CHAP. XVI.

OF GOOD WORKS.

I.

GOOD works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy word,a and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intentions.b

a Mic. 6 8; Rom. 12: 2; Heb. 13: 21. b Matt. 15:9; Isa. 29: 13; Rom. 10:2; Job, 16: 2; 1 Sam. 15: 21, 22, 23 ; 1 Pet. 1: 8.

II.

d

These good works done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith, and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that having their fruit unto holiness they may have the end eternal life.1

k

c Jam. 2 18, 22. : e 1 John, 23, 5; 92; Matt. 5: 16. 1. h 1 Pet. 2 15. k Eph. 2: 10.

8.

i

d Psal. 116 12, 13; 1 Pet. 2: 9. 2 Pet. 1: 5, 6, 7; 2: 9, 10. f 2 Cor. g Tit. 2: 5, 9, 10, 11, 12; 1 Tim. 6: 1 Pet. 2: 12; Phil. 1: 11; John, 15:

I Rom. 6 22.

III.

Their ability to do good works is not all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christm And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure; " yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit, but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them." Ezek. 36: 26, 27. n Phil. 2 13, and o Phil. 2: 12; Heb. 6: 11, 12; 2 Isa. 64: 7; 2 Tim. 1: 6; Acts, 26:

m John, 15: 4, 6; 4:13; 2 Cor. 3: 5. Pet. 1: 3, 5, 10, 11; 6,7; Jude, 20, 21.

IV.

They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much, which in duty they are bound to do.p

p Luke, 17: 10; Neh. 13: 22; Job, 9: 2, 3; Gal. 5; 17.

V.

We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them, and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by

q

them we can neither profit nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins; but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: " And because as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit, and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgments.

q Rom. 3: 20, and 4: 2, 4, 6; Eph. 2: 8, 9; Tit. 3:5, 6, 7; Rom. 8: 18; Psal. 16: 2; Job, 22: 23, and 35: 7,8. r Luke, 17: 10. s Gal. 5: 22, 23. t Isa. 64:6; Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7 15 18; Psal. 143:2, and 130: 3.

VI.

Yet notwithstanding the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him," not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God's sight," but that he looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.*

u Eph. 1:6; 1 Pet. 2:5; Exod. 28: 38; Gen. 4:4; Heb. 11: 4. w Job, 9:20; Psal. 142: 2; Phil. 3: 12. * Heb. 13:20, 21; 2 Cor. 8: 12; Heb. 6: 10; Matt. 25: 21, 28.

VII.

Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which

a

God commands, and of good use both to themselves and to others: yet because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith," nor are done in a right manner, according to the word, nor to a right end, the glory of God; they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, nor make a man meet to receive grace from God; yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing to God.d

y 2 Kings, 10: 30, 31: 1 Kings, 21: 27, 29; Phil. 1: 15, 16, 18. z Gen. 4:5; Heb. 11: 4, 6, a 1 Cor. 13: 3; Isa. 1: 12. b Matt. 62, 5, 16. c Hag. 2 14; Tit. 1: 15; Amos, 5 21, 22; Hos. 1:4; Rom. 9: 16; Tit. 3: 5. d Psal. 14: 4, and 36: 3; Job, 21: 14, 15; Matt. 25: 41, 42, 43, 45; Matt. 23: 23.

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CHAP. XVII.

OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS.

I.

THEY Whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from a state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved.a

a Phil. 16; 2 Pet. 1:10; John, 10: 28, 29; 1 John, 3:9; 1 Pet. 1: 5, 9.

II.

This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, 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,d the oath of God, the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace,g g from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof."

с

f

b2 Tim. 2: 18, 19; and 13 20, 21, and 9:

end;

Jer. 31; 33. c Hcb. 10: 10, 14, 12, 13, 14, 15; Rom. 8: 33, to John, 17: 11, 24; Luke, 22: 32; Heb. 7: 25. d John, 17 21. e Hebrews, 6: 17, 18: Psal. 89: 35, 36. f John, 14: 16, 17; 1 John, 2: 27, and 3: 9. g Jer. 32: 40. h John, 10 28; 2 Thes. 3:3; 1 John, 2 : 19.

k

i

III.

And though they may through the temptation of Satan, and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure.1 and grieve his Holy Spirit,m come to have their graces and comforts impaired," have their hearts hardened," and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves, yet they are and shall be kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation."