1) Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved,
effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the
precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally
fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere
therein to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and
callings of God are without repentance, whence he still begets
and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and
all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality;a
and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them,
yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and
rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding,
through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight
of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and
obscured from them,b yet he is still the same,
and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto
salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession,
they being engraven upon the palm of his hands, and their names
having been written in the book of life from all
eternity.c
(a John
10:28,29, Philippians 1:6, 2
Timothy 2:19, 1 John
2:19; b Psalms
89:31,32, 1
Corinthians 11:32; c Malachi 3:6)
2) This perseverance of the saints depends not upon
their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of
election,d flowing from the free and
unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the
merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with
him,e the oath of God,f the
abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within
them,g and the nature of the covenant of
grace;h from all which ariseth also the
certainty and infallibility thereof.
(d Romans
8:30 Romans
9:11,16; e Romans
5:9,10, John
14:19; f Hebrews
6:17,18; g 1 John
3:9; h Jeremiah
32:40)
3) And though they may, through the temptation of Satan
and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them,
and the neglect of means of their preservation, fall into
grievous sins, and for a time continue
therein,i whereby they incur God's displeasure
and grieve his Holy Spirit,j come to have their
graces and comforts impaired,k have their
hearts hardened, and their consciences
wounded,l hurt and scandalize others, and bring
temporal judgments upon themselves,m yet shall
they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in
Christ Jesus to the end.n
(i Matthew
26:70,72,74; j Isaiah 64:5,9, Ephesians 4:30;
k Psalms 51:10,12;
l Psalms 32:3,4;
m 2
Samuel 12:14; n Luke
22:32,61,62)