VII. Works done by unregenerate Men, although for the Matter of them, they may be Things which God commands, and of good ufe both to themfelves and others: Yet because they proceed not from an Heart purified by Faith ", nor are done in a right Manner according to the Word ; nor to a right End, the Glory of God; they are there

2 Gen. 4. 5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not refpect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. With Heb. 11.4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God teftifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead, yet speaketh. Heb. 11. 6. But without faith it is impoffible to please him: for he that cometh to God, muft believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him.

fore work and labour of love, which ye bring the evil upon his house. Phil. have fhewed toward his name, in 1. 15. Some indeed preach Chrift that ye have miniftred to the faints, even of envy and ftrife; and fome and do minifter. Matth. 25. 21. alfo of good will. v. 16. The one His lord faid unto him, Well done, preach Chrift of contention, not thou good and faithful fervant; fincerely,fuppofing to add affliction thou haft been faithful over a few to my bonds. v. 18. What then? things, I will make thee ruler over notwithstanding every way, whemany things: enter thou into the ther in pretence, or in truth, Chrift joy of thy Lord. v. 23. His lord is preached; and I therein do refaid unto him, Well done, good joice, yea and will rejoice. and faithful fervant; thou haft been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy lord. VII. Y 2 Kings 10. 30. And the Lord faid unto Jehu, Because thou haft done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and haft done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation fhall fit on the throne of Ifrael. v. 31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Ifrael, with all his heart for he departed not from the fins of Jeroboam, which made Ifrael to fin. 1 Kings 21.27. And it came to pass when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put fackcloth upon his flesh, and fafted,and lay in fackcloth,and went foftly. v. 29. Seeft thou how Ahab humbleth himfelfbefore me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days but in his fons days will I

a I Cor. 13.3. And though I beftow all my goods to feed the poor,' and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Ifa. 1. 12. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts?

b Mat. 6. 2. Therefore, when thou doft thine alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the hy

fore finful, and cannot please God,

meet to receive Grace from God. And Neglect of them is more finful, and displeasing unto

pocrites do, in the fynagogues, and
in the streets, that they may have
glory of men. Verily, I fay unto
you, they have their reward.
v. 5.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt
not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray ftanding in the
fynagogues, and in the corners of
the streets, that they may be feen
of men. Verily, I fay unto you, they
have their reward. v. 16. Moreover,
when ye faft, be not as the hypo-
crites,of a fad countenance: for they
disfigure their faces, that they may
appear unto men to faft. Verily, I
fay unto you,they have their reward.

CHA P. XVII.

Of the Perfeverance of the Saints.

T

HEY whom God hath accepted in his Be loved, effectually called and fanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally, nor finally fall away from the State of Grace: But fhall certainly perfe vere therein to the End, and be eternally faved .

II. This Perfeverance of the Saints depends not upon their own Free-will, but upon the Immuta bility of the Decree of Election, flowing from the free and unchangeable Love of God the Father; upon the Efficacy of the Merit and Interceffion of Jefus Chrift; the abiding of the Spirit and of the Seed

I. Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift. 2 Pet. 1, 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall. John 1o. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they fhall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. v. 29. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all: and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand. 1 John 3. 9. Whofoever is born of God doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. v. 9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the falvation of your fouls.

II. b 2 Tim. 2. 18. Who concerning the truth have erred, faying, that the refurrection is paft already; and overthrow the faith of fome. v. 19. Nevertheless,the foundation ofGod ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knows them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift,depart from iniquity. Fer. 31. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have ` I drawn thee.

e Heb. 1o. 10. By the which will we are fanctified, through the offering of the body of Jefus Christ once for all. v. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified. Heb. 13.20. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great fhepherd of the fheep, through the blood of the everlafting covenant, v. 21. Make you perfect in every

G 2

good

Seed of God within them; and the Nature of the

any other creature, fhall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord. John 17. 11. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those whom thou haft given me, that they may be one, as we are: v. 24. Father, I will, that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me: for thou lovedft me before the foundation of the world. Luke 22. 32. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren.

Covegood work to do his will, working things prefent, nor things to come, in you that which is well-pleafing v. 39. Nor height, nor depth, nor in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Heb. 9. 12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. v. 13. For if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the afhes of an heifer Sprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; v. 14. How much more fhall the blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without fpot to God, purge your confcience from dead works,to ferve the living God? v. 15. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new teftament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the tranfgreffions that were under the firft teftament, they which are called, might receive the promife of eternal inheritance. Rom. 8. 33. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that juftifieth: . 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for us. v. 35. Who fhall feparate us from the love of Chrift shall tribulation, or diftress, or perfecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or fword? 7. 36. (As it is written, For thy fake we are killed all the day long; we are counted as fheep for the flaughter.) v. 37. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. v. 38. For I am perfwaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor

Heb 7. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them.

d John 14. 16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; v. 17. Even the Spirit oftruth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, 1 John 2.27. and fhall be in you. But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you; and ye need not that any man teach you: But, as the fame anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie: and even as it hath taught you, ye fhall abide in him. 1 John 3. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him ; and he cannot fin, because he is born of God.

e for.

Covenant of Grace: From all which arifeth also the Certainty and Infallibility thereof.

III. Nevertheless they may, through the Temptations of Satan and of the World, the Prevalency of Corruption remaining in them, and the Neglect of the Means of their Preservation, fall into grievous Sins; and for a Time continue therein h: whereby they incur God's Displeasure i, and grieve his Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of fome Measure of their Graces and Comforts', have their Hearts

• Fer. 32. 40. And I will make of my falvation: and my tongue an everlafting covenant with them, fhall fing aloud of thy righteoufThat I will not turn away from them nefs. to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

Ifa. 64. s. Thou meeteft him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteoufness, thofe that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth, for we have finned: in thofe is con

John 10. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck_tinuance,and we shall be faved. v.7. them out of my hand. 2 Theff. 3.3. But the Lord is faithful, who fhall ftablish you, and keep you from evil. 1 John 2. 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 manifeft, that they were not all of us.

III. Matth. 26. 70. But he denied before them all, faying, I know not what thou fayeft. v. 72. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. V. 74. Then began he to curfe and to fwear, faying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

Pfalm 51. The Title, To the chief musician, 'A pfalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him,after he had gone in to Bathfheba. v. 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltinefs, O God, thou God

And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou haft hid thy face from us, and haft confumed us, because of our iniquities. v. 9. Be not wroth very fore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, fee we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 2 Sam. 11. 27. And when the mourning was paft, David fent, and fet her to his house, and fhe became his wife, and bare him a fon: but the thing that David had done, displeased the Lord.

Eph. 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the day of redemption.

Pfalm 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladnefs: that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice. v. 1o. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. v. 12. Reftore unto me G 3

the