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they proceed from his Spirits; and, as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment.

VI. Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him", not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight"; but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections*.

• Gal. v. 22, 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

* Isai. Ixiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away, Psal. cxliii. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living he justified. Psal. cxxx. 3. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? See also Gal. v. 17. and Rom. vii. 15, 18.

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VI. Eph. i. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us acccpted in the Beloved. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Gen. iv. 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering. With Heb. xi. 4.

w Job ix. 20. If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Psal. clxiii. 2.

* 2 Cor. viii. 12. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. Heb. vi. 10. For God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Mat. xxv. 21, 23. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful

VII. Works done by unregenerate men, although, for the matter of them, they may be things which God commands, and of good use both to themselves and others; yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner, according to the word; nor to a right end, the glory of God; they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make.

over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

VII. 2 Kings x. 30, 31. And the Lord said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart; for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. Phil. i. 15, 16, 18. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds.-What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice.

Heb. xi. 4, 6. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and by it, he being dead, yet speaketh.--But without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. See Gen. iv. 3, 4, 5.

a 1 Cor. xiii. 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have nd charity, it profiteth me nothing. Isai. i. 12. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

b Mat. vi. 2, 5, 16. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.-And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners

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a man meet to receive grace from God. And yet their neglect of them is more sinful, and displeasing unto God".

CHAPTER XVII.

Of the Perseverance of the Saints. THEY whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified, by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saveda.

of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.-Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

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Hag. ii. 14. So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. Tit. i. 15. Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. Amos v. 21, 22. hate, I despise your feast-days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt-offerings, and your meat-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. See also Hos. i. 4. Rom. ix. 16. and Tit. iii. 5.

d Isal. xiv. 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. Psal. xxxvi. 3. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. Job xxi. 14. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. See also Matt xxv. 41, 42, 43, 45. and Mat. xxiii. 23.

1. Phil. i. 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. John x. 28, 29. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them

II. This perseverance of the saints depends, not upon their own free-will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Fatherb upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ; the abiding of the Spirit and of the seed of God within them"; and the nature of the

me, is greater than all: and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. See also 1 John iii. 9. 1 Pet. i. 5, 9. and Job xvii. 9.

II. 2 Tim. ii. 19. standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. Jer. xxxi. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

Nevertheless the foundation of God

c Heb. x. 10, 14. By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.— For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. John xvii. 11, 24. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.-Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Heb. ix. 12, 13, 14, 15. Rom. viii. 33. to the end. Luke xxii. 32.

John xiv. 16, 17. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 1 John ii. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you; and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 John iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

covenant of grace from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

III. Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grie. vous sins; and for a time continue therein1 : whereby they incur God's displeasure1, and grieve his Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of some

e Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. With Heb. viii. 10, 11, 12.

2 Thess. iii. 3. But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil. 1 John ii. 19. 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. John x. 28. They shall never perish. 1 Thess. v. 23, 24.

III. Mat xxvi. 70, 72, 74. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.-And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.- -Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man.

n 2 Sam. xii. 9, 13. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

Isa. lxiv. 7, 9.-For thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.-Be not wroth very tore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 2 Sam. xi. 27. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

Eph. iv. 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

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