ableness, neither shadow of turning, James i. 17. That man is changeable in his purpose, flows from his weaknefs, and from his ignorance of e`vents. His purposes are founded upon a fuppofition, or at most a probability that things shall be fo and fo; and when things fall out otherwife than was expected, man muft fuit his purposes to the state of things. But the matter is far other wife with God, who doth not therefore purpose to act fo and fo, because he feeth fuch things will fall out; but things fall out fo, because God purpofed in himself that they fhould fo fall out. All things are wrought by him according to the coun, fel of his own will; and known to him are his works from the beginning. Again, man changes his purpofe, becaufe he knows not at first what is beft to be done; but the matter is nothing fo with God. (2.) As for the event of the purpose, that must be infallible. God cannot fall fhort of his purpose, if we will take his own word on it. The grafs withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God fhall stand for ever, Ifa. xl. 8. And again, I am God, and there is none elfe; I am God, and there is none like me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done: faying, My counsel fhall stand, and I will do all my pleasure, Ifa. xlvi. 9, 10. And well may he fay he will do fo, fince none is able to refift his will; he that doth it, muft first grapple with omnipotence, The Lord of hafts hath purposed, and who shall difanul it? his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? Ifa. xiv. 27. If he works, who can let? Ifa. xliii. 13. None can stay his hand, or fay unto him, What doft thou? Dan. iv. 45. What is then pur poled by God must be infallibly certain, That fuch

as

as do by faith betake themselves to Jefus Chrift, fhall be faved..

2. The faithfulness of God in the promise is engaged for it: fo runs the promife, He that believes fhall be faved. When a man's purpose is not declared, he is indeed accountable to himfelf for any change or alteration of it, but not to others; but if he declare it openly, efpecially if he turn his purpose into a promife, in that cafe he is brought under a more public and folemn tie to stand firmly to what is engaged. So, had this been a pur pofe concealed in the breaft of God, if I may fo fpeak, however he himself should have been engaged for its accomplishment, yet we had in that cafe nothing to fay: but God by his promife makes himself a debter; fuch is his condefcenfion to his own creatures. God cannot fuffer a believ er to fall fhort of falvation, as matters are now ftated, unless he thereby fall into difgrace and contempt; which is as impoffible, as it is for him to refign his godhead. Certain therefore it is, upon the account of the promife of God, that a loft finner betaking himself by faith to the Lord Jefus Chrift, fhall be faved. This will appear indeed of great weight, if it be confidered, (1.) That there is not only a promife, but a covenant. (2.) That this covenant has feals appended to it, for the ratification of it. (3.). That Chrift is the fire. ty of this covenant. (4.) That all the bleffings promifed, are bought by Christ at no lower rate than that of his own blood. (5.) What he has purchafed, he made over in a teftamentary way, by way of legacy, to believers. (6.) This teftament being confirmed by the death of the teftator, there is no altering of it. (7.) The holy Spirit, if I may fo fpeak, is left executor of his

latter

latter will; therefore it is utterly impoffible that any believer should mifs of falvation. Thefe things we have only named, becaufe we haften to the improvement of this truth; which we fhall come to, after we have handled a

3d Argument for proof of the truth under con fideration, and that is taken from the experience of fuch as do believe. And because this argu ment is, it may be, lefs understood, therefore I fhall infift fomewhat the more largely upon it, That I may prove it certain that believers are fave ed, from experience, I 'fhall enquire, 1. What it is that fuch as do believe experience? 2. How we know that they do fo. for their experience figni fies nothing to us, unless it be made known in fuch a way as may give it fome weight. -As to the first, we fay, (1.) Alb believers, at death, do attain the full poffeffion of this great, complete, fuitable, and eternal falvation: they enter into reft, being conducted fafe to glory, by the glorious captain of his people's falvation. But this is not that which we principally defign to in fift upon, as an evidence of the certainty of the falvation of fuch as do believe: wherefore we fay, (2) That fuch as do believe, even in this life, have fome experience of this falvation upon their believing on the Lord Jefus Christ. We do not fay indeed, that all believers have the fame de grees of experience, of can give alike diftinct ac count of their experiences: but this we fay; That all who do believe, upon their believing have fome experience; and fuch as are diligent, and do carefully improve that spirit which is given them, whereby they may know the things that are freely given them of God, may underftand in fome measure, if not all, yet most of the expe

riences we fhall mention. Ye may eafily underftand, from what hath been at great length difcourfed to you, that this falvation comprehends a deliverance from evil, and a grant of all that is good. Now we shall name fome experiences that believers upon their believing obtain, both of the one, and of the other.

(1.) Then, fuch as do by faith receive Jefus Christ, upon their believing have a gracious expe rience of a begun deliverance from wrath. Whereas before their believing they were under fears of wrath, and faw themselves in imminent danger of inevitable ruin, fo that they were much dif quieted; now, upon their believing, they find fomething of a bleffed calm. True it is indeed, they do not always prefently find reft, full reft I mean; yet, upon their reception of Chrift; there is ever fome beginnings of reft, and fomewhat of a begun deliverance from these cruciating and tormenting fears, which formerly did ar pear intolerable. The cafe of a believer, at fuch a time, may be like that of a man, who, falling over a dreadful precipice, gets hold of fomething which he is fure is able to fupport him: fuch an one, though he be in fome degree free from that dread-. ful fear which he was under, may yet be under fome apprehenfions of danger from his own inabi hty to hold the grip he has gotten. Juft fo is it with a poor convinced finner: at fome times, be fore Chrift is difcovered, he is in the moft lament? able cafe imaginable; he finds himself falling headlong into ruin and mifery, and this frights him terribly; he fees the pit beneath him, and finds himself haftening thither; and therefore is in a dreadful confternation, while there is nothing but a fearful looking for of wrath and firey indig

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Part II. nation: while he is in this cafe, Chrift is difcovered to him; he fees him fufficient to fave him, and understands on what terms he may have him; he is pleafed with them, and lays hold on Chrift; and thence there enfue fome beginnings of rest, though he may ftill be in fome fears that he may lofe the grip: and this begun deliverance from the fears of wrath, is a pledge of that full and complete freedom which he has ground to expect.

(2.) Sinners, upon their believing on the Lord Jefus Chrift, have fome experience of begun falvation from the dominion of fin. The law of the fpirit of life in Chrift Jefus makes them free, in fome meafure, from the law of fin and death, Rom. viii. 2. I know indeed there may be greater complaints of fin after believing than ever, and its power may be felt more than formerly; yet every one that truly doth believe, has fome expe rience of a begun deliverance from the reign and dominion of fin. However fin may make more ftir in the foul, yet it has not fo much power as formerly. Now there is not that willing compli ance with it, as formerly there was, in all its commands: now its title is difputed, its commands are rejected; and when any of them are complied withal, there is a force put upon the foul in its fo doing.

(3.) They experience fomé beginnings of a deliverance from the guilt and filth of fin in their ap proaches to God. Before, when they heard of God, they were like Adam ready to run away and hide themfelves: they were afraid to look him in the face: but now they begin to feel fome more confidence in their approaches to God. They draw near, and are not fo frighted, nay, they have fome hopes as to the jffue of these their ap