management, is not the way of the godly, Prov. xxviii. 26. He that trufteth in his own heart is a fool."

3. Lastly, According to the fcripture, perfeverance is a difcriminating mark betwixt the elect and non-elected, Matt, xxiv. 24.; as alfo betwixt real faints and hypocrites, Luke yiii. 13, 14, 15. 1 John ii. 19. From whence we may ga, ther, that the utter apoftafy of the elect faints is impoffible in respect of the decree of God; that those who get true grace, keep it to the end, while others lose theirs; and that they who utterly apoftatife, never were true faints.

FOURTHLY, I fhall fhew what are those things which make hypocrites fall away, but over the belly of which faints perfevere. In the general, there are three things.

1. Satan's temptations, 1 Pet. v. 8. He is a fubtle, powerful, and malicious enemy, a liar and murderer from the beginning. Whatever hopeful figns are found about any, he fets himself to rob them of them, for their ruin. He seeks to fet the hypocrite and the fincere through the wind, and prevails to blow away the one, but not the other. By a mi racle of grace, the faints are preferved amidst his fiery darts, Luke xxii. 32.

2. The world's fnares. While profeffors are in the world, there are fnares to catch them, and carry them off the way. (1.) The world's profperity is a great fnare, and makes many apoftates, Prov. i. 32, and xxx. 9. But true grace will hold out against it, Cant. viii. 7. (2.) Its adverfity. Tribulation and perfecution offends the temporary believer, and makes a fcattering among Chrift's fummer-friends, Matth. xiii. 20, 21. But the true Christian will weather out the storm, Job xvii. 9." The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands fhall wax ftronger and ftronger." Poverty strips many of their religion, but not a true faint, Rev. xiv. 4. (3.) The example of the world; the torrent of an ungodly generation ftrips many of their form of godlinefs, Matth. xxiv. 12. "Because iniquity fhall abound, the love of many fhall wax cold." But the faints fhall not be carried away with the ftream, Pfal. xii. 7. " Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou fhalt preferve them from this generation for ever,"

3. Lastly, The corruptions and lufts of the heart. These betray the hypocrite into apoftafy, Jer. iv. 3. Compare Luke viii. 14. Lufts lulled asleep for a while, but not mor.

tified, rise up and make shipwreck of many fouls. But true grace is never quite expelled by the flesh's luftings against it; but by the power of God is preferved, like a fpark of fire in the midft of an ocean.

FIFTHLY, I proceed to fhew the grounds of the perfe verance of the faints.

3.

1. The unchangeable decree of God's election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of the Father to them. Electing love is free love, and alfo unchangeable, Jer. xxxi. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." And God's purpofe of grace and falvation cannot be disappointed, 2 Tim. ii. 19. "The purpose of God standeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his."

2. The merit and interceffion of Chrift the Son. He redeemed them by paying a full price, which must be loft if they be loft, 1 Pet, i. 18, 19. And "he ever liveth to make interceffion for them," Heb. vii. 25.

3. The perpetual abiding of the Spirit in and with them, John xiv. 16. which fecures their union with Christ, and the preservation of the seed of grace, 1 John iii. 9.

4. Lastly, The nature of the covenant of grace, which is furnished with fuch pillars as the firft covenant had not, namely, the promises of perpetual confervation in the state of grace, Jer. xxxii. 40. "I will make an everlasting cove nant 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."

SIXTHLY, I fhall fhew the means of perfeverance. Let none think that they may live carelessly, having once got grace, because it cannot be loft: for besides, that one's giving himself quite up to fuch an opinion and courfe is inconfiftent with faving grace, God has joined together the ends and means, and none fhall feparate them, Acts xxvii. 22. " And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there fhall be no lofs of any man's life among you, but of the fhip."Compare ver. 31. "Paul faid to the centurion and to the foldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be faved." Now, in the general, these are,

1. God's ordinances and providences. He makes use of both to keep the feet of his faints, John xv. 2.

2. The duties of religion, and exercife of the graces, faith,j

fear, watchfulness, &c. 1 Cor. x. 12. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed left he fall.”

I fhall conclude with a few inferences.

Inf. 1. Would ye have a treasure which ye cannot lose? then get grace. Ye may lofe your worldly treasures, comforts, and enjoyments; the world's good things may go.But grace is durable.

2. Take heed to yourselves, and beware of apoftafy; for it is not the beginning well, but holding on to the end, that will fecure your falvation, Matth. x. 22. "He that endureth to the end fhall be faved." Beware left Satan, the world, and your lufts, give you up your foot, and ye lofe all ye have wrought, 2 John 8.

3. As ever ye would perfevere, look well to the foundation of your religion; for fincerity will last, but hypocrify is a disease in the vitals that will end in death. The builders endeavour to lay the foundation faft and fecurely, and then they are fure that the fuperftructure they raise upon it fhall ftand firm. Therefore lay the foundation well, and ye may be affured that the building fhall weather all storms.

4. Lastly, Let those whose care it is to be found in Christ, and to live to him in all the duties of piety and righteousness, be comforted amidst all their temptations, fnares, and corruptions, in that God who has begun the good work, will per fect it, Phil. i. 6.

AL

OF THE BENEFITS WHICH BELIEVERS
RECEIVE AT DEATH.

PHIL. i. 21. To me to die is gain.

LL muft die; but as men's lives are very different, so their account in death is also. To an ungodly man death is a lofs, the greatest lofs: but to a believer it is gain, the greatest gain.

I

Paul was now a prifoner in Rome, and his cafe in itself was doubtful whether it would terminate in life or death, (though he was affured it would not be death at that time, ver. 25.) But having taken a view of both, he does, in the text, in his own perfon, give us, (1.) The fum of a believer's life, that is, Chrift. As all the lines drawn from the cir

cumference meet in the centre, fo the whole of a believer's life in Christ, his honour being the scope of all. (2.) His estimate of a believer's death; he will not be a lofer, but a gainer by it: it brings him in many benefits, and fo is a gainful exchange.

The doctrine of the text is,

DOCT. "Death is gain to a believer.'

In difcourfing this doctrine, I fhall fhew, I. In what refpect death is gain to believers. II. How it comes to be gain to them.

III. Deduce an inference or two.

I. I am to fhew in what refpects death is gain to believers. It is fo in respect of their fouls and of their bodies.

FIRST, In respect of their fouls. It feparates their fouls from their bodies, but not to their lofs, but to their gain.It is with the fouls of believers at death, as with Paul and his company in their voyage, Acts xxvii. The fhip broke in many pieces, but the paffengers came all fafe to land. So when the eye-strings break, the fpeech is laid, the last pulse beats, the last breath is drawn, the foul escapes, and gets fafe away out of the troublesome sea of this world, into Immanuel's land. Now, there is a twofold gain or benefit which the fouls of believers receive at death, namely, perfection in holiness, and immediate entering into glory.

First, Perfection in holiness, Heb. xii. 23.-" The spirits of just men made perfect." In regeneration the elect get a new nature, which is a holy nature, 2 Pet. i. 4.; but much of the old nature still remains. Then grace is planted in them by the Spirit. It grows up in the gradual advances of fanctification; but at death it is perfected, they are made perfectly holy. This perfection confifts in two things.

1. A perfect freedom from fin, Eph. v. 27. The spiritual enemies they fee to-day, they fhall never fee more, when once death has clofed their eyes. Many a groan and struggle there is now to be free of fin, but still it hangs about the believer. Sometimes he gets his feet on the neck of his lufts, but they rife up again upon him: therefore he is never in fafety to let down his watch, or to lay by the fword of the Spirit. The fpiritual bands are never quite off here; but then it will be faid, "Loofe him and let him go." At death the faints fhall be free,

(1.) From all commiffion of fin, Rev. xxi. 27. In the

earthly paradife fin was found, there Adam broke the whole law; but into the heavenly paradise no fin can enter.

Not

a vain thought fhall ever go through a believer's heart more; there fhall be no more temptation to fin, nor the least inclination to it.

(2.) From the very inbeing of fin. The body of death fhall go out with the death of the body, and then shall the defire be answered, "Who fhall deliver me from the body of this death?" Sin's reigning power is broken in sanctification; yet it still abides as a troublesome gueft; but at death it is plucked up by the roots. It is like the house under the law infected with the leprofy, for the removal of which the ftones were carried away into an unclean place.

(3.) From a poffibility of finning, Rev. iii. 12. "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he fhall go no more out.' The firft man in paradise, yea, the angels in heaven till they were confirmed, were but as reeds liable to be fhaken with the wind of temptations, as the doleful event made appear. But by death putting an end to the believer's probationary life, he becomes a pillar in the temple of God, which can never more be moved.

2. In the arrival of their holinefs at the highest pitch they are capable of, Eph. iv. 13. Now every fincere foul has a perfection of holiness in refpect of the parts thereof; they are like little children who have all the parts of a man, but none of them grown to their utmost pitch; but then they will have a perfection of degrees, anfwering to the holy law in all points, like men who are come to their full growth, Sincerity fhall then be turned to legal perfection.

(1.) Their understandings fhall be perfectly illuminated, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. "For now we fee through a glafs darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as alfo I am known." There fhall then be no more complaints of weakness of knowledge in them who in their life were the weakest of all faints. There fhall not be the least remains of darkness there, but a full funfhine fhall be in them.

(2.) Their wills fhall be perfectly upright, fo that they fhall will nothing but what is good, and that without the leaft bias to the other fide, Rev. xxi. 27. A perfect conformity fhall then be betwixt God's will and theirs, without the leaft poffible jarring, 1 John iii. 2.