SPIRITUAL PEACE AND COMFORT. 3219 power, or angel's, or man's. God hath decreed that none of his elect shall finally or totally fall away and perish ; and therefore their so falling and perishing is not future ; that is, it is a thing that shall never cometo pass. But God never decreed that it should be ,utterly impossible, and therefore it still remaineth possible, though it shall never come to pass. Object. But it is said, ' They shall deceive, if it were possible, the very elect.' Answ. A most comfortable place, which many opposers of election and free grace do in vain seek to obscure. But let me tell you, for the right understandingof it, That as I said, possible and impossible are relative terms, and have relation to the power of some agent, as proportioned to the thing to be done. Now, this text speaks only of the power of false Christs, and false prophets, and the devil by them. Their power of deceiving,is ex- ceeding great, but not great enough to deceive the elect; which is true in two respects ; 1. Because the elect are guided and fortified by God's Spirit. 2. Because seducers work not efficiently, but finally, by propounding objects ;,or by a moral, improper efficiency only. All their seducements cannot force or necessitate us to be deceived by them. But though it be impossible to them to do it, yet it is possible to God to permit, (which yet he never will,) and so, possible for ourselveu to be our own deceivers, or to give de- ceivers strength ;against us, by a willful receiving of their poisoned baits. 3. Besides, Christ spoke not in Aristotle's school, but among the vulgar, where words must be used in the common sense, or else they will not be understood. And the vulgar use to call that impossible which shall never come to pass. There is a consequential impossibility of the event, because it is directly impossible that God should be mutable or deceived ; even as contingents may be consequentially and accidentally ne- cessary. But in its own nature, alas ! our apostasy is more than possible. And, indeed, when we say that it is possible or impossible for a man to sin or fall away, there is some degree of impropriety in the terms, because possible and impossible are terms properly relating tosome power apportioned toa work; but sinning and falling away thereby, are the consequents of impotency, and not the effects of power; except we speak of the natural act, wherein the sin abid- eth. But this must be borne with, for want of a fitter word to express our meaning by. But I will leave these things which are not fit for you, and desire you to leave them and overpass them, if you understand them not. I here told you, also, that you must not look to be above all ap- prehension of danger of your miscarrying. The grounds of this VOL. I. 49,
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