[3.] On the Spirit's part there is a continued influence, so as to main- tain the essence and seed of grace. The Father's love is continued by the merit of Christ, that he may not depart from us ; and we are pre- served by the Spirit of Christ, that we may not depart from him. He doth not only put into our hearts faith, fear, love, and other graces at first, but he maintaineth and keepeth them, that the fire may never go out. Our hearts are his temple, and he doth not love to leave his dwelling-place. And besides, in the economy of salvation, it is his office to glorify Christ as his vicegerent, and to be our comforter ; therefore, with respect to the honour of Christ, and the comfort of be- lievers, he preserveth and maintaineth that grace that is once really wrought in our hearts. To preserve the glory of Christ thus, Christ, you know, hath received a charge from the Father to ' lose nothing,' John vi. 39, neither body nor soul — nothing that belongeth to an elect person. Now, that he may be true to his trust, he sendeth the Spirit as his deputy or executor, that his merit may be fully applied. It is for the honour of Christ, that wherever the work is begun, wherever he hath been an author, there he may be a finisher also, Heb. xii. 2. It was said of the foolish builder, that he ' began, and was not able to
1 ' Sicut impossible est massam a pasta separare,' &c. — Luther.
48 AX EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 1,
make an end.' This dishonour can never be cast upon Christ, because of the power and faithfulness of the Spirit ; he doth Karepyd^eadai, Phil. i. 6, 'go through' with the work which he hath begun; the Spirit is to fit vessels for glory. He doth not use to leave them half carved ; he is faithful to Christ, as Christ is to his Father. The Father chooseth the vessels, Christ buyetli them, and the Spirit carve th and fitteth them, that they may be vessels of praise and honour. But this is not all. He preserveth and continueth us in the state of grace as our Comforter ; by working grace he puts us into an expectation of glory and happiness, and to make it good he carrietli on the work without failing ; therefore grace is called ' the first-fruits of the Spirit,' Eom. viii. 24, and ' the earnest of the Spirit,^ 2 Cor. i. 22, and v. 6, for it hath a double use, to be a taste and a pledge. It is a taste to show us how good eternal life is ; and a pledge to show us how sure it is. The first degree of regeneration is of this nature ; it is an earnest, or gage, assuring us of a more perfect enjoyment — the livery and seisin of glory to come. As soon as a real change is wrought, the Spirit of God doth give us earnest ; and will God lose his earnest ? will he give us a pledge, and fail our expectation ? Surely no.
Let us now come to application.
Use. 1. It presseth us to persevere with the more care. It is no unreasonable inference : see 1 John ii. 27, 28, ' Ye shall abide in him ; and now little children abide in him.' Since we have so many advantages of standing, let us not fall away. Oh ! how great will your sin be, if you should miscarry and dishonour God ! We pity a child that falleth when it is not looked alter ; but when a froward child wresteth and forceth itself out of the arms of the nurse, we are angry with it. You have more reason to stand than others, being brought into an unchangeable state of grace ; being held in the arms of Christ, God will be very angry with your slips and failings. Mercy holdeth you fast, and you seek to wrest yourselves out of mercy's arms. None can sin as you do, with such frowardness, with such dishonour to God; you disparage the Spirit's custody, the merit of Christ, and the mercy of the Father. See Heb. iv. 1, ' Let us there- fore fear, a promise being left to us of entering into his rest, lest any should seem to come short of it' Look, as some seem to stand that do not, so some seem to fall utterly that do not. A child of God indeed cannot come short, but he should not seem, that is, give any appearance of coming short. When our religious course is inter- rupted, and we give way to sin and folly, that is a seeming to come short, and so you bring a scandal upon the love of God, as if it were changeable ; upon the merit of Christ, as if it were not a perfect merit. Scandalous professors make Arminians ; in an age of defec- tion, no wonder if men plead for the apostasy of the saints.
Use 2. If you fall through weakness, be not utterly dismayed. As the spinster leaveth a lock of wool to draw on the next thread, so there is somewhat left. When you are departed from God, you have more holdfast upon him than another sinner ; a child, though a pro- digal : go to him and say, Father. David pleadeth the relics of grace yet left, Ps. cxix. 176, ' I have gone astray like a sheep ; seek thy servant, for I do not forget my commandments ; ' as if he had said,