A Practical Discourse of Gods Sovereignty, Part 6 · Section 2
If a Man once believing cannot loſe his faith, Why is it ſaid, Let him that ſtandeth, take heed leſt he fall? and Look to your ſelves, that we loſe not the things we have wrought? If no poſſibility of loſing, what need ſuch Cautions, and ſo great Circumſpection?
The Maker of this Objection hath elſwhere granted, that the poſſeſſion of Canaan was ſure to Abraham's ſeed, ſo as all their unworthineſs could not deprive them of it: And yet we find, their Induction and actual Poſſeſſion, yoked (afterwards) with as many Conditions, Cautions, and limitations; as the Promiſe of Salvation to Believers, any where is; and yet, Nevertheleſs Certain. But, for more particular anſwer,
1. It is evident, That a Righteous Man may fall; and as evident it is, That he cannot fall finally: For, tho' he falls Seaven times in a day, as often does he Riſe agen, Pro. 24. 26. And this, becauſe the Lord upholdeth him with His hand, Pſal. 37. 24. And Pſal. 145. The Lord upholdeth all that fall: Either He ſtayes them when they are falling; Or, He ſo Orders and limits the matter, that they fall not into miſchief,Hoſ. 14. 4. as others do: And, to be ſure, He'l ſet them on their feet agen. The Abſolute Promiſe cannot be Null'd or diſcertain'd by Cautionary words elſewhere delivered:Gal. 3. 17. It cannot therfore by meant of a Total and Final falling away, which the Scripture-Current expreſly Runs againſt.
2. There are Conſiderations enough and of great weight, Why Believers ſhould take heed of Falling, without ſuppoſing a Total loſs of their Faith; (The breaking of a Man's bones, is ground ſufficient for ſuch a Caution, altho' he be ſure that his Neck ſhall be ſafe:) The diſhonour done to his Father; The ſhame that is put upon Chriſt; Grieving the Comforter; Scandalizing the good ways of God; ſtumbling the Weak; Strengthening the Wicked; The unfitting of him for his duty; Interrupting his Peace and Communion with God; &c. Every of which will weigh deep, with a ſoul that is born of God.
3. The Lord brings-about His Purpoſes (for moſt part) by Means; Of which, Cautions are a part; and by which (as a Means) He keeps-off the evill Caution'd-againſt. In the 1 John. 2. 28. the Apoſtle exhorts them to abide in Chriſt: (whom certain Profeſſors had relinquiſhed, v. 19.) And, as purpoſely intending to obviate this objection, he tells them, That they ſhall abide in him, v. 27. Whereby he ſtrengthens them to their duty.
For the other place objected, (viz. Look to your ſelves that we loſe not the things we have wrought;) It is one thing to loſe (for a time) the Senſe and Comfort of Our ſtate; as David, Heman, and Others, did; and another thing to loſe the ſtate it ſelf; which a Believer ſhall never do, as is ſhewn afore. Of much like Import is that in 2 Pet. 1. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. verſes, where he exhorts them, To give all diligence, to add one Grace to another: And, to help them in their work, he tells them, 1. What advantages they ſhall have by their Sodoing; They ſhall not be unfruitfull in the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt; i. e. It ſhall evidence to them that the knowledge ledge they have, is a real knowledge; which cannot be known from that which is formal only, but by ſuch an effect. That alſo by this Means it ſhall be increaſed; The uſing of things well, and to their proper End, being the readieſt way to their Improvement, according to john 7. 17. He that will do my Will, ſhall know of my Doctrine. 2. He then ſets afore them, the loſs they ſhall have, in caſe they neglect this great Duty of Adding Grace to Grace: They will become blind; that is, Unable to ſee afarr off; And forget, That they were purged from their old ſins; that is, Their Remiſneſs in this duty will bring obſcurity upon their Evidences; That which was cleer to them afore, will Now become Clouded, and be as if it were not; It may ſeem to them, That they are ſhort of that Reſt,Heb. 4. 1. which yet is ſure to them; And ſo, they'l be put to begin their work Anew: Whereas, if they do theſe things, they ſhall never fall; i. e. They ſhall not fall from their ſtedfaſtneſs, Nor loſe that cleer ſight and aſſurance which now they have, touching their good eſtate, viz. as being partakers of the Divine Nature, and Purged from their old Sins; Which thoſe Neglects might put out of their ſight; and ſo, loſe them the ſenſe and comfort of what they had wrought.