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1. Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace; 1but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance (whence he still begets and nourishes in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality); and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon: notwithstanding through unbelief and the temptations of Satan the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from 2them, yet he is still the same 3and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palm of his hands and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity.
2. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will but upon the immutability of the decree of 4election flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ 5and union with him, the 6oath of God, the abiding of his Spirit and the 7seed of God within them, and the nature of the 8grace from which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
3. And though they may through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalence of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation fall into grievous 9sins and for a time continue therein; whereby they incur 10God’s displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit, come to have their graces and 11comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened and their consciences wounded, 12hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgements 13upon themselves; yet they shall ultimately 14be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.
- John 10:28,29; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 John 2:19 ↩︎
- Psalm 89:31,32; 1 Corinthians 11:32 ↩︎
- Malachi 3:6 ↩︎
- Romans 8:30, 9:11,16 ↩︎
- Romans 5:9,10; John 14:19 ↩︎
- Hebrews 6:17,18 ↩︎
- 1 John 3:9 ↩︎
- Jeremiah 32:40 ↩︎
- Matthew 26:70,72,74 ↩︎
- Isaiah 64:5,9; Ephesians 4:30 ↩︎
- Psalm 51:10,12 ↩︎
- Psalm 32:3,4 ↩︎
- 2 Samuel 12:14 ↩︎
- Luke 22:32,61,62 ↩︎