The covenant of grace or An exposition upon Luke 1. 73.74.75. By George Downame Doctour of Divinity, and Bishop of Dery

CHAP. VII.

The certainty of perseverance proved from the supposed causes of defection, nothing being able to separate the faithfull from the love of God in Christ.

§. 1. SEeing therefore the perseverance of the faithfull is founded both upon the nature of the Deity, as also up∣on the persons of the Trinity, as we have shewed; what, or who shalbe able (that I may come to the supposed causes of defectiō) to separat eus from the love of Christ? For by this interrogation the Apostle doth more em∣phatically deny, that any thing whatsoever shalbe able to separate us from Christ, then if in plaine termes he had said, as after he doth. Nothing whatsoever is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. Shall affl••ct••∣on,

or the cause thereof which is sinne shall heresy, or any temptation? shall the world, or the god of the world the devill, or in a word shall any creature what∣soever? I am assured,f saith the Apostle, that neither death nor life, nor Angells, nor principalities nor powers, nor thinges present nor thinges to come, nor ••eight••nor depth, nor any other creature, shalbe able to s••perate us (meaning by us any of the faithfull or elect) from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord.

Not affliction. for all the afflictions of the godly are either chastisements or trialls, which are layd upon thē for their g good, not to hurt them, but to purge them; not to drive them from God, but to drawe them neerer to him; not to destroy them, but to pr••v••nt destruction. For when we h (that is to say the faithfull, who are not of the world) are judged, that is afflicted for our sinnes, we are chastised of the Lord, that we should not be con∣demned with the world. To the faithfull it is given, i not onely to believe, but also to suffer. For howsoever those, which receive the seed upon stony ground, doe fade & fall away, when temptation or tribulation ariseth k yet those who have received the seed into a good and ho∣nest heart doe retaine the same, and bring forth fruite with patience or perseverance. Yea, so farre are afflictions from overthrowing the faith & hope of the saints, that they become, through the efficacy of the spirit, notable meanes to exercise & confirme th••m. For which cause, as Peter and Iames exhorte the faithfull to rejoyce in afflictions, l because afflictions are trialls wherby the sound and upright are discerned: (whereupon it followeth, that none that are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is sound and upright, are caused by afflictions to fall away) so St. Paul doth testifie, that the faithful doe rejoyce

therein. By faith saith he we stand, and rejoyce under the hope of the glory of God. m and not that onely, but also we rejoyce in afflictions, knowing that affliction bringeth forth patience, and patience probation, and probation hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost, which is given unto us, or as he speaketh elsewhere, because n as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation a∣boundeth through Christ. Neither doe they only rejoyce in afflictions, but also triumph over them. In all these things, saith the Apostle o 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 we are more then conquerours, through him that hath loved us.

§. 2. Not sinne. for neither originall, nor actuall. Not originall, which is called the flesh; for howsoever it re∣maineth in the children of God, yet it doth not reigne in them; and whiles it doth not reigne in them, it can∣not make them fall away. Now that it doth not reigne in thē, is thus proved. 1. Because those who are actually made partakers of the redemption wrought by Christ (as all the faithfull are) are freed as well from the bon∣dage, or dominion, p as from the guilt of sinne. 2ly. be∣cause in the act of regeneratiō sinne is mortified in some measure, & hath received a deadly wound, so that it can no more reigne in the regenerate. For they that are bap∣tized into Christ are baptized into his death, and their old man is crucified with him, that the body of sinne might be destroyed, as the Apostle testifieth Rom. 6.3.6. & Gal. 5 24. Those that are Christs have crucified the flesh, with the passion & lusts thereof. Now they that are dea•• to sin, how should they live to it? for as Christ being once raised frō death dieth no more, neither hath death any more

dominion over him; so we being raised once from the death of sinne, sinne can no more raigne over us, as the Apostle argueth. Rom. 6.9. q and in the 14 verse, to the singular comfort of all the faithfull, he assureth them; that sinne shall not have dominion over them, be∣cause they are not under the law, but under grace.

§. 3. And if not the flesh, then not the will of the flesh; for in our regeneration our will especially is renewed and changed. For howsoever some doe teach, that a regenerate man may will his falling away, and that he may fall away, if he will, there being no such perseve∣rance granted to men, but that of their owne accord they may fall away: unto which error of the semipela∣gians some of late have added a strange conceipt: that in the regenerate man there is the spirit and the flesh, and the will set betweene both, which sometimes follow∣eth the spirit, and sometimes the flesh, and this will be∣ing mutable, our estate in grace is mutable, and there∣fore howsoever GOD doth not forsake the faith∣full, yet they may of their owne accord fall from GOD.

But hereunto I answeare, 1. that the will of a regene∣rate man is also regenerated; and is therefore partly spi∣rit and partly flesh, willing that which is good, as it is spirit, and nilling it as it is flesh: willing that which is evill, as it is flesh, and nilling it as it is spirit; and that be∣tweene these two there is such a conflict r that a rege∣nerate man cannot will with his full will, either that which is evill, or that which is good, And therefore as his good actions are stained with the flesh; so his sinnefull actions are sinnes of infirmity, as being done against his will and purpose, as he is a man regenerate.

2. That our perseverance doth not depend upon our owne will, though regenerate, being left to it selfe, and much lesse upon the will of our flesh, or upon our owne strength; but upon the eternall love of God, from which no creature, and therefore not our owne will shalbe able to seperate us, and upon the immutable will and infinite power of GOD, who is both able and willing to stablish us, as hath beene said. I have before obserued out of St. Augustine s that it is the hand of GOD upon us, and not our owne, that we doe not depart from him, and as he saith in the same place, Non nisi ad gratiam suam Deum pertinere voluisse, ut homo accedat ad eum: neque nisi ad gratiam suam pertinere voluisse, ut homo non recedat ab eo that he would have it belong to his grace alone, both that men doe come to him, and also that they doe not depart from him. and againe, voluntate suae cadit, qui cadit: & voluntate Dei stat, qui stat.

3. That to them, who are regenerate a constant will to persevere is partly given by the spirit in their regene∣ration, and continued by the assisting grace of the spirit in performance of the particular acts of sanctification; and partly procured by our Saviours intercession. For as touching the former, in our regeneration our will is renewed, seriously and constantly to will our salvation and perseverance thereunto & in the continued course of our sanctification we are assisted by the spirit to will and to doe good, and to resist evill, For as St. Augustine testifieth t God to his saints doth give, not onely such an helpe as he gave to the first man, without which they can∣not persevere, if they will; but also he worketh in them to will; that because they shall not persevere, unlesse they both can and will, the power and will to persevere should be

given them by the largesse of Gods grace. For so greatly is their will inflamed by the holy Ghost, that therefore they can, because they so will, therefore they so will, because God worketh that they will. For in so great infirmity of this life, in which infirmity notwithstanding for the repressing of pride, virtue was to be perfected; if their will were left to them selves, that in the helpe of GOD, without which they cannot persevere, they might abide if they would, & GOD should not worke in them, that they would: a∣mong so many & so great temptations, the will it selfe by its infirmity would faile; & therefore they could not persevere, because failing through infirmity, they would not so much as will, or would not so will, by reason of the weaknes of the will, as that they could. Ther∣fore helpe was given to the infirmity of mans will, that by the grace of GOD it should be acted unavoydably, & unseparably; & therefore though weake, should not faile nor be overcome by any adversity.

And as for the latter, it is evident, that as our Savi∣our prayed for Peter, that his faith might not faile, Luk. 22.32. so he prayed also for the rest of the Apo∣stles, and for all the faithfull, that they might perse∣vere u, and consequently that they might have a firme and constant will to persevere. For as Augustine saith, w When Christ prayed that Peters faith should not faile, what els did he aske, but that he might have a most free, strong, in∣vincible, & persevering will in the faith. And a little before x. will you dare to say, that although Christ prayed, that Peters faith should not faile, it would have failed, if Peter would have it faile? as though Peter

would or could by any meanes will an other thing then what Christ had asked for him, that he would will.

And to the like purpose Athanasius saith y, that when our Saviour prayed for the faithfull, that they may be one, as he (saith he) are one, his meaning was, that the grace of the spirit bestowed upon them, might be un∣moveable & irrevocable. z that what was granted to the sonne by nature, to be in the father that should be given unto us irrevocably by the spirit, which the Apostle know∣ing, saith, who shall s••parate us from the love of Christ? for irre••ocable are the gifts of God, and the grace of his calling.

§. 4. Neither doe actuall sinnes cause the faithfull to fall away. For 1. God doth keepe the feete of his Saints. 1. Sam▪ 2▪ 9. And the steps of a man (meaning a good man, with whose way God is delighted, a are establi∣shed by the Lord a. Though he fall, he shall not utterly be cast downe, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. 2. If the sinnes of the faithfull should deprive them of grace; then either sinnes of ignorance, or of infir∣mity, or of malice. But not sinnes of ignorance, or of infirmity: for such sinnes may and doe, even in the best, stand or consist with grace. David complay∣neth of the greatnes and multitude of his sinnes, in many of his Psalmes; wherein notwithstanding he professeth his faith and affiance in God. As Ps. 25.1. ••um 11.38.3.4.18. & 15.40.12. & 17.51.14. Nor sins of malice cōmitted with full cōsent of will: for such are not incidēt unto the faithful, & regenerat; who are partly spirit, & partly flesh: because they are borne of God, & the seed of God remaineth in thē, & therefore

cannot so sinne, as I have shewed heretofore in answer to the sixt question, out of the 1. Ioh. 3.9. who also chap. 5, 18. noteth this to have beene a received truth in his time; we know (saith he) that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not (namely to death) but he that is begot∣ten of God keepeth himselfe, (or as the vulgar edition hath) generatio Dei conservat eum) & that wicked one toucheth him not. 3. Howsoever the sins of the faith∣full many times deserve to exclude them out of Gods favour, yet notwithstanding such is the gracious dis∣pensation of Gods fatherly providence towards them, that he causeth all things both good and bad, ••••d all e∣vill not onely of punishment, but also of sinne, to coo∣perate or worke together for their good, Rom. 8.28. the same is acknowledged by S. Augustine b. God to such lovers of him worketh all things for their good; and so farre forth all things all together, that if any of them goe astray, or be exorbitant, this also he maketh availe∣able for their good: because they returne more humble and more learned. And by S. Basil. c The offences of the godly many times and according to the disp••nsation (of Gods providence) turne to their pr••fit▪ Now if they worke for the good of Gods chil∣dren, then doe they not worke them out of the favour of God.

Not any heresie fundamentall or razing the foun∣dation; for it is not possible d, that the elect aft••e their effectuall calling, should be so seduced, But being onee of the Church e, they doe ever abide in the communi∣on thereof. For though sometimes, even these which have beene teachers of others, doe fall away; neverthe∣lesse

the foundation of God f standeth sure. And the faith∣full have received g an ••uction from the holy one, which abideth in them, and even as it hath taught them, so shall they abide in him. Againe, there must be heresies h, as the Apostle saith, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they that are sound Christians may be knowne, to wit, by not e••bracing them.i therefore those that are seduced by heresies were not sound. as Tertullian also saith (as hath beene be∣fore cited) Neque fideles, neque prudentes, neque usitatos aestimandos, quos haereses potuerint demutare. Nemo chri∣stianus, nisi qui ad fidem usque perseveraverit.

§. 5. Not any temptation; for as we heard before, the Lord is faithfull, k, neither will he suffer any of his chil∣dren to be tempted above their strength. And our Savi∣our testifieth, that those, who are sound Christians l, have built upon the rock; and therefore cannot by any violence of temptations be overthrowne. Augustine m therefore compareth the faithfull to such things as are square, which howsoever they be tossed or turned, doe stand alike so the godly, saith he, in all temptations remaine stedfast. Now it is certaine, that no man falleth away unlesse he be withdrawne by temptation. For as Prosper n saith, quid aliud est perseverare, quam tentati∣one non vinci? what is it to persevere, but not to be over∣come by temptation? But CHRIST hath promised, that against the Church or any found member there∣of the gates, that is, the power of hell shall not pre∣vaile. And true is the saying of Gregory q Temptation doth oftentimes hide the light of righteousnes, in the heart of the elect, but not destroy it. Not the world, for none but worldlings, who love the world, and the things therein more then God, are overcome by the world:

now they that are lovers of the world, r the love of God is not in them, but all that is borne of God overcommeth the world, s and this is the victory that overcommeth the world, even our faith, by which the victory of CHRIST who overcame the world for us, is communica∣ted unto us.

Not the devill: for that wicked one u shall not be able to touch them that are borne of God, namely to hurt them, or to cause them to sinne unto death. For he w that is in us, is greater then he that is in the world▪ who having not onely bound the strong man x as being stronger then he, but having also spoiled y principali∣ties and powers, hath made a shewe of them openly, and triumphed over them; and all this for our sake, that he might tread sathan z under our feete. And further we know, that the devill himselfe is not able to annoy any of us, either in our persons,a or those things which belong unto us, further then it pleaseth GOD, to give him leave or commission. yea the Lord is so farre from suffering him to hurt us, that he causeth all his temptations and machinations against us to turne to our good.

§. 6. And not onely principalities and powers, but no creature whatsoever shalbe able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ.

And heere we are to observe, that divers of those things already spoken of, as afflictions, heresyes, tempta∣tions of any of our spirituall enimies, as they are orde∣red of GOD, are trialls to discerne the sound from the unsound. therefore those that are sound are not o∣vercome by them, they are as it were the fanne where∣with Christ doth purge his floure; and wherewith not

the sound corne, but the chaffe is scattered, as we heard before out of Tertullian c and Cyprian.d

Finally all things whatsoever, not onely good but also evill, & evill not only of punishmēt as afflictiōs, but also of sin, are turned unto the good of Gods children. We know saith the Apostlee that all things work together for good, unto thē that love God. to thē that are called according to his purpose. Now if all things whatsoever by the gra∣cious dispensatiō of Gods providence are turned unto their good, thē it is certaine, that nothing can happen to conclude them totally or finally out of Gods favour: un••••sse any wilbe so absurd as to say, that it is good for men to be separated from the love of God in Christ.

Seeing therefore perseverance is the priviledge of eve∣ry upright & sound christiā, let us by walking uprightly before God in holines and righteousnes, endevour to make our calling & electiō, & cōsequētly our perseverāce sure unto us▪ for if we doe f these things we shall never be removed.

Notes

• From the sup∣posed caùses of defection.
• e

  Rom. 8.35
• f

  Rom. 8.38.39.
• g

  Heb. 12.10.
• h

  1. Cor. 11.31.
• i

  Phil 1 29.
• k

  Luk. 8.13.15.
• l

  1. Pet 4.13. Iam. 1: 2: 3:
• m

  Rom. 5.2: 3: 4: 5:
• n

  2, Cor, 1, 5,
• o

  Rom: 8: 3••,
• Not sinne:
• p

  Rom, 8, 2,
• q

  Rom. 6.14.
• Not the will of the flesh.
• r

  Gal 5 17.
• s

  De bono per∣sev. c. 7, ex Ps 80 1••: .9.
• De bono perse ver. l. 2. c. 8.
• t

  De corrept & gratia c. 12.
• Sub ventum est ergo infirmit••ti voluntaris human••, ut divinà gratiâ indecl nab••l••ter, & inse∣parabiliter ageretu••, & ideo quamvis infirma non deficeter, neque adversitate aliqua vin∣••eretur.
• u

  Ioh. 17, 15.20 21.
• w

  De corrept. & gratia c. 8. Quando rogavit Christus ne fi∣des Petri deficeret, quid aliud rogavit, nisi ut haberet in fide l••berrimam, fort••ssimam, invi∣ctissimam, perseverantissimam voluntatem
• x

  An aud ebis decere, etiam ro∣gante Christo ne deficeret fides Petri, d••fecturum fuisse, si eam Petrus deficere voluiss••t; quasi aliud Pet us ullo modo vellet, quam quod Christus rogasser, ut vellet.
• y

  Orat. 4. cont. Arian.
• z

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Not actuall sinnes.
• a

  Ps. 37.23.24.
• a

  Ps. 37.23.24.
• Rom. 8.28,
• b

  De corrept: & gratia Talibus Deus deligentibus eum omnia coeperatur in bonum, usque adeo pro••sus omnia, ut ••tiam si qui corum deviant & exorbitant, etiam hoc ipsum eis faciat proficere in bonum, quia humiliores tedeunt, & doctio∣res:
• c

  Ascat qu. 81. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Not heresie.
• d

  Mat. 2•• 24
• e

  1. Iohn 2.19
• f

  2. Tim. 2.19.
• g

  1. Ioh. 2.••0.27.
• h

  1 Cor 1••.••9.
• i

  De p••aescript. advers. haeres. c: 3:
• Not tempta∣tion.
• k

  1 Cor: 10:13
• l

  Luk: ••:48
• m

  quest: 4••: ad Oros:
• In quibuslibet tentationibus stabiles perma∣nent.
• n

  Devocat: gent: l: 1: c: ••4:
• q

  Saepè tenta∣tio in corde e∣lectorum lu∣men justitiae abscondit, sed non interimit: Moral: l: 8: c: 6 Not the wo••ld.
• r

  1. Ioh 2.15 16
• s

  1. Ioh. 5.4.
• Ioh. 16.33.
• Not the devill.
• u

  1. Ioh. 5.18.
• w

  1. Ioh. 4.4.
• x

  Luk, 11.22.
• y

  Col. 2:15:
• z

  Rom, 16, 20,
• a

  Iob, 1 & 2: Mat, 8, 31,
• No creature, Rom, 8, 38 3 9,
• c

  de prescript, c. 3.
• d

  de vuit. eccl. & epist. 55.
• e

  Rom. 8.28.
• f

  2. Pet. 1.10. Ps. 15.••••