PERSEVERANCE

Asaph—Signifies—One That Finishes & Completes

My dear Asaph:

THE unbelieving apprehension which has long perplexed your mind, and disturbed your peace, relative to your final PERSEVERANCE, has induced me to write a few lines to you, upon that interesting and important subject; and while you read, I trust you will be looking up for divine influence, to render them useful to your soul, so that you may be enabled to dismiss your slavish fears, and go on your way rejoicing; “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

I enter most cheerfully upon this doctrine, which is dear to the heart of every established Christian, and which has afforded rivers of comfort to believers in every age. I am aware that my greatest difficulty will be to satisfy your mind, that God’s work is really begun in you, and, unless the Holy Spirit is pleased to bear witness with your spirit, I have no hope of succeeding in this: but, as he deigns to put honor upon the efforts of those who honor him, I will beseech him, on your behalf, to accompany what I write with his holy unction, so as to induce you to sing with the psalmist, “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”

That a wonder change is wrought in you I think you cannot dispute, because you were once blind to your state and danger as a sinner in the sight of God, but now you certainly see yourself wretched and ruined—you know you once lived without prayer, which you cannot do now—you were once destitute of spiritual emotions, but now you are no stranger to hunger and thirst after righteousness, or to holy desires, humble hopes, and inward conflicts. These things are not the product of nature, or the work of creatures, but of him who alone can create a sinner anew in Christ Jesus, and who never forsakes the work of his own hands. See, my dear Asaph, if these things are not some of the traits of your experience, and own them as the work of God, then you will be prepared to receive the comfort which flows from the doctrine under our consideration.

If perseverance depended upon yourself, you certainly would not persevere another hour; but as it is the Lord’s work, to begin, carry on, and complete his own temple, to suppose that any thing can hinder his work or frustrate his design, appears to me to be ridiculous; nay more, it is blasphemous! for it is supposing his power to be limited, or his will fickle.

When mortals take up with religion of their own accord, they generally lay it down again at their pleasure, and that which begins in natural free-will, invariably ends in disappointment, or apostacy; but when the Holy Spirit takes hold of the sinner’s conscience by his powerful influence, he never leaves his work unfinished; for that which begins with free grace, shall end in everlasting glory.

The covenant, the promise, and the honor of God, all stand pledged to perfect the work of grace when once it is begun.

Everything in you, my dear Asaph, and every thing around you, may militate against your perseverance, but he who has said, “the righteous shall hold on his way,” knew what would be in you before he began his work; yea, when he wrote the irrevocable decree, to give you grace and glory. In the very foresight of all your guilt and rebellion, he gave you to Christ, and Christ to you, therefore it cannot be supposed that he will abandon you on account of any thing he sees in you, unless you can imagine that there is something now discovered which he could not foresee.

If the perseverance of the saints depended on any thing but the everlasting covenant love of God, he himself could be at no certainty respecting the making up of his jewels, and he might after all the provision of his covenant—all the sufferings of Christ, and all the works of the Spirit, be disappointed of saving half, or any of the objects of his love. The thought is blasphemous, it must not, it shall not, be harbored, since the Father has said, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure,”—since Jesus demands all that the Father has given him, to be with him where he is, to behold his glory, and has declared that all whom the Father giveth him, shall come to him, and in no wise be cast out; yea, since the Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus, in the soul of every awakened sinner, if such an one could fall short of heaven, the testimony of the Holy Ghost would be falsified—the work of Christ invalidated—and the Father’s oath violated. Thus the whole covenant engagement of the ETERNAL THREE would be abrogated.

But how delightful is that blessed truth asserted by the Saviour, “I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.” Let sin, Satan, and the world try their utmost; it is impossible they can prevail against the weakest believer to his ruin, because he is in Christ’s hand, where he was placed by the covenant love of God, and where he must abide to all eternity. This heart-cheering truth has supported my mind in the most painful seasons, and afforded consolation when nothing else could, and I am persuaded, that if this holy bulwark of security were destroyed, the tried Christian would have no where to repose his confidence or obtain succour amidst the sharp conflicts of the soul.

The sweet assurance of this grand doctrine is fraught with advantages; it gives new courage to those who were ready to give up the war— fires the zeal of those who were ready to halt— raises the mind above the most formidable difficulties—and affords unspeakable happiness, extending even to the darkest seasons of the experience. It hangs the whole glory of our salvation upon Jesus—fills the enemy of souls with dismay—and renders all the means of grace and divine ordinances infinitely important. Never listen, my dear young friend, to the enemies of truth who will tell you that it leads to licentiousness: this is utterly impossible in a child of God; for the more sure he is of obtaining the prize, the more eagerly he will reach out after it, and press forward to it; and the very assurance of victory, will inspire him with courage to fight the good fight of faith.

The end and the means are inseparably connected in the grand economy of grace; and it is as fully and unalterable determined in the divine counsel, that the redeemed of the Lord shall repent, pray, believe, watch, fight, and run, as it is that they shall obtain everlasting glory; and though these acts are not the procuring cause of their salvation, yet they are parts of that divine process fixed upon by its Author, to bring his people to the participation of covenant blessings and therefore, can by no means be dispensed with, or laid aside as unnecessary.

Cherish the delightful thought, my brother, God has given you grace, and therein pledges himself to give you glory—Christ is preparing a mansion for you near his throne, and says he will come again and receive you to himself, that where he is you may be also. The Holy Ghost has given you a capacity to enjoy God and spiritual things, and has become your guide to the realms of bliss; cast off then your slavish fear and take God at his word, relying upon his precious promise, “Behold I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” Your Father loves you, and will not leave you—your Redeemer is united to you, and you cannot be separated from him— the Holy Ghost has made you his temple, and will dwell in you forever, go forward, beloved, treading upon the world—resisting the devil-crucifying self—and laying hold on eternal life in the strength of Jesus, the race will soon be at an end, the victory completed, and glory revealed in us. Suffer not the toys of time that invite your attention, to detain you in your progress heavenward, but look up for grace to keep your mind fixed on eternal realities, and say to every earthly allurement, “Hinder me not.”

In the sweet assurance that where the covenant Head of the Church is, every one of his mystical members must be also,

I subscribe myself with much affection,
Your fellow traveller to glory,

Hail, ransom’d souls, partakers of rich grace!
Soon you will come to Zion’s heights of bliss;
For God has sworn you shall hold on your way,
He’ll never change his mind, nor suffer fears—
Nor foes—nor sins—to stop you short of heaven.
Could but one soul, for whom the Saviour bled,
Be missing there, the vacant seat—the harp
Unstrung—the useless crown—would grieve all heaven,

And there proclaim a disappointed God!
No! he has sworn, by two immutables,
That Christ shall see the travail of his soul—
The Father’s covenant love—the Saviour’s blood—
The Holy Spirit’s grace, are pledged in this
Sweet truth—”The righteous shall hold on his way.”

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