lOj Oil bave I anointed him. M1
Il ndh all hold him rft, and my Armbaldfirengtbe
bim -Hih Seed a/f will I make cA endure for ever,
and bis Throne as the Days of Heave, It follows,
But f bi Childre forfake my Law and walk mW.
is my j7rdgments Nevertbeefs My loving Kiff.tft
will I not utterly take from him, nor fufr my Truti
to fail. My Covenant will I not break. I will ot
fail David: His Seed /ball endure for ever, p i
h s Throne as the Sun before me.
May not every Man fee., That the CGOtnat
] here fpoken of, relates wholly to Da'id and his
SSeed or Children ? Where then is the Incog-
fiftency between the molt absolute Promife made
|- a T-r -..-r -
Sto a particular Family; and. that aolen Ac-
count which GoD has here given of his Way of
SDealing with all Mankind?
Befides, the very Covenant mentioned in there
Words is not absolute, but conditional. The
Condition of Repentance in cafe of forfaking
GoD's Law, was implied, tho' not expreft.
And fo firongly implied, that this Condition
failing, not being performed, GOD did alfofaij
David. He did alter the Thing that bad goee out
of his Lips, and yet without any Impeachment of
his Truth. He abhorred and f]Lrfjo his Apnoint-
Sdt, the Seed of David, whole Throne, if they
had repented, should have been as the Days of
Ia Hr':w He did break the Covenant f his Ser-
Srant, and cIff his Crows to the Ground. So vain-
ly are thefe Words of the Pfalm/t brought to
contradict the plain, full Tefimony of the Prophet.
I Nor
Ver. t L-. t v. 37- 5 v. 38*
L .

S i

*<

9. Nor is there any Contradition between this
Teftimony of GoD. by Ezdeid, and thole Words
which he fpake by PJremiab: I bhe loved thee
wit ans werlafting Lov; therefore with loring.
Kindefi have I drawn thee. For, do thefe Words
afrert, That no righteous Man ever turns from
his Righteoufnefs ? No fuch Thing. They do
pot touch the Queftion, but simply declare Go D's
Love to the Yewrui Church. To fee this in the
clearest Light, you need only read over the
whole Sentence. At the fame Time, faith the
LO RD, I will 6' the GO D of all the Famiies of
Ifrael, and they bhal be my People. T'bus faith the
L 0 R D, the People which were lpft f the Sword
found Grace in fte Witdernes, even Ifrael, when I
afed binr to refl. Te LORD batb appearedd f old
ante me, faith the Prophet, speaking in the Perfon
of Ifra/e, laying, Ibave loved tbee wilb aa Ever-
lafing Love, therefore with loving A~nd have I
drawn thee. gain I will build thee, and .tho
fbalt be huilt, 0 rirgin of Ifra,.
Suffer me here to obferve once for all, a Fal-
lacy which is conflanty ufed, by almost all
Writers on this Point. They perpetually beg
the Queftion by applying to particular Perfons,
Affertiomn or Prophecies, which relate only to
the Church in general: And fome of them only
to the 7 oIb Church and Nation, as dillin-
guifhed from all other People.
If you fay, '" But it was particularly revealed
to me, That GoD had loved me with an ever-
lafling Love:" I answer, Suppofe it was, (which
might bear a Difpute) it proves no more, at the
moft, than that you in particular fall perfevere :

C-Ch. 31 V. v. Z, 4.

Ts8)
Bu't does not affect the General Quelioni WH.e-
ther others hall, or hall not? :
9. Secondly, One who is endued with' the'
Faith that purifies the Heart that produces a
good Confcience, may neverthelcfs fo fall from.
GoD, as to perifh eierlaftingly. : .
For thus faith the inspired Apoftle, War I
good Warfare, bolding Faithr a a a goo Coafttnf~e
which fone having put away,. concerning Faith bwb:.
made Shipwreck. r- .. ) -
Obferve, i, Thefe Men (fuch as Hiym-vrfe
and Alexander) had once the Faith -that purifies
the Heart, that produces a good Confciences
which they once had, or they could not have
pur it away.
Obferve, 2. They made 'Sbhireek Xof th'd
Faith, which neceffarily implies the tbtal antd f
final Lofs of it. For ~ Veffel once wreck'd'rtat
never be recovered. It is totally and finally loft;
And the Apofile himfelf, in his second
Epiftle to jimthy, "'iel ions-one of thefe two as.
irrecoverably lof. -diexander, fay he, did me
%dcb Evil: The L OR D Fall reward' im accord-
ing to his Wt'rs..
Therefore one who is indued with the Faith
that purifies' the Heart, that produces a good
Confcience, may nevertheless fo fall from Gon,
as to perith cverlaffingly.
1o. But how can this be reconciled with the
W6rdsofourLoD n, Hetsat believelb ha /befRaed.l
Do you think there Words mean, bhe-tdztbe-
lieves at this Moment, hall certainly and inevi-
tably be-faved ?
If this Interpretation be good, then by all
the Rules of Speech, the other Part of the Sea-
* Tim. .i xix z. 20 z Tim. iv. t14

[9
tence muft mean, be that does not believe at this
Moment, j/alicertainly and inevitably be damned.
Therefore that Interpretation cannot be good.
The plain Meaning then of the whole Sentence
is, He that believetb, if he continue in Faith,
ball e faed.; he that believetb not, if he conti-
aues in Unbelief, fJail be damnted
t "But does not Cuasr fay elsewhere, He
that keieveth bath everlt fing Life? And t HI
that believth on him that fpt me, bath everlafling
Life, and hall not come into Condemnation, at is
pafed from Death unto L-f,."
I atfwer, r. The Love of GOD is cverlafIng
Ljifc. It is, in Subflance, the Life of Heaven.
Now every one that believes, loves GOD ; and
therefre batb werlafling Life.
2. Evryy one that believes is therefore paf'd
from Death, spiritual Death, unto Life; And
;. Shall not come into Condemnation, if he en<
dureth in the Faith unto the End : According to.
our LoaD'S own Word, He that enduretb to the
End, Jball be faved: j And verily Ifay unto yu, if a
Man keep my Saying, be ball never fee Death.
s Thirdly, Thofe who are grafted in-
to the good Olive-tree, the spiritual, invifible
Church, may -neverthelefs to fall from Goo, as
to perifh everlaftingly.
For thus faith the Apoitle, ([ Some ofthe Branrbs
are broken of, and thou art grafted in among them,
and witb them partakefl of the Root and Fatrefs of
she Olive-ree.
Be not bigb-miled but fear: G O Dfpared not
the natural Branches, take e bed lf befpare nt tbhee
j7obn iii. 36. + c. 6.. 24. p7ohn vili. 5 .
| Rem. xi17. zo, 2 22.

~----- I--- I_ -~--- -- ---~

.BehFd thbe Goodnefs and Severity qf GO D /t Os
them whicb fell Severity ; but toward thee Goodnfs,
if tbou continue in his Gsodnaes; otberwfr tho -
yfalt 4e cut off
We may obferve here, i. The Perfons fpokea
to, were actually grafted into the Olive-tree i
2. This Olive-tree is not barely the outward
vifible Church, but the Invifible, confifting of
holy Believers.. So the Text. If the fif Fruit
Ie hbo, the -Lamp is holb:; and i/ the Root be beotk,
fo art Ite rantarbes. And, Bcranfre of Unbelief
ley were brokt-n f, and tiuftadf by Faith.
3. Thefe holy Believers were fill liable to be
cut off from the invifible C%'urch, "'idto which
they were then grafted -
4. Here is not the left Intipation of thofe
who were to cut off, being ever grafted in again.
Therefore thofe-who are grafted into the good
Olive-tree, the spiritual, invifible Church, may
neverthelefs fo fall froin Goo, as to perish ever
lalin gly.
13. But how does this agree with the 29th
Verfe, The Gtifs and Calit'g of G 0 D are withor.
Repctanco ?
The preceding Verfe fhews : As toucbing ft
Elct. ,7 (the unconditional Eletion of the J,-
wrf Nation) ci-. are be5 edfor th Fathers S. A:
For the Sake of their Fore Fathers. It follows
(in proof of this, That they are beloved fir tbh
Fatihrs Sat, that GOD has fill Blcflings inStore
for the J'z:if Nation) FTr the Gifts and C./ling
of GO D, are without Rtpcntance : For Goo doth
cot repent of any Bleflings he hath given them, or
any

* Ver. i5.

[ *' ]
any Privileges he hath called them to. The
Words here referred to, were originally fpoken
with a peculiar Regard to thefe national Blef-
fiAgs. G 0 D ijs not a Mfn, tbat he fhoud lie,
neiltbr the.Ssn f Man, tbat he should repent.
14.-" But do not you hereby make Gou
changeable ? Whereas '; with him is no variable-
rwfs neither Shadow of turning ?" By no means,
Gop iis unchangeably holy. Therefore he al-
ways loreth Rigbtefoufnos and batetb Inmuipy. He
is unchangeably Good. Therefore he pardoneth
all that repent &nd believe the Gofpe. And he
is unchangeably juft.; therefore he rewardetb
every Man according to his Warh.r. But all this
hinders not his refifUing when they are proud,
thofe to whom he gave Grace when they were
humble. Nay, his unchangeablenefs itself re-
quires, that if they grow high minded, Goi
Should cut them off: That there should be a
proportionable Change, in all the Divine Dif-
penfations toward them.
x5.- But how then is GDn faithful? I an-
iwer, in fulfilling every Promife which he hath
made, to all to whom it is made, all who falfil
Sthe Condition of that Promife. More particu-
larly, ft, 5 G D is faithful in that he will n-t
fffer you to be .tmpted above that y are able to
bear. 2d, $ The L R D is fithful, to flab/if and
keep you from wil (if you put your Truff in him)
from all the-evil which you might otherwise
fuffer, thro' unrea/sinabl and wicked Men. 3. I
Zvzch not the Spirit; bold fl that wb.'c is god';
ab-
Numb. xxii. 19. -f ames i. 1 7. i Cor.
x. 13. T Th ef. iii. 2, 3. i T v. 59.

[ i2 5
a4fain from all appearance of il: And your
rvhou S4pirit, Soul and Body Ihall le preferred bafme
If, unto the comirg of our Lord E S US CHR rST.
Faithful it be that calletb yb, who al/o will do it.
4. Be not difobedient unto the heavenly Calling,
and GOD is faitlfuil y whom ye were calld
to confirm yu unto the ei,, that ye may be b61menfs,
in tbe Day ofor Lord JESUS, CRRIS Yet
notwithstanding all this, unlefs you. fulfil te
Condition, ypu cannot attain the Promife.
Nay, but are not all the Promifs yea ant
omen?" They are. They are firm as the&
Pillars of Heaven. Perform the Condition: And
the Promife is cure. Believe, and thou Ihalt be
favcd.
But many Promifes are absolute and ua-
conditional." In many, the Condition is not
expreft. But this does not prove, ,there is nonf
implied. No Promifes can be exprelt, in a more
absolute Form, that thofe above cited from the
89th Pfalm. And yet we have feen, a Condi-
tion was implied even there, tho' none -was
expreitL
S6. But there is no Condition either expreA
or implied, in thofe Words of St. Paul, I1 am
'" perfuaed that neither Deabh, nor Lif, nor Height
Sno.r Deptb, nor awy Creature, fall be able to fs
a pirate us from the Lave of GOD, whb.i is in
SGCHRIST JESUS our LORD."
Suppofe there is not (which will bear a Dif-
pute) yet what will this'prove ? Juft thus much,
that the Apoftle was at that: Time fully perfuad-
ed of his own Perfeverance. And I doubt not,
but
j Ccr. i. 8, 9. J Rom. viii. 3, 39-

s

mn 3 I
but many Belevers at this Day, have the very
fame Perfuafion, termed in Scripture, the full
Affurance of Hope. But this does not prove,
that every Believer hall perfevere : Any more
than that every Believer is thus fully persuaded
of his Perfeverance.
IV. 17. Fourthly, Thofe who are Branches
of the true Vine, of whom CHRIST fays, I am
the Vine, ye are the Branches, may neverthelefi
,fo fall from GoD, as to pcrifh cveilaftingly.
For thus faith our Bleffed LORD himself, I
am e htriue Fine, and my Father is ite Husband-

Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit, be
taketb it away.
I am the Fine, ye are tbe Brancher. If a Man
abide not in me, be is caf forthA as a Branch and is
withered, and Men gather them and cafi thfm into
.tbe Fire, and they are burntrl
Here we may obfcrve, i. The Perfons spoken
of, were in CHR IS h, Branrche of the true F n :
z. Some of thefe Branches abide nt in CHRIST,
but tbe Father taketb them awa;
3. The Branches which abide not are caft fortb,
caft out from CHRIST and his Church:
4. They are not only caft ftrib but withered;
consequently never grafted in again. Nay,
5. They are not only arft forth and withered,
but alfo caf into the Fire. And
6. They are burned. It is not poffible for
Words more firongly to declare, -that even thofe
who are now Branches in the true Vine, may yet
fo fall, as to perifh everlaftingly.
B / .
Car. i. 8, 9.

[ 14
IS. By this clear, indifputable Declaration of
our LORD, we may interpret thofe which might
be otherwise liable to dispute: Wherein it is cer-
tain, what ever he meant befide, he did not
mean to contradict himself. For Example,' This
is the Father's Will, that of all whbir be hatb ginve
me 1 jhond Ife nothing. Moft fure; all that GOD
bath given him, or (as it is expreft in the next
Verfe) every one which believetb on hit, namely,
to the end, he will raise up at ibe /aof Day, to
reign With him for ever,
Again, Iam the livig Bread Ifany Man
eat of this Bread (by Faith) be jall live fr ever
True; if he continue to eat thereof. And who
can doubt of it
Again, My Sheep hear my Joice, and I knom
them, and they follow me. And I give unto them
eternal Lfe; and they ball never perif, either
fla/R any pluck them out of my Hand.
In the preceding Text, rhe Condition is on-
ly implied. In this it is plainly expreft. .They
are my Sbeep, that bear my Voie, thatfa/fow me in
all Holinefs. And, if ye do theft Things, ye
f all never fall. None hall pluckyou owt of my
Hands .
Again, t Having loved his own whih were tin
the World, be loveth them unto the Ed. Having
lovedhis own, namely the Apoftles, (as the very
next Words, whicb were in the World, evidently
thew) he loved them unto the End of his Life,
and manifested that Love to the Laft.
19.
Verx. 5I. t C. 10. v. 27, a$, 29. t" 70fo
Xii. 1.I

~ ~FC. II

[ r5
j19. Once more, Holy Father; kt thrsugb
thine own Name rtoft wbom thou ha/f gien me, that
rby y ma o u,.. as we are one.
Great Strefs has been laid upon this Text:
And it has been hence inferred, That all thbcfe ubomr
the Father had given him (a Phrafe frequently
occurring in this Chapter) muft infallibly perfe-
vere to the End,
And yet in the very next Verfe, our LORD
himfelf declares, That one of tbeo~ whsm the
Father bad gih en him,. did not perfevere unto the
End, but perilled everlaftingly.
His own Words are. f T'ofe that thou gav e
me, Ibawe kept, and ione of them is lof but tbs
Son of Perditis.
So one even of thefc was finally loft I A De-
monftration that the Phrafe- 7Tbof wbom hou hbft
give me, fignifies here (if not in molt other
Places too) the twelve Apoffles and them only.
o2. On this Occafion, I cannot but obferve
4
another common Intance of begging the Queili-
on, of taking for granted, what ought to be
proved: It is usually laid down, as an indi-f
putable Truth, that whatever our LORD peaks
to'or of his Apofles, is to be applied to all Be-
lievers. But this cannot be allowed by any who
impartially fearch the Scriptures. They cannot
allow, without clear and particular Proof, that
any one of thofe Texts, which related primarily
to the Apoftles (as all Men grant) belong to any
but them.
za V.

Ch. 17. v. I. t. v.iz.

. I'

V. 2 u. Fifthly, Thofe who to effefually
know CHsIs T, as by that Knowledge to have
efcaped the Pollutions of'the World, may yet
fall back into thofe Pollutions, and perifh ever-
laftingly.
For thus faith the Apoftle Petr, Ifafter thbe
barv efcaped the Pollutions of the WT rld, thro' tbe
KXnewledge of the Lord and Sawiour JESUS a
C-HR IS (the only poffible Way of efcaping
them) thcy are again intangled therein and over.
gome, tke latter End is worfT with them than the
Beginning.
For it had betn betterfor them, not to bave knttn
the Way of Righteoufrj, than after they bad knomw
it, to turn f rm the bol$ Commandment delivered unto

That the Knowledge of the Way of Rigjhteofnefi,
which they had attained, was an inward, expe-
rimental Knowledge, is evident from that other
Exprefllon, They had efraped the Pollutions of the
Wcrld: An Exprefllion parallel to that in the
the preceding Chapter, Having ecraped tbe
Corruption which is in the World. And in both
Chapters, this Effeft is afcribed to the fame
Caufe: Termed in the firft, The Knowledge of
him who hath called us to Glory and Virtue in the
second, more explicitly, the Knowledge of the Lord
and Saviour, JESUS CHRIST.
And yet they loft that experimental Know-
ledge of CHRITr and the Way of Righte-
oufnefs: They fell back into the fame Pollutions
they had efcaped; and were again intangled
thbcrri

z Pct, ii. 20, z U. t v. 4.

m4

[ ('7]
therein and overcome. They turned from the bz?
Commandment delivered to thev, fo that their lat-
ter End wwa orfe than thbir Beginning.
Therefore thofe who fo effectually know
CaHis r, as by that Knowledge to have efcaped
the Pollutions of the World, may yet fall back
into thofe Pollutions and-perifl everlaftingly.
2z. And this is perfectly confifrint with St.
Peter's Words, in the firft Chapter of his former
Epiftle: Whoa are kept hy thb Pcwer of GOD thro'
Faith urnt Saklation. Undoubtedly fo are all
they who ever attain eternal Salvation. It is the
Power of GoD only, and not our own, by which
we are kept one Day or oneHour.
VI. 23. Sixthly, thofe who fee the Light of
the Glory of GOD in the Face of JESUS CH tsT
and who have been made Partakers of the Hb.-
tr GHOST, of the Witnefs and the Fruits of
the Spirit; may nevcrthelefs fo fall from GOD,
as to perifh everlaftingly.
-For thus faith the inspired Writer to the He-
brews, is impaoffie for thbfe who were once inz
lightened, ad bavt taftd of the bhevenln GifJt
and were made Partakers of the fHoy Ghqfji-- ibey
fill away, to renew them again to Refentanet ; fee-
ing they cruify to theifrves the So of GOD afrefhr,
Sand put him to en open Shame;
Muft not every unprejudiced Perforr fee,, the
Expreffions here ufed, are fo firong and clear,
that they cannot without- grofs and palpable
Wrefting, be understood of any but trueBelievers tu
They were once enigbhted : An Exprefionfa-.
miliar with the Apoftle, and never by him ap-
plied to any but Believers. So, The GODof our
B 3 Lord
SCh., v. ,f Ib if 17 r87 1,9

Lord JE S US C HR IST,give unto you tbh Spi.
rift f Wifdom and Revelation. The Eyes of your
UnderflaNdi'g being enlightened, that ye may know
wbht is the Hope of bis Calling -- And what is the
exceeding Greatnefi of bis Glory, to ward that be-
lize, So again, GOD who commanded the
Light tofbine cut of Darknefr, bath fined into our
Hea rtf, to give the Light of the Kngrolede of the 1
Gkry of G O in the Face f JES US CHRIST.
This is a Light which no Unbelievers have.
They are utter Strangers to fuch Inlightning. t
T4e G 0D of ibis World bath Ilinded the Minds of
them wbich believe not, lefJ tbh Liglb of the glo-
rions Gojpl ofCl CHRIS 7, jfoulda in& uito
them.
Thqr bad safted ofthe beavrenl GC6 (emphatical-
ly fo called) nd were made Partakers of the Ho LY
GHoar. So St. Peter likewise couples them to-
gether: I Be Aaptized fr the Remiaion aoSins, and
ye jha// receive the Gif of the HOLI G HOST
Whereby the Love of Goo was Ihed abroad in
their Hearts, with all the other Fruits of the
Spirit. Yea, it is remarkable, that our LoRD
limfelf, in his grand Commiflion to St. Paul (to
which tie Apofile probably alludes in thefe
WVords) comprizes all thefe three Particulars. j <
lIfiend th'e t pen their Eyes, and to turn them from
Darkausi to Light, and from the Power of Satrn
fztto G 0D, (here contracted into that one Ex-
prF'cion, 'ETty were il/ightbncd. tbat tbey may re-
CciE' ihricnejsi of Sin: (Twb bca ven GETj) and an

-. v. 6. v. 4. 3 5 ch.
A-C V. 18,

hU
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[ ]9 1
ITberitance amoeg them woich are fanatfted; which
are made Partakers f the HOLY GHOST, of
all the fanitifying Influences of the Spirit.
The Expreffion, They tailed of tbe beavenl Gi~f
is taken from the Pfalmift, Tafle and .p that /he
LORD it gooa. As if he had faid, Be ye as aflured
of his.Love, as of any thing you fee with your
Eyes. And let the Affirance thereof be feet
to your Soul, as Honey is to your Tongue.
And yet thofe who had been thus in/igbtened,
had tafled this Gf?, and been thus Partakers of
the HO L GHOST, to fell away, that it was
imp ffikl to renew tbem again to Repentance.
But e Apoftle only makes a Suppofition,
Ify hey fjal fa// away.'
I answer, The Apoftle makes no Suppofition
at all. There is no if in the Original. The
Wordc are, 'APuJt7Vr T # t P 7,l'ai4 --
. ireparayji1*w. That is, in plain Eulgi,
I is impffble to renew again krto Repen-
tncer, thboj wbo were once inlightenea and have
fallen away: Therefore they muff perifh ever-
laftingly.
2z. But if fo, then farewell all my Com-
fort "
Then your Comfort depends on a poor Foun-
dation. My Comfort flands not on any Opini-
on, either that a' Believer can, or cannot fall
away, not on the remembrance of any thing
wrought in me Y31rdat;j but on what is To-day :
On my prtje Knowledge of Goo in CHRIST,
reconciling me to himfclf. On my now behold-
ing the Light of the Glory of Gon, in the Face
of
Pa/m., xxxiv. 8.

I ________

S20
of Jr.sus CH. Isr ; Walking in the Light, ar
he is in the Light, and having Fellowfhip with
the Father and with the Son. My Comfort is,
that th-o' Grace I now believe in the LORn JESUS
CHRIST ; and that his Spirit dotb bear Witnefhs
with my Spirit, that I am a Child of GOD. I
take Comfort in this and this only, That I fee.
fee JEsus at the right Hand of Goo; that I
personally, for myfelf, and not for another, have
an Hope full of Immortality;. that I feel the
Love of GOD fhed abroad in my Heart, being
crucified to the World, and the World crucified
to me.. My Rejoicing is this, the Teftimony of
Smy Confcience, that. in simplicity and godly
Sincerity, not with flefhly Wifdom, but by the-
Grace of Gon, I have my Converfation in the
World.
Go and fnd, if you can, a more folid Joy, a.
more blifsful Comfort, on this. Side Heaven..
But this Comfort is not shaken, be that Opi-
nion true or falfe ; whether the Saints in ge-
neral can or cannot fall.
If you take up with any Comfort short -of
this, you lean on the Staff of a broken Reed,
which not only will not bear your Weight, but.
will enter into your Hand and pierce you.
25. Seventhly, Thofe who live by Faith, may
yet fall from Gon and perifh everlaftingly.
For thus faith the fame iinfpired Writer, T3e
Jftl jfall live by Faith ; bit f any Man draw
bak, my Soulfhall bave no Plealure in him. me
J7fl, the jullified Perfon, jhal live by Faitb, even.
now fall he live the Life which is hid with Cbri
S x
*HcSx. 3S.

. ...... ..

I

[ 2t
Goo : And if he endure unto the End, h'e ffill
live with GoD for ever. But if asy MaIat dram
ack, frihth te LORD, my Soul fall behe no Plc.-
fare ix him: That is, I will utterly caft him off;
and accordingly the drawing back here fpoken of,
is termed in the Verfe imimmediatcly following,
drawing back to Perdition.
But the Perfon fuppofed to draw back is not
the fame with him that is fitd to live by Faith."
I answer I. Who is it then? Can alny Man
draw back from Faith who never came to it ? But
2 Had the Text been fairly translated, there
had been no Pretence for this Objetion. For the
Original runs thus: '0 Jd~co; i t aIW
I Guil>l KJIT ic 4afe 4?udlt.-If 0d limay ^the
jufl Man athat lives by FaiFh (fo the Exprelqion ne-
ceffarily implies, there being no other Na'Rinative
to the Iterv) drai's back, my Soul falal baive t
Pleia /ure in him.
SL-But the Apoille adds, TMe are not of them ro
S'fdraw back utto Perdirion." And what will vou
infer from thence? This is fo far from contra-
dining what has been obferved before, tlat it
manifefly confirms it. It is a farther Proof,
that there are thofe who draw hack urt a Perditiot,
altho' the Apo6Itle was not of that Number.
Therefore thofc who live by Faith, may yet fall
from Goo and perilh everlalingly.
26, But does not GOD fay to every one that
lives by Faith, I will n':'r leae thee nr for/fk'e
tbhe P
The whole Sentence runs thus. Let your Con-
rtrfati in be without Coveto/ipef, and e o, ient

e* IHe. 13. 5s.

[ 22 J
with furb Things Js e have for he hath /aid,
I will never leave bee nor firfake thee. Tmre;:
provided your Converfatior be without Covetouffr/,-f
and ye be content with fu 7bThings as ye have. Then.
yoa may Aldly fai, bTe Lord is my Helper,. and I
will nlo fear wbat MaT fall do unto me.
Do you not fee, i. That this Promife, as here
recited, relates wholly to Temporal things ?
Sz. That even thus taken, it is not absolute but
Conditional, and 3. That the Condition is ex-
prefly mentioned in the very fame Sentence i
27. Eighthly, Thofe who are fan"tified by the
Blood of the Covenant, may fo fall from Goo
as to perifh everlaftingly.
For thus again faith the Apoftle, If we fir'
Sw~ilfully, after we bare retired' the Kntoledge if
tbe 'Truth, there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sire,
but a tsrtain fearful looting for of Judgment ard
fery Ildignation wbicb fall devour the Adverfaries,
le that de.fpfed Mofes Law died witbhut kery suder
two or three Wi7tnpis. Of bow much fever Pu-
nijrzmnt fnail ebe hb tBhougt .-wrtby, whbi bath trodden
rnder Foct the Son of GOD, and bath counted the
B/cod of the Covenant., wbhrewith be was fanftifitd,
an unholy Thing.
It is undeniably plain, i. That the Perfon
mentioned here, was once fan&ified by the Blood
of the Covenant. z. That he afterwards by
known, wilful Sin, trod under Foot the Son of
Go : And 3. That he hereby incurred a forer
than Death, namely, Death everlasting Punif- j
lent.
Therefore, thofe who are fandified. by th.e
Blbod.
Heb., ic z6

__ .. ',- ii. --.__- I _

____~FClee331CCllII

I

. 1ij
'rIt *

1 23 1
Btood of the Covenant, may yet Co fall as to
perilh everlaftingly.
z8. What! Can the Blood of CGHR T
burn in Hell ? Or can the Purchafe of the Blood
of CHRIST go thither ?"
I answer x. The Blood of CI!rEST cannot
burn in Hell, no more than it can be fpilt on
the Earth. The Heavens mufl contain both his
4 Fleh and Blood until the Relitation of all
Things. Bat
z. If the Oracles of GOD are true, one who
was purchased by the Blood of CHuST may
go thither. For he that was fanftified by the
Blood of CHrIST, was purchased by the Blood
of CHa iST, But one who was fandtified by the
Blood of CaRIST, may nevertheless go to Hel!;
may fall under that fiery Indignation, which hall
for ever devour the Adverfaries.
29. Can a Child of Goo then go to Hell
Or can a Man be .a Child of Gou to Day, and
a Child of the Devil to Morrow? If GoD is our
Father once, is he net our Father always? I
anfwer,
I. A Child of GoD, that is a true Believer
(for he that believeth is born of Gou) while he
continues a true Believer, cannot go to Hcll.
But t If a Believer make Shipwreck of the
Faith, he is no longer a Child of GOD. And
then he may go to Hell, yea and certainly will,
" if he continue in Unbelief. 3. If a Believer may
make Shipwreck of the Faith, then a Man that
believes now, may be an Unbeliever Come Time
hence; yea very poflibly, To-morrow: But if
.k a ^ /. L / ;,
& % 4 t 7v tc i ( L' (* -
4., 44 ..

r
~,
r
, i;
,r B)C

|I -" r

[ 24 .
to, he who is a Child of GOD to Day, may be a
Child of the Devil To-morrow. For 4. GOD i4
the Father of them that Believe, fo long as they .
Believe But the Devil is the Father of them
that Believe not, whether they did once Believe
or no.
30. The Sum of all is this. If the Scrip-
tures are true, thofe who are holy or righteous in
the Judgment of Go o himself: Thofe who are irr-
dued with the Faith that purifies the Heart, that
produces a good Confcience : Thofe who are
grafted into the good Olive tree, the Spiritual,
.ijvifible Church: Thofe who ate Branches of
the true Vine, of whom .CnHRsr fays, I am
the Vine, ye are-the Branches: Thole who fb
effetually know CHR IsT, as by that Knowledge
to have efcaped the Pollutions of die Worldt '
Tlhofe who fee the Light of the Glory of GoD,
in the Face of Jesus CHRIST, and who. have
been made Partakere of:.the.'-HoL. G4 osr, of
the Witnefs and of the Fruits of the Spirit: Thofe
who live by Faith in the Son of- Go : Thofe
who are fanlified by the Blood of the Covenant
may neverthelefs fo fall from Go D, as to perifh
everlaftingly.
Therefore, let him that ftandeth, take heed
leaft he fall.

F I N I S. -
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