III.] THE IMMUTABILITY OF THE DIVINE PUEPOSES. 181
this is produced. This, therefore, the apostle doth by an excep- tion to the inference which they made, or through temptation might make, upon the former considerations. Mh roi are exceptive par- ticles, and an induction into the exemption of some from the con- dition of being in danger of falling, wherein they were concluded in the objection proposed. The intendment, I say, of the apostle, in that exceptive plea he puts in, " Nevertheless," is evidently to exempt some from the state of falling away, which might be argued against them from the defection of others. Neither doth he speak to the thing in hand, nor are the particulars mentioned exceptive to the former intimation, if his speech look any other way. Moreover, he gives yet farther the account of this excep- tion he makes, including a radical discrimination of professors, or men esteemed to be believers, expressing also the princij)le and ground of that difference. The differing principle he mentioneth is, the foundation of God that stands sm^e, or the firm foundation of God that is established or stands firm; this is not worth contending about; — an expression parallel to that of the same apostle, Rom. ix. 1 1, " That the purpose of God according to election might stand." Both this and that hold out some eternal act of God, differencing be- tween persons as to their everlasting condition. As if the apostle had said, " Ye see, indeed, that Hymeneus and Philetus are fallen away, and that others with whom you sometimes walked in the communion and outward fellowship of the gospel, and took sweet counsel together in the house of God with them, are gone after them ; yet be you, true believers, of good comfort : God hath laid a foundation " (which must be some eternal act of his concerning them of whom he is about to speak, or [else] the solemn assertion of the apostle, than which you shall not easily meet with one more weighty, is neither to the case nor matter in hand) " which is firm and abiding, being the good pleasure of his will, accompanied with an act of his wisdom and understanding, appointing some (as is the case of all true believers) to be his, who shall be exempted on that account from the apostasy and desertion that you fear. This," saith the apostle, " is the fountain and spring of the difference which is among them that profess the gospel. Concerning some of them is the pur- pose of God for their preservation : ' they are ordained to eternal life.'" And herein, as was said, lies the concernment of all that are true believers, who are all his, chosen of him, given to his Son, and called according to his purpose. With others it is not so; they are not built on that bottom, they have no such foundation of their pro- fession, and it is not therefore marvellous if they fall.
The words, then, contain an exception of true believers from the danger of total apostasy, upon the account of the stable, fixed, eternal purpose of God concerning their salvation, answerable to that of
182 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' TERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
Rom. viii. 28-80, the place last considered. The " foundation" here mentioned is the good pleasure of the will of God, which he had purposed in himself, or determined to exert towards them, for the praise of the glory of his grace, Eph. i. 9; according to which pur- pose we are predestinated, verse 11. And he calls this purpose the "foundation of God," as being a ground-work and bottom of the thing whereof the apostle is treating, — namely, the preservation and per- severance of true believers, those who are indeed planted into Christ, notwithstanding the apostasy of the most glorious professors, who, being not within the compass of that purpose, nor built on that foundation, never attain that peculiar grace which by Jesus Christ is to them administered who have that privilege. And this farther appears by the confirmation of the certainty of this foundation of God which he hath laid, manifested in the next words, " It hath this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his." Whether ye will take this either for a demonstration of the former assertion, a 'posteriori, from the peculiar love, favour, tenderness, and care, which the Lord bears to them which are his, who are built on the foundation men- tioned, whereby, in the pursuit of his eternal purpose, he will cer- tainly preserve them from perishing, knowing, owning, and taking care of them in every condition ; or for the prescience of God, accomplish- ing his eternal purpose, designing them of whom he speaks as his (for his they were, and be gave them unto Christ), — is to me indiffer- ent. Evident it is that this confirmation of the purpose mentioned is added to assure us of the stability and accomplishment of it, in that none who are built thereon or concerned therein shall fall away. And herein doth the apostle fully answer and remove the fore- mentioned objection. " Let men," saith he, " appear never so emi- nent in profession, if once they prove apostates, they manifest them- selves to have been but hypocrites ; that is, such as never had any of the faith of God's elect, which is their peculiar who are ordained to eternal life."