The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

For First, 'tis one thing to say and each, that God will so limit as well the force as the continuance of temptations, that the Saints may be able to bear; another to make a Promise of Absolute Perseverance; yea those very words, That ye may be able to bear it, clearly import that all that is here promised unto the Believing Corinthians, is an exhibiting of means to Perseverance, if they will improve them accordingly, not an infallible certainty of their Perseverance; And that caveat Let him that thinketh he stands take heed least he fall, plainly supposeth a possibility of his falling, Who thinketh upon the best grounds that he standeth sure; for that this caveat was not given to Hypocrites or unsound Believers, or to such who please themselves with a loose and groundless conceit of the Goodness of their condition Godward is evident, because 'twere better that such men should fall from their present standing of a groundless conceit than continue their standing; nor would the Apostle have ever cautioned such to take heed of falling away, whose condition was more like to be made better than worse by their falling; And besides to understand the said caveat of loose believers overthrows the pertinency of it to their cause who insist upon it, to prove a due consistency between Exhortations to Perseverance, and Promises to Perseverance, as is evident; If then it be directer to true and sound Believers, it clearly supposeth a possibility at least of their falling, in ⟨p. 289⟩case they shall not take heed, or else their taking heed would be no means at least no necessary means of their standing; And farther it supposeth also a possibility at least of their non-taking heed, or that they might possibly not take heed hereof otherwise the caveat or admonition had been in vain; men have no need of being admonished to do that which they are under no possibility to omit; If then the standing or persevering of the Saints depends upon their taking heed least they fall, and their taking heed in this kind be such a thing which they may possibly omit, evident it is that there is a possibility of their non-persevering.

For First, 'tis one thing to say and each, that God will so limit as well the force as the continuance of temptations, that the Saints may be able to beare; another to make a Promise of Absolvte Perseverance; yea those very words, That yee may be able to beare it, clearly import that all that is here promised unto the Believing Corinthians, is an exhibiting of meanes to Persevorance, if they will improve them accordingly, not an infallible certainty of their Perseverance; And that caveat Let him that thinketh he stands take heed least he fall, plainely supposeth a possibility of his falling, Who thinketh upon the best grounds that he standeth sure; for that this caveat was not given to Hypocrites or unsound Believers, or to such who please themselves with a loose and groundlesse conceit of the Goodnesse of their condition Godward is evident, because t'were better that such men should fall from their present standing of a groundlesse conceit than continue their standing; nor would the Apostle have ever cautioned such to take heed of falling away, whose condition was more like to be made better than worse by their falling; And besides to understand the said caveat of loose believers overthrows the pertinency of it to their cause who insist upon it, to prove a due consistency between Exhortations to Perseverance, and Promises to Perseverance, as is evident; If then it be directer to true and sound Believers, it clearly supposeth a possibility at least of their falling, in