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 per- manency ill grace. The saints' perseve- rance is much oppugned by Papists and Arminians ; but it is not the less true be- cause it is opposed. A Christian's main comfort depends upon this doctrine of per- severance; take away this, and you much prejudice religion, and cut the sinews of all cheerful endeavours. Before I come to the full handling and discussing this great point, let me first clear the sense of it, Avhich I shall do by way of concession or grant.
When I say, believers do persevere : \st, I grant that such as are so only in profession, may fall away, 2 Tim. iv. 10., " Demas hath forsaken me." Blazing comets soon evapo- rate. A building on sand will fall, Mat. vii. 26,, Seeming grace may be lost. No wonder to see a bough fall from a tree that is only tied on ! Hypociites are only tied on Christ by an external profession, they are not ingrafted. Who ever thought arti- ficial motions would hold long ? The hypo- crite's motion is only artificial, not vital. All blossoms do not ripen into fruit.
2dl{i, I grant that, if believers were left to stand upon their own legs, they might fall finally. Some of the angels, who were stars full of light and glory, yet did actual- ly lose their grace; and if those pure angels fell from grace, much more would the god- ly, who have so much sin to betray them, ii'they wore not upheld by a superior power. 3^////, 1 grant, true believers, though they do not fall away actually, and lose all their
race, yet their grace may fail in the de-
gree, and they may make a great breach upon their sanctification. Grace may be moritura, non mortua^ — ' dying, but not dead,' Rev. iii. 2., " Strengthen the things which are ready to die." Grace may be like fire in the embers : though not quench- ed, yet the flame is gone out. This decay of grace I shall shew in two particulars. 1. The lively actings of grace may be sus- pended, Rev. ii. 4., " Thou hast left thy first love." Grace may be like a sleepy habit ; tlie godly may act faintly in religion, — the pulse of their affections may beat low. The wise \irffins slumbered. Mat. xxv. 5. The exercise of grace may be hindered ; as when the course of water is stopped, and doth not run. 2. Instead of grace exercis- ing in the godly, corruption may exercise, — instead of patience, murmuring, — instead of heavenliness, earthliness. How did pride put forth itself in the disciples when they strove who should be the greatest ! How did lust ])ut forth itself in David ! Thus lively and vigorous may corruption be in the regenerate ; they may fall into enormous sins. But. though all this be granted, yet they do not, penitus exeidere, — fall away finally from grace. David did not quite lose his grace ; for then, why did he i)ray, " Take not away thy Holy Spirit from me?" He had not quite lost the Sjnrit. As Euty- chus, when he fell from a window. Acts XX. and all thought he was dead : No, saitli Paul, " his life is in him." So David fell fouUv, but there was the life of grace in him. Though the siiints may come to that pass, they have but little faith, yet not to have no faith ; though their grace may be drawn low, yet not drawn dry ; though "race niav be abated, not abolished ; though the \Aise virgins slumbered, yet their lamps were not quite gone out. Grace, when it is at the lowest, shall revive and flourish;
OF PERSEVERANCE.
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as when Samson had lost his strength, his xvii. 11., Conserva illos, — Father, " keep hair grewagain, and he renewed his strength. I those wliom thou hast given me," — keep
Having tlms exphiined the proposition, I come now to the amplifying this great doc- trine of the saints' perseverance.
Quest. 1. Bi/ what means do Christians come to persevere ?
Arts. 1. By the manuduction and help of ordinances, prayer, word, sacraments. Christians do not arrive at perseverance when they sit still and do notliing. 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, wiio have their rents brought in without their toil or labour ; but we ar- rive 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 xxAni. 31., " Except ye abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." Believers shall come to shore at last, — arrive at heaven ; but " except they abide in the ship," viz. in the use of ordinances, " they cannot be saved." The ordinances cherish grace ; as they be- get grace, so they arc the breast-milk by which it is nourished and preserved to eter- nity.