One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 65
SERMON LXV. Of the Perſeverance of the Saints. The Queſtion ſtated.
JOH. 17.12.
Thoſe thou haſt given me, I have kept, and none of them is periſhed, &c.
WE have conſidered the faithfulneſſe and diligence Chriſt ſhewed in the preſervation of his to eternall life, expreſſed in that word, [I have kept.] The next thing in order is the ſubject preſerved, Thoſe thou haſt given me; but becauſe this expreſſion doth once more, even the ſixt time come in, ver. 34. I ſhall paſſe it over till then: I ſhall therefore proceed to the 3d particular, which is the effect, or a ſign rather whereby he proveth his faithfull protection of them, None of them is periſhed. The words are emphaticall, None, he doth not ſay all but one or two, but none; for as for the inſtance following, [but the ſon of perdition] we ſhall ſhew you, that is not exceptive, but adverſative; becauſe it's ſaid, none of thoſe that are given him periſh: now though in ſome ſenſe Judas was given to Chriſt as an Apoſtle, and in reſpect of his Office Chriſt ſaid he had choſen twelve, yet he was never given in the ſenſe it is uſed, ver. 2. where ſuch are ſaid to have eternal life. The laſt aggravation is, None of them is periſhed, he doth not ſay none of them hath been killed by perſecutors, or none of them have grievouſly fallen by ſinne, for ſo Peter did, but none is periſhed; he ſpeaks in the preſent tenſe, not none ſhall periſh, but is periſhed, as if becauſe they were not already periſhed, they ſhould never, or rather, becauſe in reſpect of Gods promiſe, it was as ſure as if they were already in heaven: Even as Judas is ſaid in the Text to be periſhed, although he was not yet in hell; he was not yet gone to his proper place, but becauſe of the certainty of it. This expreſſion was ſo remarkable, that Chap. 18.9. we have mention made of it as a famous ſaying, That the ſaying might be fulfilled, of thoſe thou haſt given me I have loſt none: only whereas in the text it is expreſſed paſſively, none is periſhed; there it's active, I have loſt none; but that change of the word is very comfortable, for thereby is ſignified, that if any did periſh, it would be becauſe of ſome fault in him, if they be loſt, it is he hath loſt them. Though ſinne and the devil ſhould inſtrumentally deſtroy them, yet it would be principally attributed to his want of love, or power or faithfulneſſe in his truſt. In the text one word is to be obſerved, and that is foreign is periſhed: The word is uſed ſometimes of a corporall and temporall deſtruction, Judg. 12.11. They periſhed in the gainſaying of Core. 1 Pet. 3.6. The whole world is ſaid to be drowned in water, ſo 2 Cor. 10 9. Sometimes it's uſed of a ſpirituall deſtruction, in reſpect of the ſoul by everlaſting damnation; Now the word doth here take in both the ſenſes, ſpirituall deſtruction as the principall, and temporall as the ſecondary; for that this is partly implied appeareth, cap. 18.9. I am he ye ſeek, let theſe go, and then follows, that none may periſh: In reſpect of the firſt deſtruction it is chiefly that the devil hath his Name foreign, Revel. 9.11. onelyonly you muſt obſerve, that when the Scripture uſeth this word in a ſpiritual ſenſe for a loſt man in ſoul and body, it ſpeaks of a twofold undone condition; Firſt, There are ſome in a loſt, periſhing condition, but yet recoverable by the grace of God; they are as Moſes drawn out of the water, where certain death would have been, and thus all the godly before their converſion, are loſt. Thus Matth 18.11. Chriſt is ſaid to come, that he might ſave ſuch as were loſt; he did not come to ſave a loſt Judas, or ſuch as were from all eternity, left by God in their undone condition, but thoſe elect perſons, that for the preſent were in a loſt eſtate. Thus Luke 15.24. The Prodigal ſonne is ſaid to be loſt or periſhed, but he was recovered again. The other ſenſe is, when it's applied to ſuch as are in an undone eſtate irrecoverably. They are in a ſtate of periſhing, and will never be brought out of it; and thus it's applied to Judas. Thus it's uſed 2 Cor. 15. The Goſpel is a ſweet ſavour to thoſe that are ſaved, and in foreign, thoſe that periſh, where it's oppoſed to foreign. The words thus explained, Obſerve,
That none of thoſe who are elected, or given by the Father to Chriſt, ſhall periſh. Obſerv.They will be enabled to perſevere; They will certainly get to the haven. This is a principal truth in Divinity; and as it is much oppugned by learned Adverſaries, ſo it hath alſo great influence into our lives practically, and therefore I ſhall be the larger on this ſubject; and before I come to explicate it, it's good to compare two other Texts with this, as excellent parallels.
The firſt is John 6.39. This is the Fathers will; where you have the truth aſſerted, and that very powerfully.
1. He ſaith, He will loſe nothing of what the Father hath given him; He doth not ſay, he will loſe none, but nothing foreign, not any thing, neither his ſoul, nor his body, and therefore becauſe the body, when conſumed to duſt, ſeemeth to be for ever loſt, he addeth, I will raiſe it up at the laſt day.
2. This is ſo great a matter, that he ſaith, This is the will of his Father that ſent him; So that the main command to be received from the Father, and the great thing willed was, to let none of the elect periſh.
The ſecond Text is John 10.28. where ſpeaking of this property of his ſheep, that they hear his voice, he addeth, I give unto them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh. Here you ſee the expreſſion for the future, leſt it might be objected againſt this in the Text, though none is periſhed yet, yet he may when new temptations and dangers ariſe, then they may be undone. Judas did not immediately upon his Diſcipleſhip betray Chriſt; but our Saviour ſaith, None ſhall periſh, and he giveth a ſufficient cauſe of this their perſeverance, becauſe they are in his Fathers hand; Here is the dear reſpect God beareth to them, and then none is ſtronger then the Father: So that you muſt finde out a power greater then Gods, and more prevailing then his arm, if you will hold they can periſh. Thus you ſee this truth confirmed by the mouth of two faithfull witneſſes. But becauſe this truth is of ſingular uſe, and of much difficulty.Introductory Propoſitions.
I ſhall firſt lay down many introductory particulars to the ſtating of this Queſtion; for if the childe at firſt be not well ſwadled, it proveth crooked in it's growth; we muſt therefore lay a ſure and clear foundation, that our ſuperſtructure may endure. And
Firſt, The Queſtion is not of the poſſibility of a believers total and final periſhing; If we conſider him in himſelf, if we behold him in his own power not as elected and covenanted with in Chriſt, then it's not only poſſible, but even neceſſary, that he ſhould eternally periſh: This is evidenced in the apoſtate Angels and Adam, there grace was amiſſible, yea they did actually loſe it, when yet they had not a corrupt nature within to betray them, as we have. Therefore they did not neceſſarily, but by a voluntary choice fall into their own deſtruction: How much more would this terrible apoſtaſie be in godly men, though ſanctified, ſeeing there are the powerfull reliques of corruption abiding in them, and withall many violent temptations without to overwhelm them, if left to themſelves. When therefore we ſay, the true believer cannot periſh, it's not to be attributed to his ſtrength and power, but ſolely to the grace of God, which as at firſt wrought converſion; ſo it doth alſo perſeverance and continuance in that eſtate; for as the removal of the pillars doth immediately make the houſe to fall, being it's naturall motion is to deſcend downwards; ſo the withdrawing of Gods gracious power would immediately cauſe the moſt holy man to fall into his old rubbiſh and filthy vomit of ſin; it's not therefore onelyonly poſſible, but certain and inevitable, that every converted man, would be apoſtate from God; did not a mighty grace daily preſerve him; and this is fully evidenced by that prayer; all are taught to pray, though never ſo holy, that God would not lead us into temptation, doth not that plainly teach us, That we are ſo weak and infirme, that there is no temptation, if left to our ſelves, but it would wholly overcome us: Oh then, Let the moſt eminent and chiefeſt believers daily pray, that God would not leave them to their own ſtrength and temptation, for this is to be left in hels mouth.
Secondly, As it's poſſible thus for believers to ſuffer ſhipwrack and loſe all, if left to themſelves, did not God keep them: So God for holy and wiſe ends, hath in ſome meaſure and degree left them, whereby they have fallen foully and dreadfully. So that we may ſay, they were like Sampſon, they loſt their ſtrength; the Philiſtims roſe upon them, onelyonly in time their ſtrength came again. As a man in an Apoplexy or Lethargy, hath an inward principle of life, but there are no outward demonſtrations of it.
Now this apoſtaſie and decay may be in ſeveral particulars:
1. In reſpect of the acts and exerciſe of grace. Theſe are interrupted, the ſtreams do not runne. They ſeem to be a barren wilderneſſe, rivers of living water do not flow out of their belly; God findes as in that Church, Revel. 2. Their works are not filled up or perfect: Hence God promiſeth, Ezek. 36.17. not only to give the habitual principles of grace, but the actual exerciſe of them, when the juſt is ſaid to live by his faith, that denoteth a continued acting, yet many times theſe actings of faith and other graces are intermitted. The pulſe beateth ſlowly, if at all.
2. Not only the actings of faith are interrupted, but the contrary actings of ſinne are put forth, in ſtead of faith they break out into unbelief; in ſtead of fervency and heavenly-mindedneſs they are dull and earthly; ſo that now, not the houſe of David, but of Saul doth overcome; Now grace is dormant, and ſinne is awakened and lively; yea they commit foul and enormous ſinnes, ſuch as the light of nature would palpably condemn, as we ſee it in David, with what contrivances and deviſes did he accompliſh his adultery and murder, adding one grievous ſinne to another, and no doubt would have gone further, had not the Lord ſtopt him in his way: Not that theſe groſſe vices did totally drive away the Spirit of God, and eradicate all the principles and ſeed of grace within, for then how could David immediately upon Nathan's reproof, have ſo melted and ingenuouſly confeſſed his ſinne, but for the while, the root only of grace was under the ground, there appeared no fruit; or as a man that is mad hath a principle of reaſon, though for the preſent, the uſe of it is violently hindered: or as Eutiches, who fell from the window (Acts 20.) and all thought he had been dead; but Paul ſaid, There was life in him. Thus it was with David, there was a ſecret principle of grace, but that was overwhelmed and ſtopt up by many luſts, as when foggy miſts do ariſe and obnulliate the Sun. It's true, David at that time knew thoſe actions to be ſinne, and ſo he could not but ſinne againſt his conſcience; but it was a general conſcience, it was not it may be, practical and convincing, quoad hic & nunc; ſo that he did not ſinne maliciouſly, though he was ſeduced by ſtrong luſts: Whether it was a ſinne of infirmity, is diſcuſſed by ſome: But we cannot ſay, David's ſinnes at that time were of ignorance or infirmity, nor yet properly of malice, but of a mixt kind: It was not of meer malice prevailing, from a total want of a principle of good, but from the not working of that good principle; They were not ſins of ordinary infirmity (ſaith D. Ames) but of extraordinary.
Thirdly, Not only the acts, but the habits alſo of grace may in reſpect of their degrees be much abated and grown languid. This indeed ſome have doubted of, Whether a godly man can, or doth fall from any degree of his grace; and they have held the negative, That a degree of grace is of the ſame nature with the eſſence of grace, and both indefectible. But when ſinne in the acts of it, hath prevailed on the godly, as many examples declare, no doubt but the principle of grace is thereby debilitated; If darkneſſe be introduced, the light cannot be ſo prevalent; If ſickneſſe increaſe, health muſt impair: Now ſinne doth expell grace, both meritoriouſly and efficiently, in a well-explained ſenſe.
Fourthly, That we may not be too large in this, None can poſitively dogmatize, how farre, and in what ſinnes a godly man may fall, and how long he may continue ere his recovery. As it's difficult to give in a Catalogue of the Fundamentall Articles of Religion, without the faith whereof a man muſt neceſſarily periſh; ſo it is to lay down, what ſinnes, and how perpetrated do immediately expell grace from the ſoul. Indeed we may ſpeak to the negative, what ſhall not be done; but to the poſitive, How farre, that is difficult to ſay, we may ſay, they cannot commit the ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, or the ſinne unto death, that they cannot die in final impenitency or obſtinacy; but to go further, and to ſet down the very peg, as it were, hitherto they can fall, and no further, to give the minimum quod non, and the ultimum juſtum non eſſe, is harder in grace, then in nature. The godly therefore are to hear theſe things with trembling, and with all diligence to attend to ſuch means, as are appointed for their preſervation to eternal life; God may leave them in a dreadfull, miſerable condition; ſo that they may for the preſent ſeem to be ſo many Cains and Judaſſes.
Fifthly, Obſerve, That as without Gods ſpecial cuſtody, we would certainly be undone; So the godly when ſinning do deſerve Gods eternal forſaking of them. The ground of their indiſſoluble union with God, is not any good in them, but Gods meer grace: They do often and often deſerve, that God ſhould withdraw all favour from them, as he did from the apoſtate Angels; ſo that it's a calumny of thoſe who oppoſe the Saints perſeverance, that we teach, the godly man, though he give way to all licentiouſneſſe and impiety, yet may be aſſured that God will never leave him, and he ſhall be ſaved; for though we are to ſay more to this, yet for the preſent we affirm, That a godly man is ſo far from having any ſuch abſolute certainty in a way of ſinne, that he is to conclude the contrary; if he do thus and thus rebell againſt God, and not cleave to him. God will at laſt wholly forſake him.
Now theſe things do eſpecially provoke God to leave his people, though not totally, yet gradually, and that both in reſpect of grace and conſolations.
1. When they reſiſt the light of God ſhining upon them. There is a natural light, and a ſupernatural: now to oppoſe this, to walk againſt this, is to provoke God to forſake us, for thus ſuch who enjoy the means of grace, and have wonderfull workings upon their ſoul, as Heb. 6. come to be left by detaining the truth in unrighteouſneſs. Therefore the Jews were delivered up to blindneſs and hardneſs of heart, becauſe ſeeing they would not ſee, and hearing they would not hear; and thus by proportion it is in a ſanctified perſon.
2. Ʋnthankefulneſs for thoſe heavenly and glorious priviledges the effects of grace make us unworthy: When God ſhall by ſuch an arm as this is bring thee out of thy ſinnes, leaving thouſands of others in their curſed and damnable eſtate and condition, and thou doſt no more rejoyce in thy Thankſgiving unto God, this is to procure frowns and diſpleaſure from God upon thee.
3. To walk careleſly and ſlothfully when this Grace is received, is endangering to loſe all; She that did not ſtrive and ſtir up her ſelf with Zeal is bid to take heed leſt another get her Crown from her Rev. 2. He that was unprofitable, and hideth his Talent, ſhall have that taken away which he had; The Church becauſe of her great negligence and ſlothfulneſſe loſt Chriſt, and with much trouble did at laſt obtain him again; Therefore it's ſaid by Peter, We are to give much diligence that we may make our Calling and our Election ſure, 2 Pet. 1.10.