unless they be either revoked by God, or forfeited by man ; but God will not suffer them to fail by either of these means —
He himself will not revoke them —
[Some of his promises are absolute and others conditional : the conditional are suspended on the performance of something by man: the absolute are made without respect to any thing to be done by us**. If the former fail, it is not so properly a breach of promise, as an execution of a threatening impHed in it*: the latter never have failed in any one instance ; nor can one jot or tittle of them ever fail to all eternity. This is declared in various passages of Holy Scripture^. God's word, like his nature, has *' no variableness or shadow of turning :" he con- firmed his promises with an oath, in order that we might be more assured of the immutability of his counsel': hence it is expressly said, that " the promise is sure to all the seed'"."]
Nor will he suffer his people to forfeit their interest in them —
[Doubtless his people, as free agents, are capable of aposta- tizing from the truth : yea, they are even bent to backslide from him"; and, if left to themselves, they would inevitably fall and perish °: hence they are bidden to take heed lest they come short of the promised blessings p. St. Paul himself felt the need of much labour and self-denial to prevent his becoming a cast-away 1. Nevertheless these truths are not at all incon- sistent with the doctrine insisted on : it is by the fear of falling, that God keeps us from falling'^; and he will keep us by his own power unto final salvation ^ Of this St. Paul was as con- fident as of any truth whatever*; nor is there any other truth more abundantly confirmed in Scripture". God will indeed punish his people for their declensions^ ; but, instead of casting them off, he will reclaim them from their errors y: if it were not thus, not one only, but all of those, who had been given to Christ, might perish. God however will effectually prevent
1* Such are the declarations respecting the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the consequent calling of the Gentiles, and the salvation of all that from eternity were given to Christ. John xvii. 6.
i This is the true import of what God says, Numb. xiv. 34.
^ 1 Sam.xii.22. Isai.liv. 10. Jer.xxxi.35 — 37. and xxxiii.25,26.
1 Heb. vi. 17. "^ Rom. iv. 16. " Hos. xi. 7.
° Isai. x. 4. P Heb. iv. 1. ^ 1 Cor. ix. 27.
"• Phil. ii. 12, 13. si Pet.i. 5. * Phil. i. 6.
n Rom. xi. 29. John x. 28, 29. ^ Ps. Ixxxix. 30—32.
y Ps. Ixxxix. 33—35.