love to God, and as it strikes at his holiness. 2dly, We are more spiritual in our affections; we grieve for the first rising of corruption, for the bubbling up of vain thoughts, the spring that runs under ground. We mourn not only for the penalty of sin, but the pollution; it is not only a coal that burns, but blacks. 3dly, We are spiritual in the performance of duty; we are more serious, reverent, fervent; we have more life in prayer, we put fire to the sacrifice, Rom. xii.," Fervent in spirit.' We serve God with more love, which ripens and mellows our duty, and makes it come off with a better relish. Sign 4. The fourth sign of growth: when grace gets ground by opposition. The fire, by an antiperistasis, burns hottest in the coldest season. Peter's courage increased by the opposition of the high priest and the rulers, Acts iv. 8, 11. The martyrs' zeal was increaseed by persecution. Here was grace of the first magnitude. QUEST. 6. What shall we do to grow in grace? Ans. 1. Take heed of that which will hinder its growth, the love of any sin. The body may as well thrive in a fever, as grace can where any sin is cherished. wine of, grow on the lower sort of vines; the humble saints grow most in grace, 1 Pet. v. 5., "God giveth grace to the humble." 3dly, Pray to God for spiritual growth. Some pray that they may grow in gifts. It is better to grow in grace than gifts; gifts are for ornament, grace is for nourishment,-to edify others, to save ourselves. Some pray that they may grow rich, but a fruitful heart is better than a full purse. Pray that God would make you grow in grace, though it be by affliction, Heb. xii. 10. The vine grows by pruning. God's pruning-knife is to make us grow more in grace. QUEST. 7. How may we comfort such as complain they do not grow in grace ? Ans. They may mistake; they may grow, when they think they do not, Prov. xiii. 7., " There is that maketh himself poor, yet he is rich." The sight Christians have of their defects in grace, and their thirst after greater measures of grace, make them think they do not grow when they do. He who covets a great estate, because he hath not so much as he desires, therefore he thinks himself to be poor. Indeed Christians should seek after the grace they want, but they must not therefore overlook the grace they Let Christians be thank A. 2. Use all means for growth in grace. 1st, "Exercise your-have. selves to godliness," 1 Tim. iv. 7. ful for the least growth; if you The body grows stronger by do not grow so much in assurexercise. Trading of money ance, bless God if you grow in makes men grow rich; the more sincerity; if you do not grow so we trade our faith in the promises, much in knowledge, bless God if the richer in faith we grow. 2dly, you grow in humility. If a tree If you would be growing Chris- grows in the root, it is a true tians, be humble Christians. It growth; if you grow in the is observed in some countries (as root-grace of humility, it is as in France), the best and largest needful for you as any other grapes, which they make their growth. 251. OF PERSEVERANCE. 1 PET. i. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. own legs, they might fall finally. Some of the angels, who were stars full of light and glory, yet did actually lose their grace; and if those pure angels fell from grace, much more would the godly, who have so much sin to betray them, if they were not upheld by a superior power. THE fifth and last fruit of sanctification is perseverance in grace. The heavenly inheritance is kept for the saints, 1 Pet. i. 4.; and they are kept to the inheritance; in my text, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." The apostle asserts a saint's stability and permanency in grace. The saints' 3dly, I grant, true believers, perseverance is much oppugned though they do not fall away acby Papists and Arminians; but tually, and lose all their grace, it is not the less true because it yet their grace may fail in the is opposed. A Christian's main degree, and they may make a comfort depends upon this doc- great breach upon their sanctificatrine of perseverance; take away tion. Grace may be moritura, this, and you much prejudice non mortua, dying, but not religion, and cut the sinews of dead,' Rev. iii. 2., “ Strengthen all cheerful endeavours. Before the things which are ready to I come to the full handling and die." Grace may be like fire in discussing this great point, let the embers: though not quenchme first clear the sense of it, ed, yet the flame is gone out. which I shall do by way of con- This decay of grace I shall shew cession or grant. in two particulars. 1. The lively When I say, believers do per- actings of grace may be suspendsevere: 1st, I grant that such as ed, Rev. ii. 4., "Thou hast left are so only in profession, may fall thy first love." Grace may be away, 2 Tim. iv. 10., "Demas like a sleepy habit; the godly hath forsaken me." Blazing may act faintly in religion, the comets soon evaporate. A build- pulse of their affections may beat ing on sand will fall, Mat. vii. low. The wise virgins slum26., "Seeming grace may be lost. bered, Mat. xxv. 5. The exerNo wonder to see a bough fall cise of grace may be hindered; from a tree that is only tied on! as when the course of water is Hypocrites are only tied on Christ stopped, and doth not run. 2. by an external profession, they Instead of grace exercising in the are not ingrafted. Who ever godly, corruption may exercise, thought artificial motions would instead of patience, murmurhold long? The hypocrite's mo- ing, instead of heavenliness, tion is only artificial, not vital. earthliness. How did pride put All blossoms do not ripen into forth itself in the disciples, when fruit. they strove who should be the 2dly, I grant that, if believers greatest! How did lust put forth were left to stand upon their itself in David! Thus lively and 31., Except ye abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." Be lievers shall come to shore at last, vigorous may corruption be in the regenerate; they_may_fall into enormous sins. But though all this be granted, yet they do not, arrive at heaven; but "except penitus excidere,-fall away finally they abide in the ship," viz. in the from grace. David did not quite use of ordinances, they cannot lose his grace; for then, why did be saved." The ordinances chehe pray, "Take not away thy rish grace; as they beget grace, so Holy Spirit from me?" He had they are the breast-milk by which not quite lost the Spirit. As Eu- it is nourished and preserved to tychus, when he fell from a win- eternity. dow, Acts xx. and all thought A. 2. Auxilio spiritus,-by the he was dead: "No,” saith Paul, sacred influence and concurrence "his life is in him." So David fell of the Spirit. The Spirit of God foully, but there was the life of is continually at work in the heart grace in him. Though the saints of a believer, to carry on grace to may come to that pass, they have perseverance; it drops in fresh but little faith, yet not to have oil to keep the lamp of grace no faith; though their grace may The Spirit excites, be drawn low, yet not drawn strengthens, increaseth grace, and dry; though grace may be abated, makes a Christian go from one not abolished; though the wise step of faith to another, till he virgins slumbered, yet their lamps comes to the end of his faith, were not quite gone out. Grace, salvation, 1 Pet. i. 9. It is a fine when it is at the lowest, shall expression of the apostle, 2 Tim. revive and flourish; as when i. 14., "The Holy Ghost which Samson had lost his strength, his hair grew again, and he renewed his strength. Having thus explained the proposition, I come now to the amplifying this great doctrine of the saints' persever ance. QUEST. 1. By what means do Christians come to persevere ? Ans. 1. By the manuduction and help of ordinances, prayer, word, sacraments. Christians do not arrive at perseverance when they sit still and do nothing. It is not with us as with passengers in a ship, who are carried to the end of their voyage, and they sit still in the ship; or, as it is with noblemen, who have their rents brought in without their toil or labour; but we arrive at salvation in the use of means,-as a man comes to the end of a race by running, to a victory by fighting, Mat. xxvi. 41., "Watch and pray." As Paul said, Acts xxvii. burning. dwelleth in us.' He who dwells in an house keeps the house in repair: the Spirit dwelling in a believer, keeps grace in repair. Grace is compared to a river of the water of life, John vii. 38. This river can never be dried up, because God's Spirit is a spring which continually feeds it. A. 3. Grace is carried on to perseverance, by Christ's daily intercession. As the Spirit is at work in the heart, so is Christ at work in heaven. Christ is ever praying that the saint's grace may hold out, John xvii. 11., Conserva illos,-Father, " keep those whom thou hast given me,”-keep them as the stars in their orbs,keep them as jewels, that they may not be lost. "Father keep them." That prayer Christ made for Peter, was the copy of his prayer he now makes for believers, Luke xxii. 32., "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not," that it be not totally God that keeps us. ance? " Alas, we are not kept by our own power! The Pelagians held, that man, by his own power, might overcome temptation and persevere. But St. Austin confutes them. "Man," Ans. 1. A veritate Dei,-from saith he, 66 prays unto God for the truth of God. God hath perseverance, which would be both asserted it, and promised absurd, if he had power of himit: 1. God hath asserted it, 1 self to persevere.' And, saith John ii. 9., "His seed remaineth St. Austin, "if all the power be in him." 1 John ii. 27., "The inherent in a man's self, then anointing ye have received of him why should not one persevere as abideth in you."-2. As God hath well as another? Why not Judas asserted it, so he hath promised as well as Peter?" So that it is it: the truth of God, the most not by any other than the power orient pearl of his crown, is laid of God that we are kept. As the a pawn in the promise, John x. Lord preserved Israel from perish28., "I will give unto them eter- ing in the wilderness, till he nal life, and they shall never brought them to Canaan; the perish." Jer. xxxii. 40, "I will same care will he take, if not in make an everlasting covenant a miraculous manner, yet in a with them, that I will not turn spiritual invisible manner, in away from them to do them good, preserving his people in a state of but I will put my fear in their grace, till he bring them to the hearts, that they shall not depart celestial Canaan. As the heafrom me." God will so love his thens feigned of Atlas, that he people that he will not forsake did bear up the heavens from falthem; and they shall so fear him, ling, the power of God is that that they shall not forsake him. Atlas which bears up the saints If a believer should not persevere, from falling. It is disputed, God should break his promise, whether grace of itself may not Hos. ii. 19., "I will betroth thee perish, as Adam's; yet sure I unto me for ever, in righteous-am, grace kept by the power of Tess and loving-kindness." God God cannot perish. doth not marry his people unto This 3. The third argument is taken himself, and then divorce them; ab electione,-from God's electing he hates putting away, Mal. ii. love. Such as God hath from 16. God's love ties the marriage- all eternity elected to glory canknot so fast, that neither death not fall away finally; but every nor hell can break it asunder. true believer is elected to glory, therefore he cannot fall away. What can frustrate election, or make God's decree void? argument stands like Mount Sion, which cannot be moved; insomuch that some of the Papists persevere. God the Fa- hold, that those who have absother establisheth, 1 Cor. i. 21. lute election cannot fall away, 2 God the Son confirms, 1 Cor. i. 8. Tim. ii. 19., "The foundation God the Holy Ghost seals, Eph. of God standeth sure, having i. 13. ; so that it is the power of this seal, The Lord knoweth 2. The second argument is, a potentia Dei,-from the power of God. In the text, we are kept by the power of God unto salvation." Every person in the Trinity hath an hand in making a believer M them that are his." The foundation of God is nothing else but God's decree in election; and this stands sure, God will not alter it, others cannot. The argument stands thus: He who overcomes the world, doth persevere in grace; but a believer doth overcome the world, therefore he perseveres in grace, 1 John v. 4., This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." A man may lose a single battle in the field, yet at last win the victory. A child of God may be foiled in a single battle against temptation (as Peter was), but at last he is victorious. Now, if a saint be crowned victor,-if the world be conquered by him,-he must needs persevere. I come next to answer some objections of the Arminians. 4. The fourth argument is taken, ab unione cum Christo,from believers' union with Christ. They are knit to Christ, as the members to the head, by the nerves and ligaments of faith, so that they cannot be broken off, Eph. iii. What was once said of Christ's natural body, is true of his mystical. "A bone of it shall not be broken." As it is not possible to sever the leaven and the dough when they are once mingled and kneaded to- 1st, The first objection of Ar gether, so it is impossible, when minians, is, If a believer shal Christ and believers are once persevere in grace, then, to what united, ever to be separated: purpose are all those admonitions Christ and his members make one in scripture ? "Let him take body. Now, is it possible that heed lest he fall," 1 Cor. x. 12 any part of Christ should perish? And Heb. iv. 1., "Let us fear, How can Christ lose any member lest any of you seem to come of his body mystical, and be per-short." These admonitions seem fect? In short, Si unus excidat, to be superfluous and vain, if quare non et alter? If one be- saint shall certainly persevere. liever may be broken off from Christ, then, by the same rule, why not another? Why not all? And so Christ should be an head without a body. Ans. No, these counsels and admonitions are necessary to cau tion believers against carelessness they are as goads and spurs to quicken them to a greater dili5. The fifth argument is taken gence in working out their salvaab emptione,-from the nature of tion. These admonitions do not a purchase. A man will not lay imply the saints can fall away, down his money for a purchase but they are preservatives to keep which may be lost, and the fee- them from falling away. Christ simple alienated. Christ died, told some of his disciples, they that he might purchase us as a should abide in him, yet he expeople to himself for ever, Heb. horts them to abide in him, John ix. 12., "Having obtained eter-xv. His exhorting them was not nal redemption for us." Would in the least to question their abidChrist, think ye, have shed his ing in him, but to awaken their blood that we might believe in diligence, and make them pray him for a while, and then fall the harder that they might abide away? Do we think Christ will in him. lose his purchase? 6. The sixth argument is, a victoria supra mundum,-from a believer's 'victory over the world.' 2dly, The second objection is, Heb. vi. 4., " It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly |