Answer to Granthams Book, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Concerning the Saints Perſeverance, as being kept by the power of God, through Faith unto Salvation.
THis Author hath ſomething about this point, page 19.
He ſaith, ſome may depart from the Faith, giving heed to ſeducing Spirits.
I anſwer, none ever doubted but Men may fall from the Doctrine of Faith, from the profeſſion of Faith, and from an Hiſtorical Notional Faith, from common Grace, from common Enlightning.
But the Doctrine maintained by the Aſſembly of Divines, and, as I have ſhewed, by the Lambeth Articles, and by the Articles of Ireland, is, that none that are truly regenerated, that have ſaving juſtifying Faith, ſhall be ſo left to themſelves, as to fall totally and finally, but ſhall be preſerved unto the Heavenly Kingdom.
Believers may be left to themſelves at times, as David, Hezekiah, Peter and others, that they may fall foully to the Diſhonour of God, and to the wounding of their own Souls; but God will graciouſly recover them again, Grace is in a ſwoun in them, but not dead.
The Doctrine of the Saints perſeverance is grounded,
1. Ʋpon the free and Eternal, Ʋnchangeable love of God to the Elect.
2. Ʋpon the perfect and eternal Redemption Chriſt hath wrought for them, and his praying as Mediator, that they may be kept, and that their Faith fail not.
3. The Inhabitation of the Spirit, who abideth in them for ever.
4. The promiſes of God to them, that they ſhall not depart from him; the Nature of the Covenant of Grace, which they are brought under, is, that God will guide them by his Counſels, and afterwards bring them to his glory.
But I ſhall not enlarge upon theſe things, but let us attend upon what this Author ſaith upon this point: Truly though the Aſſembly of Divines had poſitively declared for the Doctrine of the Saints Perſeverance, yet according to the faculty of the Man to catch at ſomething, [he ſaith] nor need any Man ſay more concerning falling away, than they do, for as they deny not but there are Temporary Believers (and truly ſuch are all that fall away) ſo they plainly tell us, that the pureſt Churches in Heaven, are ſubject to mixture and Error, and ſome have ſo degenerated, as to become no Churches of Chriſt, but Synagogues of Satan. Now ſaith he, ſurely the pureſt Churches under Heaven, are true Believers, and if theſe may become Synagogues of Satan, it is too much to prove the point.
Truly either this Author is more Ignorant than I took him to be, before I ſaw his Book, or elſe which is far worſe, hath not an honeſt Mind, but is reſolved to wreſt Mens words contrary to what he knows they intended, as we ſhall ſee.
1. He ſaith, the Aſſembly deny not but there are Temporary Believers.
I anſwer, what Ignorance or worſe is this? When Divines ſpeak of Temporaries, or Temporary Believers, they call them ſo, to Diſtinguiſh them from true Believers, thoſe that have a true lively juſtifying Faith: I ſuppoſe the phraſe was taken up from the Parable of the four ſorts of grounds, Luke 18.13. Our Saviour there compares ſome Hearers of the Word, to the High-way-ſide, that the Word doth not affect them at all, a ſecond ſort to the Stony Ground, that hear the Word with Joy, but they have no Root of grace in them; Ay, and if ſuch do abide to their Lives end with no other but ſuch a kind of Faith as they have, they could not be ſaved, but they often, eſpecially if Perſecution come, loſe that Hiſtorical, Notional Faith, and common enlightning they had; the Hearts of theſe were never made good ground, they were never ploughed up, and ſown with the Seed of ſpecial Grace, to bring forth Fruit unto God. The Scope of our Saviour in that Parable, is, that ſome are affected with the Word, and after a ſort believe, and yet never have the Root of the Matter, a New Heart.
To explain this further, John 2.23, 24. It is ſaid, many believed on him, when they ſaw the Miracles; but Jeſus would not commit himſelf to them, for he knew all Men, he knew what is in Man; the meaning is, that though they believed after a ſort, yet he would not commit himſelf to them, and truſt them as true Diſciples, and true Friends to him, for he knew all Men, he knew they were not ſound Believers, he knew they had not that precious Faith of Gods Elect.
And ſo it's ſaid of Simon Magus, Acts 8.13. That he believed and was Baptized, and yet Peter tells him, That his Heart was not right in the ſight of God, but was in the gall of bitterneſs and in the bonds of Iniquity.
Men may be enlightened and convinced, and after a ſort, be Believers, and yet never be truly humbled for Sin, as Sin; never be taken off from all Confidence in their own Righteouſneſs, never rely upon Chriſt alone for Juſtification, never have that Faith that worketh by Love, Gal. 5.6. Thoſe that fall away have but an Hiſtorical, Notional Faith, ſuch as the Apoſtle James calls Faith without Works, a dead Faith; Saving, Juſtifying Faith, differs not only in degree but in its Kind and Nature, from this Faith that they have that falls away, 1 Jo. 2.19. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us, but they went out from us, that they might be made manifest, they were not all of us; that is, that thoſe who were Profeſſors and Believers after a ſort, they went out from us, they fell away becauſe they were not of us, they were not of the Elect and Ranſomed People, they were not partakers of like precious Juſtifying Faith with us, for if they had been ſo, no doubt, (the Apoſtle puts a no doubt upon it) they would have continued with us, and never have fallen to Judaiſm or Heatheniſm again; but they went out from us, fell off from their Profeſſion and common enlightning, that they might be made manifeſt, that they were not all of us; but he tells them that had true Juſtifying Faith, they have an anointing from the Holy one, v. 21. and v. 27. the anointing which ye have received abideth in you, v. 27. Every one, the leaſt as well as the ſtrongeſt that have juſtifying Faith, they have The Spirit of God dwelling in them, they have another manner of work of the Spirit upon them, than any that fall away; they are new Creatures, they are partakers of the Divine Nature, and this Anointing with the Spirit of Grace, and with the Graces of the Spirit abideth in them againſt all oppoſition from the remainders of Corruption, againſt all oppoſition from Men or Devils: The Lord, to humble them, and to ſhew them, that it is of his meer Grace in Chriſt, that they are ſaved, may leave them in part to themſelves at times, and they may be as a Tree cut down, but yet there is the Root of the Matter, the Root of Grace always in them, and through the ſcent of the Water of Life, thro' new Influences, Supplies, and quickenings of the Spirit, they ſhall put forth Buds and Bloſſoms of Grace again.
God hath promiſed to every true Believer, that he will never leave him nor forſake him, Heb. 13.5. i. e. he will never leave him nor forſake him totally, or finally, and 'tis God's not leaving or forſaking them, that keeps them from not leaving or forſaking of him: Let it be well obſerved, that we all by our fall in Adam, have forſaken God, the Fountain of Living Waters; we have left God, and God hath left us, as to any help by a Covenant of Works, that Covenant was Mutable and Conditional; God would not leave and forſake Man upon condition that Man did not leave and forſake him, as to exact and perfect Obedience; but Adam, and all of us in him, did preſently leave and forſake God, Rom. 5.12. and ſo God hath left and forſaken all Adam's Poſterity, as to Bleſſing them upon the terms of the Covenant of Works. But Bleſſed be God for a Covenant of Grace, and Jeſus the Mediator, whom ever the Lord takes internally into this Covenant, he will never leave them nor forſake them, and hath himſelf undertkaen to keep them, that they ſhall never totally and finally leave nor forſake him, Jer. 32.40. Hoſ. 14.4, 5. Iſai. 54.9.10. Iſai. 55.3.
2. The Aſſembly ſay in their Confeſſion of Faith;
That the purest Churches under Heaven are ſubject to Mixture and Error, and have been ſo degenerated, as to become no Churches of Chriſt, but Synagogues of Satan.
Upon which this Author ſaith, ſurely the pureſt Churches are True Believers, and if theſe pureſt Churches may become Synagogues of Satan, it is too much to prove the point.
I anſwer, That the Point in hand, is, whether one, whom the Lord hath endued with a lively Juſtifying Faith, ſhall not be actually and infallibly kept by the Grace and Power of God unto Salvation.
Now this Poſition of the Aſſembly doth conſiſt very well with that point of Doctrine which they maintained about the perſeverance of the Saints.
The Aſſembly of Divines are not ſpeaking of the Inviſible, Myſtical Church, who are inſeparably united to Chriſt, but of particular Churches and Congregations of thoſe that are Profeſſors of the Goſpel, and they ſay rightly,
1. That the pureſt of theſe Churches of Profeſſors are ſubject to mixture; i. e. that there may be in the pureſt Churches, unſound Profeſſors, that never had a Saving Work of Grace wrought in their Hearts.
2. That the pureſt Churches are ſubject to Error; as to leſſer Errors, the pureſt Churches in the World may be guilty before God: Chriſt may not only have a few things, but many things againſt the beſt Churches, either for Errors in Doctrine or Worſhip, or failings in Converſation in Miniſters and People, who can underſtand his Errors, all his Errors; the pureſt Churches had need to be very Humble, and not boaſt of their Purity, but pray continually, that God would pardon and reform what he ſees amiſs in them.
3. The pureſt Church may ſo degenerate, as to be no Church of Chriſt, but the Synagogue of Satan: All that the Aſſembly of Divines here ſay, is very true, and no contradiction at all to themſelves in their maintaining the certain perſeverance of particular Saints; for tho' the pureſt Church may ſo degenerate in time, as to be no true Church of Chriſt, but the Synagogue of Satan; yet if there be any True Believers in a Church, they are kept, notwithſtanding the Apoſtacy of the Church whereof they were Members; tho' the Church doth ſo degenerate, as to loſe their Church ſtate, yet if there were any one ſound Chriſtian in that Church, he ſhall hold his ſpiritual Eſtate and Ʋnion with Chriſt for all that. If Chriſt have a few names in a Church that degenerates, thoſe ſhall be ſafe, whatſoever becomes of the reſt, as to their Church Eſtate, and Eternal-ſtate, Revel. 3.4. Thou haſt a few Names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their Garments, and they ſhall walk with me in white; i. e. they ſhall walk with Chriſt in the white of Grace here, to their lives end, and in the white of Glory for ever: Tho' the Lord do remove the Candleſtick, the Church-Eſtate, and will not own a People any longer to be a True Church; yet if there be any ſound Chriſtians amongſt them, they ſhall never be caſt off: Therefore, how vainly doth this Author ſay from this paſſage of the Aſſemblies Confeſſion of Faith, here is too much to prove the Point, when there is not the leaſt ſhadow of any thing they ſay, to prove, that any True Believer may fall totally and finally: Tho' thoſe that were Profeſſors of the Goſpel, and were in Churches, may ſo degenerate, as to loſe their Church-eſtate; yet if there were any in thoſe Churches that were True Believers, the Gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt them: A Degenerate Church may Excommunicate the Sound Members, may proſecute them to Death, but can never ſeparate them from the Love of Chriſt. The truth is, when a Church doth ſo wofully degenerate, as to be accounted no longer a Church of Chriſt, but the Synagogue of Satan, the Lord is pleaſed many times to ſtir up thoſe that are Sound Chriſtians amongſt them, that they are more Lively and Spiritual than ever they were, and love not their Lives unto the Death, in bearing witneſs to the Truth.
Now let us hear this Author declare, what his Opinion is about the Saints Perſeverance.
Saith he, Pag. 20. For my part, tho' I doubt not but there is a State attainable in this Life, from which, by the Grace of God, Chriſtians ſhall not fall, yet I hold it a vanity for any Man to affirm of himſelf, or of any other perſon in particular, that it is impoſſible for him to fall, I hold it far better for the beſt, as well as others, to take heed leſt they fall.
I anſwer, This paſſage is very dark and ambiguous, wherein this Author rather hides than declares his Judgment about the Point in hand.
The word Chriſtian, may be taken largely, for thoſe that are Chriſtians by Profeſſion only; no doubt but they may fall from their Profeſſion; or the word Chriſtian may be taken ſtrictly, for thoſe who are Chriſtians inwardly in the Heart and in the Spirit, as well as outwardly by Profeſſion: Now this we maintain from the Scripture, as hath been declared before, that all ſuch have attained ſuch an Eſtate, by their Ʋnion with Chriſt, by their Juſtification, Adoption and Regeneration, that they ſhall never fall totally or finally.
This Author muſt intend ſome new Notion (if he underſtand himſelf) which muſt be, that though every one that is Really and Spiritually in Chriſt, is not in ſuch an Eſtate, as that he ſhall certainly perſevere in Grace, yet he who hath attained an extraordinary degree of Grace, or to an abſolute Perfection, ſuch as the Quakers talk of, may, by the Grace of God, keep his ſtanding. This is a wondrous dark Paſſage, and I ſhall leave the Author in his Clouds; but we maintain,
1. That none attain to an abſolute perfection in this life, Rom. 7. Gal. 5.17. Eccleſ. 7.20.
2. That the ſtrongeſt Saints in the World cannot keep themſelves one day, but are upheld by the ſecret Influences and Supplies of the Spirit, Phil. 1.13. 1 John 5.5. 2 Cor. 3.5.
3. That the Lord, who keeps ſtrong Believers, keepeth alſo the weakeſt True Believer moſt certainly and infallibly, Phil 1.6. where he hath begun the good work of Special Saving Grace, he will perform it to the day of Jeſus Chriſt; that the weakeſt of Chriſt's Sheep and Lambs ſhall have Eternal Life, and ſhall never periſh, John 10.27, 28. that Chriſt will not break (nor ſuffer to be broken) the bruiſed Reed, nor quench the ſmoking Flax, Matth. 12.20. that is, where there is but a little Special Grace, that can but ſmoke, though it cannot flame, Chriſt will keep it, that it ſhall never be quenched, but ſhall at laſt flame out in Love and Praiſe, and ſinging in Heaven to all Eternity.
God keeps True Believers in a ſtate of Grace till they come to Glory, not becauſe they are ſtrong, but becauſe they are his Elect, becauſe they are redeemed by the Blood of his Son, and at their effectual Calling, adopted to be his Children, and ſaith the Apoſtle, If Children, then Heirs of God, and joint Heirs with Chriſt, Rom. 8.17. The leaſt Babe in Chriſt is God's Child, as well as the Eldeſt, and ſtrongeſt Believer, and ſhall infallibly be an Heir of God, and joint Heir with Chriſt: For as many as believed, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God, John 1.12. The ſame Day and Hour that a Soul truly receiveth Chriſt, the Lord doth actually adopt that Soul, though it be a ſecret thing to the Soul, yet it is as if God ſhould ſay, I did predeſtinate thee to the Adoption of my Child by Chriſt, and now I do adopt thee to be my Child, to be an Heir of Eternal Life; and ſuch ſhall certainly be preſerved to the Heavenly Kingdom, 1 Pet. 1.4, 5. The Inheritance is reſerved in Heaven for all that are begotten again to a lively Hope by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, and they are kept whilſt they are in this World, by the Power of God through Faith, till they come to the Heavenly Inheritance.
2. This Author ſaith, I hold it a Vanity for any Man to ſay of himſelf, it is impoſſible for him to fall.
I anſwer, 1. It is a Vanity indeed, for any Man to ſay of himſelf, it is impoſſible for him to fall, taking it for falling into Sin at all, for there is no Man that liveth and ſinneth not; yea, it would be Vanity, Pride, and Preſumption for the beſt Saint on Earth, to ſay, it is impoſſible for him to fall into groſs Sins, ſeeing David and Peter fell ſo foully, though they were graciouſly recovered again.
2. It would be great Vanity for the beſt Saint on Earth to ſay, in any the leaſt Confidence in his own Strength, that it is impoſſible for him to fall away totally and finally; for indeed, if they were left to themſelves, it is impoſſible that they ſhould ſtand in a ſtate of Grace one day; if everlaſting Arms were not underneath them, if they were not kept by the Power of God; If Chriſt did not hold them faſt, it were impoſſible that any of the Saints ſhould ſtand.
3. I ſay, That it is no Vanity, but a Triumph of Faith and Thankfulneſs to the God of all Grace, for a True Chriſtian, when God ſheds abroad his Love in his Heart, by the Holy Spirit, to ſay, Who ſhall ſeparate me from the Love of Chriſt? Was it Vanity in David to ſay, Surely Goodneſs and Mercy ſhall follow me all the days of my life, and I ſhall dwell in the Houſe of the Lord for ever? Pſal. 23.6. and Pſal. 73.26. Thou ſhalt guide me with thy Counſel, and afterwards bring me to Glory: Was it Vanity in the Apoſtle Paul to ſay, Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteouſneſs, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge will give unto me, and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing? 2 Tim. 4.8. I ſuppoſe this Author may be of the Judgment of Bellarmine, and other Papiſts, that none can have Aſſurance in this Life of their Eternal Salvation, except it be by extraordinary Revelation.
Then, as to what he ſaith, That it is a Vanity to tell any other particular Perſon, that it is impoſſible for him to fall; I anſwer, that if he intends falling totally and finally, I ſuppoſe it is not ordinary to ſay to any particular perſon, it is impoſſible for you to fall away; and if one do ſay ſo to any particular perſon, it is upon a Suppoſition, that the Perſon is ſavingly united to Chriſt, as if a particular Perſon under deſertion ſaith, I once had Hope, through Grace, but now God will be gracious no more; I ſhall one day fall by the hand of Sin and Satan, one may aſſure him, that if e're God hath begun the good Work of Special, Saving Grace, he will perform it to the Day of Jeſus Chriſt; Faithful is he that calleth you, who alſo will do it, 1 Theſſ. 5.24.
Ay, but ſaith this Author, It is far better for the beſt to take heed leſt they fall. I anſwer, It is very well conſiſtent with the Doctrine of the Saints Perſeverance, to take heed leſt they fall, and to work out their Salvation with an Holy Fear and Trembling, looking diligently, leſt they fail of the Grace of God.
1. They that have the fullest aſſurance of Salvation are to take heed lest they fall into Sin; becauſe Sin is Sin in a Believer as well as in another Man; yea, in ſome ſence it is more heinous in a Believer, than in another Man, and tho' there be no Condemnation to thoſe that are in Chriſt, ſo that God will not caſt his Children into Hell for their Sins, yet he may ſorely chaſtize them upon Earth, both by Inward Terrors of Conſcience, and outward Afflictions.
2. Such Cautions, as, take heed lest you fall, and the like, are one means by which God keeps his People from falling; God's infallibly keeping his People doth not take them off from their Duty of Watching and Praying, but encourageth them to their Duty: But ſtill if the Lord did not hold every Believer with a ſtrong hand, notwithſtanding all their care and taking heed, they would fall; yea, and fall as low as Hell.
For what the Author adds, That good Laws were not made against Traytors and Felons, to make Men Traytors and Felons, but to keep Men from being Traytors and Feions. I anſwer, God's Laws and Precepts were not made to make Men wicked, but to reſtrain Men from Sin; and that they do, ſo far as God is pleaſed to give Men either Common and Reſtraining Grace, or Special and Sanctifying Grace: But the aim of this Author, is to make his ignorant and unwary Reader, think, that there are no other Decrees of God, but Laws and Precepts ſet forth to Men as their Duty, which is a groſs miſtake, and is ſuch a Vail upon this Author, that till it be taken away, he will never underſtand theſe things. God's Eternal Decrees and Purpoſes, are his Intentions, what he himſelf will do for the manifeſtation of his own Glory; God's Laws and Precepts are his Commandments to us as our Sovereign Lord; but of theſe things I ſpake before in my Vindication of Dr. Collings.
Before I end this Chapter, I would make this Obſervation, which may be of uſe to his own Soul, if the Lord pleaſe to put in by his own Spirit; however, it may be of uſe to others; and it is this, that this Author, though he talks of a general Love of God to all Adam's Poſterity, and of God's ſetting forth good Laws, yet he ſeems to have had ſuch a dark Education, that he is not acquainted with the free Covenant of Grace, and the free Promiſes of Grace, that are made to ſome Perſons. Some Scriptures declare what God requires of us in Precepts and Commands, and in other Scriptures he doth freely and abſolutely promiſe to ſome, to all the Elect, to all the Spiritual Iſrael, that he will do it for them, of his Free Grace in Chriſt: And indeed, if the Lord had not freely and abſolutely promiſed to do theſe things for ſome, there had not, there could not have been any of Adam's Poſterity ſaved.
The firſt Promiſe of Grace, Gen. 3.15. that the Seed of the Woman ſhall bruiſe the Serpent's Head, doth virtually contain all other Promiſes ſet forth afterward. This Seed of the Woman is our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who being God by Nature, was to take upon him Humane Nature, of a Woman: It was declared that he ſhould bruiſe the Serpent's Head, give him a mortal Wound for all whoſe Surety and Mediator he was, that he ſhould deſtroy the Works of the Devil, that he ſhould certainly and infallibly bring all the Elect to Glory, notwithſtanding all that the Devil had done to bring Adam and all his Poſterity under the Curſe of the Law. The Words hold forth no leſs than a full, perfect and eternal Reſcue, in due time, from the Devil and Sin; that all, whoſe Surety and Mediator Chriſt was, ſhall certainly be Partakers of.
In one Text, Deut. 10.16. it is ſaid, Circumciſe the Fore-skin of your Heart: In another, Deut. 30.6. it is promiſed to the Elect, The Lord thy God will circumciſe thine Heart. It is commanded in Ezek. 18.31. Cast away from you all your Tranſgreſſions, and make you a new Heart: And it is promiſed to the Elect, that God will do this for them, in Ezek. 36.26, 27. A new Heart alſo will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the Heart of Stone, and give you an Heart of Fleſh. Let it be conſidered how abſolutely God undertakes for his Elect, in the Covenant of Grace; I will, and I will. So Jer. 31.33. I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their Hearts; and I will be their God, and they ſhall be my People. Ver. 34 They ſhall all know me. There are Promiſes unto Grace, and Promiſes to give Grace, to work Grace infallibly in the Elect: And if we do not partake of thoſe exceeding great and precious Promiſes, that the Lord will work Grace in our Hearts, againſt all Oppoſition, we cannot be ſaved, Joh. 6.37. All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come to me, Pſal. 110.3. Thy People ſhall be willing in the Day of thy Power. Joh. 10.16. Other Sheep I have, which are not of this Fold: Them alſo I muſt bring, and they ſhall hear my Voice.
To conclude this Chapter, I would have this Author, and all that ſhall read what I have written, take notice, that I ſhall not meddle with thoſe few Paſſages that he quotes out of other Writers, for ſome of his Opinions. Indeed, he ſeems as if he would put out another Book with Quotations taken out of Mr. Pierce, and others out of the Ancients, for ſome of his Opinions; If this Author will trouble the World with more Books to no purpoſe, who can help it? He may do it with great eaſe, though it may be he never ſaw the Books themſelves; but Mr. Pierce and Mr. J. G. will furniſh him with Quotations out of the Greek and Latin Fathers, to his hand. But I ſhall not, I ſay, meddle with any Quotations of that nature, for theſe Reaſons: Becauſe,
1. That before Pelagius broached his Errours, the Fathers did not ſpeak ſo diſtinctly and warily about the Points of Grace.
2. That this way of deciding Controverſies is endleſs: As we ſee when our Proteſtant Divines took that way with the Papiſts, we took the meaning of certain Paſſages one way, and they another. A learned Epiſcopal Divine, and a Profeſſor of Divinity in Cambridge, long ſince ſaid very well: The Fathers, in ſome things, are for the Papists, againſt us; in ſome things they are for us, againſt the Papiſts; and in ſome things they differ both from the Papiſts and us. But becauſe this makes Controverſies endleſs, and caſts a Miſt before the Eyes of the Common People, a learned Man amongſt the Papiſts gives this Advice to thoſe that have to do with Proteſtants, Get them, ſaith he, out of their Caſtle of the Scriptures, into the large Field of the Fathers: And then he made account they could do well enough with them.
3. That it is Scripture, one Scripture compared with another, that muſt decide Controverſies. As one of the Ancients ſaid, I would hear, Thus ſaith the Lord. It is not what learned and Godly Men ſay, but what the Scripture ſaith, being rightly underſtood, and one place thereof compared with another, that muſt decide Controverſies. And there are certain Rules agreeing with the whole ſcope of Holy Writ, that muſt be attended to; as that no Scripture muſt be interpreted ſo, as in the leaſt to reflect upon the Soveraignty, Immutability and Omnipotency of God: No Scripture muſt be ſo interpreted, as to diſparage and diſhonour that perfect and eternal Redemption that Chriſt, God-Man, hath obtained for us; as if he died in vain for any, for whoſe Sins he made his Soul an Offering: No Scripture muſt be ſo interpreted, as to puff up proud Man with a Conceit that he doth merit his Salvation, when others periſh by his Towardlineſs and Care for himſelf, in improving his Talent better than others; but that all our good Inclinations, every good Thought, and all holy Deſires, are freely given us of God: It is he that worketh in us to will, and to do; and that not for any Worthineſs and Towardlineſs in us, above others, but of his own good Pleaſure, of his free Mercy in Chriſt. It is by Grace we are ſaved, wholly by Grace, from firſt to laſt: Election was of mere Grace, our Redemption was of mere Grace, our Converſion of mere Grace; all is from ſpecial, diſcriminating, diſtinguiſhing Grace: We have not the leaſt thing to glory in, as if we had made our ſelves to differ from thoſe that periſh; but we muſt wonder here, and to all Eternity in Heaven, that we ſhould find Grace in the ſight of the Lord.