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glory of Chrift, and the falvation of his redeemed, were not left at fuch uncertainty. That perfeverance which the first Adam failed of, and was made the condition of the fecond covenant, the fecond Adam did undertake in their name: and hereupon was made the promife of their perfeverance. And he having accordingly perfevered unto the end, in obedience to the law for them, being obedient even to the death, it was purchafed for them. Thus Chrift's perfeverance in obedience to the law, till the condition of the covenant was perfectly fulfilled, is the ground in law upon which the perfeverance of the faints is infallibly fecured, in virtue of the faithfulnefs of God in the promise."

Now, this promife begins to be performed to them as foon as they are united unto Chrift; and it goes on all along unto their death, that they enter into glory: yea, ftrictly speaking, death is not the laft, but a middle term of their perfeverance; after which it proceeds far more illuftriously than before. Upon their union with the fecond Adam, being favingly interested in his obedience, which he perfevered in unto the end, they are confirmed, that they can no more fall away: even as the firft Adam's natural feed would have been confirmed, upon his having completed the courfe of his probationary obedience, and fulfilling the condition of the covenant of works. The myftical members of Chrift do then obtain the former, as the reward of his continued obedience; as in the other fuppofed event, Adam's natural feed would have obtained the latter, as the reward of his continued obedience.

The promise of the perfeverance of the faints, feems to be grafted upon the promife of affiftance made to Chrift in his work. The Father promised to him, that he would uphold him, fo as he fhould not fail, Ifa. xlii. 1, 4. The which promife being made to him as a public perfon, carries along with

it the preservation, and support of his members, in all their temptations, trials, and dangers of perish, ing; enfuring, the fafe conduct, as of the head, fo of the mystical members, through this world, till they be out of the reach of danger.

Now, of the promise of perfeverance there are two chief branches.

1. A promise of continued influences of grace, to be from time to time conferred on them, being once brought into a state of grace: Ifa. xxvii. 3. I will water it every moment. Their ftock of inherent grace would foon fail, if they were left to live upon it, without fupply coming in from another hand: of itself it would wither away and die out, if it were not fed, Luke xxii. 32. John xv. 6. Innocent Adam had a larger stock of inherent grace than any one of the faints in this life, and yet he loft it. But the grace of God in believers cannot be fo loft: for in virtue of the promise, there are continued influences fecured for them; namely, preserving influences, whereby grace given, is kept from dying out, that as they are fanctified in God the Father, fo they are preferved in Jefus Chrift, Jude 1.; exciting influences, whereby the grace preferved beginning to languish, or being brought low by the prevailing of corruption and temptation, is ftirred up and put in exercise again; and ftrengthening influences, whereby the grace excited is increased, and gathers more ftrength, to the overtopping of corruption, and repelling of temptation: Hof. xiv. 7. They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine. Accordingly, their faith is never fuffered to fail totally, but is preferved, excited, and ftrengthened; and all the other graces with it, and by it. And this is brought to pass, through the communication of new fupplies of grace to them, by the Spirit, from Chrift their head, from all which the body having nourishment ministered, (namely, through. the fupply of the Spirit, Philip. i. 19.) increafed with the increase of God, Col. ii. 19.

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2. The other chief branch of this promife, is a promife of pardon, continued pardon for the fins of their daily walk; whereby emergent differences betwixt God and them, come to be done away from time to time, fo that a total rupture is prevented: Jer. xxxiii. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities. Howbeit the juftified have, as to their state, no need of a new formal pardon, but only of a manifestation of their former pardon; fince the pardon given in justification, is never revoked, though by means of their after-fins they may loose fight of it: yet as to their daily walk, they have great need of a formal pardon; forafmuch as they are daily contracting new guilt: John xiii. 10. He that is washed, needeth not, fave to wash his feet. For howbeit no fins of the juf tified can bring them any more under the guilt of eternal wrath; nevertheless they do bring them under the guilt of fatherly anger, Pfalm lxxxix. 30, 31, 32. And therefore they need to pray every day, Our Father, forgive us our debts.

This pardon is given them, upon their renewed actings of faith in Jefus Chrift, and of repentance towards God; yet not for their believing and repenting, but for Chrift's fake, even as the firft pardon is given, 1 John ii. 1, 2. and i. 7. Applying the blood of Chrift afresh to their fouls, they are new moved to repentance, turning from their fins with hatred of them, forrow, fhame, and felf-loathing for them. Looking by faith on him whom they have pierced, they mourn in renewed repentance; and fo receive this pardon, For although repentance doth not go before, but follows after the pardon of fin in justifi. cation; yet not only faith but repentance alfo, goes before the pardons given to thofe already juftified: 1 John i. 7. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jefus Chrift his Son cleanfeth us from all fin. Verfe 9. If we confess our fins, he is faithful, and jujt

juft to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us. Therefore we are ordered to pray thus, Our Father, forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, Matth. vi. 9, 12.; to teach all the children of God, that if they would have their Father's forgivenefs, they must in the first place forgive others; which is yet more clearly intimated, Luke xi. 4. And forgive us our fins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. But the matter is not fo ftated, with respect to the pardon of fin in justification; but that pardon is the spring of our forgiving others, Matth. xviii. 32, 33. For our hearty and acceptable forgiv ing of others, proceeds from true Chriftian love to our neighbour; and that flows from love to God; the which is kindled in our hearts by God's pardoning grace to us, Luke vii. 47. Eph. iv. 32. The reafon of the difference lies here, The unjustified finner, is under the guilt of revenging wrath, which feeks not the amendment, but the destruction of the guilty: wherefore till once it is removed, there can be no true evangelical repentance, no acceptable amendment, in the finner; these being really a restoration of him to life, incompatible with a legal destination of him to deftruction. But the juftified faint is only under the guilt of Fatherly anger, which feeks not the destruction, but the recovery and amendment of the guilty and therefore it is not removed until he repent, turning from his fin unto God, in an acceptable manner; and that is the very amendment God feeketh in fhewing his anger against him, as in the cafe of David, and of Peter.

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And thus are the faints caufed to persevere in grace, both real and relative. The promise of continued influences fecures not only the prefervation, but the renewed exercise of their grace, particularly of their faith and repentance: and the promife of continued pardon to them, believing and repenting, fecures the removal of the guilt of fatherly anger.

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The Spirit of Christ ever dwells in them, and fo coritinues an inviolable bond of their union with him ; and dwelling in them, he recovers them when they are fallen, ftirs up the holy fire of grace lying hid with afhes of corruption. Then the withered hand of faith is again stretched out; and the man believes the promife of the pardon of guilt of eternal wrath, as to all his fins; this melts his heart in kindly repentance; and fo he believes the promife of continued pardon, as to fatherly anger, with refpect to the fins the caufes of God's prefent controverfy with him, and obtains pardon accordingly. By these means, matters are always kept from coming to a total rupture.

V. The Promife of temporal Benefits.

In the fifth and laft place, the promise of eternal life to the elect, confidered in this period, comprehends a promife of temporal benefits to be conferred on them, and every one of them, being united to Chrift; and that in fuch meafure, as God fees meet for his own glory and their good. This promise ftands imbodied with the fpiritual promifes in the covenant, Ezek. xxxvi. 29. I will alfo fave you from all your uncleanneffes, and I will call for the corn and encrease it. Hof. ii. 22. The earth fhall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they fhall hear Jezreel. Indeed this is not the principal thing contained in the promiffory part of the covenant; but it is a neceffary addition thereto: as the prefent ftate of the faints, while in this world, doth require, Matth, vi. 33. And thus godliness, as the Apostle obferves, Tim. iv. 8. hath promife of the life that now is,. and of that which is to come.

When God took man into the firft covenant, he made provifion in it for his temporal as well as forhis fpiritual and eternal welfare. He gave him a right to, and dominion over the creatures in the earth, fea, and air; giving and granting unto him

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