3. The blandishments of riches. The young man in the gospel went very far, " thou art not far from the kingdom of God;" but he had rich possessions, and these golden weights hindered him from the kingdom, Luke xviii. 23. Jonathan pur- sued the battle till he came at the honey- comb, and then he stood still, 1 Sam. xiv. 27. Many are forward for heaven, till they taste the sweetness of the world ; but when they come at the honey-comb, then they stand still, and go no further. Fctms /;e- cwiice, funus animce. Those who have es- caped 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 Chris- tian doth one duty, he seems to cross ano- ther, €. g. He must come with holy bold- ness to God in prayer, yet must serve him with fear ; he must mourn for sin, yet re- joice ; he must be contented, yet " covet :"
1 Cor. xii. 31. Contemn men's impieties, vet reverence their authority : what difficult work is this ! A wonder any saint arrives at the heavenlv kingdom. To this I might add, the evil examj)les abroad which are so attractive ; we may say, the devils are como 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 pillars.
(I.) God's eternal love. We are incon- stant in our love to God ; but he is not so in his love to us, Jer. xxxi. 3., " I have loved them with an everlasting love ;" with a love of eternity. God's love to the elect is not like a king's love to his favourite, when it is at the highest spring-tide, it soon- est ebbs; but God's love is eternized; God
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TOny desert, not disinherit ; lie may change Lis love into a frown, not into hatred ; he may alter his proA-idence, 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, impreg- nable covenant. This you have in the words of the sweet singer of Israel, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5., " God hath made with me an everlast- ing 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 co- venant, but it cannot break the bond of the covenant.
(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. 30., " A bone of it shall not be broken." As it is impos- sible 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 se- parated. How can Christ lose any member of his body and be perfect ? You see upon what strong pillars the saints' perseverance is built.
Quest. How doth a Christian hold on till he comes to the kingdom .? How doth he perse- vere ?
Ans. 1. Awcilio spiritus. God carries on a Christian to ])erseverance 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 gi-ace into an holy flame. Spiritus est vicarius Christiy Tertul. It is Christ's deputy and proxy ; it is every day at work in a believ- er's heart, exei'ting grace into exercise, and ripening it into perseverance; the Spirit doth carve and polish the vessels of mercy, and make them fit for glory.