2. It serves exceedingly to illustrate the grace of perseverance, and the power of God therein; for unto the power of God is our perseverance wholly attributed. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Ye are kept (as with a garrison) as the word signifies, through the power of God unto salvation. And were there not a great and an apparent danger of miscarrying, such a mighty guard needed not; There is nothing which puts us into any danger, but our corruptions that still remain in us, which fight against the soul, and endeavour to overcome and destroy us. Now then to be kept maugre all these; to have grace maintained; a spark of grace in the midst of a sea of corruption; how doth this honour the power of God in keeping us? As much in regard of this our dependency ⟨p. 24⟩on him in such a condition, as he would otherwise be by our service, if it were perfect, and we wholly free from those corruptions. How will the grace of God under the Gospel, triumph over the grace given Adam in his innocency? when Adam having his heart full of inherent grace, and nothing inwardly, in his nature, to seduce him, and the temptation that he had, being but a matter of curiosity, and the pleasing his wife, and yet he fell: When as many poor souls under the state of grace, that have but mites of grace in comparison, and worlds of corruption, are yet kept, not only from the unnecessary pleasures of sin in time of prosperity, but hold out against all the threats, all the cruelties of wicked persecutors in times of persecution, which threaten to debar them of all the present good they enjoy? And though Gods people are foiled often, yet that there should still remain a seed within them, 1 John. 3. 9. this illustrates the grace of Christ under the Gospel. For one act in Adam expelled all grace out of him, when yet his heart was full of nothing else. Were our hearts filled with grace perfectly at first conversion, this power would not be seen. The Angels are kept with much less care, and charge, and power then we, because they have no bias, no weights of sin, (as the Apostle speaks) hung upon them to draw them aside, and press them down, as we have.
2. It serves exceedingly to illustrate the grace of perseverance, and the power of God therein; for unto the power of God is our perseverance wholly attributed. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Ye are kept (as with a garrison) as the word signifies, through the power of God unto salvation. And were there not a great and an apparent danger of miscarrying, such a mighty guard needed not; There is nothing which puts us into any danger, but our corruptions that still remain in us, which fight against the soul, and endeavour to overcome and destroy us. Now then to be kept maugre all these; to have grace maintained; a spark of grace in the midst of a sea of corruption; how doth this honour the power of God in keeping us? As much in regard of this our dependency ⟨p. 24⟩on him in such a condition, as hee would otherwise be by our service, if it were pepfect, and we wholly free from those corruptions. How will the grace of God under the Gospel, triumph over the grace given Adam in his innocencie? when Adam having his heart full of inherent grace, and nothing inwardly, in his nature, to seduce him, and the temptation that he had, being but a matter of curiosity, and the pleasing his wife, and yet he fell: When as many poore souls under the state of grace, that have but mites of grace in comparison, and worlds of corruption, are yet kept, not onely from the unnecessary pleasures of sin in time of prosperity, but hold out against all the threats, all the cruelties of wicked persecutors in times of persecution, which threaten to debar them of all the present good they enjoy? And though Gods people are foyled often, yet that there should still remaine a seed within them, 1 John. 3. 9. this illustrates the grace of Christ under the Gospel. For one act in Adam expelled all grace out of him, when yet his heart was full of nothing else. Were our hearts filled with grace perfectly at first conversion, this power would not be seen. The Angels are kept with much lesse care, and charge, and power then we, because they have no bias, no weights of sin, (as the Apostle speaks) hung upon them to draw them aside, and presse them downe, as we have.
