It up into a flame. Though, perhaps, this phrafe may chiefly design, that love, peace and concord, which ought to fubfift among faints as brethren, and which they should be careful to preserve. This may be called -the love of God, just as the same thing is stiled the peace of God, Col. iii. 15. because he calls them to it, it is of him, what they are taught by him, and in which he causes them to abound; and then the fense of the exhortation, keep your selves, or one another in the love of God, is, endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; pro voke one another to love and good works"; walk in love, both to God and among your felves, as ye have Chrift for an example; which fenfe is ftrengthened by the following words, of fome bave compaffion, making a difference, and others fave with fear. And hence it will appear, that this text neither militates against the doctrine of abfolute election, or countenances the doctrine of the poffibility of real faints falling from a ftate of grace and favour with God, But, III. Admitting that by the love of God, is meant the grace and favour of God: The exhortation to faints, to keep themselves in it, is, to fet it always before them, to keep it conftantly in view, to exercise faith on it, firmly believing their intereft in it, and 9 Eph. iv. 3: Heb. x. 24. Eph. v. 2. hence 1 hence keep looking and waiting for the mercy of Chrift unto eternal life; or to keep themfelves in it, is to meditate on it, give themfelves up wholly to the contemplation of it, and employ their thoughts conftantly about this delightful fubject, the love of God which is the foundation of all grace here, and glory hereafter. Once more, the words ἑαυτὸς ἐν ἀγάπη Θεά τηρήσατε, may be rendered, preferve your felves by the love of God, he against Satan's temptations, the fnares of the world, and lufts of the flesh. When ever Satan folicits to fin, any fnare is laid to draw into it, and the flesh attempts to be predominant, betake your felves to the love of God, as a strong hold, or prefervative against fin, and reafon thus, as Jofeph did, • How then can I do this great wickedness and fin against God? who, when I look backward, has lov'd me with an everlasting love; and when I look forward, there's the mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrift unto eternal life. Confider the words in either light, they neis ther prove a conditional election, nor a poffibility of the faints falling from grace; against which provifion is made in Chrift, who, in ver. 24. is reprefented as able to keep them from falling, and to prefent, them faultless before the prefence of his glory with exceeding joy. * Gen. xxxix. Ÿà NUMB. Soma LIL Rev. chap. I, and IL Everal pailiges are produced from de epitles to the even churches or thu, in favour of the defectibility and coral apaAafy of real faints. It thould be observed, that the churches in all ages, have more or lefs confifted of true believers and hypocrites, wife and foolith virgins, heep ind goats, wheat and tares, and tometimes are denominated from the better, and fametimes from the warter part; fome things in the epiftles to them, peculiarly regard true believers and other formal proretfors 4mong them. This cbfervation will help us to understand the reafon and meaning of many commands, cautions, exhortations, and threatnings, not only used in thete epiftles, but in the set of the eputies tent to the feveral churches. Betides, it may be · obferved, that whole churches may be un church'd, their church-ftate be difolved, and yet not one true believer among chem be lost or perish, as has been the cafe or these feven churches, and many others; which is brought about by removing truc believers by death, withholding a bletting from the means of grace, to the convertion of others; and at length taking the gotpet wholly from them, and fo at latt the candleflick is removed out of its place. It is there fore to no purpose to urge paffages and inftances of this kind against the faints final perfeverance: However, we fhall confider the feveral scriptures urged and referred un to. And, 1. The firft of this kind to be examined, is in the epiftle to the church at Ephefus. Nevertheless, I have fomewhat against thee, because thou haft left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But neither the complaint lodged. againft this church, that he had left her first love, proves, that he had totally and finally fell away from grace; fince the might leave, that is, abate in the fervency of her love to Chrift, though, not lose it; which fometimes waxes cold, through the preva lence of corruption and the fnares of the world, when it is not loft; as it was not in this church; nor can it be loft in any true believer, notwithstanding their desertions, temptations, falls and backflidings: Nor does the exhortation to remember from whence the was fallen, prove it, feeing the might be fallen partially, tho' not totally, and the defign of this exhortation be to put her upon compa 9 Rev. ii. 4, 5. Vid. Limborch. 1. 5. c. 83. §. 19. p. 721. Whitby, p. 434, 458. ting her former and prefent condition together; that her defires after a restoration to her former lively, and comfortable frame might be quickened, and the be humbled under a sense of her backflidings, and brought to an acknowledgment of the fame, which would appear by her doing her firft works: Nor does the threatening to come unto her, and remove her candlestick out of his place, in cafe of non-repentance, prove it; feeing this may be understood of his coming to her in a providential way, and either shaking her churchstate, by suffering perfecution or heresy to come in upon her, or by wholly removing it, through withholding a bleffing from the means of grace, and intirely taking them away; which might be done without the lofs of one true believer, as has been obferved. Befides, this church is greatly commended, in ver. 2, 3. for her labour, and patience and zeal against false apostles; a plain cafe that he was not finally and totally fallen from grace. II. The next paffage to be confider'd is, the promise made to the church at Smyrna; Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. It is reprefented as incongruous with an abfolute promife of God, that believers fhould perfevere to the Rev. ii. 10. Vid. Whitly, p.439, 43 £• end, |