The Covenant of Grace, Chapter 12
CHAP: XII.
Of the certainty of Persev…rance, and the necessity of this doctrine.
THe third property of our new obedience is constancy, or perseverance, noted in these words All the dayes of our life.
The meaning of the words.
Sect. 1▪ Of which words the meaning is not, that all those who are in the covenan… of grace doe alwayes worship God in holinesse and righteousnesse, from their first birth, (for who then could assure himselfe that he is within the covenant of grace) but from their new birth, and from the time of their actuall redemption and reconciliation with God. For so God hath promised to all the heyres of promise, (Luk, 1. 73, 74, 75) that he will give us, that being delivered from the hand of our spirituall enimies, we should worship him all the dayes of our life. But before we be actually redeemed by the merits of CHRIST, that is, actually made partakers of the benefit of redemption, justified by faith, and reconciled unto God? we cannot worship God aright, as before wee have shewed.
Neither are the words to be understood of every day and every moment? as tho the Lord did promise to the faithful, that they shall continue in a perpetuall course of obedience without any interruption or intermission whatsoever. Indeed every man that is redeemed is bound with his perseverance to joyne both assiduity in a continuall practise of piety every day, and also to increase dayly in godliness, and in the grace of the Spirit, being renewed in the inner man from day to day, 2 Cor. 4. 16. But yet this is not the thing which by oath the Lord hath promised in the covenant of grace to all that are redeemed; for who then might not think himself excluded out of the covenant of grace, seeing in many things we offend all? (Iam. 3. 2.) and there is not a righteous man upon earth that doth good, (Eccles. 7. 20) and sinneth not: But they are to be understood of our whole life, neither do they so much import quando, when, as quam diu, how long: as being uttered in the accusative case: (foreign) For the children of God, howsoever they fall in many particulars besides or contrary to their generall purpose, yet for somuch as they alwayes rise againe, and hold out to the end, having a constant purpose to serve God alwayes, they are truly said to worship God all the dayes of their life. As Asa's heart was said to have been perfect, (2 Chron. 16. 17.) that is, upright, all the dayes of his life, (2 Chron. 16. 7. 10. 12.) though failed in many particulars.
The faith of the Elect (that is, of all true children of God, nam qui verê filij sunt. praesciti & praedestinati sunt Aug. de corrupt & gratia c. 9.) Which worketh by love, either faileth not at all, or if there be any in whom it faileth, it is repayred before the end of their… lif: & that iniquity which came betweene, being wiped away, it is accompted for perseverance to the end, as Augustine saith *Aug. de corrept & gracia c. 7. Horum sides, quae per dilectionemoper… tur, profect… aut omninò n… deficit aut si qi sunt quor… deficit, reparatur antequam vita ista …iniatur, & deleta quae intercurrerat inique itate, usque in finem perseverantia deputatur..
The meaning then of the words is, that God by oath doth promise to the faithfull; that he will give them grace to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse from the time of their actuall redemption and justification, with perseverance to the end of their life.
Sect 2. The certainty of perseverance grounded upon the text] Where-upon we doe ground this most comfortable doct…ine, that the perseverance of the faithfull. I meane of all those that truly believe, and are sound and upright Christians, is certaine, perseveran…e being the perpetuall and peculiar previledge of the upright. But when I say it is certain…, I speak not of the certainty of the subject, as though the faith…ull were alwayes certainly assured of their perseverance (though they are alwayes to labour for that assurance) but of the certainty of the object, that is, that the perseverance of the faithf…ll is certaine and sure, whether they be assured of it, or not. Even as the founda…on of Gods election abideth sure,) 1. Tim 2. 19. though the elect be not alwayes sure of it, but yet are alwayes to give diligence to make it sure. (1 Pet. 1. 10.)
Sect. 3. The necessity of this doctrine] Here therefore wee are to refute the Papist, and all others who endevour to bereave the faithfull and sound Christians of this priviledge. And in this cause we are to labour the more seriously, because those that would deprive us of this priviledge, doe also endevour to robbe us of all true comforts and consolation, For first, this were no sound comfort (wherein notwithstanding our Saviour CHRIST doth bid the Faithfull especially to rejoyce.)
Luk. 10 20.) that our names are written in heaven; if againe they may be blotted out: that we are the sonnes and heires of God, if that notwithstanding we may become the children of the devill: that we are now the elect of God, if hereafter we may become reprobates.
2. Againe, the maine comfort of a Christian in this life; is assurance of salvation after this life is ended▪ For the life (as it were) of the life mortall, is the assurance of the life immortall. But how can there be assurance of salvation, if there be no certainty of Perseverance?
3. Those which seeke to undermine the certainty of Perseverance in the children of God, doe also overturne the very groundworke and foundation of our Faith and hope. For what is Faith (I meane speciall Faith) or hope, but an assurance of salvation, and consequently of perseverance unto salvation by Christ; the one, as an assured persausion, the other as an assured expectation? The ground of which assurance is the maine promise of the Gospell, declaring the certainty of their salvation, who doe truly believe in Christ. From whence the Christian conscience gathereth assurance in this manner. The salvation of all those that truly believe is certaine. This being the maine pr…mise of the Gospell, (Iohn 3. 16, Mark▪ 16. 16. Act. 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9, 10, 11.) that whosoever believeth in Christ, shall be saved▪ But I (saith the soule of the faithfull man, according to the testimony of his conscience, seconded by the testimony of the Holy Ghost, (Rom. 8. 16.) bearing witnesse with our spirit, that we are the children of God) I doe truly believe in Christ, therefore my salvation is certaine. But the proposition of this …yllogisme with the proofe thereof, which is the ground of our Faith, and the foundation of our assurance and consolation, the adversaries of perseverance doe deny: no… fearing to contradict the maine promise of the Gospel. For whereas the promise of the Gospel affirmeth, that all which truly believe in Christ, shalbe saved: they are not ashamed to say, that some, which truly believe in Christ, shall not be saved. For they say, that some which truly believe, doe not persevere, and that those which doe not persevere, shall not be saved.
Lastly, the Faithfull in the greatest temptations of Satan and conflicts with despaire, do use to raise themselves (Psal. 77. 6.) by calling to minde the tokens of Gods speciall favour vouchsafed unto them in former times, and the undoubted fruits of saving grace, which they have formerly brought forth: Knowing that the Lord (who changeth not) Mal. 3. 6. whom he loveth once, loveth to the end: John 13. 1. and that the saving gifts and graces of God …are without repentance. Rom. 11. 29. And hereby as penitent children…, are encouraged to seek unto their heavenly Father for mercy and pardon: Knowing that howsoever hee is justly angry with them, yet hee doth not hate them, nor utterly cast off them: whom once hee hath received into his love▪ in Christ. But the adversaries of Perseverance by their doctrine discourage men, when they have grievously offended from all exercises of faith and repentance, and teach them to runne desperate courses. For if a faithfull man upon a grievous, or as they call it, a mortall or deadly sinne committed, bee translated from the state of salvation into the state of condemnation excluded out of▪ Gods favour, and made an object of his… hatred, deprived of Faith, Hope, and Charity, and of all saving Grace, and withall ceasing to be the child, or (as some say) elect of God, is become a child of the devill: with what heart can he seeke unto GOD, of whom he is now hated? How can he call upon him, in whom he doth not believe? Or how can he hope to be heard, that hath no hope? or how shall he seek to please God who hath no faith (without which it is impossible to please GOD) nor any desire to please him?
This Doctrine therefore is to be avoided as a downfall of dispaire: the full confutation whereof I reserve to a peculiar Treatise purposely written of that subject. OnelyOnly here, to make better way thereunto, I thought good to adde an Appendix, for the further cleering of the Doctrine delivered in the 8 Chapter of this Book, concerning the certainty of Salvation.