CHAPTER 17
Of the Perseverance of the Saints.
I. They whom God hath accepted
in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither
totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall
certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.a
a Phil. 1:6; 2 Pet.
1:10; John 10:28,29; 1 John 3:9; 1 Pet. 1:5,9.
II. This perseverance of the
saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the
decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the
Father;b upon the
efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ;c
the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them;d
and the nature of the covenant of grace:e from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility
thereof.f
b 2 Tim. 2:18,19;
Jer. 31:3.
c Heb. 10:10,14;
Heb. 13:20,21; Heb. 9:12-15; Rom. 8:33-39; John 17:11,24; Luke 22:32; Heb.
7:25.
d John 14:16,17; 1
John 2:27; 1 John 3:9.
e Jer. 32:40.
f John 10:28; 2
Thess. 3:3; 1 John 2:19.
III. Nevertheless they may,
through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of
corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their
preservation, fall into grievous sins;g and for a time continue therein:h
whereby they incur God’s displeasure,i
and grieve his Holy Spirit;k
come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts;l
have their hearts hardened,m
and their consciences wounded;n
hurt and scandalize others,o
and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.p
g Matt. 26:70,72,74.
h Ps. 51 title, ver.
14.
i Isa. 64:5,7,9; 2
Sam. 11:27.
k Eph. 4:30.
l Ps. 51:8,10,12;
Rev. 2:4; Cant. 5:2-4,6.
m Isa. 63:17; Mark
6:52; Mark 16:14.
n Ps. 32:3,4; Ps.
51:8.
o 2 Sam. 12:14.
p Ps. 89:31,32; 1
Cor. 11:32.
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