The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

This expression (God hath belaid things in order to the Salvation of them that love him,) is the whole of the Assurance here given by the Apostle, to the Assertion formerly laid down for the Consolation of Believers: and this, according to the Analogy and Proportion of our Authors Faith, amounts only thus far: you that Love God, if you continue so to do, you will fall under his Predestination; and if you abide under that, he will call you, so as that you may farther obey him, or you may not: if you do obey him, and believe upon his Call (having loved him before) he will Justify you; not with that Justification which is final, of which you may come short; but with initial Justification, which if you continue in, and walk up unto, Solvite curas when you are dead in your graves: This is called Gods belaying of things in his secret Counsel, whereby the total Accomplishment of the first engagement is cut off from the Root of Gods Purposes, and Branches of his effectual Grace in the pursuit thereof, and grafted upon the wild Olive of the Will of man, that never did, nor never will bear any wholesome fruit of it self to Eternity. What is afterward added, of the Qualification of those whom God Predestinates, being an intrusion of another false Hypothesis, for the Confirmation of an Assertion of the same alloy, is not of my present consideration; But he adds: ye are to understand, that whom he hath Predestinated, he hath also Called, hath purposed or Decreed to Call, to the Knowledge of his Son, or his Gospel, as before &c.

This expression (God hath belaid things in order to the Salvation of them that love him,) is the whole of the Assurance here given by the Apostle, to the Assertion formerly layd downe for the Consolation of Believers: and this, according to the Analogie and Proportion of our Authors Faith, amounts only thus farre: you that Love God, if you continue so to doe, you will fall under his Predestination; and if you abide under that, he will call you, so as that you may farther obey him, or you may not: if you doe obey him, and believe upon his Call (having lov'd him before) he will Justify you; not with that Justification which is finall, of which you may come short; but with initiall Justification, which if you continue in, and walke up unto, Solvite curas when you are dead in your graves: This is called Gods belaying of things in his secret Counsell, whereby the totall Accomplishment of the first ingagement is cut off from the Root of Gods Purposes, and Branches of his effectuall Grace in the pursuit thereof, and grafted upon the wild Olive of the Will of man, that never did, nor never will beare any wholsome fruit of it selfe to Eternity. What is afterward added, of the Qualification of those whom God Predestinates, being an intrusion of another false Hypothesis, for the Confirmation of an Assertion of the same alloy, is not of my present consideration; But he adds: ye are to understand, that whom he hath Predestinated, he hath also Called, hath purposed or Decreed to Call, to the Knowledge of his Sonne, or his Gospell, as before &c.