71 / 504
Apoílafy
oftrue
believers
impoflïble.
CA
LI.
4:a4.xS.ì6.
touch
ms
not,
not
to
commit
finne,
to
be
kept
by
the
power
of
God
through
faith
15
unto
fálvation, to
Hand
fail
as
mount
Syon
that
can never be removed, to
ftand
by
,
toh.s.rq.
faith,
to
Rand
Taft
in
the
faith,
to
Rand
faft
in
the Lord,
to
have the
good
work
3.9.
begun,perfetled:
to
hold
our profeffion,
that
none
take
our
crown.
Thefe
(
I fay)
áomt
iao.
and the
like,
are fome
of
thofeexpreffions whereby
the
holy Ghoul holds
forth
, cora6.,3,
that
dottrine
which we have in
hand,
which
is
ufually called
the
Perfeverance
Phil.
4.1.
of
saints, regarding principally their abiding
with
God, through
Chrifl
in
P47.i
.tai
faith and
obedience,
which
yet
is
but
one part
of
this
truth.
14,
The
reafons & caufes
invefling this
propofition,that saints
fuch
as we have 4.39
defcribed,íhall
fo Perfevere,
with
a
neceflity
ofconfeqúence, and on
which
the
Ghi.2.20.
truth of
it doth depend,
both
negatively confidered, and pofitively, with
the
i
Thet 5.24
limitation
of
Perfeverance,
what it
directly
afi'erts,
what
pot,
with
what
fail
- ,
Tim. 2.12.
ing; backtliding, & declenfions on
the
one hand,and
other,it
is
confiftent,
and
:.Per"
2,3'
what
is
deflru
&ive
of
the nature and being
of
it, the
difference
of
it,
as
to
be
-'
I
Io 1.2.19,
ing
and
apprehenfion,
in refpe&
the
fubje& in
whom it
is
,
with the
way and
27
&e.
manner whereby the
caufes
of
this Perfeverance have
their operation
on, and
ß
24.
effect
in
them
that
perfevere, not
in
the
leaft prejudicing their
liberty,
but
e-
ilablifhing them
in
their voluntary
obedience,
will
afterwards
be
fully
clea-
red,
And
hereon depends much
of
the
life
and vigor
oftheDo&rine
we
have
in hand
:
it
being
oftner
in
the
Scripture held
forth
in its
fountaines,and
fprings and
caufes,
then
in
the
thing
it
felfe,
as
will
upon examination ap-
peare.
As
to
what
is
on
the other
fide affirmed,that Believers may
fall
totally,&
fi-
4.
25
rally away,fomethingmay
be added
to
cleare up
what
is
intended thereby,&
z
Ezek:
36.
to
enquire how
it
may come
to
paffe.
We
doe
fuppofe
(which
the ffripture
a-
Its:
s9.zr.
bundantly
teftifieth)
that
fuch
believers have
(a)
the
holy
spirit
dwelling
in
Luk
i
i.
3.
them,&
by
his
implanting
a(b)new
holy
habit
of
Grace:
the
enquiry
then
is
how
Rom.E:.
i
t
r,
believers may come
utterly
to
loofe
this
holy
fpirit,
&
to
be made
naked
of
the
t
5.
habit
ofGrace,or
new
nature beftowed on
them.That
and
that
only
whereunto
¿
4'6.
12.
this
effect is
afcribed
is
finne.
Now there are two
wayes whereby finne
may
,
Tim:
i.14.
be
fuppofed
to
produce
fuch effe
&s
in
reference
to
the
Soules
of
Believers.
iom: s.s.
Y.
Efficiently
by
a rea&ion in
the
fame fubjeer,
as
frequent
a&s
of
Vice will
i
h:14?x
6
debilitate and overthrow
an
acquired
habit whereunto
it
is
oppofite.
?, Me-
17.
ritorioufly,
by provoking
the Lord to take them
away, In a way
of
punifh-
i,
Có
3,16.
ment;for of
all
punifhment
finne
is
the
morally procuring
caufe.
Let
us
a
lit-
t
cor:o.t9.
tie
confider which
of
thofe
wayes
it
may probably be fuppofed
that
(inne
ex-
b
Math:t
2.
pelles
the
fpirit,and habit
of
grace from
the
foules
of
Believers.
33
2
COr:5.17.
i.
For
the (ßirit
of
grace
which dwells in
them,
it
cannot with
the lean
co.
2
Pet:
r.4:
lour
of
reafon
be
fuppofed,
that
finnefhould have
a
naturali
efficient
reaction
ca:5
'
2,
3:
againft
the
fpirit which
is
a
voluntary indweller
in
the
hearts
of
his,
he
is
in-
hef.4.
23,
deed
grieved
and provoked
by it,
but that
is
in a
moraliway.in
ref'pe&
of
its
Ephet.
4.30.
demerit; but that
it
Ihould have
a
naturali
efficiency
by
the
way
of
oppofìti-
Heb.4.12,11.
onagainflit,
as Intemperance
againft
the
Mediocrity
which
itoppofeth,isa
10.63.10.
madneffe
to
imagine.
The
habit ofGrace
wherewith fuch believers are indued
,isinfufed
:
not
ac- 4,s6.
quired by a frequency
ofA
&sin themfelves:
the
root
is
made good and
then
thefruit,and
the work
of
God.
It
is a
new
Creation
planted
in
them
by the
exceeding,greatneffe
of
his
Power,as-he
wrought
in
Chri(t when
he
raifed
him
from
the dead,
which
he
alfo ftrengthenswith all might,and
all
power to
the
end. Is
it
now
fuppofed,or can
it
rationally
be
fo,
that
vitious
a
&s, aéls
of
(inne,
fhould
have
in
the
foule a
natural/
e
aiencyfortheexpellingofan
infufed habit,
and
co1.2.,2.
that
implanted upon
the
foule
by
the
exceeding greatneffe
of
the
power
of
God?
2
cor.
5.
17.
What
it
should
be done by
any one,or
two
aCts
is
impoffible;to fuppofe
that
a
Ephef.
r.
,9.
man
cot.
t.,
t.
rr