n! How soon was his
good resolution forgotten, and given to the winds! He trusted too
much in his own strength, and was left to feel his weakness. He was
brought to the trial, and his presumed strength was gone. He
trembled at the voice of a maid, and denied his Lord with dreadful
oaths and horrid imprecations. What but the prevalent prayer, and
upholding grace of the Divine Redeemer, prevented him from becoming,
like Judas, a treacherous apostate! But such are the best of saints,
considered in themselves. Their perseverance, therefore, as our
Confession states, "depends not upon their own free will." They have
no might in themselves to resist and overcome the powerful foes
united against them, and they are safest when most deeply sensible
of their own weakness, and most entirely dependent upon divine
grace; for "when they are weak, then are they strong."

III. The perseverance of the saints does not secure them from
partial falls, but from total and final apostasy. Our Confession
admits, that believers may, "through the temptations of Satan, and
of the world, the prevalence of corruption remaining in them, and
the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous
sins, and for a time continue therein." The caution addressed to
"him that thinks he stands, to take heed lest he fall," and the
ardent prayers of the saints, that God would "cleanse them from
secret faults, and keep them back from presumptuous sins," manifest,
that though none of the saints can fall from a state of grace, yet
they may fall into very great sins. And the Scriptures furnish many
instances of partial falls in the most eminent saints. The patient
Job cursed the day of his birth. The man Moses, who was "meek above
all men which were upon the face of the earth," spoke unadvisedly
with his lips. David, the man after God's own heart, was guilty of
an atrocious and a complicated sin. Solomon, though the wisest of
men, "did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after
the Lord, as did David his father." Peter, a bold and zealous
disciple, denied his Lord in the most aggravated manner. But though
true saints may fall very low, so low that themselves and others may
have little hope of their recovery, yet they shall not be utterly
lost; for the hand of the Lord still in a measure sustains them.
"Though a good men fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the
Lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:24. "A just man falls
seven times, and rises up again." Proverbs 24:16. Though David fell
into very grievous sins, and appears to have remained in a state of
great insensibility until he was awakened by the prophet Nathan,
yet, it is manifest, that he had not lost entirely what was wrought
in him by the Spirit of God. For we find him afterwards praying:
"Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit
from me" (Psalm 51:11); which implies, that he had then some
experience of God's presence, and that the Holy Spirit had never
wholly departed from him. When it is said of Solomon, that "he went
not fully after the Lord, as did David his father" (1 Kings 11:6),
it seems manifest, that his declension is to be understood of an
abatement of his former zeal, and not of a total and final apostasy.
God, as still his father, "chastened him with the rod of men, and
with the stripes of the children of men;" but never suffered "his
mercy to depart away from him." 2 Samuel 7:14, 15. Peter, too, was
recovered from his lamentable fall. When Christ "turned and looked
upon him, he went out, and wept bitterly." Luke 22:61, 62. When his
Lord afterwards questioned him respecting his love, he could appeal
to him as the searcher of hearts, that he did love him in sincerity;
and Christ having renewed his commission, he labored zealously and
faithfully in his Master's service. The fact, then, that true saints
may fall into grievous sins, is by no means incompatible with their
final perseverance. The Lord promises to "heal their backslidings"
(Hosea 14:4); and while this promise implies that they may fall
partially, it secures that they shall not fall totally and finally.

IV. The perseverance of the saints secures the preservation of the
principle of grace in their souls, though it may greatly decay as to
its exercise. In regard to the acting or exercise of grace, the
believer may sometimes be in a very languishing condition; but the
principle of grace shall never be entirely eradicated. He may appear
like a tree almost killed by a long and severe winter. He may seem
to be without fruit, without verdure; yes, even without life. But,
under all the witherings of the believer, "his seed remains in him,"
otherwise the promise would fail in which it is engaged, that "the
root of the righteous shall not be moved." Proverbs 12:3. We see
this exemplified in the case of Peter. Christ said to him: "I have
prayed for you, that your faith fail not." Luke 22:32. We cannot
doubt that Peter's faith, as to its exercise, did fail, and that in
a most lamentable manner. But to suppose that his faith failed as to
its principle or habit, would be altogether inconsistent with the
success of Christ's prayer, which we are sure is always prevalent.
As a tree in winter has still life in the root, though its branches
wither, and it appears to be dead; so the believer, in his most
decayed and languishing condition, has still a vital principle of
grace within. And as the tree revives and flourishes as soon as the
spring returns, so the believer's graces revive, and act with
renewed vigor when "the Sun of Righteousness" returns with his
refreshing influences. The exercise of grace may be interrupted, but
the principle of grace, once implanted, shall never be entirely
extirpated. The believer may fall into a very languid condition, but
he shall never fall away from a state of grace. He shall be enabled
to persevere until grace shall be consummated in glory.

Having explained the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, as
it is exhibited in our Confession, the arguments by which it is
supported may now be stated. These are arranged, in the second
section, in the following order—

1. The perseverance of the saints is secured by the immutability of
the decree of election. That a certain definite number of mankind
sinners were, in sovereign mercy, chosen of God, and appointed unto
glory, before the foundation of the world, is a truth attested by
many express declarations of Scripture.—Ephesians 1:4; 2
Thessalonians 2:13; Acts 13:48. This purpose of God finally to
bestow salvation or eternal life upon his chosen, necessarily
includes a determination to do all that is requisite to make them
meet for the enjoyment of it, and to preserve them amidst all snares
and temptations to the full possession of it. Now, if one included
in the election of grace should finally perish, the purpose of God
would, in that instance, be frustrated, and in every instance in
which such an event should take place. But his purpose, originating
from himself, and being altogether independent of his creatures,
must be unchangeable as his nature. Hence he proclaims, with divine
majesty: "I am the Lord; I change not." "My counsel shall stand, and
I will do all my pleasure." Our Savior himself, from the election of
believers, infers the impossibility of their being seduced into a
perishing condition. "There shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that (if
it were possible) they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:24.
It is evident that, in this passage, our Lord treats of the elect
after being brought to the knowledge of the truth, and that he
speaks not of any seduction whatever, but that which is total and
final. Now, the words, "If it were possible," imply a real
impossibility of their being so seduced.

2. It is secured by the merit of Christ's sufferings and death,
Christ "purchased the Church with his own blood." The "iniquities"
of all his people "were laid upon him," and, as their Surety, "he
bore their sins in his own body on the tree." He sustained the full
infliction of the curse which they deserved, and "obtained for them
eternal redemption." "Now, as a surety stands in the room of the
person whom he represents, the latter reaps all the benefit of what
the surety has done in his name; so that, if his debt has been paid
by the surety, the creditor cannot demand the payment of it from
him. Let us apply this illustration to the subject before us. If
Christ made satisfaction on the cross for the sins of his people—not
for some of them only, but for them all, as we are expressly
assured—it would be contrary to justice to subject them also to the
punishment. But, if the saints may fall from a state of grace, and
perish in their sins, satisfaction will be twice exacted—first, from
the surety; and secondly, from them. Either Christ did, or did not,
make an atonement for the sins of his people. If he did not make an
atonement for them, they must satisfy for themselves; if he did
answer the demands of justice in their room, it is impossible that,
under the righteous administration of Heaven, they should, by any
cause, or for any reason, come into condemnation. Accordingly, the
new covenant promises to believers complete and irrevocable pardon.
I will 'be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and
their iniquities will I remember no more.'—Hebrews 8:12. But if the
doctrine of the defectibility of the saints is true, the promise is
false; for their sins may be remembered again. Nay, if this doctrine
is true, Christ might have died in vain; for, as one saint may fall
from a state of grace as well as another, it night happen that not a
single sinner should be actually redeemed by his blood from
everlasting destruction."

3. It is secured by the perpetuity and prevalence of Christ's
intercession. As Christ purchased his people by the merit of his own
blood, so "he ever lives to make intercession" for them. And what is
the matter of his intercession on their behalf? He prays for every
one of them, as he did for Peter, "that their faith fail not." In
those petitions which he offered up for his followers, while he was
yet on earth, we have a specimen of his pleadings before the throne.
Now, he prayed once and again for their preservation: "Holy Father,
keep through your own name those whom you have given me;" "I pray
not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should
keep them from the evil." John 17:11, 15. Lest any should confine
these petitions to his immediate disciples, or to such as already
believed on him, he adds (verse 20): "Neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word." If, then, there is any efficacy in the intercession of
Christ, the perseverance of all who believe on him is infallibly
secured. But his intercession, being founded on his satisfactory
death and meritorious righteousness, must be prevalent and effectual
to obtain for his people all that he asks on their behalf. Him the
Father always hears.—John 11:42.

4. It is secured by the constant inhabitation of the Spirit. When
our Lord was about to depart out of this world, he consoled the
hearts of his disciples by the promise of the Spirit. "I will pray
the Father," said he, "and he shall give you another Comforter, that
he may abide with you forever." John 14:16. That the gift of the
Spirit was not peculiar to the apostles, but is the happy privilege
of every real Christian, is evident from the inspired declaration:
"If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Romans 8:9. Now, the Spirit does not enter into the hearts of
believers as a transient visitant, but "to make his abode with
them." Hence they are called "the temple of God, because the Spirit
of God dwells in them." And the constant residence of the Spirit in
believers effectually secures their perseverance; for his gracious
purpose in taking up his residence in them is, to make them meet for
the inheritance of the saints in light, to guard them through life,
and conduct them to glory. By him they are sealed to the day of
redemption, and he is the earnest of their future inheritance.—2
Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13, 14. An earnest is a part given as
a security for the future possession of the whole; and as the Holy
Spirit is to believers the earnest of the heavenly inheritance, this
must imply the utmost certainty of their future bliss. If any who
have received the Spirit were left to fall totally and finally from
a state of grace, and to come short of the heavenly inheritance,
then, shocking thought! the Spirit of truth would be a precarious
and fallacious earnest.

5. It is secured by the unchangeable nature of the covenant of
grace. This covenant, being founded in the grace of God, and not in
our obedience, is "ordered in all things, and sure." The tenor of
this covenant is clearly expressed: "I will make an everlasting
covenant 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." Jeremiah 32:40. It is worthy of remark, that here
is not only a promise of the constant affection of God towards his
people, so that he will never turn away from them to do them good,
but also a promise that he will put his fear in their hearts, so
that they shall not depart from him. God not only promises that he
will continue to be gracious to them, if they continue to fear him,
but he also pledges himself to put his fear in their hearts, or to
grant to them such communications of his grace as shall preserve
them from falling away. The certainty of the saints' perseverance
could not possibly be expressed in stronger terms.

In addition to these arguments, which are specified in the
Confession, we may state that the perseverance of the saints is also
evident—

1. From manifold divine promises.—Isaiah 54:10; John 10:27–30;
Hebrews 13:5.

2. From the various divine perfections.

3. From the connection between the effectual calling and the
glorification of believers.—Romans 8:30.

4. From the character of perfection that belongs to all the works of
God.—Philippians 1:6.

5. From the intimate and indissoluble union that exists between
Christ and believers.—John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12; John 14:19,
20.

The doctrine of the saints' perseverance has been sometimes
represented as unfriendly to the interests of holiness. But how it
can have this effect, it is not easy to perceive. Although believers
"shall certainly persevere in grace to the end, and be eternally
saved;" yet, if they fall into grievous sins, they thereby "incur
God's displeasure, and grieve his Holy Spirit—come to be deprived of
some measure of their graces and comforts—have their hearts
hardened, and their consciences wounded—hurt and scandalize others,
and bring temporal judgments upon themselves." If, then, the saints
feel any concern about the glory of their heavenly Father, the
edification of others, and their own comfort, they have the
strongest motives to "abstain from all appearance of evil," and to
endeavor to be found "walking in all the commandm