walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them!' He doth not say, they shall have his Spirit, if they will walk in his statutes ; no, his Spirit shall cause them to do it. But may be thou art afraid thou may est grieve him, and so he in anger leave thee, and thou perish for want of his help and counsel. Answ. The Spirit of God is indeed sensible of unkindness, and upon a saint's sin may withdraw in regard of present assistance, but never in regard of his care ; as a mother may let her froward child go alone, till it get a knock, that may make it cry to be taken up again into her arms, but still her eyes are on it that it shall not fall into mischief. The Spirit withdrew from Samson, and he fell into the Philistines' hands ; and this makes him cry to God, and the Spirit puts forth his strength in him again. Thus, here, indeed, the office of the Spirit is to abide for ever with the saints, John xiv. 16: 'He shall send you another Comforter, that he may abide for ever with you.'
Secondly, It is one main business of Christ's intercession, to obtain of God persevei-ance for our weak graces. ' I have prayed,' saith Christ to Peter, 'that thy faith fail not.' But was not that a particular privilege granted to him, which maybe denied to another? O sirs, do we think that Christ's love looks asquint? Doth he pray for one child more than another? Such fears and jealousies foolish children are ready to take up; and therefore Christ prevents them, by bidding Petei-, in the very next words, ' When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren,' Luke xxii. 32; that is, when thou feelest the efficacy and force of my prayer for thy laith, carry this good news to them, that their hearts may be strengthened also : and what strengthening had it been to them, if Christ prayed not for them as well as Peter ? Does Christ pray for us ? yea, doth he not live to pi-ay for us? O, how can children of so many prayers, of such prayers, perish ? The saints' prayers have a mighty power. Jacob wrestled and had power with God; this was his sword and bow (to allude to what lie said of the parcel of ground he took from the Amorite) by whicli he got the victoi-y and had power with God. This was the key with which Elijah opened and shut heaven. And if the weak prayers of saints, coming in his name, have such credit in heaven, that with them they can go to God's treasure, and carry away as much as their arm of faith can hold ; O then, what pre- valency has Christ's intercession, who is a Son, an obedient Son, that is come from finishing his great work on earth, and now prays his Father for nothing but what he hath bid him ask, yea, for nothing but what he is beforehand with him for ; and all this to a Father that loves those he prays for as well as him- self! Bid Satan avaunt. Say not thy weak faith shall perish, till thou hearest that Christ hath left praying, or meets with a repulse.
Thirdly, Let us see whether Satan be able to pluck the Christian away, and step betwixt him and home. I have had occasion to speak of this subject in another place, the less here shall serve. Abundant provision is made against his assaults. The saint is wi-apped up in the everlasting arms of Almighty power; and what can a cursed devil do against God, who laid those chains on him which he cannot shake off? When he is able to pluck that dart of divine fury out of his own conscience which God hath fastened there, then let him think of such an enterprise as this. How can he overcome thee, that cannot tempt thee but in God's appointed time ? And if God set Satan his time to assault the Christian whom he loves so dearly, surely it shall be when he shall be repulsed with greatest shame.
Use 1 . — Away then with that doctrine which saith, One may be a saint to- day, and none to-mon-ow ; now a Peter, anon a Judas : O what unsavory stuff is this ! it is a principle that at once crosseth the main design of God in the gospel-covenant, reflects sadly on the honour of Christ, and wounds the saints' comfort to the heart.
First, It is derogatory to God's design in the gospel-covenant, which we find to be this, that his children might be put into a state sure and safe from miscar- rying at last, which by the first covenant man was not. Sec Rom. iv. 16: ' Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed.' God on ])urpose, because of the weakness of the first covenant, through the nuitable nature of man, makes a new covenant of a far different constitution and frame, not of works, as that was, but of faith ; and why ? The apostle tells us, that it might be sure to ' all the seed,' that not one
190 AND HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND.