223 The lntércetlion ofChriíl, as affigned byMr G,difproved.CAP.I X.4: to, Secondly, Were itgranted, that parto fchrifi's InterceJfzon for, his Saints, is, that their Faith may neverfaile,yet the intent thereofwoidd not neceffarily, nor indeedwith any competent probability, be this, that nofinnenor wickednefewhat- foever, that {hall, or can be perpetrated by them, might caufe them to makefhip. wrackeoftheir Faith, but rather that Godwouldgracioufly vouchfife fuch meanes andfuch a prefence ofhis Spirit unto them,, as whereby they may be richly inabled, to keepe themfelves in Faith 6, Good confcience,to the end. Anf. Whether prejudiced men will grant it or no it is clearly proved, ifthewordsofChrift themfelves may be taken for proofe, that he Inter- cedes for his Saints,. that their Faith may not farle , and that, notwithftanding the interpofition ofany fuchfirmes, as they canor may (fuppofitis fiepponendir; amongft which is his Intercefsion)fall into So he tells Peter upon the predicti- on ofhis dreadful] fall, that nevertheleffe he hadprayedfor him that hir Faith fhould notfile;That theymay fall into fuch finnes, and contit;ue in fuch , as are inconfftent with their Acceptation with God , according to the termes and tenor ofthe newCovenant, is that , which wehave been difproving all thiswhile; and whichour Author ought not, As he loth in all his Reafonings, tofuppofe; In the not failing or dying of their Faith, in their.prefervation therein, is included their deliverance from the perpetr ationof the finites in- timated, or at leaft from fuch a manner ofcommitting ,Any finne , as fhould utterly feparate them from God. It is the continuanceofa. living Faith, that Chrift prayes for; and wherethat is, there will be workes ofnewObedience: and there will be the workofthat Faith, in purifying theHeart , and morti- fyingof the finnes fuppofed. Farther, theway here prefcribed and limited to theLord Jefus, how he {hall intercede for his , and for what, viz. not for aetuall Perfeverance, andcontinuance in the Faith , tobe wrought in them by the exceeding greatneffe of the power ofGod, but for meanes to finable them -topreferve themfelves, we are perfwaded he walkes not in 5 And that muchuponthis account, that theway, whereby God begins and carries on Believers, in the way of Faith and Obedience, is not by fuch a fupply of meanes, as leaves them to themfelvesto work andeffe& the things,forwhich they are fofupplied; but he himfelfe worker in them to willand to doe of his owngoodpleafure, fulfilling in themall the goodpleafure ofhis Goodneffe, and the workeofFaith wit power, giving them all their fufficiency,andpreferving them by his therein power, , to follow through u h Faith a fupplofineanes, as leaves the produ&ion ofthem, to the power ofthewills ofmen, fo that after God hath done, all that on his part is tobedone or performed,that is,quickned them being dead, giving them newHeartsô'Spirtis,(hone into their mindes,to give them theknowledge o fhi rGlo- ry in the Faceofhis Bonne &c.it is yet uncertaine,whether ever Faith (hall be wrought in their Souks or no, or rather , whether men fo fupplied with means will Believe and Perfevere, or no , is an Affertion, that will never be proved to Eternity; norwhileft Truth is Truth , it iscapable ofproofe : The grantingof fuch meaner, andfuch aprefence ofhis Spirit, that men may be inabled towarke for themfelves,is an expreffion exceedingly unfuited toall the Promi- fes of thenew Covenant ; what ever either of the Spirit ofGrace, or the meanes ofit, is givenout to Believers, Chrift intercedes that his Father would keepethem, not thatthey fhould keepe themfelves: he was too well acquain- ted with our frame, and our temptations , to delire we might be our own keepers; God forbid we fhould beleft to our owne prefervation, to the hand ofour owne counfell and power, though compaffed with all the fup- pofed fufiicient meanes: that may be; not eventually effeduall5 God creates adefence uponour Glory, and doth not leave it to ourowne'fafegarding. Our Salvation ¢: Io.
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