Secondly, It is denied that the fall of the most glorious hypocrites is indeed an efiicacious engine in the hands of the adversary to in- generate any other fears and jealousies, or to expose them to any other shakings, than what are common to them in other temptations of daily incursion, from which God doth constantly make a way for them to escape, 1 Cor. x. 13. It is true, indeed, that if true believers had no other foundation of their persuasion that they are so but what occurs visibly to the observation of men in the outward con- versation of them that yet afterward fall totally away, the apostasy
' Kom. viii. 28 ; Ps. xxx. 6, 7 ; Isa. viii. 17, liv. 7-10 ; 1 Pet. i. 7; 1 Cor. iii. 13; 1 Pet. iv. 12; 2 Cor. vii. 5; 2 Thess. i. 11; Heb. xii. 25, 28, 29; Isa. Ivii. 15, Ixvi. 2; James iv. 6; 1 Pet. v. 5; Matt. vii. 24, 25 ; AmosLx. 9; Luke xxii. 31 ; Epb. vi. 10-18, iv. 14 ; Isa. xlix. 14-lG, kill. 9 ; Acts ix. 5; Ps. ciii. 13 ; 1 Pet. i. 7 ; Pom. viii. 38, 39.
VOL. XI. 6
82 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
of such (notwithstanding the general assurance they have that those who are Lorn of God cannot, shall not sin unto death, 1 John ill. 9, seeing their own interest in that estate and condition may be clouded, at least for a season, and their consolation thereupon de- pending intermpted) might occasion thoughts in them of very sad consideration ; but whilst, besides all the beams and rays that ever issued from a falling star, all the leaves and blossoms with abortive fruit that ever grew on an unrooted tree, all the goodly tun-ets and ornaments of the fairest house that ever was built on the sand, there are moreover " three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood," — whilst there is a teaching, anointing, and assuring earnest, a firm sealing to the day of redemp- tion, a knowledge that we are passed from death to life,^ — the temp- tation arising from the apostasy of hypocrites is neither so potent nor unconquerable but that, by the grace of Him through whom we can do all things, it may be very well dealt withal. This I say, supposing the ordinary presence and operation of the Spirit of grace in the hearts of believers, with such shines of God's countenance upon them as they usually enjoy. Let these be interrupted or turned aside, and there is not the least blast or breath that proceeds from the mouth of the weakest enemy they have to deal withal but is sufficient to cast them down from the excellency of their joy and consolation, Ps. xxx. 6, 7.
The evidence of this truth is such that Mr Goodwin is forced to say, "Far be it from me to deny but that a man may very possibly at- tain unto a very strong and potent assurance, and that upon grounds every way sufficiently warrantable and good, that his faith is sound and saving,"^ cap. ix. sect. 9. But unto this concession he puts in a double exception: —
First, " That there is not one true believer of a hundred, yea, of many thousands, who hath any such assurance of his faith as is built upon solid and pregnant foundations."
I must, by his leave, enter my dissent hereunto ; and as we have the liberty of our respective apprehensions, so neither the one nor the other proves any thing in the cause. Setting aside cases of de- sertion, great temptations, and trials, I hope, through the riches of the grace and tenderness of the love of the Father, the condition is otherwise than is apprehended by Mr Goodwin with the generality of the family of God. The reasons given by him of his thoughts to the contrary do not sway me from my hopes, or bias my former ap- prehensions in the least. His reasons are, —
' 1 John V. 7, 8, ii. 20, 27 ; 2 Cor. i. 21, 22, v. 5; Eph. i. 13, 14, iv. 30; Rom. viu. IG; 1 John iii. 14.
2 " Vere fidclis uti pro tempore pnBsenti de fidei et conscientise sure integritate cer- tus esse potest, ita ct dc salute sua et de salutifcra Dei erga ipsum bcnevoleutia pro illo tempore ccrtus esse potest et debet." — Act. Synod, p. 182, Dec. Sent. thcs. vii.
I.] APOSTASY A TEMPTATION TO BELIEVERS. 83
First, " Because though the testimony of a man's heart and con- science touching his uprightness towards God, or the soundness of any thing that is saving in him, be comfortable and cheering, yet seldom are these properties built upon such foundations which are sufficient to warrant them, at least upon such whose sufficiency in that kind is duly apprehended : for the testimony of the conscience of a man touching any thing which is spiritually and excellently good is of no such value, unless it be first excellently enlightened with the knowledge, nature, properties, and condition, of that of which it testifieth; and, secondly, be in the actual contemplation, consideration, or remembrance, of what it knoweth in this kind. Now, very few believers in the world come up to this height and degree."