Of PERSEVERANCE

1. What is meant by [perseverance] in grace?

A continuing still in the state of grace, and the habitual practice of godliness to the end.

2. Can none who are justified, adopted, and sanctified, fall totally and finally from grace?

No: they can neither fall totally from all grace, nor finally without recovery; for “those that thou gavest me,” says Christ, “I have kept, and none of them is lost,”

3. How is the perseverance of the saints infallibly secured?

By the immutability of electing love; Jeremiah 31:3 by an indissolvable union with Christ; Romans 8:38–39 by the merit of his purchase; 1 Peter 1:18–19 by the prevalency of his intercession; Luke 22:32 by the inhabitation of the Spirit; John 14:16 and by the power of a promising God. 1 Peter 1:5

4. What promise, among others, have believers for their perseverance in grace to the end?

They have that remarkable promise, in Jer. xxxii. 40.—“I will not turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me.”

5. What security have believers by this promise?

They are secured on every side; both that God will never cast them off, and that they shall never desert him.

6. What is the ground, in law, upon which believers are secured, that God will never cast them off, and that they shall never desert him?

Christ’s perseverance in obedience unto the law for them, till the condition of the covenant was perfectly fulfilled, Philippians 2:8 whereby their perseverance was purchased, and infallibly secured. Titus 2:14

7. Do all who make a zealous profession of religion persevere therein?

No: many of them fall away afterwards.

8. What may we conclude about these who fall totally and finally from their profession?

That they were never in reality what they professed themselves to be, “They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.”

9. What are the chief branches of the promise of perseverance?

A promise of the continued influence of grace, Isaiah 27:3 and a promise of continued pardon for the sins of the believer’s daily walk. Jeremiah 33:8

10. Why is a promise of the continued influences of grace necessary?

Because the stock of inherent grace would soon fail: of itself, it would wither away, and die out, if it were not fed.

11. Why is a promise of continued pardon necessary to the perseverance of saints already justified?

Not as if there were any need of new pardons with respect unto their state, because none of their sins can bring them any more under the guilt of eternal wrath; Romans 8:1 but only with respect to the sins of their daily walk, which bring them under the guilt of fatherly anger. Psalm 89:30–32

12. How is the pardon of the sins of the daily walk granted unto believers?

Upon their renewed actings of faith in Jesus Christ, and of repentance towards God; yet not FOR their believing and repenting, but for Christ’s sake, 1 John 2:1–2 even as the first pardon is given. 1 John 1:7

13. Doth repentance then go before the pardon of sin?

Although repentance doth not go before, but follows after, the pardon of sin in justification; yet not only faith, but repentance also, goes before the pardons given to these who are already justified, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”

14. How doth the perseverance of the saints flow from their justification?

In as much as they who are once justified, and accepted in the beloved, are always so; “for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

15. How doth their perseverance flow from adoption?

In as much as he who hath adopted them as his children, is their everlasting Father; Isaiah 9:6 and therefore they shall abide in his house for ever. John 8:35

16. How doth it flow from their sanctification?

In as much as the sanctifying Spirit is given them to abide with them for ever; John 14:16 and to be in them a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. John 4:14

17. What improvement should be made of this connection of the benefits and blessings that accompany and flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?

It should excite us to have a desire after the saving knowledge of the truth, as it is in Jesus, in whom all the lines of divine truth do meet, as in their centre; Ephesians 4:21 and to admire the infinite goodness and wisdom of God, who has so linked all the blessings of the covenant into one another, that they who are possessed of one, are possessed of all. 1 Corinthians 3:22–23