[2.] He takes away the exercise of his poiuer, and that to the utmost: for he binds him with bonds, — he binds the strong man armed, Matt. xii. 29 ; and he breaks his head. Gen. iii. 15 ; then leads him captive, Ps. Ixviii. 18; triumphs over him. Col. ii. 15 ; treads him down under the feet of his, Rom. xvi. 20, as the kings of Canaan were tiod down under the feet of the children of Israel; then destroys him, Heb. ii. 1 4. What exercise of power is left to a conquered, bound, wounded, captived, triumphed-over, trodden-down, destroyed caitiff? Think ye this wretch shall ever wholly prevail against any one of them for whose sake all this was done to him? Neither can this with any colour of reason be said to be done for them, or with re- spect unto them, towards whom the power of Satan remains entire all their days, whom he leads captive and rules over at his pleasure, until death takes full dominion over them.
(2.) As he destroys Satan, so he doth his works: "For this cause was he manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil," 1 John iii. 8. He doth not only bind the strong man armed, but also he spoils his goods. Matt. xii. 29. Whatsoever is in men that follows from that corrupted principle of nature is reckoned to the work of Satan, being the issue of his seduction. Whatsoever his temptations draw men out unto, the Lord Christ came to destroy it all, to make an end of it; and he will not fail of his end, but certainly carry on his undertaking, until he hath utterly destroyed all those works of Satan in the hearts of all that are his. He " redeems us from our vain conversation," 2 Pet. i. 18, 19, — from the power of our lusts and corruptions, leading us out to a vain conversation. The apostle tells'^Li, l^oL.^vi. 6, that by his death the " old man is crucified," and the " body of sin destroyed." The craft of sin, the old man, and the strength of sin, the body of it, — or the ruling of original sin, the old man, and the full fruit of actual sin in the body of it,- — are by the death of Christ crucified and destroyed. And in that whole chapter, from our participation in the death of Christ, he argues to such an abolition of the law and rule of sin, to such a breaking of the power and strength of it, that it is impossible that it should any more rule in us or have dominion over us. Of the way whereby virtue flows out from the death of Christ for the killing of sin I am not now to speak.
And this is the first way whereby the death of Christ hath an in- fluence into the safeguarding of believers in their continuance in the love and favour of God : He so takes away the guilt of sin that it shall never be able utterly to turn the love of God from them ; and so takes away the rule of Satan and power of sin, destroying the one
308 DOCTKINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCR [CHAP.
and killing the other, that they shall never be able to turn them wholly from God.
II. Farther to secure their continuance with God, he procureth the Holy Spirit for them, as was showed before. But because much weight lies upon this part of our foundation, I shall a little farther clear it up. That the Spirit of grace and adoption, with all those spiritual mercies and operations wherewith he is attended and accom- panied, is a promise of the new covenant, doubtless is by its own evidence put out of question. There is scarce any promise thereof wherein he is not either clearly expressed or evidently included; yea, and oftentimes the whole covenant is stated in that one promise of the Spirit, the actual collation and bestowing of all the mercy thereof being his proper work and peculiar dispensation for the carrying on the great design of the salvation of sinners. So Isa. lix. 21, "As for me,'' saith God, "this is my covenant with them; My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth," etc. ; — " This is my cove- nant," saith God, "or what in my covenant I do faithfully engage to bestow upon you." But of this text and its vindication more after- ward. Many other places, not only pregnant of proof to the same purpose, but expressly in terms affirming it, might be insisted on.
Now, that this Spirit, promised in the covenant of grace, as to the bestowing of him on the elect of God, or those for whom Christ died, is of his purchasing and procurement in his death, is ap- 2:)arent: —
1. Because he is the mediator of the covenant, by whose hands and for whose sake all the mercies of it are made out to them who are admitted into the bond thereof Though men are not comyAetely stated in the coyenant before their own believing, which brings in what on thfi\Ti patj is stipu.ated, yei tlie covenant and grace of it lays hold of tJiem before, even to bestow faith on them, or they would never believe; for faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.^ God certainly bestows no such gifts but from a covenant. Spiritual graces are not administered solely in a providential dispensation. Faith for the receiving the pardon of sin is no gift nor product of the covenant of works. Now, as in general the mercies of the covenant are pro- cured by the mediator of it, so this whereof we speak in an especial manner: Heb. ix. 15, " For this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, they which are called might re- ceive the promise of eternal inheritance." By his death, they for whom he died, and who thereupon are called, being delivered from tlieir sins, which were against the co\ enant of works,'* receive the pro- mise or pledge of an eternal inheritance. What this great promise