Part 27

To make this appear, we might consider some promises which, when first made, had a particular relation to God’s dealings with his people in those circumstances in which they were at that time; which, notwithstanding, are applied in a more extensive manner, to New Testament believers in all ages. Thus when God tells his people, in the scripture before referred to, that _all thy children shall be taught of the Lord_, Isa. liv. 13. whatever respect this may have to the church of the Jews, our Saviour applies it in a more extensive way, as belonging to believers in all ages, when he says, _Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me_, John vi. 45. And when God promises Joshua that _he would not fail nor forsake him_, and encourages him thereby, _not to fear nor be dismayed_, Josh. i. 5, 9. when he was to pass over Jordan, into the land of Canaan; and after that, to engage in a work which was attended with many difficulties: this promise is applied, by the apostle, as an inducement to believers, in his day, to be _content with such things as they have_; accordingly he adds, that what God told Joshua of old, the same was written for their encouragement, _viz._ that _he would never leave them, nor forsake them_, Heb. xiii. 5. We cannot therefore but conclude from hence, that this objection is of no force in either of its branches, to overthrow the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance, as founded on the stability of the promises of the covenant of grace.

3. The saints’ perseverance in grace may be farther proved from their inseparable union with Christ: this union is not only federal, as he is the head of the covenant of grace, and they his members, whose salvation he has engaged to bring about, as was observed under the last head; but he may be considered also as their vital head, from whom they receive spiritual life and influence; so that as long as they abide in him, their spiritual life is maintained as derived from him: if we consider the church, or the whole election of grace as united to him, it is called, _His body_, Col. i. 24. _the fulness of him that filleth all in all_, Eph. i. 23. and every believer being a member of this body, or a part, if I may so express it, of this fulness, if it should perish and be separated from him, his body would be defective, and he would sustain a loss of that which is an ingredient in his fulness.

Moreover, as this union includes in it that relation between Christ and his people, which is, by a metaphorical way of speaking, styled conjugal;[87] and accordingly is mutual, as the result of his becoming theirs by an act of grace, and they his by an act of self-dedication; this is the foundation of mutual love, which is abiding, it is certainly so on his part; because it is unchangeable, as founded on a covenant-engagement, which he cannot violate; and though their love to him be in itself subject to change, through the prevalency of corrupt nature, which too much inclines them to be unstedfast in this marriage-covenant; yet he will recover and bring them back to him, and will not deal with them as persons do with strangers, whom they exclude from their presence or favour, if they render themselves unworthy of it; but they who stand in a nearer relation to him, and accordingly are the objects of his special love, shall not be cast off for ever, how much soever he may resent their unworthy behaviour to him. Not to be separate from Christ, is, according to the apostle’s expression, not to _be separated_ from his love; and this, he says, he was _persuaded_ that he should not be, or _that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to do it_, Rom. viii. 35, 38, 39. Accordingly it is said, that _having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end_, John xiii. 1.

Here I cannot but take notice of a very jejune and empty sense which some give of this text, to evade the force of the argument taken from it, to prove the doctrine we are maintaining. How plausible soever it may seem to be to those who conclude that this must be the true sense, because it favours their own cause: by _his own_ they mean no other than Christ’s disciples, whom he was at that time conversant with; and indeed, they apply whatever Christ says, in some following chapters, to them, exclusive of all others; as when he says, _Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world_, chap. xv. 19. and _because I live, ye shall live also_, chap. xiv. 19. This, they suppose, respects them in particular; and so in the text before us, _having loved his own which were in the world_; that is, his own disciples; as though he had a propriety in none but them; _he loved them to the end_; that is, not to the end of their lives; for that would prove the doctrine we are maintaining, but to the end of his life, which was now at hand; and his love to them, they suppose to be expressed in this, that he condescended to wash their feet. But if this were the sense of the words, his love to them would not be so extraordinary a privilege as it really is; for it would be only an instance of human and not divine love. And indeed, our happiness consists, not only in Christ’s loving us to the end of his life; but in his continuing to express his love in his going into heaven to prepare a place, and there making continual intercession for us; and in the end, in his coming again to receive us to himself, that where he is, we may be also; which leads us to consider,

4. That the saints’ perseverance farther appears from Christ’s continual intercession for them. This has been particularly explained in a foregoing answer;[88] and the apostle speaking of his _ever living to make intercession_ for his people, infers that _he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him_, Heb. vii. 25. This he could not be said to do, should he leave the work which he has begun in them, imperfect, and suffer them, who come to him by faith, to apostatize from him. We have before considered Christ’s intercession, as including in it his appearing in the presence of God, in the behalf of those for whom he offered himself a sacrifice while here on earth; and also, that what he intercedes for shall certainly be granted him, not only because he is the Son of God, in whom he is well pleased, but because he pleads his own merits; and to deny to grant what he merited, would be, in effect, to deny the sufficiency thereof, as though the purchase had not been fully satisfactory; therefore we must conclude, as he himself said on earth, that _the Father heareth him always_. It is also evident, that he prays for the perseverance of his people, as he says to Peter, _I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not_, Luke xxii. 32. And there are many things in that affectionate prayer, mentioned in John xvii. which he put up to God, immediately before his last sufferings, which respect their perseverance in grace; as when he says, _Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are_, John xvii. 11. and, _I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil_, ver. 15. that is, either the evil that often attends the condition in which they are, in the world, that so the work of grace may not suffer, at least, not miscarry thereby; or else, that he would keep them from the evil one, that so they may not be brought again under his dominion; he also prays, _that they may be made perfect in one_, ver. 23. that is, not only that they may be perfectly joined together in the same design, but that this unanimity may continue till they are brought to a state of perfection; and _that the world may know that God has loved them, even as he has loved Christ_. And he declares his _will_; which shews that his intercession is founded on justice, and accordingly contains in it the nature of a demand, rather than a supplication for what might be given or denied, namely, _That they whom the Father had given him might be with him where he is, that they may behold his glory_, ver. 24. all which expressions are very inconsistent with the supposition, that it is possible that they, whom he thus intercedes for, may apostatize, or fall short of salvation.

_Object._ It is objected by some, that this prayer respects none but his disciples, who were his immediate friends and followers, and not believers in all ages and places in the world.

_Answ._ But to this it may be replied, That the contrary hereunto is evident, from several things which are mentioned in this prayer, as for instance, he says, That _the Father had given him power over all flesh; that he should give eternal life to as many as he had given him_, ver. 2. the sense of which words will sink too low, if we suppose that he intends thereby, thou hast given me power to dispose of all persons and things in this world, that I may give eternal life to that small number which thou hast given me, namely, my disciples; whereas he speaks of that universal dominion which he has over all persons and things, which were committed to him with this view, that all those who were put into his hand to redeem and save, should attain eternal life: and again, he says, _I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word_, ver. 6. Did Christ manifest the divine name and glory to none but those who were his disciples; and were there none but them that had kept his word? And when he says, that they whom he prayed for, are the Father’s; and adds, that _all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them_, ver. 9, 10. Is the number of those, whom Christ has a right to, and the Father has set apart for himself, in whom he would shew forth his glory, as the objects of his love, and in whom Christ, as Mediator, was to be glorified, so small, as that it contained only the eleven disciples? Or does it not rather respect all that have, or shall believe, from the beginning to the end of time? and when he speaks of _the world’s hating them, because they are not of the world_, John xvii. 14, 15. and of their being exposed to the evils that are in the world, or the assaults of Satan, who is their avowed enemy; is this only applicable to the disciples? And when he says, _Neither pray I for these alone_, that is, for those who now believe, _but for them also which shall believe_, ver. 20. does it not plainly intimate that he had others in view besides his disciples? These, and several other passages in this prayer, are a sufficient evidence that there is no weight in the objection, to overthrow the argument we are maintaining.

5. Believers’ perseverance in grace may be proved from the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them. When at first they were regenerated, it was by the power of the Holy Ghost, as condescending to come and take up his abode in them: thus we read of their being acted by, and under the influence of, the Holy Ghost, who is said to dwell where he is pleased to display his divine power and glory; and if these displays hereof be internal, then he dwells in the heart. Our Saviour speaks of him, as _another Comforter_ given, _that he may abide_ with his people _for ever_, chap. xiv. 19. And this indwelling of the Spirit is very distinct from that extraordinary dispensation which the church had, when they were favoured with inspiration; for the apostle speaks of it as a privilege peculiar to believers as such, when he says, _Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you: Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his_, Rom. viii. 9. the meaning of which cannot be, that they have no interest in Christ, who have not the extraordinary _afflatus_ of the Spirit, such as the prophets had; therefore we must suppose, that this is a privilege which believers have in all ages. Now if the Spirit is pleased to condescend thus to take up his abode in the soul, and that for ever, he will certainly preserve it from apostacy.

And to this we may add, that there are several fruits and effects of the Spirit’s dwelling in the soul, which affords an additional proof of this doctrine: thus believers are said to have _the first fruits of the Spirit_, ver. 23. that is, they have those graces wrought in them which are the beginning of salvation; and as the first fruits are a part of the harvest that will follow, these are the fore-tastes of the heavenly blessedness which God would never have bestowed upon them had he not designed to preserve them from apostasy. Moreover, believers are said to be _sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of their inheritance_, Eph. i. 13, 14. The earnest, as given by men, is generally deemed a part of payment, upon which they who are made partakers thereof, are satisfied that they shall, at last, receive the full reward; and shall believers miss of the heavenly blessedness, who have such a glorious pledge and earnest of it? Again, if we consider _the Spirit as bearing witness with their spirits, that they are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ_; and that _they shall be glorified together_ with him, Rom. viii. 16, 17. is this testimony invalid, or not to be depended on, which it could not be were it possible for them to fall from a state of grace?

This testimony is what we depend very much upon, in order to our attaining assurance that we are in a state of grace, and shall persevere therein, as will be observed under the next answer; therefore we shall at present, take it for granted, that there is such a thing as assurance, or that this blessing is attainable; and the use which I would make of this supposition to maintain our present argument, is, that if the Spirit has an hand in working or encouraging this hope that we have of the truth of grace, and consequently shall persevere therein to salvation, this argues that it is warrantable, and not delusive; for he that is the author or giver of it cannot deceive our expectation, or put us upon looking for that which is not a reality. From whence it follows, that it is impossible that they should apostatize, to whom _God has given_ this _good hope through grace_, so that they should fail of that _everlasting consolation_, which is connected with it, 2 Thess. ii. 16. This consequence will hardly be denied by those who are on the other side of the question; and we may observe, that they who oppose the doctrine of perseverance, always deny that of assurance, especially as proceeding from the testimony of the Spirit: nevertheless, that we may not be misunderstood, we do not say, that every one who has a strong persuasion that he shall be saved, shall be saved; which is no other than enthusiasm; but our argument is, in short, this, that if there be a witness of the Spirit to this truth, that cannot be charged therewith, then the doctrine we are maintaining, is undeniably true, which will more evidently appear from what will be said in defence of the doctrine of assurance under our next answer.

And therefore we proceed to the other branch of the argument before-mentioned, to prove this doctrine, namely, that believers have the seed of God abiding in them; which is founded on what the apostle says in 1 John iii. 9. _Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed abideth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God_; for the understanding of which let us consider,

(1.) That by the words, _he cannot commit sin_, the apostle does not intend that such an one is not a sinner, or that there is such a thing as sinless perfection attainable in this life; for that is contrary, not only to the whole tenor of scripture, and daily experience of mankind; but to what he had expressly said, _If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us_, 1 John i. 8. Therefore, in this text, upon which our present argument is founded, he is, doubtless, speaking of persons committing sins, inconsistent with the truth of grace, as he says in a foregoing verse, _Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him_, chap. iii. 6. it is such a sin therefore as argues a person to be in a state of unregeneracy; and then, _He that committeth sin is of the devil_, ver. 8. therefore he certainly speaks of such a commission of sin, as argues us to be under the reigning power of the devil: and that this may plainly appear to be his sense, we may observe, that he elsewhere distinguishes between _a sin that is unto death_, and a sin that is _not unto death_, chap. v. 16, 17. by which he does not mean, as the Papists suppose, that some sins deserve eternal death, and others not; the former of which they call mortal sins; the latter venial; but he is speaking of a sin that is inconsistent with the principle of grace, and that which is consistent therewith; the former is sometimes called _the pollution that is in the world, through lust_, 2 Pet. i. 4. the latter _the spot of God’s children_, Deut. xxxii. 5. The least sin deserves death, though they who commit it shall not perish, but be brought to repentance; but the _sin unto death_ is wilful sin, committed and continued in with impenitency; and with this limitation we are to understand the apostle’s words, _He who is born of God doth not commit sin_.

(2.) We shall now consider the reason assigned, why the person he speaks of, cannot, in this sense, commit sin; namely, because he is _born of God_, and _the seed of God abideth, in him_. To be born of God, is what is elsewhere styled regeneration, or being born of the Spirit, in which there is a principle of grace implanted, which is here called _the seed of God_. And, indeed, this metaphorical way of speaking is very expressive of the thing designed hereby; for as in nature the seed produces fruit, and in things moral, the principle of action produces action, as the principle of reason produces acts of reason: so in things spiritual, the principle of grace produces acts of grace; and this principle being from God, which has been largely proved under a foregoing answer,[89] it is called here, _the seed of God_.

(3.) This seed of God, or this principle is not barely said to be in the believer, as that which, for the present, is the ground of spiritual actions; but it is said to _remain in him_. As elsewhere Christ speaks of the Spirit as _abiding_ with his people _for ever_, John xiv. 16. so here the apostle speaks of that principle of grace wrought by the Spirit, as abiding, that is, continuing for ever; and from thence he infers, that a believer _cannot sin_; for if he had been only speaking of its being implanted, but not abiding; all that could be inferred from thence would be, that he does not sin; but whereas, he argues from it, that he cannot sin, that is, apostatize; it being understood, that this principle abides in him continually; which plainly contains the sense of the argument we are maintaining, namely, that because the seed of God abides in a believer, therefore he cannot apostatize, or fall short of salvation.

They who are on the other side of the question, seem to find it very difficult to evade the force of this argument: some suppose that the apostle intends no more but that he that is born of God, should not commit sin; but that is not only remote from the sense of the words _cannot sin_;[90] but it does not sufficiently distinguish one that is born of God, from another that is not so; for it is as much a truth, that an unregenerate person ought not to sin, as when we speak of one that is regenerate.

Others, by not sinning, suppose that the apostle means, they sin with difficulty, or they are hardly brought to commit sin; but as this also does not answer to the sense of the word _cannot_ sin, so it is inconsistent with that beautiful gradation, which we may observe in the words. To say that he does not sin; and then if he commits sin, it is with some difficulty, is not so agreeable to that climax, which the apostle makes use of, when he says, he does not commit sin, yea, he cannot.

Others suppose that the apostle’s meaning is, that he that is born of God, cannot sin unto death, or apostatize, so as to fall short of salvation, so long as he makes a right use of this principle of grace, which is implanted in him; but by opposing and afterwards extinguishing it, he may become an apostate. But we may observe; in answer to this, that the apostle does not attribute his perseverance in grace, to his making use of the principle, but his having it, or its abiding in him; and he sufficiently fences against the supposition of its being possible that the principle of grace may be wholly lost; for then this seed could not be said to abide in him, nor would the inference deduced from its abiding in him, namely, that he cannot sin, be just.

Thus, concerning this latter branch of the argument to prove the saints’ perseverance in grace, taken from the seed of God, abiding in believers: But there is one thing must be observed before I dismiss this head, _viz._ That the principle of grace, which is signified by this metaphor, though it be, and abide in a believer; yet it does not always exert itself so as to produce those acts of grace which would otherwise proceed from it. This cannot be better illustrated than by a similitude taken from the soul, which is the principle of reason in man; though it be as much so in an infant in the womb as it is in any, yet it is altogether unactive; for most allow that such have not the exercise of thought or acts of reason; and when a person is newly born, it hardly appears that this principle is deduced into act; and in those in whom it has been deduced into act, it may be rendered stupid, and almost unactive, or at least, so disordered, that the actions which proceed from it cannot be styled rational, through the influence of some bodily disease, with which it is affected, yet still it remains a principle of reason. The same may be said concerning the principle of grace; it is certainly an unactive principle in those who are regenerate from the womb; and it may cease to exert itself, and be with equal reason, styled an unactive principle in believers, when they fall into very great sins, to which it offers no resistance: This we shall take occasion to apply under a following head, when we shall consider some objections that are brought against this doctrine, by those who suppose that believers, when sinning presumptuously, as David, Peter, and others, are said to have done, fail totally, though not finally. There was indeed a total suspension of the activity of this principle, but yet the principle itself was not wholly lost; but more of this in its proper place. We are therefore bound to conclude, that because this principle abides in them, they can neither totally nor finally apostatize, and therefore, that they can neither fall from a state of grace, nor fail, at last, of salvation.