Chapter 17 Of The Perseverance Of The Saints
[1] John 10:28, 29; Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John 2:19 [2] Ps. 89:31, 32; 1 Cor. 11:32 [3] Mal. 3:6
Paragraph 2. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election,4 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,5 the oath of God,6 the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them,7 and the nature of the covenant of grace;8 from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
[4] Rom. 8:30, 9:11, 16 [5] Rom. 5:9, 10; John 14:19 [6] Heb. 6:17, 18 [7] 1 John 3:9 [8] Jer. 32:40
Paragraph 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,9 whereby they incur God’s displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit,10 come to have their graces and comforts impaired,11 have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded,12 hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves,13 yet shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.14
[9] Matt. 26:70, 72, 74 [10] Isa. 64:5, 9; Eph. 4:30 [11] Ps. 51:10, 12 [12] Ps. 32:3, 4 [13] 2 Sam. 12:14 [14] Luke 22:32, 61, 62