The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

Surely the holy Spirit himself so often Promised to us of God, is a Spiritual Blessing: God's bestowing Faith on us, is antecedent to our Believing: & this also is given upon the account of Christ. Phil. 1. 29. It is given to us, on the behalf of Christ, to Believe on him. If then God for Christs sake, antecedently to any thing that is good, that is not enmity to him, that is not iniquity in men, do bestow on them, all that ever is good in them, as to the root & principle of it, surely his quarrel against their sins is put to an Issue. Thence Christ being said to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. God as one pacified and atoned thereupon, is said to be in him, reconciling the world unto himself 2 Cor. ¹5. 19. And in the dispensation of the Gospel, he is still set forth, as one carrying on that peace, whose foundation is laid in the blood of his Son, by the Atonement of his Justice; and we are said to accept, or receive the Atonement Rom. 5. 10. We receive it by Faith, it being accepted by him: Thus his death and Oblation is said to be a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour. Eph. 5. 2. that wherein God is abundantly delighted, & wherewith his soul is fully satisfied; so that as when he smelt a sweet savour from the Sacrifice of Noah, ²he sware he would curse the Earth no more: smelling this sweet savour of the Oblation of Christ, on the account of them, for whom it was Offered,³ he will not execute the Curse on them, whereof they were guilty.⁴ I might also insist on those Testimonies for the further proof of the former Assertion,⁵