preserved his followers from the contagion in the universal apostasy of the Romish church: All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb," Rev. xiii. 8. If believers could totally and finally fall away from Christ, why is it impossible for them to be deceived by damning errors accompanied with such wonders, that might stupify the reason of the wisest natural men, and the elect too, did not their election make it impossible? The very elect. But it is laid upon a higher score than their own wisdom, and depends upon that golden chain of electing love, which neither the wit of man nor malice of devils, the terrors of afflictions nor pleasures of temptations are able to break, Rom. viii. 38, 39.

(7.) It frustrates the fruits of Christ's mediation and offices. Was it not the design of his coming, according to the ancient promise, that all nations should be blessed in him, in the seed of Abraham, which seed he was? According to this doctrine it is uncertain at the best, whether or not any one person should be blessed by him. If the gates of hell could prevail against one real member of Christ, they might against a second, and a third, till he should not have one member to enjoy a blessing by him. Grace infused is as the holy fire upon the altar, which descended from heaven, Lev. vi. 12, 13. And as it was the priest's office, so it is the office of Christ the antitype, to feed it morning and evening by his Spirit, with fresh fuel for its continual support. According to this doctrine, the offices of Christ signify nothing but with the consent of the will of man. The death of Christ might be wholly an unprofitable sacrifice. The intercession of Christ

in heaven would signify nothing, since they can persevere without him, and notwithstanding his intercession can fall away. This is to unpriest Christ, and destroy the end of his living for ever. His prophetical office fares no better, because they make the efficacy of it depend upon their will; and the teaching of Christ, like the sibyl's writing upon leaves, may be blown away by the next wind. It robs Christ of the key of government, by making every man his own governor in this affair, and denying Christ the sovereign throne in the wills of men. His government would be exercised only in punishing, since none left wholly to themselves, but would prove obstinate rebels. He might be a Priest without a people to sacrifice for, an Advocate without a client, a Prophet without a disciple, and a King without a subject, and so be insignificant in the fruits of all his offices.

(8.) It disparageth the work of the Spirit. As if the Spirit of God did tincture the soul with so weak a colour as might be easily washed off by the next shower; as if he did only strew, not sow the seed of grace, easily to be blown away by the next puff of wind, or devoured by fowls. Are the divine image and workmanship of heaven, the products of infinite power, wisdom, and love, of so slight a make, as the embracers of this doctrine would fancy? Is the Spirit too weak to hold, or is he unwilling? Would Christ ever send so uncertain a comforter, as he would be, unless he did abide with us? Would Christ, after laying so strong and rich a foundation for the redemption of his people, send a deputy that should build so weakly, and work so slightly upon it? The Spirit was to glorify Christ, John xvi. 13. How? Certainly,

as Christ glorified the Father, John xvii. 4. But Christ glorified the Father by finishing the work which was given him. Therefore the Spirit will glorify Christ in the same manner by finishing the work he is sent to do: as the Father is not imperfect in his choice, nor Christ in his purchase; so neither will the Spirit be imperfect in his conduct. The very end why God puts the Spirit into the heart, is to preserve the believer from going back from God. What is called putting the fear of the Lord into us that we might not depart from him, Jer. xxxii. 40, is called putting a new heart and a new spirit: "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them," Ezek. xxxvi. 27, and a putting his own Spirit within them to preserve and assist that new habitual grace, for it is to cause them to walk in his statutes. It is not only a cleansing them from their filthiness, and then leaving them to be their own guides, but it is a putting a contrary principle into them; and the end of putting this Spirit into them is, that they should live till they be placed in their own land, in the heavenly Canaan, Ezek. xxxvii. 14, and be settled there in the work of admiration, and blessing God for his faithfulness in performing this covenant; then shall ye know, by a full experience, that I the Lord have spoken, and performed it. I know some understand it of their deliverance from the Babylonish captivity; but the words methinks seem to be of a higher import, and the deliverance from Babylon was typical of redemption by Christ, Jer. xxiii. 6-8, speaking of the days of the gospel: "The Lord liveth that brought up the seed of Israel out of the north country." I leave

you to judge; however take it as an allusion. The Spirit will be no more false to God in not answering the end of his being put into the heart, to cause us to walk in his statutes, than Christ was or can be false to God in not answering the end of his designation to the mediatorial office. This doctrine doth quite subvert the end of the Spirit's coming and being put into the heart of a renewed man, and makes all its work a slight and superficial business.

For a close then of this. This doctrine stands firm, I hope. Though it be possible and probable, and I may say certain, that the habit of grace in a renewed man, considered abstractedly in itself, without God's powerful assistance, would fall, and be overwhelmed by the batteries of Satan, and secret treacheries of the flesh, yet it is impossible it should wholly fall, being supported by God's truth in his covenant, his power in the performance, held up by the intercession of Christ, and maintained by the inhabitation of the Spirit. Our wills are mutable, but God's promise unchangeable; our strength is feeble, God's power insuperable; our prayers impotent, Christ's intercessions prevalent. Our sins do meritoriously expel it, but the grace of God through the merit of Christ doth efficiently preserve it. If therefore believers fall totally and finally, it must be by themselves, or by the industry of some external agent.

[1] Not by themselves, and their own wills. Not as considered in themselves, but as their wills are the proper subject and seat of this habitual grace. They are made willing in the day of his power, Psa. cx. 3. And they are continued willing by the influence of the same power, for the day of

his power endures for ever. They will not depart out of Christ's hand, because it is the chief part of this grace to determine their wills (and to bring down every high imagination which might pervert their wills) to a subjection to Christ, and fix them upon God as the chief good, and last end. Hence being his sheep, and knowing him for their Shepherd, they are said to hear his voice, and follow him; so that this perseverance is not a forced and constrained work. They cannot totally fall by their own wills, they are renewed and strengthened; nor by their own corruption, that is subdued and mortified by the Spirit of God, which is continually in arms against it; and if when it was in its full strength, it could not hinder the power of God's grace in conversion, surely when it is thus impaired, and only some relics of it (though alas! too too much) abiding, it can less resist the power of the same grace in our preservation.

Again, not by their own wills, for it is here that grace sets its throne, and establisheth the heart. Neither doth that life which is hid with Christ in God, depend upon the levity of our wills; it being an abiding life, it hath an influence upon our wills to preserve them in a due bent, wherein they are set by the Spirit.

[2.] Not by any external agent.

Not by God. The counsel of his election stands firm and they are heirs by an immutable covenant. Though God by reason of his omnipotent sovereignty might justifiably take grace away, and we deserve it, yet morally in regard of the immutability of his righteousness and truth, he will not. Christ will not do it. He died to purchase it, and lives for ever to preserve it. The Spirit will not do it;