cause they proceed not from an heart purified by faith”; nor are done in a right manner, according to the word o; nor to a right end, the glory of God b; they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God. And yet their neglect of them is more sinful, and displeasing unto Goda, CHAP с a more 2 Gen. iv. 5. But unto Cain, and may appear unto men to fast. Verily to his offering, he had not respect. I say unto you, They have their reAnd Cain was very wroth, and ward. his countenance fell, With Heb. Hag. ii. 14. Then answered xi. 4. By faith Abel offered unto Haggai, and said, So is this people , God excellent sacrifice and so is this nation before me, saith than Cain, by which he obtained the Lord; and so is every work of witness that he was righteous, their hands, and that which they God testifying of his gifts; and offer there is unclean. Tit. i. 15. by it he, being dead, yet speaketh. Unto the pure all things are pure; Ver. 6. But without faith it is in but unto them that are defled and possible to please him: for he that unbelieving is nothing pure; but cometh to God must believe that even their mind and conscience is dehe is, and that he is a rewarder of filed. Amos y. 21. I hate, I despise them that diligently seek him. your feast days, and I will not smell a i Cor. xiii. 3. And though I in your solemn assemblies. Ver. 22. bestow all my goods to feed the Though ye offer me burnt-offerings, poor, and though I give my body and your nieat-offerings, I will not to be burned, and have not charity, accept them; neither will I regard it profiteth me nothing. Isa. i. 12. the peace-offerings of your fat beasts . When ye come to appear before Hosea i. 4. And the Lord said unmie, who hath required this at your to him, Call his name Jezreel; for hand to tread my courts ? yet a little while, and I will avenge b Matth. vi. 2. Therefore, when the blood of Jezreel upon the thou doest thine aln s, do not sound house of Jehu, and will cause to a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. Rom. ix. 16. So then, in the streets, that they may have it is not of him that willeth, nor glory of men. Verily of him that runneth, but of God to you, They have their reward. that sheweth mercy. Ver. 5. And when thou prayest, Not by works of righteousness thou shalt not be as the hypocrites which we have done, but accord. are ; for they love to pray standing ing to his mercy he saved us, by in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen the washing of 'regeneration, and of men. Verily I say unto you, They renewing of the Holy Ghost. have their reward. Ver. 16. More. d Psal. xiv. 4. Have all the workover, when ye fast, be not as the hy. who eat up my people as they eat of iniquity no knowledge ? pocrites, of a sad countenance: for bread, and call not upon the Lords they disfigure their faces, that they Psal. xxxvi. 3. The words of his say un Tit. iii. 5. ers mouth ich : ure; begun a good work in you, will CHAP. XVII. Of the Perseverance of the Saints. THEY whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effec: tually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved II. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God Edit the Father"; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of mouth are iniquity and deceit: he perform it until the day of Jesus hath left off to be wise, and to do Christ. 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore, good. Job xxi . 14. Therefore they the rather, brethren, give diligence say unto God, Depart from us; for to make your calling and election we desire not the knowledge of thy sure : for if ye do these things, ye ways. Ver. 15. What is the Al shall never fall. John X. 28. And mighty , that we should serve him? I give unto them eternal life, and and what profit should we have they shall never perish, neither shall if we pray unto him? Matth. IIV, 41. Then shall. he say also any pluck them out of my hand. Ver. 29. My Father, which gave unto them on the left hand, Depart then me, is greater than all : and from me,, ye cursed, into ever none is able to pluck them out of lasting fire, prepared for the devil my Father's hand. 1 John iii. 9. Ver. 42. For I Whosoever is born of God doth not was an hungered, and ye gave me commit sin; for his seed remaineth no meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave in him: and he cannot sin, because me no drink ; Ver. 43. I was a he is born of God. 1 Pet. i. 5. stranger, and ye took me not in ; Who are kept by the power of God naked , and ye clothed me not; sick, through faith unto salvation, ready and in prison, and ye visited me not. to be revealed in the last time. Ver. 9. Ver . 45. Then shall he answer them, Receiving the end of your faith, even saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it, not to one of the salvation of your souls. II. 6. 2. Tim.. ii.. 18. Who conthe least of these, .ye, did it not to .cerning the truth have erred, sayme. Matth. xxiii. 23. Woe unto ing that the resurrection is past you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo- already; and overthrow the faith crites ! for ye pay tithe of mint, and of some. Ver. 19. Nevertheless, the anise, and cummin, and have omitted foundation of God standeth sure, the weightier matters of the law, having this seal, The Lord knowjudgment, mercy, and faith ; these eth them that are his. ought ye to have done, and not to every one that nameth the name of. Christ depart from iniquity, I. a Phil. i. 6. Being confident of Jer. xxxi. 3. The Lord hath apvery thing, that he which hath peared of old unto. me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with 20 ES and his angels. ke the And, Let leave the other undone. this ever of Jesus Christe; the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them d; and the nature of the covenant everlasting love : therefore with again, who is even at the right loving-kindness have I drawn thee. hand of God, who also maketh inHeb. X. 10. By the which will tercession for us. Ver. 35. Who we are sanctified, through the of shall separate us from the love of fering of the body of Jesus Christ Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, once for all. Ver. 14. For by one or persecution, or famine, or nakedoffering he hath perfected for ever ness, or peril, or sword? Ver. 36. chem that are sanctified. Heb. YAs it is written, For thy sake we tiji. 20. Now, the God of peace, are killed all the day long; we are that brought again from the dead accounted as sheep for the slaughter.) our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd Ver. 37. Nay, in all these things we of the sheep, through the blood of are more than conquerors, through the everlasting covenant, Ver. 21. him that loved us. Ver. 38. For Make you perfect in every good I am persuaded, that neither death, work, to do his will, working in nor life, nor angels, nor principaliyou that which is well-pleasing in ties, nor powers, nor things pre• his sight, through Jesus Christ; to sent, nor things to come, Ver. 39. whom be glory for ever and ever. Nor height, nor depth, nor any Amen. Heb. ix. '12. Neither by other creature, shall be able to the blood of goats and calves, but separate us from the love of God, by his own blood, he entered in which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. once into the holy place, having John xvii. 11. And now I am no obtained eternal redemption for us. more in the world; but these are Ver. 13. For if the blood of bulls in the world, and I come to thee. and of goats, and the ashes of an Holy Father, keep through thine heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanc own name those whom thou hast tifieth to the purifying of the flesh; given me, that they may be one, Ver. 14. How much more shall Ver. 24. Father, I the blood of Christ, who through will that they also, whom thou hast the eternal Spirit offered himself given me, be with me where I am; without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me : for the living God? Ver. 15. And for thou lovedst me before the founda. this cause he is the Mediator of the tion of the world. new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are call art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he ed night receive the promise of is able also to save them to the eternal inheritance. Rom. viii. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the uttermost that come unto God by charge of .God's elect? It is God him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. that justifieth : Ver. 34. Who is d John xiv, 16. And I will pray he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may as we are. Luke xxii. 32. abide of grace": from all which ariseth also the certainty and in- III. Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of his abide with you for ever ; Ver. 17. DJI. 8 Marth. xxvi. 70. But he you. 1 John ii. 27. But the swear, saying, I know not the man, , as the same anointing teach when Nathan the prophet came un- you of all things, and is truth, to him, after he had gone in to and is no lie; and even as it hath Bathsheba. Ver. 14. Deliver me taught you, ye shall abide in it, from blood guiltiness, O God, thou 1 John iii . 9. Whosoever is born of God of my salvation: and my tongue God doth not commit sin ; for his shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. seed remaineth in him; and he can. i Isa. Ixiv. 5. Thou meetest him not sin, because he is born of God. that rejoiceth and worketh righ. Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make teousness, those that remeniber thee an everlasting covenant with them, in thy ways: behold, thou art that I will not turn away from wroth, for we have sinned: in those them to do them good; but I will is continuance, and we shall be put my fear in their hearts, that saved, Ver. 7. And there is none they shall not depart from me. that calleth upon thy naine, that f John X. 28. And give un stirreth up hiimself to take hold that David had done displeased the E4 all of us. k Eph. his Holy Spiritk; come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts!; have their hearts hardened", and their consciences wounded "; hurt and scandalize others', and bring temporal judgments upon themselves !. CHAP. XVIII. Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation. Al LTHOUGH hypocrites, and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God and estate k Eph. iv, 30. And grieve not the and hardened our heart from thy Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fear ? Return for thy servants' sealed unto the day of redemption. sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 1 Psal. li. 8. Make nie to hear Mark vi. 52. For they considered joy and gladness : that the bones not the miracle of the loaves, for which thou hast broken may re their heart was hardened. Mark joice. Ver. 10. Create in mne a xvi, 14. Afterward he appeared in. clean heart, O God; and renew a to the eleven, as they sat at meat, right spirit within me. Ver. 12. and upbraided them with their unRestore unto me the joy of thy sale belief and hardness of heart, because vation; and uphold me with thy free they believed not them which had Spirit. Rev. ii. 4. Nevertheless, I seen him after he was risen. have somewhat against thee, be 1 Psal. xxxii. 3. When I kept cause thou hast left thy first love. silence my bones wared old, through Cant. v. 2. 1 sleep, but my heart niy roaring all the day long : Ver. 4. waketh: it is the voice of my be For day and night thy hand was loved that knocketh, saying, Open heavy upon me: my moisture is to me, my sister, my love, ny dove, turned into the drought of summy undefiled: for niy head is fill Psal. li. 8. Make me to ed with dew, and my locks with hear joy and gladness : that the the drops of the night. Ver. 3. I bones which thou hast broken may have put off my coat; how shall I rejoice. put it on? I have washed my feet; 0 2 Sam. xii. 14. Howbeit, bem hoy shall I defile them ? Ver. 4. cause by this deed thou hast given My beloved put in his hand by the great occasion to the enemies of hole of the door, and my bowels the Lord to blaspheme, the child were moved for him. Ver. 6. I also that is born" unto thee shall opened. to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn hiniself, surely die. P Psal. Ixxxix. 31. If they break gone : my soul failed when he spake : I sought him, but ny statutes, and keep not my comI could not find him; I called him, mandments : Ver. 32. Then will I visit their transgression with the but he gave me no answer. m Isa, Ixiii. 17, O Lord, why hast rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 1 Cor. xi. 32. But when we are thou made us to err fro:n thy ways, judged we Lord, mer. and was are chastened of the |