A Practical Discourse of Gods Sovereignty, Part 6 · Section 8
This Doctrine of Abſolute Perſeverance, lays the Reigns of Security on the Neck of the fleſh, and of the old man in believers?
1. This Objection is (in effect) the ſame with the firſt; Only it ſpeaks broader; which ſhews, That the farther Men go in oppoſing the Truth, the worſe language they give it. That Many who diſbelieve the Doctrine of Perſeverance, have given the Fleſh its full Range and liberty,—Needs no proof: But, That any Believer hath made that impious improvement of it, will never be made-out.
2. The Objection deſerves no Quarter; becauſe it highly Reproaches the Goodneſs and Faithfulneſs of God; as if, for a Fiſh, He had g…ven His People a Scorpion; For ſo it would be, If His Giving them Abſolute Promiſes, ſhould prove an Indulgence to the fleſh.
3. It alſo Contradicts the known and conſtant way of holy Men's Arguing and Inferring from Abſolute Promiſes, and the higheſt Aſſurance: See a few Inſtances of this; Col. 3. 4, When Chriſt our life ſhall appear, then ſhall ye alſo appear with him in Glory: The Reſult of it is, Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the Earth. 1 Ioh. 3. 2; [We know] That when He ſhall appear, We ſhall be like Him: And what is the fruit of this knowledge? Every Man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf even as He is pure. The like ye have in 2 Cor. 5. 1, For, we [know] that if our earthly houſe of this tabernacle were diſſolved, we have a building of God, an houſe not made with hands, Eternal in the Heavens: and what the effect of this great Knowledg was, ye have in the 9. v. Wherefore We labour, That whether preſent or abſent, we may be accepted of Him. In 2 Cor. 6. 18. is repeated the Sum of the New Covenant; I will be a Father unto you, and ye ſhall be my Sons and Daughters, ſaith the Lord Almighty: See now the uſe he makes of it; (And all Believers have the ſame Mind:) Having therefore theſe Promiſes, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthyneſs of fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holyneſs in the fear of God.
Job knew, That his Redeemer lived, and that he ſhould live with him; and yet, as to holineſs and integrity, Not a man like him in all the Earth. And that holy Man Aſaph was fully aſſured of Perſevering infallibly, Pſal. 73. 24, Thou ſhalt guide me by thy Counſel, and afterward Receive me to Glory. This did not looſen the Reigns, but made him cleave cloſer to God, Renouncing all but Him and His ſervice; Whom have I in Heaven but thee? v. 25: And, It is good for Me to draw nigh to God, v. 28. The like frame of Spirit we find in David, Pſal. 23, [Surely,] Goodneſs and Mercy ſhall follow me all the dayes of my life; His Reſult alſo, is, I will dwell in the houſe of God for ever.
And, that theſe were not temporary fits and flaſhes, but from a ſtled Principle; is further apparent by his manner of Reaſoning, in Pſal. 27. 5, 6, In time of trouble He ſhall hide me in His pavillion: (no ſafer place on Earth, nor in Heaven:)Luke 12. 19. and now ſhall my head be lifted up above mine Enemies round about me. What follows upon this Mounted Aſſurance? Soul, take thy eaſe, eat, drink, and be merry? O No! But, [Therefore] will I offer Sacrifices of Joy; I will ſing, yea, I will ſing praiſes unto the Lord! He was now upon his high-places, out of the Reach of danger; but did not grow Remiſs upon it, Reſtrain Prayer, and giveover Calling upon God; but falls the more ſervently upon that which ſhall be the Upſhot of all in Heaven: He would rather have been Remiſs without this Aſſurance, as himſelf confeſſeth at the 13. verſe, I had fainted, unleſs I had believed to ſee the Goodneſs of the Lord in the land of the living.
Paul s aſſurance of obtaining what he ran-for, was a Mighty ſtrengthening to him in his Race: Who ſo Crucified to the World as Paul? ſo abundant in all kind of ſervice, or more ready to dye for Chriſt, than he? Who yet had the fulleſt Aſſurance of holding-out, and of Receiving the Crown of Righteouſneſs at laſt; And, that Nothing ſhould ſeparate him from it.
By theſe ye may gather, That Believers are of a Nobler Extract, than to love God the leſs, becauſe He loves them ſo Much; and that 'tis no trivial Slaunder to Inſinuate, That Believers, (eſpecially, ſuch as have Aſſurance,) are moſt expoſed and given to backſliding: Which is (ſure) an Unnatural conſequent of their being Sealed to the day of Redemption. Such objections do alſo argue the Authors of them Not well-acquainted with the good ways of God; Nor with that ſpiritual obligeing ſweetneſs that is found in them; Which any One who hath taſted thereof in truth, would not Turn-from, altho his future happineſs were not concern'd in it. Nor do they Conſider the frame and nature of the New Creature; which hath ſpiritual ſenſes, fitted to diſcern what makes for its own preſervation, and what makes againſt it. Had you Fifteen years added to your life, and a Certainty of it; Would you therfore forſake your food, and diſuſe the ordinary means of preſerving life? The Jews had an Abſolute Promiſe, That God would ſave Jeruſalem from the King of Aſſyria, (who then beſieged it;) Did they ſetope their Gates, and draw off their Guards upon it? Senſe and Reaſon would teach them Otherwiſe; Which Grace does not deſtroy, but perfect. It is a ſparkle of that Heavenly fire, which cannot live out of its Element; nor can all the Waters under Heaven, quench it. It is a part of the Divine Nature, and ſo loves and hates, as the Father of it doth; and It will cleave to Him in every State: If He ſave me Alive, I'l Serve Him; If He kill me, I'l yet truſt in him; In life and in death, I will be the Lord's. This is the natural diſpoſition of the New Creature; It favours only the things which are of God: And the higher-taſted They are by Aſſurance, the more is he Aloft, and above the lure of carnal Divertiſements; Not to be Reigned or led by them. Therefore, Let God be true, and His Prophets and Apoſtles be reckoned for faithfull Witneſſes; And every one that ſpeaks Otherwiſe, a lyar.