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THE 
 
 DOCTRINE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS, 
 
 ILLUSTRATED, PROVED AND APPLIED 
 
 BY 
 
 REV. SHEPARD K. KOLLOCK. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 PRESBYTERIAN HOARD OF PUBLICATION. 
 
 179 
 
 1 
 
^ i 0 
 
 * 
 
 Entered accarding to Act of Congress, in the year 1835, oy Dr. A. W, Mitchell, 
 in the Offwie of the Clerk of the District Court of the Eastern District ol 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 80 
 
^^ PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 I In every age the Church has been pained by beholding 
 persons whose professions were high and specious, declining 
 from the truth, returning to the world, and again indulging in 
 the lusts of the flesh. Such examples tend to afflict humble 
 believers, and to fill them with apprehensions that their own 
 state is unsafe, and may terminate in destruction. To pre- 
 vent such an inference, the Scriptures, whenever they predict, 
 or relate, the apostacy of those who had once “ the form of 
 godliness,” immediately subjoin, as a source of consolation, 
 an assurance that the real children of God shall be preserved 
 from defection. Thus the Saviour (Matt, xxiv.) foretelling 
 the appearance of those who should come in his name, and 
 deceive many,” intimates that the elect shall not be de- 
 ceived. Thus Paul (2 Tim. ii. 19.) mentioning the apostacy 
 of Hymeneus and Philetus, probably eminent teachers in the 
 Church, adds, lest believers should suppose that their own 
 condition was uncertain, and their own faith liable to be de- 
 stroyed : “ nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, 
 having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his” — ‘ they 
 that are built upon the foundation of his unchangeable love 
 and purpose shall never be overthrown.’ Thus also the apos- 
 tle John (1 John ii. 19.) having mentioned that many anti- 
 christs were in the world who were generally apostates, adds : 
 “ They went out from us, but they were not of us ; for if 
 they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued 
 with us ; but they went out that they might be made mani- 
 fest that they were not all of us ;” — as if he had said, ‘ What- 
 ever plausible appearances they make, they prove, by becom- 
 ing apostates, that they were hypocrites ; for if they had been 
 true believers, renewed by grace and vitally united to Christ, 
 they would have persevered in communion with us ; but they 
 went out that they might appear to the world in the real cha- 
 racters of false-hearted professors.’ 
 
 Such is the spirit of the language of Scripture, and in these, 
 and other similar passages, is plainly taught the doctrine of 
 
 THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 It is a doctrine which lies at the foundation of all the hope 
 which the believer enjoys ; it inspires confidence in danger, 
 comfort in son’ow, succour in temptation, and is an “ anchor 
 to his soul,” amidst tempests the most violent. 
 
 Q 
 
 3 ISl 
 
4 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF 
 
 Let us inquire what reason we have to receive this doctrine 
 as the truth of God. 
 
 In making this investigation we shall arrange our rejec- 
 tions in the following order : 
 
 I. We shall definitely state the question at issue, and show 
 what we mean when we maintain the final perseverance of 
 the saints. 
 
 II. We shall establish the doctrine by arguments. 
 
 III. We shall answer the principal objections against it. 
 
 First. It is necessary to begin by clearly stating the dcyz- 
 
 trine under discussion. 
 
 When we say that the saints shall finally persevere, we 
 mean not by the word saints those who, having made a pro- 
 fession, and possessing a semblance of religion, are regarded 
 by others as pious ; or those who are confidently esteemed by 
 themselves as godly : or those who are only federally holy — 
 by external consecration to God, as were the people of Israel, 
 We grant that all these may finally and entirely apostatize. 
 But by saints we mean those, and those only, who have re- 
 ally been born again ; who have been brought from a state of 
 enmity against God into a state of reconciliation and love ; 
 who have been justified, accepted and adopted; who are ani- 
 mated by the Holy Spirit, that dwelling both in Christ and 
 them, forms an intimate union between him the head, and 
 them the members. 
 
 When we say that such persons shall not finally and en- 
 tirely fall away from grace, we do not mean that their graces 
 may not languish and decline. The question is not concern- 
 ing the decay, but the loss of grace ; not concerning sickness 
 and debility, but total death. A person may faint away, 
 showing no signs of animation, while a principle of life re- 
 mains ; and spiritual life may undergo so violent a shock as 
 to be brought apparently to the very verge of death, and yet 
 not be extinguished. 
 
 Neither do we mean that the acts of grace shall never be in- 
 terrupted ,* but only that the spirit and habit of it shall never 
 be lost. We grant that the saints may fall into many and 
 great sins ; but we maintain that, through the presence of 
 God cherishing the principles of spiritual life once implan- 
 ted, they shall never so sin, as to fall into that state in which 
 they were before conversion, and of the children of the Holy 
 One, become the children of the devil. They may fall into 
 transgressions that deserve perdition, but God will excite 
 their repentance, animate their faith, enliven tlieir hope, and 
 thus keep them in his covenant and love. 
 
 182 
 
THE SAINTS. 
 
 5 
 
 When we say that the saints shall persevere, we mean 
 not, that considered in themselves^ and with no strength but 
 their own, they will be able to stand. We rest the certainty 
 of their perseverance on the assistance of the Spirit, and the 
 support of God. In themselves, they are weak, unable to 
 begin, to continue, or to finish the life of holiness ; but ac- 
 cording to the divine covenant and promises, they “ are kept 
 by his power through faith unto salvation.” 
 
 Neither do we assert that grace, considered in itself^ is 
 absolutely incapable of being lost. It is one thing to affirm 
 that it shall not be lost, and another thing to affirm that it 
 is in its nature absolutely incapable of being lost. We know 
 that the world shall no more be overwhelmed by a flood, but 
 we at the same time admit that it is susceptible of being 
 drowned. We therefore ground the perseverance of the 
 saints, not upon the firmness and unchangeableness of grace, 
 as it subsists in the creature, but upon the love, the power, 
 the wisdom, the faithfulness, and the covenant of Almighty 
 God. 
 
 Attending to these distinctions and limitations, we have a 
 proper view of the doctrine before us. It may be conveyed 
 in the following proposition : 
 
 All who are truly regenerated and vitally united to Christ, 
 though weak and frail in themselves, shall be so protected 
 and kept by the power of God that the habits of grace shall 
 never be entirely lost, nor the principle of spiritual life to- 
 tally extinguished ; and although they may fall into sins, 
 yet they shall never fall from their interest in the covenant, 
 but shall be renewed to repentance, and be at last brought, 
 by a steady perseverance, to eternal salvation. 
 
 This is the sum of the doctrine before us. We proceed 
 
 II. To establish its truth. 
 
 I. The first argument which we adduce for the perseve- 
 rance of the saints is derived from the purposes of God. By 
 the purposes of God we mean those eternal acts of his will 
 concerning all things that come to pass, which are (if we 
 may so speak) the rule of his operations. Without entering 
 upon any disputes unconnected with the point in question, 
 we shall merely by presenting several texts of Scripture 
 prove that God has purposed the perseverance of his saints 
 in love and holiness, and that his purpose is immutable. 
 The apostle Paul tells us (Rom. viii. 29, 30.) “ Whom he 
 
 did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the 
 image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among 
 many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them 
 
 1* 188 
 
6 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF 
 
 he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, 
 and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” These words 
 which connect a past and future eternity, show the insepara- 
 ble connexion between the decree of God, and the salvation 
 of his people, and point out the intermediate links which join 
 together the two objects. On the last clause we shall fix our 
 attention: “ whom he called them he also justified, and whom 
 he justified, them he also glorified.” If language can prove 
 any thing, these words evince beyond all doubt the indissolu- 
 ble connexion between eflTectual calling, justification, and glo- 
 rification. 
 
 But there could be no such connexion if it were possible 
 for the saints not to persevere ; if they could finally and en- 
 tirely fall away, it would not be true that whom God justifies 
 he also glorifies. No conditions are here spoken of that man 
 can perform ; and to impose them upon the purposes of God, 
 when he himself has given us no such intimation, and then 
 to suspend their execution on conditions thus invented, is to 
 arraign in no small degree his infinite wisdom, and to take an 
 unwarrantable liberty with his holy word. 
 
 Another passage which we adduce under this head is John 
 vi, 37 — 40. “ All that the Father giveth me shall come to 
 
 me : and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 
 For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but 
 the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will 
 which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me 1 
 should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last 
 day.” Christ had been charged by the Jews with endea- 
 vouring to promote his own private purposes and ambitious 
 designs : he tells them in these words, that on the contrary 
 he came to do the will of his Father. This will can signify 
 nothing but the eternal purpose of God. Christ describes 
 the persons to whom this purpose related — those wlio were 
 “ given to him by the Father” in the covenant of redemption ; 
 and who, as the necessary consequence, believingly “ come 
 to him.” He informs us that the will of God with respect to 
 them is, that he should “ confer on them eternal life ;” that he 
 “ should lose none of them,” and that he should “ raise them 
 up at the last day.” Hence we conclude that God having 
 purposed to bestow these blessings upon believers, and hav- 
 ing committed the accomplishment of this purpose to Christ, 
 who is faithful in all things and endued with power, believers 
 shall certainly be preserved to the end designed: notie of 
 them shall be lost through any assaults of Satan ; through any 
 deceitfulness of sin ; through any destruction of’ their graces ; 
 
THE SAINTS 
 
 7 
 
 Dut all shall have a glorious resurrection, and a blissful im- 
 mortality. 
 
 I pass by many texts which might be introduced under this 
 head, and proceed to the second argument, which is founded 
 on the promises of God, 
 
 2. From the great variety of these promises, I select but a 
 few. As recorded by John in his gospel, (x. 27 — ^29.) the 
 Saviour says : “ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, 
 and they follow me ; and I give unto them eternal life ; and 
 they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them 
 out of my hand.” In the preceding verse the Saviour gives 
 the reason why the Pharisees continued incredulous, notwith- 
 standing his preaching and miracles ; “ they were not his 
 sheep.” In these verses he declares the condition of his 
 sheep, and promises, in the most explicit manner, their con- 
 tinuance in that state. I know not what terms can possibly 
 be employed to convince a man of the perseverance of the 
 saints, if he remain unconvinced by this passage. The Sa- 
 viour promises that he “ will give them eternal life ;” that 
 “ they shall never perish” through their own weakness, or 
 remaining corruptions ; that none (the word man is not in the 
 original) “ shall pluck them out of his hand;” and that the 
 omnipotence of the Father and the faithfulness of the Son, 
 guarantee their preservation. 
 
 Attend also to that promise of God that is found in Isaiah 
 (liv. 7 — 10.) “ For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but 
 with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid 
 my face from thee in a moment; but with everlasting kind- 
 ness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer. 
 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me : for as I have 
 sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over tlie 
 earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, 
 nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart and the 
 hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, 
 neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the 
 Lord that hath mercy on thee.” Who that is free from pre- 
 judice will not acknowledge that in this language God directly 
 promises his children that he will always continue his loving 
 kindness, and will never remove his affection from them. He 
 has further promised that “ the righteous shall hold on their 
 way, and become stronger and stronger,” (Job xvii. 9.) that 
 “ the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s 
 sake, because it hath pleased him to make them his people;’ 
 (Sam. xii. 22.) that “ he loveth judgment, and forsaketh not 
 his saints, for they are preserved forever;” (Fs. xxxvii. 28.) 
 a 2 185 
 
8 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF 
 
 that he “ will never leave nor forsake them.” (Heb. xiii. 5.) 
 
 Attend to some other plain and explicit declarations : “ They 
 shall go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion 
 jippeareth before God.” (Ps. Ixxxiv. 7.) The way of the 
 Lord is strength to the upright ; the righteous shall never be 
 removed.” (Prov. x. 29-30.) “ The path of the just is as the 
 shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” 
 (Prov. iv. 18.) “ Can a woman forget her sucking child, 
 
 that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? 
 Y^ea, they may forget, but I will not forget thee.” (Isa. xlix. 
 15.) “ He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that 
 
 sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into con- 
 demnation.” (John V. 24.) “ 1 am the living bread that came 
 
 down from heaven, if any man eat of this bread, he shall live 
 forever.” (John vi. 51.) “ Whoso eateth my flesh,' and 
 
 drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up 
 at the last day.” (John vi. 54.) “ Mary hath chosen that 
 
 good part which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 
 X. 42. 
 
 These promises, with many others of a similar kind, “ are 
 yea and amen in Christ Jesus made by him who “ cannot 
 lie,” to which he has annexed his solemn oath, for the per- 
 formance of which he has pledged his faithfulness. They 
 must insure the final happiness of all believers. 
 
 3. We pass to a third argument — it is founded on the co- 
 venant of grace. In the covenant of works we were left to 
 stand in our own strength ; but in “ the new and better co- 
 venant,” Christ undertakes for his people, and God has 
 pledged his faithfulness that they shall not be separated from 
 him. The nature of this covenant is explained in various 
 parts of the Old Testament and the New. — I shall invite at- 
 tention but to a single passage, Jer. xxxii. 40. “ I will make 
 an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away 
 from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their 
 hearts that they shall not depart from me.” Are not these 
 words sufficiently plain and emphatic ? Let us consider the 
 force of these expressions ; “an everlasting covenant will I 
 make ;” a covenant founded on everlasting purposes, and of 
 everlasting duration. But may we not frustrate this cove- 
 nant, and make it void? No, replies the Lord, “I will not 
 turn away from them to do them good.” But may not we 
 turn away from him, and thus nullity the covenant with re- 
 spect to ourselves ? No, saith the Lord, “ I will put my fear 
 into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.” 
 
 Such is the nature, and such are the terms of the “ new 
 186 
 
THE SAINTS. 
 
 9 
 
 covenant.” In it the perseverance of man is suspended, <iot 
 on his own strength, but on the immutability of God’s grace 
 and promises. If then God be true ; if on the one hand, he 
 will not turn away from his people, and on the other, will so 
 influence their hearts that they shall not depart from him, they 
 must persevere to the end, and be saved. 
 
 4. A fourth argument for this doctrine is derived from the 
 relations xvhich subsist between Christ and believers. 
 
 Let us open the Scriptures, and learn in what terms they 
 speak of this relation. They tell us that believers are the 
 care and charge of Christ, committed to him by the Father; 
 and will he not preserve and keep them ? They tell us that 
 they are his “peculiar people,” (Titus ii. 14.) his purchased 
 people,” (1 Peter ii. 9.) bought by his own precious blood; 
 and will he neglect his own property, and sutler it to be taken 
 from him by craft or power? They tell us that believers are 
 members of his body ; and can the head suffer any of the 
 members to perish ? They tell us that they are his spiritual 
 seed, to whom he is related as a parent ; and can he be so 
 careless of his sons and daughters as to present them at the 
 last day incomplete in number, and say, “ Behold me, O 
 Lord ! and that portion of the children whom thou hast given 
 me that have not become the children of satan.” They tell 
 us that believers are his spouse to whom he has betrothed 
 himself in loving kindness and forever ; his bride in whom he 
 delights; his beloved, “ over whom he rejoices;” and can 
 he suffer these objects of his aflection finally to perish? No! 
 it is impossible. Their spiritual union with Christ infallibly 
 secures their perseverance. By faith they become “ one 
 with him ;” their life and interest are identified with his ; and 
 as long as there is life in him there can be no eternal death in 
 them. It as natural for him to diffuse his virtues constantly 
 into them, as for a vine to send its sap into its own branches, 
 or the sun to cherish the plants of its own production. He 
 will administer whatever tends to their sustenance and growth, 
 and remove whatever would weaken their Christian graces. 
 “ Having once loved them, he will love them unto the end;” 
 having “begun a good work, he will perform it.” He has 
 expressly declared, (John xiv. 19.) “ Because I live, ye shall 
 live also ;” words which represent the salvation of believers 
 as absolutely certain as the eternal happiness of Christ. Who 
 can sever that bond of union which fastens together the Sa- 
 viour and his friends ? “ Who shall separate us from the love 
 of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or 
 famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? Nay, in all these 
 
10 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF 
 
 things we are more than conquerors through him that loved 
 us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, ror an- 
 gels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor 
 things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, 
 shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in 
 Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. viii. 35 — 39.) Here is enu- 
 merated every thing that can be conceived of; and if “ nei- 
 ther height nor depth ; if the celestial height of God’s holi- 
 ness, and the infernal depth of man’s sin cannot separate be- 
 lievers from the Lord, then the saints are infallibly secured 
 against final apostacy. 
 
 Believers are interested in the intercession of Christ, and 
 therefore must persevere. We learn from what the Saviour 
 himself tells us that he prays for all whom “ the Father hath 
 given to him not only for those who were his disciples in 
 the days of his flesh, but for all who shall believe on him to 
 the end of the world. And for what does he pray ? That 
 God “ would keep them through his own name that he 
 would “ keep them from evil that he would “ sanctify them 
 through his truth and that they all hereafter may be with 
 him, and “behold his glory” — he therefore evidently prays 
 that God would keep them from apostatizing. But is he 
 ever denied in his suit ? Is his plea always valid ; his inter- 
 cession continually eflfectual ? Hear his own testimony, (John 
 xi. 41, 42.) “ Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me, 
 and / know that thou hearest me always,'*^ Since then 
 Christ prays for his people that God would keep them, and 
 since God always hears his prayers, the conclusion is inevita- 
 ble, that they shall all be saved — that not one shall be lost. 
 
 5. The next argument that we urge is derived from “ the 
 operations of the Holy Spirit, and his perpetual residence in 
 the hearts of believers.” 
 
 The Saviour assures his disciples, (John xiv. 16.) “I will 
 pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, 
 that he may abide with you forever.” That this promise 
 is applicable to all true believers, and not exclusively to the 
 apostles, is evident from the following considerations : 
 
 The Saviour, in his sacerdotal petition, gives a rule for 
 the interpretation of his prayers, which is equally applicable 
 to his promises : “ neither pray I for these alone, but for 
 them also which believe on me, through their word” — words 
 which authorize believers now to draw tlie same consolation 
 from this promise, as they did whom the Saviour originally 
 addressed. 
 
 The blessing promised, the indwelling of the Spirit, is the 
 1 88 
 
THE SAINTS. 
 
 11 
 
 fruit of the Saviour’s ascension and intercession ; and there- 
 fore enjoyed by all for whom Jesus Christ is an advocate. 
 
 Again. — Those to whom the promise is made, are distin- 
 guished not from other believers^ but from a wicked world ; 
 as the additional words teach, “ even the Spirit of Truth 
 whom the world cannot receive.” For these reasons it is 
 evident that the promise is made to all in every age who are 
 united to Jesus Christ by faith. Thus we have the testimony 
 of the true and faithful witness,” that the Spirit, as a guide 
 and comforter, “ shall abide with believers f or ever and 
 shall be “in them a well of water springing up unto ever- 
 lasting life,^^ What is his design in regeneration, but their 
 complete holiness ? what is his purpose in taking up his resi- 
 dence in their souls, but to fit them for immortal glory ? By 
 him they “ are sealed,” distinguished and marked, “ unto 
 the day of redemption;” (Eph. iv. 30.) the day when they 
 shall be redeemed from the power of the grave, and delivered 
 from all the effects of sin : he surely then cannot leave them. 
 He is “ the earnest of their inheritance.” (Eph, i. 14.) 
 Now as an earnest is part of the whole, and is given in as- 
 surance of its full enjoyment, the words must import the ab- 
 solute certainty of the final performance and future bliss of all 
 true believers. 
 
 But this doctrine, which we regard as so inestimably pre- 
 cious, which is inseparably interwoven with the mercy and 
 grace of the new covenant, has been strenuously opposed: 
 it is represented as no doctrine of the gospel, no part of the 
 purchase of Christ, a mere invention of man, and a strong 
 temptation to sin. Let us 
 
 III. Examine these objections; and we shall find that in- 
 stead of invalidating, they tend more strongly to confirm 
 ^ this truth. 
 
 1. One of the most plausible objections that has been 
 brought against the doctrine, is derived from the eighteenth 
 chapter of Ezekiel, and 24th verse : “ But when the right- 
 eous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth 
 iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the 
 wicked man doeth, shall he live ? All his righteousness that 
 he hath done shall not be mentioned ; in his trespass that he 
 hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them 
 shall he die.” 
 
 “ Here,” it is said, “ we are taught, that a man may be 
 truly righteous and good, and yet become wicked, and die in 
 his sins, and perish forever.” 
 
 189 
 
12 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF 
 
 This conclusion is not authorized by the text for the fol 
 lowing reasons : 
 
 (1.) If we look at the context, we shall find that this 
 whole chapter does not, in the smallest degree, relate to the 
 mode of God’s dealing with his saints in reference to their 
 spiritual and eternal state, but to the manner of his dealing 
 with the house of Israel, in reference to the land of Canaan. 
 We find from the second verse, that the object of God, 
 through the whole of this chapter, is to show the falsity of a 
 proverb then in use among the Israelites — “ the fathers have 
 eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge 
 that is, we are suffering for the sins of our forefathers — it is 
 because they have transgressed, that the greater part of our 
 nation were slain in the land of Israel, and the rest carried 
 into captivity. To vindicate the equity of his proceedings, 
 God by his prophet, recounts many of their sins, and by 
 making several suppositions of their risings and fallings, 
 proves that for their own transgressions, and not for the 
 transgressions of their fathers, they were afflicted. This be- 
 ing evidently the aim, scope, and object of this chapter, it 
 is plain that this twenty-fourth verse, wrested from the 
 midst of the prophet’s discourse, has no relation at all to the 
 question concerning the saint’s perseverance. A text intend- 
 ed only to evince the righteousness of the divine dealings to 
 the Jewish people at a peculiar time, cannot, with any show 
 of reason, be given as testimony that they who have been 
 taken into covenant with God, and brought nigh to him by 
 the blood of his Son, can totally and finally fall away. I add, 
 
 (2.) That the whole of this chapter not only relates to a 
 matter entirely different from the question which we are dis- 
 cussing, but to a matter in which the principle and rule of 
 God’s proceedings are totally different from the rule of ins ^ 
 proceedings in that covenant of grace in which believers are 
 interested. In the fourth verse he declares, “the soul that 
 sinneth, it shall die ” — that same soul, and not another: 
 while in the covenant of grace, he causes “the just to die 
 for the unjust” — the soul that never sinned, for souls that had 
 sinned. Can we then with any shadow of propriety, bring 
 a text from this chapter to decide the doctrine of the saints’ 
 perseverance. 
 
 (3.) But supposing that these things are not so, still the 
 words would only show, (what we are willing to grant,) the 
 infallible connexion between total apostacy and eternal perdi- 
 tion j but they by no means prove that a really pious man 
 can finally fall away without recovery. In Leviticus xviii. 
 
 190 
 
THE SAINTS. 
 
 13 
 
 5 we have these words : ‘‘Ye shall keep m} statutes and 
 my judgments, which, if a man do, he shall li\e in them 
 words which the apostle (Rom. x. 5. Gal. hi. 12.) refers to 
 “ the righteousness which is of the law,” and which he in- 
 terprets — “ if a man perfectly obey the law of God, he is jus- 
 tified by his works.” But are we hence to infer that any 
 man in his present fallen state will perfectly obey the whole 
 law ? Paul (Gal. i. 8.) declares, “ Though we or an angel 
 from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that 
 which we have preached, let him be accursed.” But are we 
 thence to infer that an angel from heaven ever will preach 
 another gospel? So, when the prophet says, “ When the 
 righteous turneth away from his righteousness,” is it asserted 
 (supposing that by the term righteous, a true saint is denoted,) 
 that he will finally fall away from his righteousness ? Is any 
 thing more than a supposition expressed, and a consequence 
 stated ? 
 
 We might add other reflections; but these are sufficient to 
 show that notwithstanding this passage, our doctrine stands 
 firm and immoveable. 
 
 2. Another text that is frequently opposed to the doctrine 
 which we are maintaining, is 1 Cor. ix. 27. “ I bring under 
 
 my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, 
 when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast- 
 away.” The denier of the saints’ perseverance relying upon 
 this passage, says, “ since the apostle Paul was in a possi- 
 bility of being cast away, other believers may totally fall 
 away from grace.” We deny the propriety of this deduc- 
 tion from the text before us ; we deny that it was possible 
 for Paul, or that he thought it was possible for him, to be 
 finally destroyed. He every where expresses the most con- 
 fident assurance of his salvation, and in the very verse pre- 
 ceding the text declares that he “ runs not uncertainly , In 
 fnis passage he merely teaches that his salvation is insepa- 
 rably connected with certain means, and that if these means 
 be neglected, then he might be a castaway. But does this 
 prove that it was uncertain whether he would be saved ? 
 
 Let us compare the language of the apostle here with his 
 sentiments and conduct on another occasion. We learn from 
 the twenty-seventh chapter of Acts, that on his passage to 
 Rome he was overtaken by a dangerous storm, and that he 
 received an express promise from God that not one of those 
 who were in the ship with him should perish. The preser- 
 vation of all their lives was an event absolutely fixed and cer- 
 tain. But when the sailors let down their boat to escape, 
 
 2 191 
 
14 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF 
 
 Paul said to the centurion, “ except these abide in the ship, 
 ye cannot be saved.” Thus though the preservation of the 
 crew was as certain as the promise of God could make it, still 
 the apostle declared that this preservation was so connectea 
 with the use of proper means, that if these means were ne- 
 glected, the crew would perish. In like manner, though his 
 perseverance in holiness was most certain, he yet declares 
 that proper means were so connected with the attainment of 
 this end, that if these means were neglected, the end would 
 fail. And will not the most strenuous advocates of the saint’s 
 perseverance maintain the same principle ? 
 
 3. Another scripture on which great reliance is placed, is 
 Heb. vi. 4 — 6. “For it is impossible for those who were 
 once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and 
 were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the 
 good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if 
 they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance, see- 
 ing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put 
 him to an open shame.” 
 
 But this passage proves nothing against the doctrine for 
 which we are pleading, for these two reasons : 
 
 (1.) Admitting that the apostle is speaking of true saints, 
 still the proposition is only hypothetical — they fall away” 
 — and does by no means assert that they can totally aposta- 
 tize. It is certain that if Gabriel should apostatize he would 
 be cast down to hell ; but are we thence to infer that he ever 
 will, or can, apostatize ? 
 
 (2.) But nothing is said of these persons which is peculiar 
 to believers. Not a word of their faith in Christ, nor of their 
 regeneration, nor of the sanctification by the Spirit, nor of 
 their justification through the righteousness of the Saviour. 
 Look at the characteristics here presented, and you find them 
 all capable of being possessed by those who in the apostolic 
 age were destitute of the saving grace of God. 
 
 They were “ enlightened but many may be instructed 
 in the nature and design of the Christian religion, and have a 
 speculative knowledge of the doctrines of the gospel, without 
 partaking of that grace which accompanies salvation. 
 
 They have “ tasted of the heavenly gift,^^ have had some 
 faint relish of divine things. 
 
 They have been “made partakers of the Holy Ghost;’ 
 not of his sanctifying influences, but of his ordinary, or of his 
 miraculous gifts — gifts which in the apostolic age, were some- 
 times bestowed upon those who had no saving grace. 
 
 'riiey “ tasted of the good word of God;” had a superfi 
 
THE SAINTS. 
 
 15 
 
 cial knowledge of it, without its powers ; were pleased with 
 it for a season, as was Herod with the ministry of John the 
 Baptist; as were the stony-ground hearers who “endured 
 only for a time, because there was no root in them.” 
 
 They have “ tasted of the powers of the world to come.” 
 The expression in the original is ambiguous : it may mean 
 either that they performed miracles under the gospel dispen- 
 sation, which were sometimes wrought by those who were 
 not the true disciples of Christ, or that, like Balaam, they had 
 faint desires for the joys of the heavenly world. 
 
 The apostle in the seventh and eighth verses, appears to de- 
 cide that these persons are not real Christians — for their cha- 
 racter seems to be expressed under the image of “ the earth 
 which beareth thorns and briers ;” while that of real believ- 
 ers is expressed under the figure of “the earth which bring- 
 eth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed.” 
 
 4. Another objection against the doctrine which we are 
 
 maintaining, is derived from Heb. x. 29. “ Of how much 
 
 sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, 
 who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath count- 
 ed the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, 
 an unholy thing.” The force of the objection lies in the 
 words “ the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sancti- 
 fied.” But the pronoun he may refer to the Saviour, w^ho is 
 spoken of immediately before, and not to the person who 
 hath trodden him under foot. Jesus Christ as sanctified or 
 set apart by the Father for the mediatorial office, for he was 
 fore-ordained and appointed for this purpose : and his under- 
 taking to redeem men is called his sanctifying, or devoting 
 himself to the work, as he says ; “For their sakes I sanctify 
 myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” 
 (John xvii. 19.) The meaning then is— “ the blood of the 
 covenant whereby Christ was sanctified, and dedicated to 
 God as the High Priest of his Church — this was esteemed 
 an unholy thing.” 
 
 5. Another objection is derived from the sins of the scriptu- 
 ral saints. But their greatest falls can only prove that grace 
 in the believer can languish and decline, and that the princi- 
 ple exists, while for a time, it is inactive. So that the lapses 
 of God’s children which are recorded in his word, instead of 
 operating against this truth, have a favourable aspect upon the 
 doctrine of perseverance : and probably one design of the 
 Spirit in penning these narratives might be to confirm the doc- 
 trine by giving us so particular an account of their repentance 
 and recovery. If the principle of grace could ever be extin- 
 
16 
 
 PEE SEVERANCE OF 
 
 guished, aiid languish into eternal death, we should think it 
 would be under such sinful acts as David, Solomon, and Pe- 
 ter committed. But they arose from their falls, “ brought 
 forth fruits meet for repentance,” and thus showed that “ the 
 jicorruptible seed remained in them, which liveth and abideth 
 forever.” (1 Pet. i. 23.) 
 
 Whatever is said concerning the apostacy of any Christian 
 professors is decisively explained by the apostle ; “ they went 
 out from us, but they were not of us ; for if they had been of 
 us, they would no doubt have continued with us.” 1 John 
 ii. 19. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 1. This subject should excite the highest and most devout 
 admiration, “ Stand still, and behold the salvation of the 
 Lord!” View his deliberate determination to save all his 
 saints, and the means which he is employing for this end, and 
 with holy astonishment exclaim, “ what hath God wrought.” 
 Let your souls, believers, be filled with high and eternal ad- 
 miration of that sovereign grace which has so certainly secured 
 your salvation, that nothing within or without you, shall ever 
 be able to defeat it, not even “ the gates of hell.” Shaken 
 you may be, and tossed with tempest,” but not utterly over- 
 thrown, because you have a foundation that is everlasting. 
 He who commenced the salvation of his children in the eter- 
 nal purposes of his love ; who carried it on by “ delivering 
 up his Son” to the agonies of the cross, and exalting him 
 “ as Head over all things to the Church ;” who sent the Spi- 
 rit of grace to enlighten, quicken, and purify the soul, will 
 not, after all this amazing labour, leave that work unfinished 
 a work which he has so much at heart. Why should his de- 
 sign be frustrated? Why should he ever abandon his work? 
 If those who enjoy his favour were worthless sinners when 
 by his Spirit he quickened them, will he now when they are 
 ‘raised to spiritual life,” utterly forsake them? If a regene- 
 rate soul, one that has been rescued out of Satan’s hand, were 
 finally to fall, and perish forever ; it would argue, if not the 
 want of power to maintain the conquest, yet a change of re- 
 solution ; and so would bring discredit upon the wisdom of 
 his first design. But shall it ever be said; “ God began to 
 build and was not able to finish?” No 1 believers; all ordi- 
 nances, providences, temptations, and afflictions ; life, death, 
 things ])resent and things to come, are all made subservient to 
 194 
 
THE SAINTS. 
 
 17 
 
 the purposes of God, and work together to bring about the 
 glorious consummation. When all the parts shall be brought 
 together and set in order, how beautiful will the work appear ! 
 Angels and men shall shout for the glory of it ; shall acknow 
 ledge that God hath done nothing in vain ; shall see no defi- 
 ciency of power, no want of wisdom, no change of resolu- 
 tion. Now begin to magnify the riches of his grace, his love 
 never to abate, his purpose never to alter, his plan of opera- 
 tion never to be frustrated. 
 
 2. The doctrine of the saints’ perseverance, though often 
 reproached as tending to licentiousness, is a most powerful 
 mcentive to holiness. It promotes obedience the most cheerful, 
 because it removes all those hard thoughts of God, the ten- 
 dency of which is to impair our love to him. If we could be 
 persuaded that the Father of Mercies is so careless of some 
 of the children of his family as to permit Satan to enter in and 
 take them away ; that Jesus, “the Good Shepherd,” is so 
 regardless of his flock as to allow lions and wolves to make 
 havoc of it at their pleasure ; that God is so unmindful of his 
 covenant as to suffer the regenerated soul, on whom his heart 
 is fixed, finally to perish; what impression would be produced 
 upon our heart? Are not thoughts like these calculated to 
 quench the flames of love to God, and insensibly to weaken 
 the delight which his children have in the contemplation of 
 his character ? But, on the contrary, is there any thing more 
 endearing to the heart of the believer, or more calculated to 
 fix their souls upon God than the assurance that his love to 
 them is unchangeable and eternal ? that though the manifes- 
 tations of it may vary, yet its existence shall never cease. 
 
 The doctrine of perseverance displays the love of God to 
 his saints as infinitely free and totally undeserved. It teaches 
 us that he loved them, and gave them to Christ not because 
 of their worthiness, but because of the sovereignty of his 
 grace; that the same grace sanctified and kept them from 
 falling: and that the same grace will exert its power in bring- 
 ing them all safely into the kingdom of heaven. Can an in- 
 genuous new-born soul resist the power of love so rich, and 
 free, and sovereign? Must it not constrain to gratitude and 
 obedience ? Must it not lead the pardoned rebel to strive 
 continually to make some suitable returns of affection and 
 thankfulness. 
 
 Surely the value of God’s love is inconceivably diminished 
 if we take away its constancy and unchaiigeableness ; if we 
 say that it is of such a nature that he may love his children 
 one day, and the next be alienated from them ; that he may 
 
 2 * 195 
 
18 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF 
 
 one hour embrace them, and the next cast them into hell ; 
 that he may at one time “rejoice over them with joy,” and 
 at another be willing to destroy them. The doctrine of per- 
 severance on the contrary teaches us that the love of God, 
 like himself, is immutable ; that it may be eclipsed and ob- 
 scured in its influences for a season, but that it cannot be 
 changed, or entirely turned away. Must not such a consi- 
 deration render it unspeakably precious to the saints, and lead 
 them to make God the supreme object of their faith, confi- 
 dence and hope ? It is a great mistake to suppose that the fear 
 of hell is the greatest preventive of sin, the most cogent in- 
 centive to holiness, and the most powerful stimulant to obe- 
 dience. It does at times influence the unregenerate, and act 
 as a curb upon their passions, though Saul and Judas, with 
 this restraint, rushed headlong to perdition. But it lays not 
 the axe at the root of sin, and therefore cannot effectually de- 
 stroy it: it is a spirit contrary to the spirit of “ love, of faith, 
 and of a sound mind:” it is a principle from which flows 
 only that servile obedience which is unacceptable to God ; 
 that service which is weak and wavering; that reluctant duty 
 which enervates the soul, and takes away all its strength. 
 But love that “ casteth out fear” produces obedience which 
 is heart-felt, affectionate, and joyful. And what will tend so 
 much to excite this strong and operative principle, as the per- 
 suasion that our covenant-God will never leave nor forsake 
 us, but by his grace “ keep us through faith unto salvation !” 
 
 AVhat different views of the Divine Being does this doctrine 
 present from that which is exhibited by the opposite senti- 
 ment ! Shall we call her a loving and affectionate mother who 
 could behold a ravenous beast, which she might easily drive 
 away, tearing her child from her arms, and devouring it be- 
 fore her face, and not put forth her strength for its assistance 
 and deliverance? And shall we suppose that the love of God 
 to his children, which infinitely exceeds the love, of the ten- 
 derest mother to her offspring, is of a nature like this? Can 
 we suppose tliat he will carelessly behold them languishing, 
 falling, and sinking into endless misery ; that he will see the 
 “roaring lion” coming to snatch them from his arms, and de- 
 vouring them in his presence, without putting forth his power 
 and the efficacy of his grace for their preservation? No! no! 
 we cannot — dare not, ascribe such a disposition to God. Our 
 doctrine assures us that the divine love is a fountain whence 
 streams of mercy, grace, and refreshment constantly flow ; 
 that from this source proceed pardon, peace, purity of heart 
 and life; and that in consequence of it, we “ shall not want.” 
 
 196 
 
THE SAINTS. 
 
 19 
 
 When we consider that from this covenant love onr wasted 
 portion has been so often renewed, our dying graces so often 
 quickened, our dreadful backslid ings so often healed, the par- 
 don of our sins so often sealed, we must be constrained to 
 cheerful, active, holy obedience. 
 
 Let us then hear no more that unfounded objection that a 
 persuasion of the certain continuance of the divine love to be- 
 lievers is the means of making them careless, negligent, and 
 unfruitful. What ! are the saints such monsters as to reason 
 thus : “ because God loves us with an everlasting love, there- 
 fore we will hate him with a perpetual hatred; because he 
 will assuredly give us grace to serve him unto death, there- 
 fore we will despise him and trample on his goodness ; be- 
 cause he will never leave nor forsake us, therefore we will 
 abandon him, and disobey his commands.” Can they be 
 true believers, animated by the Spirit and renewed by grace, 
 who make such deductions from this doctrine? No! they are 
 dead in sin, and in the broad way to final ruin. 
 
 Let us show by our conduct how unfounded is this objec- 
 tion. Though we may be assured of our perseverance, yet 
 we should live continually pleading for the aid of divine grace, 
 for support in times of trial, and for protection against all our 
 enemies. Our Saviour was absolutely sure of enjoying the 
 reward which was promised to him as Mediator ; yet he sup- 
 plicated for it with as much fervour as any saint can possibly 
 do for holiness and heaven — a noble example to us amidst 
 our confident persuasion of the covenant faithfulness of our 
 God. Let us live near to him, and be ever at the throne of 
 grace , let us “ adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all 
 things,” lest by our careless conduct, the Redeemer be disho- 
 noured, the Holy Spirit grieved, the glorious gospel re- 
 proached, weak believers offended, and the hands of the 
 wicked strengthened. Let us “ watch and pray lest we enter 
 into temptation.” A sense of our own weakness and insuf- 
 ficiency should ever abide on our souls, ever appear in our 
 conduct, ever influence us to “ keep the heart with all dili- 
 gence.” The enemies of our peace and salvation are active 
 in seeking to compass our fall and disgrace, and to impair our 
 usefulness and comfort. Let us “ fight the good fight of 
 faith;” never relaxing our exertions until we are beyond the 
 reach of danger ; never laying down our armour until we are 
 called to wear our crown ; never mistaking the field of battle 
 for the bed of repose — “ Be sober, be vigilant.” 
 
 ^ 3. This doctrine is the only solid and sufficient foundo/* 
 lion fur pfiace and joy to the believer, 29-7 
 
20 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 How can he who supposes that the love and faithfulness 
 of God were not engaged for his preservation, secure for him- 
 self solid peace? How can he free himself from perplexing 
 apprehensions and fears? He may say, “ For the present I 
 am in a good condition; but so were the rebellious angels 
 who are now groaning in hell. Were they not in a far bet- 
 ter slate than lam? and yet they are now bound in chains of 
 everlasting darkness. Adam in Paradise had no corrupt na- 
 ture to tempt him, and no sinful charms of the world to entice 
 him ; and yet being in honour he abode not. What hope is 
 there then that I should stand ? I, in whom by nature dwell- 
 eth no good thing ; I who am assaulted continually by a de- 
 ceitful world and a tempting devil ? There is no eternal pur- 
 pose of God that I shall be preserved ; no absolute promise 
 that I shall not depart from him ; no constant and effectual 
 intercession of Christ that my faith may not fail : I am left to 
 myself, and what may be the issue I know not.” If a per- 
 son have such thoughts, (and surely every one who rejects 
 the perseverance of the saints should have them ) what solid 
 consolation can he enjoy ? 
 
 But on the contrary, when we embrace this interesting 
 doctrine, and have satisfactory evidence of the renovation of 
 our hearts, of our union to Christ, and of our interest in the 
 covenant, then we have a sanctuary to which we may flee in 
 our fears and dangers. Though there is nothing within, or 
 around us to sustain, yet there is something above in which 
 we can confidently trust. “ The Lord is faithful who shall 
 establish and keep you from evil.” Rejoice then, ye feeble 
 followers of the Lord ; ye shall be kept safely, even unto the 
 end. If there be any immutability in the purpose of God, 
 any fidelity in his promises, any stability in his covenant ; if 
 there be any efficacy in the intercession of Jesus, any power 
 in the operations of the Spirit, ye shall persevere. When 
 the powers of earth and the gates of hell assail you, menacing 
 destruction, then “ the name” the promises, the oath, and the 
 attributes, “of the Lord,” are “a strong tower ;” you “can 
 run into it, and be safe.” When you are afflicted by the ap- 
 prehension that you shall finally fall into perdition, then think 
 of your Redeemer ; of his compassion on the cross, and his 
 power on the throne. While there is love in his heart, and 
 omnipotence in his hand; while his name is Jesus, and his 
 work salvation, he must “ see of the travail of his soul and be 
 satisfied.” “Rejoice then in the Lordalway; and again 1 
 say, rejoice.” 
 
 198 
 
 THE END.