(5.) Saving perseverance excludes not all sins, but total apostacy, and final impenitency, which are fatal and deadly under the new covenant. If the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and commiteth iniquity, and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned; in his trespasses that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, he shall die, Ezek. 18. 24. If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him, saith the Lord, Heb. 10. 38. These threatenings imply, there is a possibility of the saints falling away considered in themselves; but not that they are ever totally deserted by the Holy Spirit, and left under the reigning power of sin. The threatenings are intended to awaken their care, and are preservatives of them from ruin, and have a singular influence on their perseverence. A vigilant and cautious fear establishes the certainty of their hope. Indeed from the relics of weakness and corruption in the saints, they sometimes actually fall into presumptuous sins, and by rebellious relapses wound conscience, and let out much of the vital spirits, their graces and comforts. But though the divine nature is miserably wasted by such sins, yet it is not abolished. As after the creation of light, there was never pure and total darknes in the world. Grace does not consist in a point, but is capable of degrees. The new creature may decline in beauty and strength, yet life remain. Between a lively and dead faith, there may be a fainting faith; as in St. Peter, for certainly our Saviour was heard in his prayer for him, that his "faith should not fail" in his dreadful temptation. The saints do not by a particular fall extinguish the first living principles of obedience, faith and love; nor change their last end, by an entire turning from God to the world. In short, a single act of wickedness does not reduce them into a state of unregeneracy: for it is not the matter of the sin singly considered, but the disposition of the sinner that denominates him. If grace in the saints should utterly perish, as some boldly assert, their recovery would be impossible: for the Apostle tells us, that "if those who are enlightened, and had tasted of the heavenly gift," that had been under some common workings, and lower operations of the spirit, if such fall away universally, and live in a course of sin opposite to their former illuminations and resolutions, it is impossible to renew them by repentance; how much more then if those who were truly sanctified by the Holy Spirit, should entirely lose all those gracious habits planted in them in their regeneration? But David, though guilty of adultery and murder, sins of so foul a nature as would dishonor paganism itself, and "made the enemies of God to blaspheme," was restored by repentance. The gospel propounds a remedy, not only for sins committed before conversion, but after it. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." God does not revoke the

sincerely, is joyful and vigorous in the use of means for acquiring his most desired good. Ardent affections, like Elijah's chariot of fire, ravish the soul above this sensible world, to the place where God dwells in glory. Zeal animates his endeavors, as the motion of the heart diffuses the spirits into the arteries, to convey life to all parts of the body. "One thing (saith the inflamed Psalmist) have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." The sensual man is ranging abroad for satisfaction, and shoots all the game that crosses his eye; but the soul that has a discovering light, and feeling heat of the divine beauty, unites all its desires in God, and, with affection to an extasy, longs for the enjoyment of him; and the endeavors are in some proportion to the desires. Our Saviour tells us, that " from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Some previous rays of the Sun of righteousness appeared in his ministry, and produced such a holy ardency in those converts, that with all resolution, diligence and earnestness, they sought to be partakers of the blessedness revealed. Lazy desires, easy prosecutions, sluggish attempts, discover that the heart is not thoroughly engaged for the spiritual eternal good. When the end is truly designed, it will give law to the actions: this is visible in carnal worldly men; how sagacious, how solicitous are they to accomplish their ends and base designs? They try all ways, either by fine dissimulation, or toilsome industry, to obtain their desires. No time is too much in their gainful affairs, or voluptuous enjoy ments: they transform the night, to lengthen out the day for their profit; they veil the day, to lengthen out the night for their ease and pleasure. But alas, heaven is only regarded by the by; as if the intellectual soul were only given to dwell with the body on earth, the place of its banishment, and direct affairs here below, and not to lead in the way to heaven, the place of its nativity, and prepare for another world. The work of salvation is followed with that remiss degree of affection, as if it were a slight matter whether performed or neglected. These persons carry their conviction in their bosoms; for they are ardent and active to obtain inferior and infinitely less concerning ends, but with that cold application mind the superior nobler end of man, that it is wholly frustrate, which plainly shews it was never seriously intended by them.

The sight of worldly men so active and vigilant to prosecute their low designs, should quicken us to seek with greater diligence and alacrity the kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof. A carnal wretch, urged by the sting of a brutish desire. with what impatience doth he pursue "the pleasures of sin that are but for a season?" An ambitious person, with what an inter

perate height of passion does he chase a feather? A covetous man, how greedily does he pursue the advantages of "the present world, that passes away, and the lusts thereof? Ah! how do they upbraid our indifferent desires, our dull delays, and cold endeavours, when such a high prize is set before us? Who is able to conceive the ravishing pleasure of the soul, when it first enters through "the beautiful gate" of the celestial temple, and sees the the glory of the place, and "hears a voice from the throne, enter into thy Master's joy," to be happy with him forever? The serious belief of this will draw forth all our active powers in the service of God.

3. The sincerity of our heavenly choice declares itself in the temper and frame of our hearts, with respect to all temporal things in this world. For our main and happy end being established, that it consists not in secular riches and honors, and the pleasures of sense, but in the clear vision of God, the blessedness of the Spirit; it follows, that all present things are in our use so far good or evil, and to be desired or not, as they are profitable or prejudicial to our obtaining salvation, as they conduct or divert us from heaven. A wise christian looks on temporal things, not through the glass of disordered passions, that are impetuous and impatient for what is grateful to them, but with reference to his future happiness. He considers the train of temptations that attend an exalted condition, and desires such a portion of these things, as may redound to the glory of the giver, and be improved for his own salvation. This purity of affections our Saviour teaches us: For in his divine form of prayer, (the true directory of our desires) are set down, in an admirable order, all things we are to pray for. And they respect the end, or the means. The end is the primary object of our desires. Accordingly the two first petitions concern our blessed end, as it respects God and ourselves; we pray," Hallowed be thy name," that is, by the reverence and adoration of all his subjects; and, "Thy kingdom come," that is, for the manifestation of his eternal glory in the next world, that we may reign with him. The means in order to this end are of two sorts: some conduct to it by themselves; those are the good things desired in the third and fourth petitions; and some lead to it by accident, and those are the freedom from evils, expressed in the last petition. The good things desired, either have a direct influence upon our obtaining happiness; and they are summed up in our universal obedience to God's will, expressed in the third petition, "Let thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven;" or they are such as by way of subserviency promote our happiness, and those we pray for in the fourth petition, "Give us this day our daily bread." And it is observable, there is but one petition for temporal blessings, and it is the last in the order of those that concern good things: And that single petition is so restrained, that it is evident by its tenor, that earthly things are not

absolutely good to be desired for themselves, but relatively and subordinately to our eternal good. Daily bread we must ask of our heavenly father, the necessary support of the present life, without which, we cannot exercise our internal or external powers and faculties in his service; but not delicacies and abundance for the luxurious appetite.

The difference of conditions in the present world is very great; as in Pharaoh's dream, some ears of corn were so full and weighty, that they bended with their weight; others so thin and blasted, that they were as stubble for the fire. Thus some abound in all felicities possible in this life, others are "chastened every morning" under various and continual afflictions. Now this infallible principle being planted in the heart, that all present things are to be improved with respect to our future happiness, will moderate the affections in prosperity, so to use the world that we may enjoy God, and make us not only patient, but pleased in adversities, as they are preparatory for heaven.

*The original of all the sins and misery of men, is their perverse abuse of things, by turning the means into the end, setting their affections of love, desire and joy upon sensible things, as their proper happiness, with inconsiderate neglect of the spiritual eternal state, to which all other things should be subservient. As if one diseased and sickly in a foreign country, that could not possibly recover his health but in his native air, in his return thither, invited by the pleasantness of the way, should take up his residence in it, and never arrive to his country. Among the West-Indies some are † reported to be swift in running; that no horse can keep pace with them; and they have a constant rule in their diet, to eat of no beast, or bird, or fish, that is slow in motion, fancying it would transfuse a sluggishness in them. The christian life is by the apostle compared to a race, and earthly things by an inseparable property of nature load and depress the soul, that it cannot with vigor run the "race set before it." The believer therefore who intends "for the high price of his calling," and is true to his end, will "be temperate in all things." Nay, he will not only be circumspect, lest they should check with his great design, but wisely manages them in subserviency to it. St. Paul charges them that are rich in this world, to do good, to be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life, I Tim. 6. 18, 19.

And the fixed aim at heaven, as our felicity, will reconcile an afflicted state to us. When temporal evils are effectual means to promote our everlasting happiness; the amiableness and excel

*Frui est amore alicujus rei inhærere propter seipsam, uti autem, quod in usum venerit, ad id quod amas obtinendum referre. Aug. de Doct. Christ.

Acosta.

lency of the end changes their nature, and makes those calamities that in themselves are intolerable, to become light and easy.

The poor, the mourners, the persecuted are blessed now, "because theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." The Apostle, though under variety of sharp troubles, yet expresses his sense with that mitigation, as but lightly touched with them: "As sorrowful but always rejoicing." From hence he tells us, that with unfainting courage he prosecuted his glorious end. "For our light afflictions that are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory." This seriously believed and considered, will make us understand the harmony and consent of the most discordant parts of God's Providence. This will reconcile the severity and roughness of his hand, with the tender compassions of his heart toward his servants. This will dry up rivers of unprofitable tears that flow from the afflicted, and make the cross of Christ a light burden. For their heaviest afflictions are not only consistent with his love, but the effects of it are influential upon their happiness. We are now tossed upon the alternate waves of time, but it is that we may arrive to the port, the blessed bosom of our saviour, and enjoy a peaceful calm; and "so we shall be ever with the Lord." Words of infinite sweetness! This is the song of our prosperity, and the charm of our adversity: well might the Apostle add immediately after, "Therefore comfort one another with these words."

4. The sincere choice of heaven as our final happiness, will make us aspire to the greatest height of holiness we are capable of in the present state. For the end has always a powerful virtue to transform a man into its likenes: And heaven is a state of perfect conformity to the holy God. This difference is observable between the understanding and the will in their operations: the understanding is forming conceptions of things, draws the object to itself. The will is drawn by the object it chooses, and is always fashioning and framing the soul into an entire conformity to it. Thus carnal objects, when propounded as the end of a man, secretly imprint on him their likeness; his thoughts, affections, and whole conversation is carnal. As the Psalmist speaks of the worshipers of idols, "they that make them are like unto them, so is every one that trusteth in them." Whatever we adore and esteem, we are changed into its image. Idolaters are as stupid and senseless, as the idols to which they pay homage. Thus when God is chosen as our supreme good and last end, by conversing with him, the image of his glorious holiness is derived on the soul, and it becomes Godly: the heart is drawn by his attractive excellencies, and the life directed to him. This being a point of great importance, I shall further prove and illustrate it. There is no deliberating about the degrees of that which is loved for itself as our end. More or less may respect the means that are valued and used to obtain it, but the love of the end is 62

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