ven? The Arminians deny it; and, truly, that any one holds out to the kingdom, is a wonder, if you consider, 1. What a world of corruption is mingled with grace; grace is apt to be stifled, as the coal to be choked with its own ashes; grace is oft like a spark in the sea, it is a wonder it is not quenched; it is a wonder sin doth not do to grace as sometimes the nurse to the child, overlay it that it die, so that this infant of grace is smothered. they stand still, and go no farther. Fenus pecuniæ, funus animæ. Those who have escaped the rocks of gross sins, yet have been cast away upon the golden sands: what a wonder, therefore, that any doth hold on till he come to the kingdom! 4. A wonder any holds out in grace, and doth not tire in his march to heaven, if you consider the difficulty of a Christian's work; he hath no time to lie fallow, he is either watching or fighting; nay, a Christian is to do those duties which to the eye of sense and reason seem inconsistent: while a Christian doth one duty, he seems to cross another; e. g. he must come with holy boldness to God in prayer, yet must serve him with fear; he must mourn for sin, yet rejoice; he must be contented, yet "covet:' 2. The implacable malice of Satan; he envies that we should have a kingdom, when he himself is cast out; it cuts him to the heart to see a piece of dust and clay be made a bright star in glory, and he himself an angel of darkness; he will Acheronta movere,-move all the powers of hell,-to hinder us from the 1 Cor. xii. 31. ; contemn men's kingdom; he spits his venom, shoots his fiery darts, raiseth a storm of persecution, yea, and prevails against some, Rev. xii. 3, 4., There appeared a great red dragon, and his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth." By the red dragon is meant the heathenish empire; now when his tail cast so many to the earth, it is a wonder that any of the stars keep fixed in their orb. 3. The blandishments of riches. impieties, yet reverence their authority: what difficult work is this! A wonder any saint arrives at the heavenly kingdom. To this I might add, the evil examples abroad which are so attractive; we may say, the devils are come among us in the likeness of men. What a wonder is it that any soul perseveres till he come to the kingdom of heaven! But as great a wonder as it is, there is such a thing as perseverance. A saint's perseverance is built upon two immutable pil The young man in the gospel went very far, "Thou art not far lars:from the kingdom of God;" but (1.) God's eternal love. We he had rich possessions, and these are inconstant in our love to God; golden weights hindered him but he is not so in his love to us, from the kingdom, Luke xviii. Jer. xxxi. 3., "I have loved 23. Jonathan pursued the battle them with an everlasting love;" till he came at the honeycomb, with a love of eternity. God's and then he stood still, 1 Sam. love to the elect is not like a king's xiv. 27. Many are forward for love to his favourite, when it is heaven, till they taste the sweet- at the highest spring-tide, it ness of the world; but when they soonest ebbs; but God's love is come at the honeycomb, then eternized; God may desert, not disinherit; he may change his love into a frown, not into hatred; he may alter his providence, not his decree; when once the sunshine of God's electing love is risen upon the soul, it never sets finally. (2.) A saint's perseverance is built upon the covenant of grace; it is a firm impregnable covenant. This you have in the words of the sweet singer of Israel, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5., "God hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure." It is a sweet covenant, that God will be our God, the marrow and quintessence of all blessing; and it is a sure covenant, that he will put his fear in our heart, and we shall never depart from him, Jer. xxxii. 40. This covenant is inviolable, it cannot be broken; indeed sin may break the peace of the covenant, but it cannot break the bond of the covenant. carries on a Christian to perseverance by the energy and vigorous working of his Spirit. The Spirit maintains the essence and seed of grace; it doth blow up the sparks of grace into an holy flame. Spiritus est vicarius Christi, TERTUL. It is Christ's deputy and proxy; it is every day at work in a believer's heart, exerting grace into exercise, and ripening it into perseverance; the Spirit doth carve and polish the vessels of mercy, and make them fit for glory. A. 2. Christ causeth perseverance and carries on a saint till he come to the heavenly kingdom, vi orationis, by his intercession. Christ is an advocate as well as a surety; he prays that the saints may arrive safe at the kingdom, Heb. vii. 25., "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the ut termost (i. e. perfectly), seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." That prayer he made for Peter on earth, he prays now in heaven for the saints," that thy faith fail not," Luke xxii. 32., that they may be with him where he is, John xvii. 24. And sure, if he pray that they may be with him in his kingdom, they perish by the way. prayer is efficacious, if the saints' prayers have so much force and prevalency in them. Jacob had power with God, and as prince prevailed, Hos. xii. 4; by prayer Elijah unlocked heaven: if the prayers of the saints have so much power with God, then, what hath Christ's prayer? How cannot Christ's (3.) The third pillar perseverance is built upon, is the mystical union. Believers are incorporated into Christ, they are knit to him as members to the head, by the nerve and ligament of faith, that they cannot be broken off, Eph. v. 23. What was once said of Christ's natural body, is as true of his mystical body, John xix. 36., "A bone of it shall not be broken." As it is impossible to sever the leaven and the dough when they are once mingled, so it is impossible when Christ and believers are once united, ever by the power of death or hell to be separated. How can Christ lose any member of his body and be can the children of such prayers perfect ? You see upon what miscarry? How can they fall strong pillars the saints' persever- short of the kingdom, who have him praying for them, who is not QUEST. How doth a Christian only a priest, but a Son? And hold on till he comes to the king- besides, what he prays for as he is dom? How doth he persevere ? man, that he hath power to give Ans. 1. Auxilio Spiritus. God as he is God. Thus you see how ance is built. a Christian comes to persevere that thou art so weak that thou till he comes to the kingdom. OBJ. But methinks I hear some Christian say, if only perseverance obtains the kingdom, they fear they shall not come thither; they fear they shall faint by the way, and the weak legs of their grace will never carry them to the kingdom of heaven. Ans. Wert thou indeed to stand in thy own strength, thou mightest fall away; that branch withers and dies that hath no root to grow upon. Thou growest upon the root Christ, who will be daily sending forth vital influence to strengthen thee; thou art imbecile and weak in grace, yet fear not falling short of heaven: For, 1. God hath made a promise to weak believers. What is a bruised reed, but an emblem of a weak faith? yet it hath a promise made to it, Mat. xii. 20., "A bruised reed shall he not break." God hath promised to supply the weak Christian with so much grace as he shall need, till he comes to heaven. Beside the two pence which the good Samaritan left to pay for the cure of the poor wounded man, he passed his word for all that he should need beside, Luke x. 35.: so, Christ doth not only give a little grace in hand, but his bond for more, that he will give as much grace as a saint should need till he comes to heaven, Ps. lxxxiv. 11., "The Lord will give grace and glory;" that is, a fresh supply of grace, till he be perfected in glory. 2. God hath most care of his weak saints, who fear they shall never hold out till they come to the kingdom. Doth not the mother tend the weak child most? Isa. xl. 11., "He will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom." If thou thinkest shalt never hold out till thou comest to heaven, thou shalt be carried in the arms of the Almighty; he gathers the lambs in his arms; Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, marcheth before his people, and his power is their rearward, so that none of them faint or die in their march to heaven. QUEST. What are the encouragements to make Christians hold on till they come to the kingdom of heaven? Ans. 1. It is a great credit to a Christian not only to hold forth the truth, but to hold fast the truth till he comes to heaven; when grace doth flourish into perseverance, and with the church of Thyatira, our last works are more than our first, Rev. ii. 19., this is insigni honoris a star of honour. It is matter of renown to see grey hairs shine with golden virtues : the excellency of a thing lies in the finishing of it. What is the excellency of a building? not when the first stone is laid, but when it is finished: so the beauty and excellency of a Christian is, when he hath finished his faith, having done his work, is landed safe in heaven. A. 2. You that have made a progress in religion, have not many miles to go before you come at the kingdom of heaven, Rom. xiii. 11., "Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." You who have hoary hairs, your green tree is turned into an almond-tree; you are near to heaven, it is but going a little further, and you will set your feet within heaven's gates; O therefore now be encouraged to hold out, your salvation is nearer than when you first began to believe! Our diligence should be greater when our salvation is nearer. When a man is almost at the end of the race, will he now tire and faint? Will he not put forth all his strength, and strain every limb, that he may lay hold upon the prize? Our salvation is now nearer; the kingdom is as it were within sight; how should we now put forth all our strength, that we may lay hold upon the garland of glory? Doctor Taylor, when he was going to his martyrdom, said, "I have but two stiles to go over, and I shall be at my Father's house." Though the way to heaven be up-hill, you must climb the steep rock of mortification; and though there be thorns in the way, viz. sufferings, yet you have gone the greatest part of your way, you are within a few days' march of the kingdom; and will not you persevere ? Christian, pluck up thy courage; fight the good fight of faith, pursue holiness; it is but a while, and you shall put off your armour, and end all your weary marches, and receive a victorious crown; your salvation is nearer, you are within a little of the kingdom, therefore now persevere, you are ready to commence and take your degree of glory! shall have the next degree of glory to me, as the morning-star is next the sun; will not this animate and make us hold out? We shall have a kingdom, and that which is better than the kingdom, a bright morning-star. QUEST. What are the means conducing to perseverance, or, what shall we do that we may hold out to the kingdom? Ans. 1. Take up religion upon good grounds, not in a fit or humour, or out of worldly_design; but be deliberate, weigh things well in the balance, Luke xiv. 28., "Which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost?" Think with yourselves what religion must cost you, it must cost you the parting with your sins; and what it may cost you, it may cost you the parting with your lives; consider if a kingdom will not countervail your sufferings; weigh things well, and then make your choice, Ps. cxix. 30., "I have chosen the way of truth." Why do many apostatize and fall away, but because they did never sit down and count the cost. A. 2. If we would hold out to the kingdom, let us cherish the grace of faith, 2 Cor. i. 24., “By faith ye stand." Faith, like Herculus's club, beats down all opposition before it; it is a conquering grace. QUEST. How comes faith to be so strong? A. 3. The blessed promise annexed to perseverance; the promise is 66 a crown of life," Rev. ii. 10. Death is a worm that feeds in the crowns of princes, but behold here a living crown, and a never-fading crown, 1 Pet. v. 4., and Rev. ii. 28. He that Ans. Faith fetcheth Christ's overcometh, and keepeth my strength into the soul, Phil. iv. words to the end, "I will give 13. A captain may give his solhim stellam matutinam -the dier armour, but not strength: morning-star" the morning-star is brighter than the rest. This morning-star is meant of Christ; as if Christ had said, I will give to him that perseveres some of my beauty; I will put some of my illustrious rays upon him; he faith partakes of Christ's strength, and faith gets strength from the promise; as the child by sucking the breast gets strength, so doth faith by sucking the breast of the promise; hence faith is such a wonder-working grace, and enables a Christian to perse- arms. Let us pray that God will vere. put his fear in our hearts, that we do not depart from him; and that prayer of Cyprian, Domine, quod cœpisti perfice, ne in portu naufragium accidat,- Lord perfect that which thou hast begun in me, that I may not suffer shipwreck when I am almost at the haven!' 3d Branch. Let us press forward with the greatest diligence to this kingdom. And here let me lay down some powerful persuasives, or divine arguments, to make you put to all your strength for the obtaining this blessed kingdom. A. 3. If you would hold out to the kingdom, set before your eyes the examples of those noble heroic saints who have persevered to the kingdom. Vivitur exemplis, examples have more influence upon us than precepts, Job xxiii. 11, 12., " My foot hath held his steps." Though the way of religion hath flints and thorns in it, yet my foot hath held his steps; I have not fainted in the way, nor turned out of the way. Daniel held on his religion, and would not intermit prayer, though he knew the writing was signed against him, and a prayer might cost him his life, Dan. vi. 10. The blessed martyrs persevered to the kingdom through sufferings. Saunders, that holy man, said, "Welcome the cross of God." First in time before all Christ: iny Saviour began to me in a bitter cup, and shall I not pledge him?" Another martyr, kissing the stake, said, "I shall not lose my life but change it for a better; instead of coals, I shall have pearls." What a spirit of gallantry was in these saints! Let us learn constancy from their courage. A soldier, seeing his general fight valiantly, is animated by his example, and hath new spirits put into him. 1. This is the great errand for which God hath sent us into the world, to prepare for this heavenly kingdom, Mat. vi. 33., "Seek ye first the kingdom of things; and first in affection above all things. Great care is taken for the achieving worldly things, Mat. vi. 25. To see people labouring for the earth, as ants about a molehill, would make one think this were the only errand they came about: but alas! what is all this to the kingdom of heaven? I have read of a devout pilgrim travelling to Jerusalem, who, passing through several cities, where he saw many stately 4. Let us add fervent prayer to edifices, wares, and monuments, God, that he would enable us to he would say, "I must not stay hold out to the heavenly kingdom, here, this is not Jerusalem :" so Ps. cxix. 117., "Hold thou me when we enjoy worldly things, up, and I shall be safe." Let us peace and plenty, and have our not presume on our own strength. presses burst out with new wine, When Peter cried to Christ on the we should say to ourselves, this is water, "Lord, save me!" then not the kingdom we are to look Christ took him by the hand, after, this is not heaven. It is Mat. xiv. 30.; but when he grew wisdom to remember our errand. confident of his own strength, It will be but sad upon a then Christ let him fall. O pray death-bed for a man to think to God for auxiliary grace! The he was busying himself only child is safe when held in the about trifles, playing with a feanurse's arms: so are we in Christ's ther, and neglecting the main |