What reason, now, can be imagined why other saints of God, who have the same promises with David and Paul, established unto them in the hand of the same Mediator, being equally taken into the saine covenant of mercy and peace with them, may not make the same conclusion of mercy with them, — namely, " That the mercy and goodness of God will follow them all the days of their lives ; that they shall be delivered from every evil work, and preserved to God's heavenly kingdom?" 2 Cor. i. 20. To fly here to immediate revelation, as though God had particularly and immediately assured some persons of their perseverance, which begat in them a confidence wherein others may not share with them, besides that it is destructive of all the vigour and strength of sundr}'-, if not all the arguments produced against the saints' perseverance, it is not in this place of any weight, or at all relative to the business in hand ; for evident it is that one of them, even David, is thus confident upon the common account of God's relation unto all his saints, as he is their shepherd, one that takes care of them, and will see, not only whilst they abide with him, that they shall have pasture and refreshment, but also will find them out in their wanderings, and will not suffer any of them to be utterly lost. And he is a shepherd equally in care and love to every one of his saints as he was to David. He gives them all " the sure mercies of David," even the mercy contained and wrapped up in the promise that was given to them, and what by virtue thereof he did enjoy, with what he received from God in that covenant relation wherein he stood, Isa. Iv. 3. And for Paul, it is most evident that he grounded his confidence and con.solation merely upon the general promise of the presence of God with his, that
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he will " never leave them nor forsake them/' but be their God and "guide even unto death;" neither is there the least intimation of any other bottom of his consolation herein. Now, these being thmgs wherein every believer, even the weakest in the world, hath an equal share and interest with Paul, David, or any of the saints in their generations, what should lie in their way but that they also may grow up to this assurance, being called thereunto? I say, they may groio up unto it. 1 do not say that every believer can with equal assurance of mind thus make his boast in the Lord and in the con- tinuance of his kindness to him, — the Lord knows we are often- times weak and dark, and at no small loss even as to the main of our interest in the promises of God ; — but there being an equal cer- tainty in the things themselves of which we speak, it being as cer- tain that the goodness and mercy of God shall follow them all their days as it did David, and as certain that God will deliver them from every evil work and preserve them to his heavenly kingdom as he did Paul, they also may grow up unto, and ought to press after, the like assurance and consolation with them. Whom goodness and mercy shall follow all their days, and who shall be of God preserved from every evil work, they can never fall totally and finally out of the favour of God. That this is the state and condition of believers is manifested from the instances given of David and Paul, testifying their full persuasion and assurance concerning that condition on ' grounds common to them with all believers.
2. The conclusion and inference that the psalmist makes, from the assurance which he had of the continuance of the goodness and kind- ness of God unto him, followeth in the words insisted on: " All the days of his life he would dwell in the Lord's house." He would for ever give up himself unto his worship and service. " Seeing this is the case of my soul, that God will never forsake me, let me answer this love of God in my constant obedience." Now, this conclusion follows from the former principle upon a twofold account : —
(L) As it is a motive unto it. The continuance of the goodness and kindness of God unto a soul is a constraining motive unto that soul to continue with him in love, service, and obedience ; it works powerfully upon a heart any way ennobled with the ingenuity of grace to make a suitable return, as far as possibly it can, to such eminent mercy and goodness. I profess I know not what those men think the saints of God to be, who suppose them apt to make con- clusions of wantonness and rebellion upon the account of the stead- fastness of the love and kindness of God to them. I shall not judge any as to their state and condition ; yet I cannot but think that such men's prejudices and fulness of their own persuasions do ex- ceedingly interpose in their spirits from receiving that impression of this grace of God which in its own nature it is apt to give, or