pertinent one, of God's not having cast away his special and foreknown people among them.

3. Though this text relates to the elect of God among the Jews, yet, inasmuch as the same characters belong to the elect of God among others, as that they are his special people, whom he has foreknown, being elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father*; it is equally true of them, as of the elect among the Jews, that God has not, nor will he, cast any of them away.

The sense of the words in Rom. viii. 30, and the argument upon them, have been already considered and vindicated, under the head of

ELECTION.

SECTION VII.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.-Roм. viii. 38, 39.

Ir neither death in any view of it, nor life under any consideration whatever, nor angels, good or bad, nor principulities, nor powers, civil magistrates, ever so potent, tyrannical, fierce and cruel, nor things present, nor things to come, whether good or evil, nor height, nor depth, anything in heaven, earth, or hell, nor any other creature, any person, or thing, within the compass of created beings, shall be able to separate from the love with which God loves his people; since it is the love of God, and not man; the love of him who changes not, and is besides in Christ Jesus our Lord; then those who are interested in it cannot perish, or fail of glory; for it is impossible that any should perish, and yet continue the objects of God's love. Now,

1. It is owned †, that these words respect not "the love with which we love God, but his affection towards us; and that the apostle only intimates, that such persons continuing in the love of God, shall be preserved by him from the temptations here mentioned; and so supported by his grace and Spirit as to be able to bear them." And if so, since all such who have interest in the love of God, shall continue in it, what should hinder their final perseverance? And whereas it is observed ‡, that "he does not say, the love of no Christian shall war cold, Matt. xxiv. 12, that none of them shall lose his first love, Rev. ii. 4.

And were there no cause to fear this, it is asked, why doth Christ exhort his disciples to abide in his love, John xv. 9, and his apostles exhort others to keep themselves in the love of God, Jude 21, and to look diligently to it, that they fall not from the grace and favour of God, Heb. xii. 15, and to continue in the grace of God, Acts xiii. 43?" I answer, that the love even of true believers may wax cold, and yet not cease, nor the love of God cease towards them; nor does the scripture anywhere say, that any of them has lost, or may lose, but only have left

* 1 Pet. i. 2.

Whitby, p. 457; ed. 2. 438; Remonstr. Coll. Hag. art. v. p. 108; Limborch, p. 724.

Whitby, p. 458.

their first love; nor do the exhortations of Christ and his apostles, to abide in his love, and keep themselves in the love of God, suppose this, but are made use of as means to prevent it: and as for the two last passages referred to, they are not to be understood, either of the love of the saints to God, or of his love and favour to them, but of the doctrine of grace.

"

66

2. It is farther observed," that the apostle does not say, that nothing can separate true believers from the love of God, or Christ; but only declares his persuasion, that nothing would do it, or that they had no cause to fear these things, or to be shaken from their steadfastness, in expectation of those inestimable blessings God had promised to, and Christ had purchased for them, by any of these tribulations." But, if this persuasion of the apostle's was a well-grounded one; and if there was no just cause of fearing these things; then it is certain, that nothing can separate true believers from the love of God. And besides, since they have good ground to hope, that all the evils they shall bear shall conduce to their good, that Christ will still be ready to support them under them by his power, and to help their infirmities by his Spirit, and at last give them the glory prepared for the sons of God;" not only the apostle might well persuade himself, but they also may well persuade themselves, that nothing shall ever be able to separate them from this love of God: nor do the fears the apostle elsewhere expresses, of their being shaken and tempted, so as that his labour would be in vain, and the arguments and motives he offers to prevent this effect of temptations, contradict this persuasion : nor was this persuasion of his concerning them, that they would persevere, and continue steadfast in the love of God, to which they had so great inducements; but that nothing should separate them from the affection of God towards them which sense this author himself before acknowledged; though he now † thinks fit to contradict himself.

SECTION VIII.

In whom, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise: which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.-EPHES. i. 13, 14. See also Ephes. iv. 30. 2 Cor. i. 21, 22.

THE argument from these passages of scripture, proving the saints, final perseverance, may be thus formed: if true believers are sealed, certified and assured, by the Spirit of God, that they are the sons and heirs of God, and shall enjoy the heavenly inheritance: and if the same Spirit is the earnest and pledge of it, and that until the redemption of the purchased possession, or until the day of redemption; that is, until all those who are the possession of Christ, or his peculiar people, whom he has purchased with his blood, are redeemed from their mortality and corruption, which will be done in the resurrection morn, and not before; I say, if the Spirit of God does thus seal believers, and is, and Whitby, p. 458.

*

† Ibid. p. 459.

continues to be an earnest of their future glory, until this time; then they shall certainly and finally persevere. But the Spirit of God does do, and is all this to them, unto this time; therefore, they shall certainly and finally persevere. In answer to this it is said,*

1st. "That these metaphors neither do, nor can signify that they, who have once the Spirit, can never lose him, or cause him to depart from them, is evident from these considerations;

1. "That they who have been the temples of God, by virtue of his Spirit dwelling in them, may so corrupt this temple as to be themselves destroyed, as is demonstrable from 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. and that they, whose bodies are the members of Christ, and who are one spirit with him, may make these bodies the members of an harlot; and so cease to be the members of Christ, 1 Cor. vi. 15." I reply, that these metaphors both can, and do signify that they, who have once the Spirit, can never wholly lose him, or cause him finally and totally to depart from them; for otherwise, he would not be a sealer of them, nor an earnest of their inheritance to them, until the day of redemption: nor do the words of the apostle, in 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17, demonstrate that they, who have been the temples of God, may so corrupt this temple as to be themselves destroyed; but only that such, who attempt to corrupt or defile the temple and church of God, by bringing in among them damnable heresies, shall be destroyed by God; and not they who are the temples of God: nor do the words, in 1 Cor. vi. 15, prove that they, whose bodies are the members of Christ, may make them the members of an harlot. The apostle only puts the question, Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? Which he answers with a God forbid. And his design is to show how unbecoming the sin of fornication is to such, whose bodies are the members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Ghost; but does not in the least insinuate that such, who were truly so, might cease to be the members of Christ, or cause the Holy Spirit entirely to depart from them.

2. This is also said to be "farther evident from the apostle's fears, that Satan might so far have tempted his Thessalonians, as to render all his labour vain among them; whom yet he acknowledges, had received the word with joy of the Holy Ghost, and were the elect of God." But it should be observed, that the apostle's fears were not, lest, through Satan's temptations, they might so fall away as to cause the Holy Spirit wholly to depart from them; but lest Satan, through false teachers, should so stagger their faith, that they should in any respect give way to erroneous principles and practices; and thereby not all his labour, but that part of it should be in vain, which he had bestowed upon them in establishing them in the truths of the gospel.

3. This is said to be still farther evident" from the exhortations in these epistles, directed to those men, who are said to have this seal and earnest of the Holy Spirit; as to the Corinthians 2 Cor. vi. 1; xi. 3, and xii. 20, 21, and to the Ephesians, chap. v. 3, 6, *Whitby, p. 459; ed. 2. 439. + Ibid. p. 460; ed. 2. 440. Ibid. p. 460, 461; ed. 2. 441, 442; Remonstr. Coll. Hag. art. v. p. 94.

and iii. 13, and vi. 13.” To which may be replied, that these exhortations, which regard the saints continuing in the doctrines of the gospel, avoiding sin, and withstanding temptations, though they imply danger to the saints, as considered in themselves, as of falling from some degree of steadfastness in the faith, and into sin, and of fainting in the evil day; yet do not suppose that they may, or shall fall finally and totally, or so as that the Holy Spirit would wholly withdraw from them; though they might so fall and faint as to grieve him, to do which would be unkind and ungenerous; since he is the sealer of their persons, and the earnest of their inheritance. Besides, these exhortations are to be considered as means, being designed, and doubtless as such were

blessed, for the final perseverance of God's sealed ones. *

2dly. In answer to the argument above, it is observed, that "these expressions are designed only to inform us that the Holy Spirit, vouchsafed to Christ's church and members, gave them a just assurance of the truth of the Christian faith; and consequently of the farther blessings promised to his faithful persevering servants in the world to come. Whence it is evident, that they who had these first fruits of the Spirit, had thereupon an argument to satisfy them of the future blessings promised to them. And hence they, by his Spirit, are said to have the earnest of their future inheritance, and to be sealed up to the day of redemption." But let it be observed, that the Holy Spirit, vouchsafed to Christ's church and members, does not only give a just assurance of the truth of the Christian faith, as a doctrine; but also assures believers of the truth of the grace of faith, and of all other graces in them, and of their right to glory, and certain enjoyment of it. Moreover, if the Spirit, thus vouchsafed, gives a just assurance of farther blessings promised by Christ; and if such, who have these first fruits of the Spirit, have thereupon an argument to satisfy them of these blessings; then they may, with faith and patience, wait for the redemption of the body: and be assured that when this earthly tabernacle is dissolved, they have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; and that the Lord will deliver them from every evil work, and preserve them unto his heavenly kingdom. The argument from 2 Tim. ii. 19, is vindicated, under the head of Election, whither the reader is referred.

SECTION IX.

Who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.-1 PET. i. 5.

THESE words, in connection with the preceding verses, show that such as are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, and are begotten again unto a lively hope of an incorruptible inheritance, are kept Opovpovμérovs, as in a garrison, by, or in the power of God, safe and secure from a final and total falling away, through the grace of faith Whitby, p. 462; ed. 2. 442.

Rom. viii. 23; 2 Cor. v. 1; 2 Tim. iv. 18. + Sect. ix.

unto consummate salvation, to be enjoyed for ever in heaven. swer to which, it is said,*

In an

1. "That this place only proves that all, who are preserved to salvation, are so kept by the power of God; but not that all believers are so kept." I reply, we do not say, that all believers are so kept; since there are some who are only nominal believers, have no true grace, believe but for a time, and fall away; but then we say, that all true believers are so kept; otherwise the words of our Lord, Mark xvi. 16, would not be true, nor the will of his Father, John vi. 40, be fulfilled; for how should every one that believes be saved, unless they are preserved unto salvation? And if those who are preserved unto salvation, are kept by the power of God unto it, as is owned; it follows, that since every true believer will be saved, and in order to it be preserved unto salvation, then every one of them is, and will be, kept by the power of God unto it.

2. It is farther saidt, that this place "proves only that they are kept through faith; that is, if they continue in the faith, and hold the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end." But it should be observed, that there is no if in the text; faith is not represented as a condition, but as a means of preservation, engaged by the power of God, for that is as much secured by the power of God as salvation itself, or preservation to it. Besides, such a sense of the words is no other than this, that these persons are kept by the power of God, if, or so long as, they keep themselves; which, as it greatly depreciates the power of God, and ascribes too much to the creature, so it is in itself exceeding trifling. Add to this, that if this faith, through which believers are kept to salvation, will render them victorious over the world, enable them to resist the temptations of the devil, to prefer afflictions before the pleasures of sin, and even to suffer death, not accepting deliverance, in expectation of a better resurrection; and, lastly, engage the power of God in their preservation, and so cause them out of weakness to be strong, all which is owned by our author; this, surely, proves that they shall certainly continue in the faith, and so be preserved safe unto the kingdom and glory of God.

SECTION X.

They went out from us, but 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.-1 JOHN, ii. 19. THE meaning of these words is, that there were some persons in the apostle John's time, who had made a profession of religion, were members of the church, and some of them, perhaps, preachers; and yet departed from the faith they professed, withdrew themselves from the church, or churches, to which they belonged, and set up separate assemblies of their own. These, the apostle says, were not of us; that is, they were not regenerated by the grace of God, and so apparently *Whitby, p. 463. † Ibid. p. 463, 464; ed. 2. 443, 444; Remonstr. Coll. Hag. art. v. p. 93.