Perseverance by Thomas Watson

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from: A Body of Divinity: by Thomas Watson 

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http://www.PeaceMakers.net\unity\twabodyofdivinity.htm

Perseverance 

'Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.’ I Pet 1: 5. 

The fifth and last fruit of sanctification, is perseverance in grace. The 
heavenly inheritance is kept for the saints, and they are kept to the 
inheritance. I Pet 1: 4. The apostle asserts a saint’s stability and permanence 
in grace. The saint’s perseverance is much opposed by Papists and Arminians; 
but it is not the less true because it is opposed. A Christian’s main comfort 
depends upon this doctrine of perseverance. Take this away, and you prejudice 
religion, and cut the sinews of all cheerful endeavours. Before I come to the 
full handling and discussing of this great point, let me first clear the sense 
of it. 

I. When I say, Believers persevere: 

[I] I grant, that such as are so only in profession, may fall away. 'Demas has 
forsaken me.’ 2 Tim 4: 10. Blazing comets soon evaporate. A building on sand 
will fall. Matt 7: 26. Seeming grace may be lost. No wonder to see a bough fall 
from a tree that is only tied on. Hypocrites are only tied on Christ by an 
external profession, they are not ingrafted. Who ever thought artificial 
motions would hold long? The hypocrite’s motion is only artificial, not vital. 
All blossoms do not ripen into fruit. 

[2] I grant that if believers were left to stand on their own legs, they might 
fall finally. Some of the angels, who were stars full of light and glory, 
actually lost their grace; and if those pure angels fell from grace, much more 
would the godly, who have so much sin to betray them, if they were not upheld 
by a superior power. 

L3] I grant that, although true believers do not fall away actually, and lose 
all their grace, yet their grace may fail in degree, and they may make a great 
breach upon their sanctification. Grace may be moritura, non mortua; dying, but 
not dead. 'Strengthen the things which are ready to die.' Rev 3: 2. Grace may 
be like fire in the embers; though not quenched, yet the flame is gone out. 
This decay of grace I shall show in two particulars. 

(1.) The lively actings of grace may be suspended. 'Thou hast left thy first 
love.’ Rev 2: 4. Grace may be like a sleepy habit; the godly may act faintly in 
religion, the pulse of their affections may beat low. The wise virgins 
slumbered. Matt 25: 5. The exercise of grace may be hindered; as when the 
course of water is stopped. (2.) Instead of grace working in the godly, 
corruption may work; instead of patience, murmuring; instead of heavenliness, 
earthliness. How did pride put forth itself in the disciples, when they strove 
who should be the greatest! How did lust put forth itself in David! Thus lively 
and vigorous may corruption be in the regenerate; they may fall into enormous 
sins. But though all this be granted, yet they do not, penitus exeidere, fall 
away finally from grace. David did not quite lose his grace: for then, why did 
he pray, 'Take not away thy holy spirit from me,? He had not quite lost the 
Spirit. As Eutychus, when he fell from a window (Acts 20:) and all thought he 
was dead - 'No, saith Paul, there is life in him;’ so David fell foully, but 
there was the life of grace in him. Though the saints may come to that pass 
that they have but little faith, yet not to have no faith. Though their grace 
may be drawn low, yet it is not drawn dry; though grace may be abated, it is 
not abolished; though the wise virgins slumbered, yet their lamps were not 
quite gone out. Grace, when at the lowest, shall revive and flourish; as when 
Samson had lost his strength, his hair grew again, and his strength was 
renewed. Having thus explained the proposition, I come now to amplify this 
great doctrine of the saint’s perseverance. 

II. By what means do Christians come to persevere? 

[I] By the help of ordinances, as of prayer, the word, and the sacraments. 
Christians do not arrive at perseverance when they sit still and do nothing. It 
is not with us as with passengers in a ship, who are carried to the end of 
their voyage while they sit still in the ship; or, as it is with noblemen, who 
have their rents brought in without their toil or labour; but we arrive at 
salvation in the use of means; as a man comes to the end of a race by running, 
to a victory by fighting. 'Watch and pray.’ Matt 26: 4I. As Paul said, 'Except 
ye abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.’ Acts 27: 3 1: Believers shall come 
to shore at last, arrive at heaven; but 'except they abide in the ship,’ viz.’ 
in the use of ordinances, 'they cannot be saved.’ The ordinances cherish grace; 
as they beget grace, so they are the breastmilk by which it is nourished and 
preserved to eternity. 

[2] Auxilio Spiritus, by the sacred influence and concurrence of the Spirit. 
The Spirit of God is continually at work in the heart of a believer, to carry 
on grace to perfection. It drops in fresh oil, to keep the lamp of grace 
burning. The Spirit excites, strengthens, increases grace, and makes a 
Christian go from one step of faith to another, till he comes to the end of his 
faith, which is salvation. I Pet 1: 9. It is a fine expression of the apostle, 
'The Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.’ 2 Tim 1: I4. He who dwells in a house, 
keeps the house in repair; so the Spirit dwelling in a believer, keeps grace in 
repair. Grace is compared to a river of the water of life. John 7: 38. This 
river can never be dried up, because God’s Spirit is the spring that 
continually feeds it. 

[3] Grace is carried on to perfection by Christ’s daily intercession. As the 
Spirit is at work in the heart, so is Christ at work in heaven. Christ is ever 
praying that the saint's grace may hold out. Conserva illos; "Father, keep 
those whom thou hast given me:" keep them as the stars in their orbs: keep them 
as jewels, that they may not be lost. "Father keep them.", John 17: 2: That 
prayer which Christ made for Peter, was the copy of the prayer he now makes for 
believers. 'I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not,’ that it be not 
totally eclipsed. Luke 22: 32. How can the children of such prayers perish? 

III. Arguments to prove the saint’s perseverance. 

[1] A veritate Dei, 'from the truth of God.’ God has both asserted it, and 
promised it. (I.) God has asserted it. 'His seed remaineth in him.’ I John 3: 
9. 'The anointing ye have received of him abideth in you.’ I John 2: 27. (2.) 
As God has asserted it, so he has promised it. The truth of God, the most 
orient pearl of his crown, is laid as a pawn in the promise. 'I will give unto 
them eternal life, and they shall never perish.' John 10: 28. 'I will make an 
everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them 
good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from 
me.’ Jer 32: 40. God will so love his people, that he will not forsake them; 
and they shall so fear him, that they shall not forsake him. If a believer 
should not persevere, God would break his promise. 'I will betroth thee unto me 
for ever, in righteousness and lovingkindness.’ Hos 2: I9. God does not marry 
his people unto himself, and then divorce them; he hates putting away. Mal 2 
I6. God's love ties the marriage-knot so fast, that neither death nor hell can 
break it asunder. 

[2] The second argument is, a potentia Dei, 'from the power of God.’ The text 
says, we 'are kept by the power of God unto salvation.’ Each Person in the 
Trinity has a hand in making a believer persevere. God the Father establishes. 
2 Cor 1: 2I. God the Son confirms, I Cor 1: 8. God the Holy Ghost seals. Eph 1: 
I3. So that it is the power of God that keeps us. We are not kept by our own 
power. The Pelagians held that man by his own power might overcome temptation 
and persevere. Augustine confutes them. 'Man,' says he, 'prays unto God for 
perseverance, which would be absurd, if he had power of himself to persevere.' 
'And,' says Augustine, 'if all the power be inherent in a man’s self, then why 
should not one persevere as well as another? Why not Judas as well as Peter?’ 
So that it is not by any other than the power of God that we are kept. The Lord 
preserved Israel from perishing in the wilderness, till he brought them to 
Canaan; and the same care will he take, if not in a miraculous manner, yet in a 
spiritual invisible manner, in preserving his people in a state of grace, till 
he bring them to the celestial Canaan. As the heathens feigned of Atlas, that 
he bears up the heavens from falling: the power of God is that Atlas which 
bears up the saints from falling. It is disputed, whether grace of itself may 
not perish, as Adam’s; yet sure I am, grace kept by the power of God cannot 
perish. 

[3] The third argument is taken, ab electione, 'from God's electing love.’ Such 
as God has from all eternity elected to glory, cannot fall away finally; but 
every true believer is elected to glory, therefore he cannot fall away. What 
can frustrate election, or make God’s decree void? This argument stands like 
Mount Sion, which cannot be moved; insomuch that some of the Papists hold, that 
those who have absolute election cannot fall away. 'The foundation of God 
standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his.’ 2 Tim 2: 
I9. The foundation of God is nothing else but God’s decree in election; and 
this stands sure; God will not alter it, and others cannot. 

[4] The fourth argument is taken, ab unione cum Christo, 'from believers' union 
with Christ.' They are knit to Christ as the members to the head, by the nerves 
and ligaments of faith, so that they cannot be broken off. Eph 5: 23. What was 
once said of Christ's natural body is true of his mystical. 'A bone of it shall 
not be broken.' As it is not possible to sever the leaven and the dough when 
they are once mingled and kneaded together, so it is impossible for Christ and 
believers, when once united, ever to be separated. Christ and his members make 
one body. Now, is it possible that any part of Christ should perish? How can 
Christ lose any member of his mystic body, and be perfect? In short, si unus 
excidat, quare non et alter? If one believer may be broken off from Christ, 
then, by the same rule, why not another. Why not all? And so Christ would be a 
head without a body. 

[5] The fifth argument is taken, ab emptione, 'from the nature of a purchase.’ 
A man will not lay down his money for a purchase which may be lost, and the 
fee-simple alienated. Christ died that he might purchase us as a people to 
himself for ever. 'Having obtained eternal redemption for us.’ Heb 9: I2. Would 
Christ, think ye, have shed his blood that we might believe in him for a while, 
and then fall away? Do we think Christ will lose his purchase? 

[6] The sixth argument is, a victoria supra mundum, 'from a believer’s victory 
over the world.’ The argument stands thus: He who overcomes the world 
perseveres in grace; but a believer overcomes the world; therefore a believer 
perseveres in grace. 'This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our 
faith.’ I John 5: 4. A man may lose a single battle in the field, yet win the 
victory at last. A child of God may be foiled in a single battle against 
temptation, as Peter was, but he is victorious at last. Now, if a saint be 
crowned victor, if the world be conquered by him, he must needs persevere. 


May I AM,  The Father-The Son Christ Jesus bless you through The Holy
Spirit, In Christ's name...
Bill Fields
630.668.1205
http://www.peacemakers.net
http://www.christiancourt.org

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