ture and use of the sacraments; and if we may not, if we ought not to rest assured of what God testifies and sets his seal to, it cannot but be our duty sometimes, (shocking supposition) to make God a liar; for so we do when we believe not his testimony, 1 John v, 10. But to prevent any hesitation in this matter, he hath not left it under a bare testimony, but hath also confirmed it by his oath; and to this very end, that we might have strong consolation; which, without an undeceiving assurance, we cannot obtain, Heb. vi, 17, 18.

(3.) No grace, no sign or mark will any longer, or any further, be an evidence or testimony in this matter, but only as the soul is effectually influenced to perseverance. If any grace whatever once lose its efficacy upon the soul, to all such acts of obedience as are required for constancy, and persevering fidelity in our profession, it loseth all its evidencing power, as to our present state and condition: for instance; faith, as to the nature of it, and as to its main effect, our adherence to Christ, may abide in us, when yet by reason of the power of temptation, or prevalency of corruption, it may not act effectually to spiritual experience, for the constant performance of duties, and abstinence from all sin; but when it doth so fail, it can no longer evidence our union with Christ, and the soul, in that case, will be left to many disquietments and uncertainties.

(4.) Our perseverance is an evidence of union, in that it is an effect of it, and there is a good demonstration of a cause from its proper and peculiar effect. Where an effect is produced that cannot be wrought but by such a cause, the latter is infallibly manifested by the former; as the magicians concluded from the miracles of Moses, that the finger of God was in them. Besides, this perseverance is the due issue and exurgency of grace constantly exercised and improved; and all

growth in grace, in what kind soever it be, is at once an emanation from this one fountain of our union with Christ, and its most corroborating evidence.

(5.) This also may be added, whatever profession hath been made, whatever fruits of it have been brought forth, whatever continuance in it there hath been, if it fail totally, it is a sufficient evidence that those who have made it, were never "partakers of Christ." So our apostle, having declared, that some of great name had apostatized from the gospel, adds, that yet "the foundation of God standeth sure," that God knoweth who are his, 2 Tim. ii, 17-19, manifesting, that those who fell off, notwithstanding their profession and eminence, were never yet owned of God as his in Christ. And another apostle tells us, that those who went out from them by a defection from the faith, were in truth not of them, or really united to Christ. John ii, 19. And where there are partial decays in faith and profession, it gives great ground of suspicion and jealousy, that the root of bitterness is yet remaining in the heart, and that Christ was never formed in it. Let not men, therefore, please themselves in their present attainments and conditions, unless they find that they are thriving, growing, passing on towards perfection, which is the best evidence of their union with Christ.

$6. Obs. 3. Our subsistence in Christ maintained to the end, is a matter of great endeavour and diligence to all believers. This is plainly included in the apostle's expression. The words denote our utmost endeavours to hold it fast, and to keep it firm and steadfast. Shaken it will be, opposed it will be; but kept it will not, it cannot be, without our utmost diligence and endeavours. It is true, our persistency in Christ doth not as to the event, depend absolutely on our

own diligence; the unalterableness of this privilege, on account of the faithfulness of the covenant of grace, is that which eventually secures it; but yet our own dili gent endeavour is such an indispensable means for that end, as that without it, it will not be brought about. For it is necessary, not only (necessitate præcepti,) as that which God hath commanded us to make use of for that end, but also (necessitate medii) by a necessity of means, or the order and relation of spiritual things one to another, ordained of God to effect it. For the continuation of our subsistence in Christ is the emergency and effect of our acting grace to that purpose. Diligence and endeavours in this matter are like Paul's mariners, when he was shipwrecked at Melita; God had beforehand given him the lives of all that sailed with him in the ship; Acts xxvii, 24; and he believed that it should be even as God told him, verse 25; so now the preservation of their lives depends absolutely on the faithfulness and power of God; but yet when the mariners began to fly out of the ship, Paul tells the centurion and the soldiers, that unless those men staid, they could not be saved, verse 31. But what need he think of shipmen, when God had promised and taken upon himself the preservation of them all? He knew full well that he would preserve them, not without, but by the use of means. If we are in Christ, God hath given us the lives of our souls, and hath taken upon himself in his covenant the preservation of them; but yet we may say with reference to the means he hath appointed, when storms and trials arise, unless we use our own diligent endeavours, we "cannot be saved." Hence are many cautions given us, "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall;" and, "take heed that we lose not the things which we have wrought," and "hold fast

that thou hast, lest another take thy crown;" with the like innumerable.

§7. These warnings are not given merely to professors in general, whose condition is dubious, to those that are only entering on the ways of Christ, lest they should recoil and desert them; but they are given to all true believers, those of the greatest growth and attainments not excepted, Phil. iii, 11-13; that they may know how indispensably necessary, from the appointment of God, and the nature of the thing itself, our watchful diligence and endeavours are to our abiding in Christ. And they are thus necessary,

1. On account of the opposition, power, and craft of our spiritual adversaries. For this end are the gates of hell, that is, the counsel and strength of Satan, peculiarly engaged. His great design is to cast them down and prevail against them who are built upon the rock; that is, who are united to Christ. Our Savior, indeed, hath promised, "that he shall not prevail," Matt. xvi, 15; but that he shall not prevail, argues a disappointment in contest; but we are to watch and contend that they may not. This also is the principal design of the world; it sets all its engines on work to separate us from Christ.

2. It is necessary on account of our peace, consolation, and fruitfulness in this world. Without the two former, we have no satisfaction in ourselves, and without the latter, we are of no use to the glory of God, or good of others. It is altogether vain to expect true peace, solid consolation, or a thriving in fruitfulness, in a slothful profession. Men complain of the fruit, but will not be persuaded to dig at the root; for all our spiritual troubles, darkness, disconsolations, fears, doubts, barrenness, proceed from this bitter root of negligence, which springs up and defiles us. Sin's

whole design is to impair or destroy our interest and persistency in Christ, and so to draw us off from the living God. Neglected grace will wither, and be ready to die, Rev. iii, 2; yea, as to some degrees of it, and as to its work in evidencing the love of God to us, or our union with Christ, it will utterly decay. Some of the churches in the Revelation had lost their first love, as well as left their first works. Hence is that command that we should "grow in grace," and we do so, when grace grows and thrives in us. And is it any wonder if we see so many either decaying or unthrifty professors, and so many that are utterly turned off from their first engagements? For consider what it is to abide in Christ; what watchfulness, what dili, gence, what endeavors are required. Men would have it to be a plant that needs neither watering, manuring, nor pruning, but that which will thrive of itself; but, what then do they think of the opposition that is continually made to it, the endeavors that are used utterly to root it out? Certainly, if these be not watched against with our utmost industry, decays, if not ruin will ensue. We may also add here, that not only our profession and existence in Christ, but the gracious beginnings of it also, are to be secured with great spiritual care and industry.

VERSES 15----19.

While it is said, to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they heard did provoke; howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses, But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.