A53688:736
The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance
The doctrine of the saints perseverance, explained and confirmed, or, The certain permanency of their 1. acceptation with God & 2. sanctification from God manifested & proved from the 1. eternal principles 2. effectual causes 3. external means thereof ... vindicated in a full answer to the discourse of Mr. John Goodwin against it, in his book entitled Redemption redeemed : with some digressions concerning 1. the immediate effects of the death of Christ ... : with a discourse touching the epistles of Ignatius, the Episcopacy in them asserted, and some animadversions on Dr. H.H. his dissertations on that subject / by John Owen ...The doctrine of the saints perseverance, explained and confirmed, or, The certain permanency of their 1. acceptation with God & 2. sanctification from God manifested & proved from the 1. eternal principles 2. effectuall causes 3. externall meanes thereof ... vindicated in a full answer to the discourse of Mr. John Goodwin against it, in his book entituled Redemption redeemed : with some degressions concerning 1. the immediate effects of the death of Christ ... : with a discourse touching the epistles of Ignatius, the Episcopacy in them asserted, and some animadversions on Dr. H.H. his dissertations on that subject / by John Owen ...
London: printed by Leon. Lichfield, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. First, the matter of the Promise, or what he promiseth the People, is, he will not forsake them. Gods not forsaking them, is not a bare not casting them off, but an active continuance with them in love and mercy. He exercises ⟨p. 133⟩not a pure negative Act of his Will towards any thing, or person. Whom he hates not, he loves: so Heb. 13. 5. these words, I will not forsake thee, hold out a continual supply of all those wants, whereunto in our selves we are exposed, and what from his presence we do receive. I will not forsake them, is, I will continue my presence with them, a God in Covenant. so he expresseth his presence with them. Isa. 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it, I do water it every moment, least any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. He abideth with his vineyard, so as to keep it, and to preserve it from being destroyed. But may it not at one time or other be surprised into desolation? No, saith he, I will keep it night and day: but what if this vineyard prove barren, what will he then do? Nay but he will so deal with it, that it shall never be so barren, as to cause him to cast it up. He is not with it for nought, his presence is attended with Grace, and Kindness. I water it, (saith he) and that not now and then, but, every moment. He pours out fresh supplies of his Spirit upon it, to make it fruitful. Thence it becomes a vineyard of red wine, v. 2. the best wine, the most delicious, the most precious, to cheer the heart of God himself, as Zep: 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will Save thee, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his Love, he will joy over thee with singing. He causes them thereby that come of Jacob to take root, he makes Israel blossom and bud, to fill the face of the World with fruit. This is that which God promiseth his people; he will not forsake them, he will always give them his presence, in the kindness and supplies of a God in Covenant, to protect them from others, to make them fruitful to himself: This is his not forsaking them: He will preserve them from others, who shall take them out of his hand? he will make them fruitful to himself; he will work, and who shall let him?
1. First, the matter of the Promise, or what he promiseth the People, is, he will not forsake them. Gods not forsaking them, is not a bare not casting them off, but an active continuance with them in love and mercy. He exercises