5. Grace indeed, if left to us, would be soon lost ; we showed that in innocency. But it is our advantage that our security lieth in God's promises, not our own strength, that we are not our own keepers. God would not trust this jewel but in safe hands. Perseverance is God's gift, not man's act ; he is engaged in Christ to maintain it : John x. 28, 29, ' I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands. My Father that gave them me, is greater than I ; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hands ;' they neither shall nor can be taken out of God's hands. God and Christ is engaged in the keeping of them ; Christ by God's command, as mediator, God by Christ's merit ; and therefore he that separateth us from God must tug with Jesus Christ himself, and be too hard for him also, or else he can never pluck them out of his hands. If they should question Christ's power, because of the ignominy of the cross, the Father's hands are also engaged for our greater assurance : * None is able to pluck them out of my Father's hands.' God never made a creature that should be too hard for himself.
6. We do not plead for any wild assurance and certainty of perse- verance. We do not say that he that neglects means, and grieves the Spirit, do what he will, yet he is sure he shall not miscarry ; that is against the nature of God's dispensation, and the nature of this assur- ance, and therefore but a vain cavil.
[1.] It is against the nature of God's dispensation ; for whom he maketh to persevere, he maketli them persevere in the use of means. Hezekiah had assurance of life for fifteen years, yet he takes a lump of figs, and applies it as a plaster to the boil, Isa. xxxviii. 5, compared with ver. 21. Or more clearly, Acts xxvii. 22, ' There shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but only of the ship.' But yet, ver. 31, ' Except the shipmen abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.' We are bound to get food and raiment, if we would live. It is the devifs divinity. Thou art sure not to fall, therefore neglect means ; it was Satan's cavil against God's protection over Christ: Mat. iv. 6, ' If thou be the Son of God. cast
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thyself down ; for it is written, He shall g^ive his angels charge con- cerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.' Thou learnest this doctrine from the devil — Thou mayest do what thou wilt, thou art sure to be saved.
[2.] It is against the nature of assurance ; he that hath tasted Grod's love in God's way cannot reason so. He that hath a good father, that will not see him perish, shall he waste and embezzle his estate, he cares not how ? A wicked child may presume thus of his father, though it be very disingenuous, because of his natural interest and relation to his father ; the kindness which he expecteth is not built on moral choice, but nature. But a child of God cannot, because he cannot grow up to this certainty but in the exercise of grace ; this certainty is begotten and nourished by godly exercises. And the thing itself implieth a contradiction ; this were to fall away, because we cannot fall away ; you may as soon say that the fire should make a man freeze with cold, as that certainty of perseverance in grace should make a man do actions contrary to grace.
7. Again, we do not say a believer is so sure of his conservation in a state of grace as that he needeth not be wary and jealous of himself : 1 Cor. X. 12, ' Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall' There is a fear of caution that is warrantable. There is a difference between the weakening o£ the security of the flesh, and of our confi- dence in Christ. None more apt to suspect themselves than they that are most sure in God, lest by improvidence and unwatchfulness they should yield to corruption. Christ had prayed that Peter's faith might not fail ; yet, together with the other apostles, he biddeth him watch, Luke xxii. 40, 46. The fear of God is a preserving grace, and taken into the covenant : Jer. xxxii. 40, ' I will never depart from them to do them good,' and ' I will put my fear into their hearts, and they shall not depart from me.' God's love will not let him depart from us, and fear will not let us depart from God. This is a fear that will stand with faith and certainty ; it is a fruit of the same Spirit, and doth not hinder assurance, but guard it ; this is a fear that maketh us watchful against all occasions to sin and spiritual distempers, that we may not give offence to God ; as an ingenuous man, that hath an in- heritance passed over to him by his friend in court, is careful not to offend him ; there is a cautelous and distrustful fear.