Chapter 17
Of The Perseverance Of The Saints
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Those whom God hath accepted in the
Beloved, effectually called and
sanctified by the Spirit, and given
the precious faith of His elect unto
can neither totally nor finally fall
from the state of grace, but 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 nourisheth in them faith,
repentance, love, joy, hope, and all
the graces of the Spirit to
immortality)1 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 them,2 yet it is still the
same, and 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.3
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This perseverance of the saints,
depends not upon their own free will
but upon the immutability of the
decree of election,4 flowing from the free
and unchangeable love of God the
Father, upon the efficacy of the
merit and intercession of Jesus
Christ and union with Him,5 the oath of God,6 the abiding of His
Spirit, and the seed of God wthin
them,7 and the
nature of the covenant of
grace;8 from all
which ariseth also the certainty and
infallibility thereof.
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And though they may, through the
temptation of Satan, and of the
world, the prevalency of corruption
remaining in them, and the neglect of
means of their preservation, fall
into grievous sins, and for a time
continue therein;9
whereby they incur God's displeasure,
and grieve His Holy Spirit,10 come to have their
graces and comforts impaired,11 have their hearts
hardened, and their consciences
wounded,12 hurt
and scandalize others, and bring
temporal judgments upon
themselves,13 yet
shall they renew their repentance,
and be preserved through faith in
Christ Jesus, to the end.14
Footnotes:
1. Jn
10:28-29; Php 1:6; 2Ti 2:19; 1Jn
2:19.
2. Ps
89:31-32; 1Co 11:32.
3. Mal
3:6.
4. Ro
8:30; 9:11,16.
5. Ro
5:9-10; Jn 14:19.
6. Heb
6:17-18.
7. 1Jn
3:9.
8. Jer
32:40.
9. Mt
26:70,72,74.
10.
Isa 64:5,9; Eph 4:30.
11.
Ps 51:10,12.
12.
Ps 32:3-4.
13.
2Sa 12:14.
14.
Lk 22:32,61-62.
©1998 Limerick Free
Baptist Church
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Free Baptist Church of Limerick