The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Shewing how a godly man may comfort himselfe against the feare of falling away.
HItherto of the comforts against our daily infirmities. The consolations against the feare of our falling away follow.
We may three wayes comfort our selues against this feare, namely, if we consider God, or Christ, or our selues.
1. In God there are two things of excellent obseruation, both of them exprest in the Scriptures. The first is, that he hath vndertaken to preserue vsus from falling away. The second shewes vsus distinctly, how he will performe this.
For the first, that God will keepe vsus from falling away, wee hauehave foure things to assure vsus.
First, the promises of God directly Foure things may assure vsus that God will keepe vsus from falling away. 1. His promises.to that end: for he assures vsus, that his Elect shall enioy the worke of their hands, and shall not labour in vaine, Esay 65. 22, 23. The smoking weeke shall not bee quenched, nor the bruised reed broken, Esay 42. 3. Not one of them shall bee lacking in the whole flocke, Ierem. 23. 4. God will build them. and not plucke them downe, he will plant them, and not pull them vp, Ier. 24. 6. He will confirme vsus, in and to the end, that wee may bee 1 Cor. 1. …, …blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ: for God is faithfull, who hath called vsus to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord.
Secondly, the Decree of God, 2. Hi… … cree.concerning which the Apostle saith, That the foundation of God remaineth sure: hee knowe…h who are his. Though Hymeneus and Philetus fall away, yet none that call vponupon the name of the Lord, and depart from iniquity, can euer be lost, 2 Tim. 2. 19.
Thirdly, the attributes of God: 3 Three attributes in God, viz.and so there bee three things in God may wonderfully settle vsus against this feare. The one is his faithfulnesse. The other is his power. The third is his immutable louelove: All three are laid to pawne for the performance of this preseruation, & so pleaded in Scripture. For his faithfulnesse, the Apostle thence concludes, that the His faithfulnesse.godly shall bee confirmed to the end, as was alleadged before, 1. Cor. 1. 8, 6. and so he reasoneth writing to the Thessalonians: The Lord is faithfull, who shall stablish you, and keepe you from euill, 2 Thess. 3. 3. And of the power of God these places speake, we are His powerkept by the power of God to saluation, 1 Pet. 1. 5. I know (saith) Paul whom I hauehave beleeued, and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I hauehave committed to him against that day, 2 Tim. 1. 12. Now vntounto him that is able to keepe you from falling (saith Iude) and to preserue you faultlesse before the presence of his glory, with exceeding ioy: to the onelyonly wise God our Sauiour be glory, and maiestie, dominion, and power, now and euer, Iud. 24. And for the louelove of God, His louelove.that it is vnchangeable, there is apparent proofe, Whom he loueth, he loueth to the end, Iohn 13. 1. so as we may bee confident in this, that hee which hath begun a good worke in vsus, will performe it till the day of Christ, Philip. 1. 6.
Fourthly, wee hauehave the seale of 4 His sealeGod for it, and he hath giuen vsus earnest, that we shal certainly enioy the inheritance purchased for vsus. And thus eueryevery one that beleueth, is sealed by the holy Spirit of promise, which is our earnest, Eph. 1. 14, 15. and therefore, we shall be established, 2 Cor. 1. 22.
Now for the second; If any aske how God will doe this?
I answer, that the Scripture shewes how this will be performed thus: For
1. God will not cast off his people, What God will doe to keepe vsus from falling away.he will neuer forsake his inheritance, Psal. 94. 14. 1 Sam. 12. 22. For the Lord loueth iudgement, and forsaketh not his Saints, and therefore they are preserued for …uer, Psal. 37. 28.
2. God will put his feare into their hearts, that they shall not depart from him: For this is his Couenant with his people, that he will not turne away from them, to doe them good, and hee will put his feare into them, that they shall not depart from him, Ier. 32. 40, 41.
3. To make all the surer, he will put his Spirit into them, which shall leade them into all truth, and cause them to keepe his statutes, and to doe them, Iohn 14. Ezech. 36.
4. He will vphold them, and order their wayes, and keepe their feet, that they fall not. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way: Though he fall, he shall not vtterly bee cast downe: for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand, Psal. 37. 23, 24. He holdeth our soule in life, and suffereth not our feet to bee moued, Psal. 66. 9. He will keepe the feet of his Saints, 1 Sam. 2. 9.
5. Lastly, God will worke their workes for them, and continually assist them with his presence, and blessings, Esa. 26. Ezech. 36. Phil. 2. 13. And thus the comforts that we may gather from God.
Now secondly, in Christ there Three things in Christ may comfort vsusare three things may minister much establishment in our harts against this feare.
1. His intercession: hee hath specially prayed for vsus, that God 1. His intercession.would keepe vsus from euill, Iohn 17. and therefore is able to saue vsus to the vttermost, because hee euer liueth to make intercession for vsus, Heb. 7. 15.
2. The consideration of his office 2 His office here inherein. It is his worke to be Omega as well as Alpha; to bee the finisher of our faith, as well as the author of it: He is the end as well as the beginning, Reuel. 21. 6. Heb. 12. 2.
3. The power of Christ. None 3 His power.can take vsus out of his hand, Iohn 10. and as was said before, he is able to saue vsus to the vttermost, Heb. 7. 25.
Thus of the consideration of Christ also.
Now thirdly, in our selues wee 3 Things in our selues may comfo…t vsusmay looke vponupon three things, as we are in the estate of grace.
For first, we are borne againe to a liuely hope of an immorall inheritance reserued for vsus in heauen: Our new birth intitles vsus to heauen, and it is kept for vsus, and our hope is liuely, 1 Pet. 1. 3.
Secondly, our seed abideth in vsus: It cannot be blotted out. Hee that is borne of God, sinneth not, because his seed remaineth in him, 1 Iohn 3. 9.
Thirdly, eternall life is begun in vsus, Iohn 17. 3. Now if it be life eternall, how can it end? How can we fall away from it? Naturall life may end, but Splrituall life can neuer end.