By SEMINAL EXISTENCE, underftand the exiftence that we had in Adam's loins before Eve had conceived; or the kind of being, which the Prince of Wales had in the loins of the King, before the Queen came to England. THE THE SECOND PART O F THE SCRIPTURE SCALE S. SECTION XIV. Containing the Scripture-doctrine of the Perfeverance of the Saints. T PROMISED the Reader, that Zelotes and Ho. nestus should soon meet again, to fight their lat battle; and that I may be as good as my word, I bring them a fecond time upon the stage of contro verfy. I have no pleafure in feeing them contend with each other; but I hope, that when they fhall have fhot all their arrows, and fpent all their flrength, they will quietly fit down, and liften to terms of reconciliation. They have had already many engagements, but they feem determined that this thall be the fharpeft. Their challenge is about the doctrine of Perfeverance. Zelotes afferts that the perfeverance of believers depends entirely upon God's almighty grace, which nothing can fruftrate; and that, of confe quence, no believer can finally fall. Honeftus on the other hand maintains, that continuing in the faith depends chiefly, if not entirely, upon the believer's free will; and that of confequence, final perfeverance is, partly, if not altogether, as uncertain as the Auctuations of the human heart. The reconciling truth lies between those two extremes, as appears from the following propofitions, in which I fum up the feripturedoctrine of perfeverance. B, 2. 1. God 1, God makes us glorious. promifes to encourage us to persevere. 1. God on his part gives us his gracious help. 1. Free-grace always does its part. 1. Final perfeverance" depends firft, on the final, gracious concurrence of free-grace with free will. 1. As free-grace has in all things the pre-eminence over free-will, we muft lay much more stress upon God's faithfulnefs, than upon our own. The fpoufe comes out of the wilderness leaning upon her Beloved, and not upon herself. 1. The believer ftands upon two legs (if I may fo fpeak) God's faithful nefs and his own. The one is always found, nor can he reft too much upon it, if he does but walk frait as a wife chriftian; and does not foolishly hop as an Antinomian, who goes only upon his right leg; or as a pharifee, who moves entirely upon the Left. 2. Thofe promises are neither compulsory nor abfolute. 2. We muft on our part faithfully use the help of God. 2. Free-will does not always do its part. 2. Final perfeverance depends fecondly, on the final, faithful concurrence of free-will with free grace. 2. But to infer from thence, that the fpoufe is to be carried by her Be loved every step of the way, is unfcriptural. He gently draws her, and the runs. He gives her his arm, and fhe leans. But far from dragging her by main force, he bids her remember Lot's wife. 2. The believer's left leg (I mean his own faithfulness) is fubject to many humours, fores, and bad accidents; especially when he does not use it at all; or when he lays too much ftrefs upon it, to fave his other leg. If it is broken, he is already fallen and if he is out! of hell, he must lean as much as he can upon his ; When right leg, till the left be gins gins to heal, and he can again run the way of God' commandments. When gospel minifters fpeak of our faithfulnefs, they chiefly mean(1) Our faithfulness in repenting, that is, in renouncing our fins and pharifaic righteousness; and in improving the talent of light, which shows us our natural depravity, daily imperfections, total help leffnefs, and conftant need of an humble recourse to, and dependance on divine grace. And, (2) Our faithfulness in believ ing (even in hope against hope) God's redeeming love to finners in Chrift; in humbly apprehending, as returning prodigals, the gratuitous forgivenefs of fins through the blood of the Lamb; in cheerfully claiming, as impotent creatures, the help that is laid on the Saviour for us; and in conftantly coming at his word, to take of the water of life freely. And fo far as Zelotes recom. mends this evangelical difpofition of mind, without opening a back door to Antinomianifm, by covertly pleading for fm, and 2. To aim chiefly at being faithful in external works, means of grace, and forms of godlinefs, is the high road to Pharifa ifm, and infincere obedience. I giant, that he who is humbly faithful in little things, is faithful alfo in much; and that he, who flothfully neglects little helps, will foon fall into great fins: but the profeffors of chriftianity cannot be too frequently told, that if they are not first faithful in maintaining true poverty of fpirit, deep felf humiliation be- · fore God, and high thoughts of Chrift's blood and righteoufnefs; they will foon flide into Laodicean pharifaifm: and, Jehu-like, they will make more of their own partial, external, felfifh faithful nefs, than of divine grace, and the fpirit's power; a moft dangerous and common error this, into which the followers of Honeftus are very prone to run, and fo far as he leads them in to it, or encourages them in it, he deferves to be highl and dealing about his imaginary decrees of forcible grace and fovereign wrath, he cannot be too highly commended. highly blamed; and Ze.. lotes, in this respect, hath undoubtedly the advantage over him. 2. Would Honeftuskindly meet Zelotes half way, he muft fpeak of free-p -grace, and of Christ's obedience unto death as the feriptures do. He muft glory in difplaying divine faithfulness, and placing it in the most confpicuous and engag 1. If Zelotes will do justice to the doctrine of perfeverance, he muft speak of the obedience of faith, that is, of genuine, fincere obedience, as the oracles of God do. He muft not blush to difplay the glorious rewards, with which God hath promifed to crown it. He mufting light. He must not boldly declare, that for want of it the wrath of God cometh upon the children of difobedience upon fallen believers, who have no in- be afhamed to point out: the great rewards of the faith which inherits promifes, gives glory to God, and out of weakness › makes us ftrong to take up our crofs, and to run the race of obedience.In a word, he must teach his willing hearers to depend every day more and more upon Chrift; and to lay as much firefs upon his promifes, as they e To fum all up in two Propofitions. 2. The infallible perfe verance of difobedient believers, is a most dange 1. The infallible perfeverance of obedient believcrs, is a moft fweet and evangelicaldoctrine, whichrous and unfcriptural doc. f |