404 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
tiou continually sounds in the ears of believers that "God is faithful" in all his promises, 1 Cor. i. 9 ; that he can, that he will, make them good; that his own excellencies^ his own perfections, require no less at his hands. And this it doth, not on any grounds that carry any thing with them that may seem to incline to the least neglect of God, or contempt of any property, excellency, or word of his, and so be apt to breed presumption, and not faith, but on such only as give him the glory of all that he hath revealed of himself unto us. And therefore its genuine tendency must be to beget and increase pre- cious and saving faith in the hearts of men; which we conceive to lie in a more direct way of efficacy towards holiness and obedience than the ingenerating of servile fears gendering unto bondage can do. This, then, we have obtained: — first, That the promises peculiarly insisted on are motives to and furtherances of obedience; secondly, That the way whereby they become so is by being mixed with faith, and the stronger faith is, the more effectual will the working of those promises unto holiness be ; thirdly. That the doctrine of the perse- verance of the saints, and stability of God's love to them, giving him the glory of all his excellencies, which in his jDromises are to be con- sidered, is suited to the carrying on of faith in its growth and in- crease. Indeed, that which makes our belief of the promises of faith divine is the rise it hath and the bottom whereiuto it is re- solved,— namely, the excellencies of Him who makes the promises, as that he is true, faithful, all-sufficient; the glory of all which is given him in believing, as the apostle informs us, Rom. iv. 20, 21. Yea, and all this he must be believed to be in reference to the ac- complishment of his promises, or we believe them not with divine, supernatural (if that term may be allowed), and saving faith. Surely they must needs think us very easy of belief, and wholly unexperi- enced in any communion with God, who shall suppose that we will be persuaded that the doctrine which eminently asserts and ascribes unto God the glory of all his attributes, which he would have us to eye in his promises, strengthening faith on that account, doth anni- hilate the promises in the word of the ministry, as to their usefulness unto our obedience. Let us deal by instance : God hath promised to "begin and perfect a good work in us." According as the promise is "mixed with faith," so it will be useful and profitable to us. If there be no faith, it will be of no use; if little, of little; if more, of more. Let a man now be supposed to be wavering about his mixing this promise with faith, whereupon the issue of its efficacy and fruitfulness, as was said, doth depend, and let the doctrine we teach be called in to speak in this case, and let us try whether what it says be pre- judicial to establishment of faith, or whether it be not all that looks towards its confirmation. It says, then, unto the soul of a believer, " Why art thou so cast down, thou poor soul? and why are thy
X.] THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE, 405
thoughts perplexed within thee? It is true, thou art weak, unstable, ready to fall away, and to perish. Thy temptations are many, great, and prevalent, and thou hast no strength to stand against the power and multitude of them. But look a little upon Him who hath pro- mised that thou shalt never depart from Him, who hath promised to finish the good work begun. He is unchangeable in his purposes, faithful in his promises, and will put forth the ' exceeding greatness of his power' for the accomplishment of them; so that though thou failest, he will cause thee to renew thy strength, though thou fallest, thou shalt not be cast down. He hath undertaken to work, and who shall let him? The counsel of his heart, as to the fulfilling of it, doth not depend on any thing in us. What sins thou art overtaken Avithal he will pardon, and will effectually supply thee with his Spirit, that thou shalt not fall into or continue in such sins as would cut off thy communion with him." And doth not this mix the fore- mentioned promises with faith, and so render it effectual to the carrying on of the work of love and obedience, as was mentioned? And as this doctrine is suited to the establishment of the soul in be- lieving, and to the stirring of men up to mix the promises with faith, so there is not any thing that is or can be thought more effectual to the weakening, impairing, and shattering, of the faith of the saints than that which is contrary thereunto, as shall afterward be more fully manifested. Tell a soul that God will write his law in him, and put his fear in his inward parts, that he shall never depart from him; what can ye possibly pitch upon to unsettle him as to a per- suasion of the accomplishment of this promise, and that it shall be so indeed as God hath spoken, but only this: "According as thou behavest thyself (which is left unto thee), so shall this be made good or come short of accomplishment: if thou continue to walk with God (which that thou shalt do he doth not promise, but upon condition thou walk with him), it shall be well ; and if thou turn aside, which thou mayst do, notwithstanding any thing here spoken or intimated, then the word spoken shall be of none effect, the promise shall not be fulfilled towards thee?" I know not what the most malicious devil in hell (if they have degrees of malice) can invent more suited to weaken the faith of men, as to the accomplishment of God's promise, than by affirming that it doth not depend upon his truth and ftiithful- ness, but solely on their good behaviour, which he doth not effectually provide that it shall be such as is required thereunto. God himself hath long since determined this difference, might he be attended unto.