A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 43
Of PERSEVERANCE.
1 Pet. 1.5.
Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation.
Use 1. SEE the Excellency of Grace, it perseveres: Other things are but foreign, for a Season; Health and Riches are sweet, but they are but for a Season, but Grace is a Blossom of Eternity. The Seed of God remains, 1 Iohn 3.9. Grace may suffer an Eclipse, not a Dissolution. It is called Substance for its Solidity, Prov. 8.21. and durable Riches for its Permanency, Prov. 8.18. It lasts as long as the Soul, as Heaven lasts. Grace is not like a Lease which soon expires, but it runs parallel with Eternity.
2. See here that which may provoke in the Saints everlasting Love and Gratitude to God. What can make us love God more than the fixedness of his love to us? he is not only the Author of Grace, but finisher; his love is perpetuated and carried on to our Salvation, Iohn 10.27. My Sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal Life. My Sheep, there is Election; hear my voice, there is Vocation; and I know them, there is Justification; and I give unto them eternal Life, there is glorification. How may this make us love God, and set up the Monuments and Trophies of his Praise? How much have we done, to cause God to withdraw his Spirit, and suffer us to fall Finally? yet that he should keep us, let his name be Blessed, and his Memorials eternized, who keepeth the Feet of his Saints, 1 Sam. 3.9.
3. See whence it is that the Saints do persevere in Holiness, it is solely to be ascribed to the power of God; we are kept by his power, foreign, kept as in a Garison: It is a Wonder any Christian perseveres, if you consider, 1. Corruption within. The Tares are mingled with the Wheat; there is more Sin than Grace, yet Grace is habitually predominant. Grace is like a Spark in the Sea, a wonder it is not quenched; a wonder Sin doth not destroy Grace; that it doth not do as sometimes the Nurse to the Infant, overlay it and it dies: so that this Infant of Grace is not smothered by Corruption. 2. Temptations without. Satan envies us Happiness, and he raiseth his Militia, stirs up Persecution; he shoots his fiery Darts of Temptation; they are called Darts for their Swiftness, Fiery for their Terribleness; we are every day beset with Devils: As it was a wonder Daniel was kept alive in the midst of the Roaring Lions, so that there are so many Roaring Devils about us, and yet we are not torn in pieces. Now whence is it we stand against these powerful Temptations? We are kept by power of God. 3. The Worlds Golden Snares, Riches and Pleasure, Luke 18.24. How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God. How many have been cast away upon these golden Sands, 2 Tim. 4.10. as Demas? What a wonder any Soul perseveres in Religion, that the Earth doth not choak the Fire of all good Affections? Whence is this but from the power of God? We are kept by his power.
Use 2. Consolation. This Doctrin of Perseverance is as Bezar stone; 'tis a Sovereign Cordial to keep up the Spirits of the Godly from Fainting. There is nothing doth more trouble a Child of God than this, he fears he shall never hold out; these weak Legs of mine will never carry me to Heaven. But Perseverance is an inseparable Fruit of Sanctification, Once in Christ and for ever in Christ. A Believer may fall from some degrees of Grace, but not from the State of Grace. An Israelite could never wholly fell or alienate his Land of Inheritance, Lev. 25.23. A Type of our Heavenly Inheritance which cannot be wholly alienated from us. How despairing is the Arminian Doctrin of falling from Grace? To day a Saint, to morrow a Reprobate; to day a Peter, to morrow a Iudas. This must needs cut the Sinews of a Christians endeavour, and be as the boaring an hole in the Vessel, to make all the Wine of his Joy run out. Were the Arminian Doctrin true, how could the Apostle say, The Seed of God remains in him, 1 Iohn 3.9. and the anointing of God abides, 1 Iohn 2.27. What comfort were it to have ones name written in the Book of Life, if it might be blotted out again? But be assured for your Comfort, Grace, if true, though never so weak, shall persevere: Though a Christian hath but little Grace to Trade with, yet he need not fear breaking, because God doth not only give him a Stock of Grace, but will keep his Stock for him; Gratia concutitur, non excutitur, Aug. Grace may be shaken with Fears and Doubts, but it cannot be pluck'd up by the Roots. Fear not falling away; if any thing should hinder the Saints Perseverance, then it must be either Sin or Temptation; but neither of these: 1. Not the Sins of Believers: That which humbles them shall not Damn them, but their Sins are a means to humble them; they gather Grapes of Thorns; from the Thorn of Sin they gather the Grape of Humility. 2. Not Temptation: The Devil lays the Train of his Temptation to blow up the Fort of a Saints Grace; but this cannot do it. Temptation is a Medicine for Security, the more Satan tempts, the more the Saints Pray. When Paul had the Messenger of Satan to buffet him, 2 Cor. 12.8. For this besought I the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. Thus nothing can break off a Believer from Christ, or hinder his Perseverance; let this Wine be given to such as are of an heavy Heart. This Perseverance is Comfort: 1. In the loss of worldly Comforts. When our Goods may be taken away, our Grace cannot, Luke 10.42. Mary hath chosen the better part, which cannot be taken from her. 2. In the Hour of Death. When all things fail, Friends take their farewel of us, yet still Grace remains. Death may separate all things else from us but Grace. A Christian may say on his Death-bed, as Olevian once, Sight is gone, Speech and Hearing are departing, but the loving kindness of God will never depart.
Quest. 1. What Motives and Incentives are there to make Christians persevere?
Resp. 1. It is the Crown and Glory of a Christian to persevere, In Christianis non initia sed fines laudantur. Prov. 16.31. The hoary head is a Crown of Glory, if found in the way of Righteousness. When gray Hairs shine with golden Virtues, this is a Crown of Glory. The Church of Ihyatira was best at last, Rev. 2.19. I know thy patience and thy works, and the last to be more than the first. The Excellency of a Building is not in having the first stone laid, but when it is finished. The Glory and Excellency of a Christian, is when he hath finished the work of Faith.
2. You are within a few Days march of Heaven. Salvation is near to you; Rom. 13.11. Now is our Salvation nearer than when we believed. Christians, it is but a while and you shall have done Weeping and Praying, and be triumphing. You shall put off your Mourning, and put on white Robes; you shall put off your Armour, and put on a Victorious Crown. You who have made a good Progress in Religion, you are now almost ready to Commence and take your Degree of Glory; now is your Salvation nearer than when you began to believe. When a Man is almost at the end of a Race, will he now tire, or faint away? O labour to persevere, your Salvation is now nearer; you have but a little way to go, and you will set your Foot in Heaven. Though the way be up-Hill and full of Thorns, viz. Sufferings, yet you have gone the greatest part of your way, and shortly you shall rest from your Labours.
3. How sad it is not to persevere in Holiness; you expose your selves to the Reproaches of Men, and the Rebukes of God.
First, To the Reproaches of Men. They will divide both you and your Profession, Luke 14.28. This Man began to Build, and was not able to finish. Such is he who begins in Religion, and doth not persevere. He is the Ludibrium and Derision of all.
Secondly, To the Rebukes of God. God is most severe against such as fall off, because they bring an Evil Report upon Religion. Apostacy breeds a bitter Worm in Conscience. What a Worm did Spira feel! and it brings swift Damnation. It is a drawing back foreign to Perdition, Heb. 10.38. God will make his Sword drunk with the Blood of Apostates.
4. The Promises of Mercy are annexed only to Perseverance, Rev. 3.5. He that overcometh, shall be cloathed in white Raiment, and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life. Non pugnanti, sed vincenti dabitur corona, Aug. The Promise is not to him that Fights, but that overcomes, Luke 22.28. Ye are they which have continued with me, and I appoint unto you a Kingdom. The Promise of a Kingdom saith Chrysostom, is not made to them that heard Christ, or followed him, but that continued with him. Perseverance carries away the Garland. No Man hath the Crown set upon his Head, but he who holds out to the end of the Race. O therefore by all this, be perswaded to Persevere. God makes no account of such as do not persevere. Who esteems of Corn, that sheds before Harvest, or Fruit that falls from the Tree before it be Ripe?
Quest. 2. What expedients or means may be used for a Christians Perseverance?
Resp. 1.Removenda. Take heed of those things which will make you desist and fall away.
First, Take heed of Presumption: Do not presume upon your own strength. Exercise an Holy Fear and Jealousie over your own Hearts, Rom. 11.20. Be not high minded but fear, 1 Cor. 10.12. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed l…st he fall. It was Peter's Sin, he lean'd more upon his Grace than upon Christ, and then he fell. A Christian hath cause to fear lest the Lusts and Deceits of his Heart betray him. Take heed of Presuming: Fear begets Prayer, Prayer begets Strength, and Strength begets Stedfastness.
Secondly, Take heed of Hypocrisie. Iudas was first a Sly Hypocrite, and then a Traitor, Psal. 78.37. Their Heart was not right with God, neither were they stedfast in his Covenant. If there be any Venom or Malignity in the Blood, it will break forth into a Plague-sore. The Venom of Hypocrisie is in danger of breaking forth into the Plague-sore of Scandal.
Thirdly, Beware of a Vile Heart of Unbelief. Heb. 3.12. Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of Unbelief, departing from the Living God. Whence is Apostacy but from Incredulity? Men do not believe the Truth, and then they fall from the Truth. Unbelieving and Unstable go together, Psal. 78.22. They believed not in God, ver. 41. They turned back.
2. If you would be Pillars in the Temple of God, and persevere in Sanctity,
First, Look that you enter into Religion upon a right ground;Promovenda. be well grounded in the distinct knowledg of God; you must know the Love of the Father, the Merit of the Son, the Efficacy of the Holy Ghost. Such as know not God aright, will by degrees fall off. The Samaritans sometimes sided with the Jews when they were in favour, afterwards disclaimed all Kindred with them, when Antiochus persecuted the Jews: And no wonder the Samaritans were no more fixed in Religion, if you consider what Christ saith of the Samaritans, Iohn 4.22. Ye worship ye know not what: They were ignorant of the True God; let your Knowledge of God be clear, and serve him purely out of Choice, and then you will persevere. Psal. 119.30. I have chosen the way of Truth, I have stuck unto thy Testimonies.
Secondly, Get a real work of Grace in your Heart, Heb. 13.9. It is a good thing that the Heart he established with Grace. Nothing will hold out but Grace; 'tis only this Anointing abides; Paint will fall off. Get an Heart-changing-work, 1 Cor. 6.11. But ye are Washed, but ye are Sanctified. Be not content with Baptism of Water, without Baptism of the Spirit. The reason Men persevere not in Religion, is for want of a Vital Principle. A Branch must needs wither that hath no root to grow upon.
Thirdly, If you would Persevere, be very Sincere. Perseverance grows only upon the Root of Sincerity, Psal. 25.21. Let Integrity and Uprightness preserve me. The Breast-Plate of Sincerity can never be shot thorough. How many Storms was Iob in? The Devil sets against him, his Wife tempted him to Curse God, his Friends accused him for an Hypocrite; here was enough one would think to have made him desist from Religion: Yet for all this he perseveres. What preserved him? it was his Sincerity, Iob 27.6. My Righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my Heart shall not Reproach me so long as I live.
Fourthly, If Persevere, be Humble. St. Chrysostom calls it the Mother of all the Graces. God lets a poor Humble Christian stand, when others of Higher Parts, and who have higher Thoughts of themselves, fall off by Apostacy. They are likest to Persevere, who God will give most Grace to; But he gives Grace to the Humble, 1 Pet. 5.5. They are likest to persevere, who have God dwelling in them; But God dwells in the Humble Soul, Isa. 57.15. Non requiescit Spiritus Sanctus nisi super Humilem, Bern. The lower the Tree roots in the Earth, the firmer it is; the more the Soul is rooted in Humility, the more stablished it is, and in less danger of falling away.
Fifthly, If Persevere, cherish the Grace of Faith. Faith doth stabilire Animum, 2 Cor. 1.24. By Faith ye stand. 1. Faith knits us to Christ, as the Members are knit to the Head by Nerves and Sinews. 2. Faith fills us with Love to God; It works by Love, Gal. 5.6. And he who loves God will rather dye than desert him. The Soldier who loves his General, will die in his Service▪ 3. Faith gives us a Prospect of Heaven, it shews us an invisible Glory, and he who hath Christ in his Heart, and a Crown in his Eye, will not faint away. O cherish Faith; keep your Faith, and your Faith will keep you. While the Pilot keeps his Ship, his Ship keeps him.
Sixthly, If Persevere, let us engage the power of God to help us; we are kept by the power of God. The Child is safest when it is held in the Nurses Arms; so are we when we are held in the Arms of Free-Grace. It is not our holding God, but his holding us preserves us: When a Boat is tied to a Rock it is secure; so when we are fast tied to the Rock of Ages, then we are impregnable. O engage God's power to help us to Persevere; we engage his Power by Prayer. Let us pray to him to keep us, Psal. 17.5. Hold up my goings in thy Paths that my Footsteps slip not. It was a good Prayer of Beza, Domine quod cepisti perfice, ne in portu naufragium accidat. Lord perfect what thou hast begun in me, that I may not suffer. Shipwreck when I am almost at the Haven.
Seventhly, If Persevere, set often before your Eyes the noble Examples of those who have Persevered in Religion; quot Martyres, quot Fideles in Coelis jam Triumphant? What a glorious Army of Saints and Martyrs have gone before us? How constant to the Death was St. Paul, Acts 21.13. How Persevering in the Faith were Ignasius, Policarp, Athanasius? These were Stars in their Orb, Pillars in the Temple of God. Let us look on their Zeal and Courage, and be animated; Heb. 12.1. Seeing we are compassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses, let us run with Patience the Race that is set before us. The Crown is set at the end of the Race, if we win the Race, we shall wear the Crown.