Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_400.lzh/D_407.TXT

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CHAP. XV.                           OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF TI;I,E SAINTS.                                                            4o7

the end, or he will not act a wise part. The end which
God has in view, and has fixed, with respect to his
people, is the salvation of them; and it can never be
consistent with his wisdom to appoint insufficient
means, or not make those means effectual, which it is
in his power to do; which must be the case, if any
of those he has appointed to salvation should perish.
Now as he has fixed the end, salvation, he has pro-
vided his Son to be the author of it, by his obedience,
sufferings, and death; and has appointed as means to
the enjoyment of this salvation, the sanctification of
the Spirit, and the belief of the truth; for which pus'-
pose he sends his Spirit to sanctify them, and work
faith in them, whereby these means become effectual,
and the end is answered; and so the wisdom of God
is highly displayed and glorified. But where would
be his wisdom to appoint men to salvation, and not
save them at last ? to send his Son to redeem them,
and they be never the better for it ? and to send his
Spirit into them, to begin a good work of grace, and
not finish it ? But this is not the case, he has put the
work of redemption into the hands of his Son, who
has completed it; and assigned the work of sanctifi-
cation, in its beginning, progress, andissue, to the di-
vine Spirit, who is equal to it, and will perform it:
and throughout the whole, God abounds towards his
 people in all wisdom and prudence.               3. The power
of God is greatly concerned in this affair. Such who
are elect, according to the foreknowledge of God,
and are regenerated by his grace, are kept by his power
to salvatio.n, so that they shall never perish, but be
everlastingly saved. Not only salvation is appointed
as walls and bulwarks to them, which is a sufficient
security; but God himself is a wall of fire about them;
and no enemy can possibly break through such walls,
bulwarks, and fortifications, to destroy them. God is
all powerful, his power is irresistible, nothing can
withstand it, nor overcome it; nothing in earth and
hell is a match for it. And this power of his can never
be weakened, nor his hand shortened, that he cannot
save; which must be the case, if any of those kept by
his power perish. . ...4. The goodness, grace, and
mercy of God, confirm this truth. The mercy of' God
is from everlasting to everlasting, upon them that fear
him; which it would not be, should any of those that
truly fear him perish; His compassions fail not; which
they would, should any of his be consumed; but be-
cause of his tender mercies they are not consumed:
nor can it be thought that that God, who is gracious
and merciful, abundant in goodness and truth; who has,
of his abundant mercy, begotten again his elect; and
because he is rich in mercy, and for his great love to
them, has quickened them when, dead in trespasses and
sins; will, after all this, suffer them to fall, so as to
perish everlastingly; no, the Lord will perfect that which
concerneth them, his work of grace upon them, and
the whole salvation of them: the reason is, Thy mercy,
0 Lord, endures for ever/and then follows a prayer
of faith; Forsake not the work of thine own hands/
which God never will, Psalm cxxxviii. 8.    5. The
justice of God makes the perseverance of the saints
necessary. God is righteous in all his ways and works,
and so in the work of salvation. He is a just God,

and a Saviour; his justice is,- and must be glorified, in
the salvation of men, as the other attributes of his
and it is through Christ's making satisfaction for sin,
and bringing in everlasting righteousness. And can
it be imagined, that God should accept of the righte-
ousness of his Son, and express a well-pleasedness in
it, because by it his law is magnified and made honour-
able; that he should impute it to his people, and give
them faith to receive it, and plead it as their justif. y-
ing righteousness; and yet, after all, suffer them to
perish? Nay, where could be his justice, to punish
those for whose sins Christ has made satisfaction, and
God himself has discharged upon it? It is not con-
sistent with the justice of God to punish sin twice;
once in the surety, and again in those he has redeemed;
which must be the case, if any for whom C!u'ist suf-
fered should perish eternally; for to perish eternally
is the same as to be punished with everlasting destruc-
tion.. ...6. The faithfulness of God secures the final
perseverance of the saints; God is faithful to his coun-
sels, to his covenant, and to his promises concerning
their salvation, and will never suffer his faithfulness to
fail; which must fail if they perish. But God is faith-
ful, who has called them by his grace, and will con-
firm them to the end; will not suffer them to be
tempted above what they are able to bear; will esta-
blish them, and keep them from evil; and will pre-
serve them blameless to the coming of Christ; faithful
is he who has promised, who also will do it.
Secondly, The final perseverance of the saints may
be concluded from the purposes and decrees of God;
which are infrustrable, and are always. accomplished;
The Lord of hosts hath putposed, and who shall dis-
annul it ? or make it void, and of no effect ? and
hand is stretched out, t6 execute his purposes, and who
shall turn it back from doing the thing he is resolved
on ? as he has thought, so shall it come to pass; and as
he has purposed, it shall stand, Isa. xiv. 24, 27. though
there may be a thousand devices in the hearts of men
and devils, they can never counteract, nor undermine
the decrees of God. His counsel shall stand, every
purpose of his, and particularly his purpose according
to election; which stands not upon the foot of works, but
upon the will ofhbn that calls, which is unalterable and
irreversible. The election hath obtained, or the elect, in
allages, have obtained righteousness, life, and salvation;
it is not possible they should be deceived; nor can any
charge be laid against them by law or justice, and there-
fore must be saved. Election is an ordination of men to
eternal life, and therefore they shall never die the
second death; it is an appointment of them to salva-
tion, and therefore they shall be saved; they are
chosen to obtain the glory of Christ, through sanctifi-
cation of the Spirit, and belief of the truth; and ac-
cordingly they are sanctified by the Spirit, and do
believe in Christ, who is the truth, and shall be glori-
fied; for between their predestination and glorifica-
tion, there is an inseparable connection; Whom he did
predestinate--them he also glorified, Rom. ix. 12, 13.
and xi. 7. and viii. 30.
Thirdly, The argument in fayour of the saints final
perseverance, receives great strength fi'om the pro-
mises of God, which are sure, and are all yea and