Secondly, THAT Chriftian Liberty is an Holy Liberty. The Liberty which we have by Chrift, confifts in our being freed from Sin and all its evil Confequents, and in our yielding Obedience to God with a willing Mind. For Obedience to God's Commands was no part of our Bondage: And confequently a Freedom from it is no part of our Liberty purchased by Chrift. But he that is moft free in the Chriftian Senfe, is most holy and obedient to God. For the End of Chrift's coming into the World was to redeem us from all Iniquity, and to make us zealous of good Works, and not to give us Licence to Sin. And if Men grow licentious, and practise Wickednefs under Pretence of Christian Liberty, they do bafely difparage Christianity, as if it approved of that which is Evil: And while they promise themselves Liberty, they are the Servants of Corruption. For whofo committeth fin is the fervant of fin, Joh. viii. 34 But he that is freed by Chrift is the Servant of Chrift, careful to do what he hath commanded, and to avoid what he hath forbidden.

CHA P.

T

CHA P. XXIV.

Of PERSEVERANCE.

HE fifth Benefit, which Chrift hath purchased for us, is Power and Ability, to perfevere in well-doing. As Christ hath merited for us Grace and Glory; fo God, for Chrift's fake, will not fail to afford us Grace fufficient to enable us to perfevere in Obedience to his Will, that we may inherit Glory, provided that we are diligent to improve his Grace. For God who hath begun a good Work in us, will perform the fame unto the End, if we are diligent to co-work with his Affiftance: And he will never forfake us, if we do not forfake him. But if we are careless and negligent in the ways of God, and will not labour with his Grace in doing good, he will not keep us by his Power unto Salvation. For God will not make us holy and happy without our own Endeavour. And where God is faid to do all in the Work of our Salvation, there our Endeavour, by his Grace, is always fuppofed. For as God hath promised to give us a new Heart, and to put his Fear in our Hearts, that we shall not depart from him, Ezek. xi. 19. Jer. xxxii. 40. So we are required to purifie our Hearts, and to work out our Salvation, Jam. iv. 8. Phil. ii. 12.

And

And if we are not diligent to co-work with the Grace of God in doing good, we may be overcome by Temptations, and fall from our own Stedfaftnefs.

THOUGH the Elect fhall never fall away from God, and perifh; because they that are elected were confidered in the Provifion of God, as perfevering in Holinefs unto the End: Yet fuch as are now righteous, may through their own Negligence and Wilfulnefs turn from their Righteoufnels. For this is fuppofed by the Prophet, Ezek. xviii. 26. When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth therein for his iniquity that he hath done fhall be die. The Righteous here, fignifies such a Man as is really righteous, and not one that only feems to be righteous. For 'tis faid, that if the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, he shall die. And confequently if he doth not turn from his Righteoufnefs, he fhall not die. But how can a Man be faid to turn away from his Righteousness, if he never was righteous? And he that is not truly righteous fhall certainly perifh, whether he cafteth off his outward Shew of Holinefs or not. And therefore fuch as are really righteous, may poffibly turn away from their Righteousness.

AND it is exprefly affirmed by the Apostle, that fome having a good Confcience have made Shipwrack of Faith, 1 Tim. i. 19. But they that have a good Confcience, have a true Faith: For a true Faith is neceffary to conftitute a good Conscience. Therefore they that have a true Faith may poffibly lose it.

THE Poffibility alfo of falling from Grace, may be clearly inferred from Heb. x. 26, 29. If we fin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge

of

of the truth, there remaineth no more facrifice for fins. And of what punishment fhall he be thought worthy, who hath troden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was fanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done defpite unto the Spirit of grace? And if they that have received. the Knowledge of the Truth, and are fanctified. with the Blood of Chrift, may wilfully fin, and fall from Grace, then fuch as are truly righteous may through their own Wilfulness turn away from their Righteoufnefs. If it be faid that the Apostle here fpeaketh of such as are externally fanctified, this is not agreeable to the Phrase here ufed. For Hypocrites, or bare Profeffors, are no where faid to be fanctified with the blood of Chrift. Or if it be faid that the Apostle doth not abfolutely affirm that the Righteous may fall, but fpeaketh only by way of Suppofition if they did fall, which may be an Admonition to keep them from falling; yet this proveth the Poffibility of their falling. For if it were impoffible that a Man once truly regenerated fhould fall away, how could fuch a thing be fuppofed? Or what need he to be admonifhed to take heed of falling, who cannot poffibly fall?

AND that the Righteous may turn from their Righteousness, it is evident from 2 Pet. ii. 20. If after they have efcaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Fefus Chrift, they are again intangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. But they that have escaped the Filthiness of the World, or turned from their Heathenish Courses, by the preaching of the Gofpel, are truly righteous. For Hypocrites cannot be faid to have efcaped the Filthinefs of the World, feeing they

continue

continue fill in their Filthinefs: And fuch as have escaped the Pollutions of the World may, in the Apostles Judgment, be again intangled therein and overcome. Therefore they that have forfaken their old Sins, and are truly righteous, may poffibly turn from their Righteoufnefs.

AND befides, many are the Admonitions and Cautions in Scripture, which are given to the Righteous to take heed left they fall away, and many Threatnings are denounced against them in cafe they do: As, 2 Pet. iii. 17. Beware left ye alfo, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own ftedfaftnefs, 1 Cor. x. 12. Let him that thinketh he ftandeth, take heed left he fall, Heb. iii. 12. Take heed, brethren, left there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, Heb. x. 38. If any man draw back, my foul ball have no pleasure in him. And do not these Texts of Scripture ftrongly argue, that it is very poffible for fuch as are righteous to fall away? For to what End fhould Admonitions and Cautions be given to the Righteous to take heed of falling, if there were no Poffibility of their falling? Or to what purpose fhould they be threatned in cafe they do fall away, if this were impoffible?

AND there is nothing more likely to make Men fall, than a fond Perfwafion that it is impoffible for them to fall. For when Men are poffeffed with fuch an Opinion, that after they are once truly regenerated, and in a State of Grace, they cannot poffibly fall from that State, they are then apt to grow fecure, and to neglect the Means to prevent their falling. And when the Righteous are negligent and fecure, they may be eafily overcome by Temptations, and be intangled in wicked Courses. VOL. I. CHAP.

X