monly called the 'perseverance of saints;' a doctrine, whereof nothing ordinary, low, or common is spoken by any, that have engaged into the consideration of it. To some it is the very salt of the covenant of grace, the most distinguishing mercy communicated in the blood of Christ, so interwoven into, and lying at the bottom of, all that consolation, which God is abundantly willing, that all the heirs of the promise should receive;' that it is utterly impossible it should be safe-guarded one moment, without a persuasion of this truth, which seals up all the mercy and grace of the new covenant, with the unchangeableness and faithfulness of God. To others, it is no grace of God, no part of the purchase of Christ, no doctrine of the gospel, no foundation of consolation, but an invention of men, a delusion of Satan, an occasion of dishonour to God, disconsolation and perplexity to believers, a powerful temptation unto sin and wickedness in all that do receive it.

A doctrine it is also, whose right apprehension is on all hands confessed, to be of great importance, upon the account of that effectual influence, which it hath, and will have, into our walking with God, which say some, is, to love, humility, thankfulness, fear, fruitfulness; to folly, stubbornness, rebellion, dissoluteness, negligence, say others. The great confidence expressed by men concerning the evidence and certainty of their several persuasions, whether defending or opposing the doctrine under consideration; the one part professing the truth thereof to be of equal stability with the promises of God, and most plentifully delivered in the Scripture; others (at least one who is thought to be pars magna of his companions), that if it be asserted in any place of the Scripture, it were enough to make wise and impartial men to call the authority thereof into question; must needs invite men to turn aside to see about what this earnest contest is and quis is est tam potens, who dares thus undertake to remove not only ancient landmarks and boundaries of doctrines among the saints, but mountains of brass,' and the hills about Jerusalem,' which we hoped would stand

a Jude 3. 2 Cor. xiii. 8. Isa. iv. 5, 6. Jer. xxxi. 31–35. xxxii. 39, 40. Isa. lix. 21. Heb. viii. 10, 11. 1 Cor. i. 9. Phil. i. 6. Rom. viii. 32-35.

Pelag. Armin. Socin. Papist. Thomson de Intercis. Justif. Diatrib. Bertius Apost. Sanct. Remon. Coll. Hag. Scripta Sinod.

e Gen. xvii. 1. Psal. xxiii. 6. Phil. ii. 12, 13. Heb. x. 16-22. 2 Cor. vii. 1. 2 Pet. i. 3-7, &c.

fast for ever? The concernment then of the glory of God, and the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the interest of the souls of the saints, being so wrapped up, and that confessedly on all hands, in the doctrine proposed, I am not out of hope that the plain discoursing of it from the word of truth, may be as a word in season, like apples of gold in pictures of silver.'

Moreover, besides the general importance of that doctrine in all times and seasons, the wretched practices of many in the days wherein we live, and the industrious attempts of others in their teachings, for the subverting and casting it down from its excellency, and that place which it hath long held in the churches of Christ, and hearts of all the saints of God, have rendered the consideration of it, at this time necessary.

d

For the first: these are days, wherein we have as sad and tremendous examples of apostacy, backsliding, and falling from high and glorious pitches in profession, as any age can parallel. As many stars cast from heaven, as many trees plucked up by the roots, as many stately buildings by wind, rain, and storm, cast to the ground, as many sons of perdition discovered, as many washed swine returning to their mire, as many Demases going after the present evil world, and men going out from the church which were never truly and properly of it, as many sons of the morning and children of high illumination and gifts setting in darkness, and that of all sorts; as ever in so short a space of time, since the name of Christ was known upon the earth. What through the deviating of some to the ways of the world, and the lusts of the flesh; what of others, to spiritual wickednesses and abominations; it is seldom that we see a professor to hold out in the glory of his profession to the end. I shall not now discourse of the particular causes hereof, with the temptations and advantages of Satan, that seem to be peculiar to this season, but only thus take notice of the thing itself, as that which presseth for, and rendereth the consideration of the doctrine proposed not only seasonable but necessary.

That this is a stumbling-block in the way of them, that

d Rev. xii. 4. Jude 12. Matt. vii. 26, 27. 2 Thess. ii. 8. 2 Pet. i. 20-22. 2 Tim. iv. 10. 1 John ii. 19. Heb. vi. 4—6.

seek to walk with God, I suppose that none of them will deny. It was so of old, and it will so continue until the end. And therefore our Saviour predicting and discoursing of the like season, Matt. xxiv. foretelling that many should be deceived, ver. 11. that iniquity should abound, and the love of many wax cold,' ver. 12. that is, visibly and scandalously to the contempt and seeming disadvantage of the gospel, adds as a preservative consolation, to his own chosen select ones, who might be shaken in their comforts and confidence to see so many that walked in the house of God, and took sweet counsel together with them, to fall headlong to destruction, that the elect shall not be seduced; let the attempts of seducers be what they will, and their advantages never so many, or their successes never so great, they shall be preserved; the house upon the rock shall not be cast down; against the church built on Christ the gates of hell shall not prevail. And Paul mentioning the apostacy of Hymeneus and Philetus, who seem to have been teachers of some eminency, and stars of some considerable magnitude in the firmament of the church, with the aversion of the faith of some who attended unto their abominations ; 2 Tim. ii. 17, 18. lest any disconsolation should surprise believers in reference to their own condition, as though that should be lubricous, uncertain, and such as might end in destruction, and their faith in an overthrow; he immediately adds that effectual cordial, for the reviving and supportment of their confidence and comfort, ver. 19. nevertheless (notwithstanding all this apostacy of eminent professors, yet), 'the foundation of God standeth sure, the Lord knoweth who are his; those who are built upon the foundation of his unchangeable purpose and love, shall not be prevailed against. John likewise doth the same; for having told his little children, that there were many antichrists abroad in the world, and they for the most part apostates, he adds in the first Epist. chap. ii. 19. They went out from us because they were not of us, for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.' He lets them know that by their being apostates, they had oved themselves to have been but hypocrites; and therere believers dwelling in safety was no way prejudiced by

their backsliding. The like occasion now calls for the like application, and the same disease for the same prevention or remedy; that no sound persons may be shaken, because unhealthy ones are shattered; that those may not tremble who are built on the rock, because those are cast down who are built on the sand, is one part of my aim and intendment in handling this doctrine. And therefore, I shall as little dabble in the waters of strife, or insist upon it in way of controversy, as the importunity of the adversary, and that truth which we are obliged to contend for, will permit. One Scripture in its own plainness and simplicity, will be of more use for the end I aimed at, than twenty scholastical arguments pressed with never so much accurateness and subtilty.

A temptation then this is, and hath been of old to the saints, disposed of by the manifold wisdom of God, to stir them up to take heed lest they fall;' to put them upon trying and examining, whether Christ be in them or no;' and also to make out to those fountains of establishment in his eternal purpose and gracious promises, wherein their refreshments and reserves under such temptations do lie. And yet though our doctrine enforces us to conclude all such never to be sound believers, in that peculiar notion and sense of that expression which shall instantly be declared, who totally and finally apostatize and fall off from the ways of God, yet is it exceedingly remote from being any true ground of shaking the faith of those who truly believe, any farther than shaking is useful for the right and thorough performance of that great gospel duty of trial and self-examination.

Mr. Goodwin indeed contends, chap. 9. sect. 8—11. pp. 108-110.) That if we judge all such as fall away to perdition never to have been true believers' (that is, with such a faith as bespeaks them to enjoy union with Christ and acceptance with God), it will administer a thousand fears and jealousies concerning the soundness of a man's own faith, whether that be sound or no; and so it will be indifferent as to consolation, whether true believers may fall away or no, seeing it is altogether uncertain whether a man hath any of that true faith which cannot perish.' Ans. But,

e Rom. xi. 20. 1 Cor. x. 12. xi. 19. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Rev. ii. 24, 25. Isa. xlv. 22. Mal. iii. 6. 2 Pet. iii. 17. Heb. iii. 12. Hab. iii. 17, 18.

First, God who hath promised to make all things work together for good to them that love him,' in his infinite love and wisdom is pleased to exercise them with great variety, both within and without, in reference to themselves and others, for the accomplishing towards them all the good pleasure of his goodness, and carrying them on in that holy, humble, depending frame, which is needful for the receiving from him those gracious supplies, without which it is impossible they should be preserved. To this end are they often exposed to winnowings of fierce winds and shakings by more dreadful blasts, than any breaths in this consideration of the apostatizing of professors, though of eminency. Not that God is delighted with their fears and jealousies, which yet he knows under such dispensations they must conflict withal, but with the trial and exercise of their graces whereunto he calls them; that is, his glory, wherein his soul is delighted. It is no singular thing for the saints of God to be exercised with a thousand fears and jealousies, and through them to grow to great establishment; if indeed they were such as were unconquerable, such as did not work together for their good, such as must needs be endless, all means of satisfaction and establishment being rescinded by the causes of them, then were there weight in this exception, but neither the Scriptures, nor the experience of the saints of God do give the least hint to such an assertion.

Secondly, It is denied that the fall of the most glorious hypocrites is indeed an efficacious engine in the hands of the adversary, to ingenerate any other fears and jealousies, or to expose them to any other shakings, than what are common to them in other temptations of daily incursion, which God doth constantly make way for them to escape; it is true indeed, that if true believers had no other foundation of their persuasion that they are so, but what occurs visibly to the observation of men in the outward conversation of them that yet afterward fall totally away, the apostacy of such (notwithstanding the general assurance t have, that those who are born of God cannot, shall

f Rom. viii. 28. Psal. xxx. 6, 7. Isa. viii. 17. liv. 7-9.1 PT

1 Pet. iv. 12. 2 Cor. vii. 5. 2 Thess. i. 11. Heb. xii. 25. 28

James iv. 6. 1 Pet. v. 5. Matt. vii. 24, 25. Amos ix. 9 13. iv. 14. Isa. xlix. 14-16. lxiii. 9. Acts ix. 5. Psal

g 1 Cor. x. 13.