his glory. Now can we suppose, that since the Father and the Son designed to have so great a glory redound to them by the work of our redemption, that they will sustain any loss thereof, for want of the application of it to them, for whom it was purchased. If God designed, as the consequence thereof, that the saints should sing that new song, Thou art worthy, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation: And if God the Father, and the Son, are both joined together, and their glory celebrated therein, by their ascribing blessing, glory, and power, unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever, Rev. v. 19. compared with 13. Then certainly they will not lose this glory; and therefore, the saints shall be brought into that state where they shall have occasion thus to praise and adore them for it.

If it be objected to this, that God, the Father and the Son, will be glorified, though many of his saints should apostatize, and the death of Christ be, to no purpose, with respect to them, because all shall not apostatize. The answer to this is plain and easy; that though he could not be said to lose the glory he designed, by the salvation of those who persevere, yet some branches of his glory would be lost, by reason of the apostacy of others, who fall short of salvation; and it is a dishonour to him to suppose that he will lose the least branch thereof, or that any of those, for whom Christ died, should be for ever lost.

We might also add, that for the same reason that we suppose one whom Christ has redeemed, should be lost, all might be lost, and so he would lose all the glory he designed to have in the work of redemption. This appears, in that all are liable to those temptations, which, if complied with, have a tendency to ruin them. All are supposed to be renewed and sanctified but in part, and consequently the work of grace meets with those obstructions from corrupt nature; which would certainly prove too hard for all our strength, and baffle our utmost endeavours to persevere, did not God appear in our behalf, and keep us by his power. Now, if all need strength from him to stand, and must say, that without him they can do nothing, then we must either suppose, that that grace is given to all saints which shall enable them to persevere, or else that it is given to none; if it be given to none, but all are left to themselves, then that which overthrows the faith of one, would overthrow the faith of all; and consequently we might conclude, that whatever God the Father, or the Son have done, in order to the redemption and salvation of the elect might be of none effect.

I might produce many other arguments in defence of the saints' perseverance, but shall conclude this head with two or

three scriptures, whereby the truth hereof will farther appear: Thus our Saviour says to the woman of Samaria, Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life, John iv. 14. Where, by the water that Christ gives, is doubtless understood the gifts and graces of the Spirit; these are not like the waters of a brook, that often deceive the expectation of the traveller; but they are a well of water, intimating that a believer shall have a constant supply of grace and peace till he is brought to the rivers of pleasure, which are at God's right-hand, and is made partaker of eternal life. Again, our Saviour says, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, chap. v. 24. i. e. it is as surely his as though he was in the actual possession of it; and he farther intimates, that such are not only justified for the present; but they shall not come into condemnation; certainly this implies that their salvation is so secure as that it is impossible for them to perish eternally.

Another scripture that plainly proves this doctrine, is in 2 Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his; and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity; in which words the apostle encourages the church to hope for perseverance in grace, after they had had a sad instance of two persons of note, viz. Hymeneus and Philetus, who had not only erred from the truth, but overthrown the faith of some and he cautions every one, who makes a profession of religion, as they would be kept from apostatizing, to depart from iniquity, q. d. since many of you are ready to fear that your faith shall be overthrown, as well as that of others, by the sophistry or cunning arts of those apostates who lie in wait to deceive, you may be assured that their state is safe, who are built upon that foundation which God has laid, that chief corner stone, elect, precious, viz. Christ, on whom he that believeth, shall not be confounded, 1 Pet. ii. 6. or else, that the instability of human conduct shall not render it a matter of uncertainty, whether they, who are ordained to eternal life, shall be saved or no; for that depends on God's purpose, relating hereunto, which is a sure foundation, and has this seal annexed to it, whereby our faith herein may be confirmed, that they whom God has set apart for himself, and lays a special claim to, as his chosen and redeemed ones, whom he has foreknown and loved with an everlasting love, shall not perish eternally, because the purpose of God cannot be frustrated. But inasmuch as there is no special revelation given to particular persons, that they are the ob jects of this purpose of grace; therefore every one that names VOL. III.

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or professes the name of Christ ought to use the utmost cau tion, that they be not ensnared ; let them depart from all iniquity, and not converse with those who endeavour to overthrow their faith. And, indeed, all that are faithful shall be kept from iniquity by God, as they are here given to understand that it is their duty to endeavour to depart from it, and consequently they shall be kept from apostacy. This seems to be the sense of these words; and it is agreeable to the analogy of faith, as well as a plain proof of the doctrine which we are maintaining.

A late writer *, by the foundation of God, which standeth sure, supposes the doctrine of the resurrection is intended, -which Hymeneus and Philetus denied, saying, that it was past already; this doctrine, says he, which is a fundamental article of faith, standeth sure, having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his; that is, he loveth and approveth of them. But though it be true the resurrection is spoken of in the foregoing verse, and we do not deny that it is a fundamental article of faith; yet that does not seem to be the meaning of the word foundation, in this text. For if by the resurrection we understand the doctrine of the general resurrection of the dead, I cannot see where the force of the apostle's argument lies, viz. that there shall be a general resurrection, because the Lord knowbeth who are his, since the whole world are to be raised from the dead. But if by the resurrection we are to understand a resurrection to eternal life, so that they who are known or beloved of God, shall have their part in it, and the apostle's method of reasoning be this, that they who believe shall be raised to eternal life; that is, so far from militating against the argument we are maintaining, that it is agreeable to the sense we have given of the text, and makes for, rather than against us.

As to what is farther advanced by the author but now mentioned, viz. that the Lord knoweth who are his, is to be taken for that regard which God had to his apostles and ministers. This seems too great a strain on the sense of the words, and so much different from the scope of the apostle therein, as well as "disagreeable to the caution given, that every one who names the name of Christ should depart from iniquity, that no one who reads the scriptures without prejudice, can easily give into this sense of the text.

I shall mention but one scripture more for the proof of this doctrine, and that is in 1 John ii. 19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would, no doubt, have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us; for the un

• See. Whitby's Discourse, c. Puge—67, 68, 463.

derstanding of which, let it be considered, that the apostle is speaking of some who were formerly members of the church, who afterwards turned apostates and open enemies to Christ, and his gospel: It is plain that the words they went out from us, and they were not of us, must be taken in different respects, otherwise it would imply a contradiction, to say that a person departed from the faith and communion of the church, when he never embraced it, or had communion with it; but if they un. derstand it thus, they left the faith and communion of the church because they were Christians only in pretence, and did not heartily embrace the faith on which the church was built; nor were they really made partakers of that grace, which the apostles, and other faithful members of the church, had recei ved from God, as being effectually called thereby, the sense is very plain and easy, viz. That there were some false professors, who made a great shew of religion, and were admitted into communion with the church, and, it may be, some of them preached the gospel, and were more esteemed than others; but they apostatized; for they had not the truth of grace, but were like the seed that sprang up without having root in itself, which afterwards withered; whereas, if they had had this grace it would have been abiding, and so they would, without doubt, says the apostle, have continued with us, but by their apostacy it appears, that they were not, in this sense, of our number, that is believers,

They who understand this scripture, not of persons who were members of the church, but ministers, that first joined them selves with the apostles, and afterwards deserted them, and their doctrine, advance nothing that tends to overthrow the argument we are maintaining; for we may then understand the words thus, they pretended to be the true ministers of Jesus Christ, and doubtless, to be, as the apostles were, men of piety and religion, for, in other respects, they were of them visibly, whilst they preached the same doctrines; but after wards, by departing from the faith, it appeared, that though they were ministers they were not sincere Christians, for if had, they would not have apostatized.

IV. We shall now proceed to consider the objections that are usually brought against the doctrine of the saints' perseve rance in grace.

Object. 1. It is objected, that there are several persons mentioned in scripture, who appear to have been true believers, and yet apostatized, some totally, as David and Peter; others not only totally, but finally, in which number Solomon is insluded; and others are described as apostates, such as Hyme neus and Alexander, who are said concerning faith, to have made shipwreck, and therefore it is supposed that they had the

grace of faith; and Judas is also, by them, reckoned to have been a true believer, whom all allow afterwards to have proved an apostate.

Answ. 1. As to the case of David and Peter, it is true, their fall was very notorious, and the former seems to have continued some months in a state of impenitency; and when they fell, there appeared no marks of grace in either of them. Peter's sin, indeed, was committed through surprize and fear; but yet It had such aggravating circumstances attending it, that if others, whose character is less established than his was, had committed the same sin, we should be ready to conclude, that they were in a state of unregeneracy; and David's sin was committed with that deliberation, and was so complicated a crime, that if any believer ever lost the principle of grace, we should have been inclined to suppose this to have been his case. Nevertheless, that which gives us ground to conclude that this principle was not wholly extinguished, either in Peter or him, at the same time that they fell; and therefore, that they were not totál apostates, is what we before observed, that the principle of grace may be altogether unactive, and yet abide in the soul, agreeably to the sense we gave of that scripture, his seed abideth in him; and if what has been already said concerning the possibility of the principle of grace remaining, though it makes no resistance against the contrary habits of sin, be of any force, then these and other instances of the like nature, on which one branch of the objection is founded, will not be sufficient to prove the possibility of the total apostacy of any true believer. barr

2.As to the case of Solomon; that he once was a true believer is allowed on both sides; for it is said concerning him, soon after he was born, that the Lord loved him, 2 Sam. xii. 24, 25. upon which occasion he gave him that significant name, Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord; and it is certain, that in the beginning of his reign, his piety was no less remarkable than his wisdom, as appears from his great zeal, expressed in building the temple of God, and establishing the worship thereof; and also from that extraordinary instance of devotion with which he dedicated or consecrated the house to God, 1 Kings vin. 1. & seq. and the prayer put up to him on that occasion, and also from God's appearing to him twice: in his first appearance he condescended to ask him, what he would give him? and upon Solomon's choosing, an understanding heart, to judge his people, he was pleased with him, and gave him several other things that he asked not for; so that there were not any among the kings like unto him, chap. iii.,5, 9, 10, 12, 23. from all this it is taken for granted, that he once was a be at ben yeason See page 213, 214, ante.