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Perseverance by Thomas Watson
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Perseverance by Thomas Watson |
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Thu, 8 May 2003 07:17:26 -0500 |
We thought you might find comfort in this sermon...
from: A Body of Divinity: by Thomas Watson
Public domain
http://www.PeaceMakers.net\unity\twabodyofdivinity.htm
Perseverance
'Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.’ I Pet 1: 5.
The fifth and last fruit of sanctification, is perseverance in grace. The
heavenly inheritance is kept for the saints, and they are kept to the
inheritance. I Pet 1: 4. The apostle asserts a saint’s stability and permanence
in grace. The saint’s perseverance is much opposed by Papists and Arminians;
but it is not the less true because it is opposed. A Christian’s main comfort
depends upon this doctrine of perseverance. Take this away, and you prejudice
religion, and cut the sinews of all cheerful endeavours. Before I come to the
full handling and discussing of this great point, let me first clear the sense
of it.
I. When I say, Believers persevere:
[I] I grant, that such as are so only in profession, may fall away. 'Demas has
forsaken me.’ 2 Tim 4: 10. Blazing comets soon evaporate. A building on sand
will fall. Matt 7: 26. Seeming grace may be lost. No wonder to see a bough fall
from a tree that is only tied on. Hypocrites are only tied on Christ by an
external profession, they are not ingrafted. Who ever thought artificial
motions would hold long? The hypocrite’s motion is only artificial, not vital.
All blossoms do not ripen into fruit.
[2] I grant that if believers were left to stand on their own legs, they might
fall finally. Some of the angels, who were stars full of light and glory,
actually lost their grace; and if those pure angels fell from grace, much more
would the godly, who have so much sin to betray them, if they were not upheld
by a superior power.
L3] I grant that, although true believers do not fall away actually, and lose
all their grace, yet their grace may fail in degree, and they may make a great
breach upon their sanctification. Grace may be moritura, non mortua; dying, but
not dead. 'Strengthen the things which are ready to die.' Rev 3: 2. Grace may
be like fire in the embers; though not quenched, yet the flame is gone out.
This decay of grace I shall show in two particulars.
(1.) The lively actings of grace may be suspended. 'Thou hast left thy first
love.’ Rev 2: 4. Grace may be like a sleepy habit; the godly may act faintly in
religion, the pulse of their affections may beat low. The wise virgins
slumbered. Matt 25: 5. The exercise of grace may be hindered; as when the
course of water is stopped. (2.) Instead of grace working in the godly,
corruption may work; instead of patience, murmuring; instead of heavenliness,
earthliness. How did pride put forth itself in the disciples, when they strove
who should be the greatest! How did lust put forth itself in David! Thus lively
and vigorous may corruption be in the regenerate; they may fall into enormous
sins. But though all this be granted, yet they do not, penitus exeidere, fall
away finally from grace. David did not quite lose his grace: for then, why did
he pray, 'Take not away thy holy spirit from me,? He had not quite lost the
Spirit. As Eutychus, when he fell from a window (Acts 20:) and all thought he
was dead - 'No, saith Paul, there is life in him;’ so David fell foully, but
there was the life of grace in him. Though the saints may come to that pass
that they have but little faith, yet not to have no faith. Though their grace
may be drawn low, yet it is not drawn dry; though grace may be abated, it is
not abolished; though the wise virgins slumbered, yet their lamps were not
quite gone out. Grace, when at the lowest, shall revive and flourish; as when
Samson had lost his strength, his hair grew again, and his strength was
renewed. Having thus explained the proposition, I come now to amplify this
great doctrine of the saint’s perseverance.
II. By what means do Christians come to persevere?
[I] By the help of ordinances, as of prayer, the word, and the sacraments.
Christians do not arrive at perseverance when they sit still and do nothing. It
is not with us as with passengers in a ship, who are carried to the end of
their voyage while they sit still in the ship; or, as it is with noblemen, who
have their rents brought in without their toil or labour; but we arrive at
salvation in the use of means; as a man comes to the end of a race by running,
to a victory by fighting. 'Watch and pray.’ Matt 26: 4I. As Paul said, 'Except
ye abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.’ Acts 27: 3 1: Believers shall come
to shore at last, arrive at heaven; but 'except they abide in the ship,’ viz.’
in the use of ordinances, 'they cannot be saved.’ The ordinances cherish grace;
as they beget grace, so they are the breastmilk by which it is nourished and
preserved to eternity.
[2] Auxilio Spiritus, by the sacred influence and concurrence of the Spirit.
The Spirit of God is continually at work in the heart of a believer, to carry
on grace to perfection. It drops in fresh oil, to keep the lamp of grace
burning. The Spirit excites, strengthens, increases grace, and makes a
Christian go from one step of faith to another, till he comes to the end of his
faith, which is salvation. I Pet 1: 9. It is a fine expression of the apostle,
'The Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.’ 2 Tim 1: I4. He who dwells in a house,
keeps the house in repair; so the Spirit dwelling in a believer, keeps grace in
repair. Grace is compared to a river of the water of life. John 7: 38. This
river can never be dried up, because God’s Spirit is the spring that
continually feeds it.
[3] Grace is carried on to perfection by Christ’s daily intercession. As the
Spirit is at work in the heart, so is Christ at work in heaven. Christ is ever
praying that the saint's grace may hold out. Conserva illos; "Father, keep
those whom thou hast given me:" keep them as the stars in their orbs: keep them
as jewels, that they may not be lost. "Father keep them.", John 17: 2: That
prayer which Christ made for Peter, was the copy of the prayer he now makes for
believers. 'I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not,’ that it be not
totally eclipsed. Luke 22: 32. How can the children of such prayers perish?
III. Arguments to prove the saint’s perseverance.
[1] A veritate Dei, 'from the truth of God.’ God has both asserted it, and
promised it. (I.) God has asserted it. 'His seed remaineth in him.’ I John 3:
9. 'The anointing ye have received of him abideth in you.’ I John 2: 27. (2.)
As God has asserted it, so he has promised it. The truth of God, the most
orient pearl of his crown, is laid as a pawn in the promise. 'I will give unto
them eternal life, and they shall never perish.' John 10: 28. '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.’ Jer 32: 40. God will so love his people, that he will not forsake them;
and they shall so fear him, that they shall not forsake him. If a believer
should not persevere, God would break his promise. 'I will betroth thee unto me
for ever, in righteousness and lovingkindness.’ Hos 2: I9. God does not marry
his people unto himself, and then divorce them; he hates putting away. Mal 2
I6. God's love ties the marriage-knot so fast, that neither death nor hell can
break it asunder.
[2] The second argument is, a potentia Dei, 'from the power of God.’ The text
says, we 'are kept by the power of God unto salvation.’ Each Person in the
Trinity has a hand in making a believer persevere. God the Father establishes.
2 Cor 1: 2I. God the Son confirms, I Cor 1: 8. God the Holy Ghost seals. Eph 1:
I3. So that it is the power of God that keeps us. We are not kept by our own
power. The Pelagians held that man by his own power might overcome temptation
and persevere. Augustine confutes them. 'Man,' says he, 'prays unto God for
perseverance, which would be absurd, if he had power of himself to persevere.'
'And,' says Augustine, 'if all the power be inherent in a man’s self, then why
should not one persevere as well as another? Why not Judas as well as Peter?’
So that it is not by any other than the power of God that we are kept. The Lord
preserved Israel from perishing in the wilderness, till he brought them to
Canaan; and the same care will he take, if not in a miraculous manner, yet in a
spiritual invisible manner, in preserving his people in a state of grace, till
he bring them to the celestial Canaan. As the heathens feigned of Atlas, that
he bears up the heavens from falling: the power of God is that Atlas which
bears up the saints from falling. It is disputed, whether grace of itself may
not perish, as Adam’s; yet sure I am, grace kept by the power of God cannot
perish.
[3] The third argument is taken, ab electione, 'from God's electing love.’ Such
as God has from all eternity elected to glory, cannot fall away finally; but
every true believer is elected to glory, therefore he cannot fall away. What
can frustrate election, or make God’s decree void? This argument stands like
Mount Sion, which cannot be moved; insomuch that some of the Papists hold, that
those who have absolute election cannot fall away. 'The foundation of God
standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his.’ 2 Tim 2:
I9. The foundation of God is nothing else but God’s decree in election; and
this stands sure; God will not alter it, and others cannot.
[4] The fourth argument is taken, ab unione cum Christo, 'from believers' union
with Christ.' They are knit to Christ as the members to the head, by the nerves
and ligaments of faith, so that they cannot be broken off. Eph 5: 23. What was
once said of Christ's natural body is true of his mystical. 'A bone of it shall
not be broken.' As it is not possible to sever the leaven and the dough when
they are once mingled and kneaded together, so it is impossible for Christ and
believers, when once united, ever to be separated. Christ and his members make
one body. Now, is it possible that any part of Christ should perish? How can
Christ lose any member of his mystic body, and be perfect? In short, si unus
excidat, quare non et alter? If one believer may be broken off from Christ,
then, by the same rule, why not another. Why not all? And so Christ would be a
head without a body.
[5] The fifth argument is taken, ab emptione, 'from the nature of a purchase.’
A man will not lay down his money for a purchase which may be lost, and the
fee-simple alienated. Christ died that he might purchase us as a people to
himself for ever. 'Having obtained eternal redemption for us.’ Heb 9: I2. Would
Christ, think ye, have shed his blood that we might believe in him for a while,
and then fall away? Do we think Christ will lose his purchase?
[6] The sixth argument is, a victoria supra mundum, 'from a believer’s victory
over the world.’ The argument stands thus: He who overcomes the world
perseveres in grace; but a believer overcomes the world; therefore a believer
perseveres in grace. 'This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our
faith.’ I John 5: 4. A man may lose a single battle in the field, yet win the
victory at last. A child of God may be foiled in a single battle against
temptation, as Peter was, but he is victorious at last. Now, if a saint be
crowned victor, if the world be conquered by him, he must needs persevere.
May I AM, The Father-The Son Christ Jesus bless you through The Holy
Spirit, In Christ's name...
Bill Fields
630.668.1205
http://www.peacemakers.net
http://www.christiancourt.org
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