1. Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, whence he still begets and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet he is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palm of his hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity. ( John 10:28, 29; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 John 2:19; Psalms 89:31, 32; 1 Corinthians 11:32; Malachi 3:6 )

2. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing 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, the oath of God, the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof. ( Romans 8:30Romans 9:11, 16; Romans 5:9, 10; John 14:19; Hebrews 6:17, 18; 1 John 3:9; Jeremiah 32:40 )

3. And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit, 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 shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end. ( Matthew 26:70, 72, 74; Isaiah 64:5, 9; Ephesians 4:30; Psalms 51:10, 12; Psalms 32:3, 4; 2 Samuel 12:14; Luke 22:32, 61, 62 )

Article 16 of Good Works, Section 1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in His holy Word, and not such as without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intentions." Section 2. 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. Section 3, their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but holy from the Spirit of Christ, and that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is necessary an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Yet they are 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. Section 4. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in life are so far from being able to superarrogate and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do. Section 5.

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 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 our 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 punishment. Section 6, 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 unblameable and unreproveable 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. Section 7.

Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands, and of good use both to themselves and others, yet, because they proceed not from a 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. And yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing to God. You