sure Vers 11. whereupon he drawes up a peremptory conclusion If you do these things ye shall never fall that is neither totally nor finally from the grace of God in Jesus Christ Thus our Lord himself to his eleven Apostles excluding Judas saith If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen for he chuseth to himself a godly man his mystical member A second ground of the Saints perseverance is this Psal 4.3 the seed of Gods word by the hand of his spirit sowne in their hearts being born again not of a corruptible seed but of immortal by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Vers 23 25. The word of the Lord endureth for ever And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you and the ground why the word is immortal to the mind of beleevers is this that although the word as printed or preached by the Tongue of man to man be no more but a humane expression or dead letter yet the thing therein contained is to man the unchangeable minde of Jehovah and he will make it good upon them according to the tenor of the Gospel for the works which they have done in the body whether they be good or evill to eternity And thus the word of God is a seed that perisheth not but is immortal in both respects for it is in this case in some sort as it is with seed in natures production of bodies which in one respect is perishable for all humane bodies return to the dust and in another respect it is not perishable for that seed hath continued its kind from the Creation and so shall to the worlds end because the seed carrieth in it a spirit of life virtually To this alludes Peter calling Gods word an immortal seed and hence saith our Saviour The words that I speak unto you are spirit and life Joh. 6.55 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing And as it is in the natural seed so it is in the spiritual seed in some sort if it be not sowne or do not fall in a right place or on a proper subject it looseth its natural force or life to produce its effect so is it in this case as to the perseverance of the Saints never totally nor finally to fall away for although by their inherent righteousness or circumcision of the heart the spirit of Christ hath made their mindes a fit subject to receive that seed Gal. 5. 2 Cor. 2.14 15 16. and so to grow yet if the Saints afterwards do quench the spirits force not as to it self but as to them in their perseverance for in the mind of a wicked man the seed of Gods word hath its force as to its self but it hath not its force as to that mans happiness Hence it is that the word is a sweet favour unto God in them that perish in the demonstration of his merciful justice to eternity for all are damned by the tenor of the Gospel And that the seed of Gods word doth thus take various effects according to the mindes of men in which it falls is affirmed by our Lord himself in his exposition of the parable of the seed for when he hath said the seed is the word of God thereupon he explains its various effects in the mindes of good and bad men and thereupon to his Apostles he saith Luk. 8. from 4. to 18. Take heed therefore how you heare But if it be objected Quest That this is no general Rule because unto some it was given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom Vers 10. to others not It is a general Rule ordinarily Answ and the seed of Gods word doth take effect according to the subject it falls into according as they do improve their Talent either to come to Christ before faith as is described or after faith as you have it here Our Lord saith unto such as well as unto others Take heed how you hear and this is a general rule except in cases extraordinary such is that in the 10. Verse Unto you it is given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom c. And thus our Lord when he ascended he gave gifts unto men some to be Apostles c. Not for their own sake but for the sake of his Fathers final end to his glory in carrying on the aforesaid particular branch against the design of the Apostate Angels what this particular branch is is amplified in my second Treatise and therefore it was given to the Apostles but not to others to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom clearly and infallibly and it is clear that this is meant by the Apostles for the first verse of the Chapter saith the twelve were with him and in the 9th Verse they put a question which drew this answer from him in the 10. Verse therefore this makes nothing against the aforesaid ordinary rule Here we must remember two things as to the perseverance of the Saints to the foresaid stability that is they stand in relation to a twofold contingency until they have arived to that stability not to fall the first is the tenor of the Gospel the rule of mercy and justice according to which if they do not exercise their graces they may fall away totally but if they do they may go on from strength to strength in Sion or be established as is proved And this is the first contingency And the ground why the Lord in this case hath put all mankind and the Saints thus upon contingency is it suits with his final end for which he made both men and Angels as formerly is proved The second Contingency is the natural liberty of the will purposely so created by God and that also with respect to his final end so any man let him be what he will or can be Christ excepted or any Saint not yet attained to that stability may be a Vessel of honour or dishonour to eternity But to clear this point concerning the will of man we must alwayes consider it under three distinctions The first is its natural liberty and that is it chooseth or refuseth all Objects or things presented to it as it likes or dislikes them and this remains in good and bad men on Earth and also in Heaven and in Hell because it is the very nature of the reasonable soul The second distinction is the natural property of mans will which is this to look to good either as it appears good or as it is indeed the very true good And as the eye doth naturally follow light so this natural property of mans will doth follow good according as it apprehends it to be so This also is natural to the very essence of the soul and neither of these can be lost but by annihilation of the reasonable soul which God will never annihilate because it will make void his final end
serve me c. For if our Lord himself be loved unto the said respect of his Fathers glory as to be compleated in his final end by him Consequently this his prayer is according to that level and not otherwise as plainly appears in the comparing the 26th Vers of the 12. of John with this 24th Vers in the 17th of John But what Gods final end is here I pass it over because it is proved in the first and 12th Chapter of my second Treatise So much for the opening of the 17th Chapter of John which proves that the Saints perseverance hath no dependance upon the supposed personal Elections which neither this Chapter nor any other doth own CHAP. III. In which are opened several other Texts to the purpose aforesaid BEhold the dayes come saith the Lord Jer. 31.3.31 22 33 That I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers c. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. By that word in those dayes is meant as is expressed in the 17. Verse There is hope in the latter end saith Jehovah that thy Children shall come to their own border that is their own Land and return into that posture wherein they may receive eternal life as is implyed in these words I will write my Law in their hearts further implying that formerly they were dead in sins and trespasses To the same purpose he saith I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their Children after them Jer. 32.39 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them and I will not turn away from them to do them good In the next words he shewes wherein principally their good consists I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall never depart from me onely note this by the way That this fearing of God for ever and a Covenant that shall last for ever and that they shall never depart from him is in no sense spoken in reference to personal election as the ground of the Saints perseverance in the grace of God by Jesus Christ for all this story points onely at the Jews Gods elect visible Church and these words as to them imply two things First That God had formerly turned away from them from doing of them good many years yet he continued them to be and so to be distinguished in all Ages and Generations as that they are known by the name of Jews as Abrahams off-spring to this day Secondly These words further point out That although they are now no visible Church of Christ yet after their conversion into the said posture they shall never totally depart from being Christs visible Church unto the Worlds end as they have been many hundred years and are at this day and that is meant when God saith I will make an ever lasting Covenant with thee as to the same effect in the 3. Verse And in that he saith Rom. 11.15.27 Heb. 8.8 9 10. Heb. 10.16 17. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever And to this point the Apostle speaks Rom. 11.15 27. and to the same purpose Heb. 8.8 9 10. and Heb. 10.16 17. So that it is clear these Texts speak nothing to the maintenance of personal Election as I said â—efore Onely I marvail that so many godly learned men should be so bold to infer from the Apostles words Rom. 9.13 Esau have I hated That Esau was personally reprobated to eternity for the Apostle doth onely repeat a Record as it is written by Malachy and Malachy followes God declaring his purpose to Rebecca concerning those Children That they were the Roots of two Nations and he purposed the one Nation should be his visible Church and the other being the elder Brother should not that no flesh as flesh should glory in his sight and in this sense he saith Esau have I hated as is formerly proved in this and both my other Treatises Again For further clearing of the truth against those threefold erroneous Elections I will prove the original use of the word Elect and in what sense that word is applyed in the old and new Testament For instance many hundreds of years after Esau and Jacob were dead came the burthen of the word of Jehovah by Malachy I have loved you saith Jehovah yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us was not Esau Jacobs Brother saith Jehovah yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and laid his Mountains and his Heritage waste And to Jacobs Nation Vers 5. he saith your eyes shall see and you shall say Jehovah will be magnified from the border of Israel And to Israels Nation Jsaiah applies the word Elect which as to them Isa 44.1 2. was the original use of this word Yet hear now O Jacob my Servant and Israel whom I have Elect Thus saith Jehovah that made thee and formed thee from the womb he will help thee fear not O Jacob my Servant and thou righteous whom I have Elect. But thou Israel art my Servant Isa 41.8 9. Jacob whom I have Elect the seed of Abraham my friend And in the 9th Verse Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the Earth and called thee from the chief men thereof and said unto thee thou art my Servant I have elected thee and not cast thee away From this ground our Saviour speaking of the destruction of this visible Church Elect after his death he concludes those dayes of vengeance shall be shortened except those dayes should be shortened there should be no flesh saved Mat 24.2 and from 15. to 22. But for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortened implying no flesh otherwise of Abraham his friend whould be reserved for a future call to the said posture in which they might receive the gift of eternal life Dan. 11.15 1 King 3.8 So the Prophet saith thy Servant is in the midst of thine Elect people whom thou hast elected likewise O seed of Jacob his Servant ye Children of Jacob his Elect ones 1 Chron. 16.13 so that in the old Testament we see the original of this word Elect and the application of it hath not the least sense to any personal Elections but to a visible Church or to its individual members under the same capacity Secondly It is applyed to the same sense and none other in the new Testament To the visible Church of Colos the Apostle saith Put on therefore as the Elect of God Col. 3.12 1 Thes 1.4.7 bowels of mercy c. likewise to the visible Church he saith knowing Brethren beloved your election of God for our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also
ingenious acknowledgement of the divine truth Whereas you affirm Faith arises as a particular branch of the new Creature Object or Saints inherent righteousness yet it is affirmed by others that Faith is the first and Mother of all graces I answer It is one thing that Faith is included in the general nature of the Saints inherent righteousness wrought by the word and spirit of Christ Answ and another thing that in the exercise of their graces in order to perseverance That Faith is the first mover for in this case it is true Faith sets all graces a work and I suppose this is it they mean and I have proved in my second Book pag. 71.72 That mans beleef is the general ground of all his deliberate actions as to the avoiding of any danger and attaining any good hopeful And this is bottomed in the nature of the thing and not in the excellency of faith above the nature of other graces for justifying Faith simply considered in it self as to justification of a sinner is but a dark body till it hath received Christ and his righteousness which is the light of life eternal As is the eye a dark body till it receive the light And as by the Saints exercising all their graces all graces do grow so faith growes up with the rest Hence saith James thou seest that Faith was the helper of Abrahams works and by works Faith was brought to its end that is by offering up Isaac which figuratively was Christ to Abraham for saith our Lord Abraham saw my day and rejoyced Thus Christ is the Authour of eternal salvation to all that obey him otherwise not for that is implyed as to those professors in whom Faith dyed mentioned by James Jam. 2.22 If it be objected what I affirm in my first Book Object pag. 55. That Christ is the Authour of salvation to them that disobey him as old Eli and Miriam and Aaron and Moses whose carcases fell with others in the wilderness by the wrath of God 1 Cor. 1.29 30. and in the Church of Corinth for contempt of the Sacrament wherefore Christ smote some with sickness and some with death Moses and all the Saints that dye under a relaps Answ or back-sliding condition yet if any seed of Gods word sowne by the hand of Christs spirit remain in any degree of inherent righteousness though never so small then there is in them a virtual tendency by faith to Christs imputed righteousness as to the brazen Serpent the smallest tendency of sight that beheld it saved that mans body from death so that virtual tendency to Christs righteousness doth likewise save that man from the guilt and punishment of his sins and renders him eternal life after his departure out of this World yet the death of these Saints is under a Cloud of obscurity as to themselves and to others in respect of their eternal life as Salomon and Eli and those Corinthians which Christ stroke with death yet as for Moses although he dyed under a Cloud yet he dyed not as a barren and fruitless Christian but being filled with the fruits of righteousness although he disobeyed Christ eminently in one particular of unbeleefe for which Christ slew him his Carkasse falling in the Wilderness with the rest yet God rendered him this honour and comfort in his passage from this Vale of misery to eternal felicity for before he destroyed his body he led him to the top of a Mountain to let him see the figure of his eternal felicity Deut. 34.5 6 7. the promised Land of Earthly Canaan still proving that Christ is the Authour of eternal salvation to them that obey him as is formerly proved those that obey him most according to their measure of grace receive most To those Saints he most manifests himself to their secret minde and they that obey him least according to their measure he manifests himself least to their secret mindes for onely the pure in minde see God therefore the more purity of spirit the more sight of God and the lesse the lesse for the sanctified minde of the Saints is the onely Temple of the Holy Ghost and not the Saints persons as personally elected for as personally elected Christs humane body and soul was only the Temple of the holy Ghost as formerly is proved and therefore it is said the God-head dwelt bodily in that person or humane body but of none else for the Text saith In him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 that is the fulness of the one Jehovah for that most properly is the God-head therefore the second in the one Jehovah to carry on his Fathers final end was personally elected God-man and his soul and body receives not the spirit by measure as doe the Saints but without measure as saith the Text. CHAP. X. Briefly touching upon the point of Faith but at large upon the point of Love FOr having formerly spoken of the works of the Saints whereof Faith is the first mover It were necessary that I should now treat what faith is but in regard I have handled it in my first Treatise here I passe it over for there I have proved that in justifying faith there are three degrees and shew the difference between that Faith and other Faiths and then I have proved what justifying Faith in its own nature is definitively and defined what its perfection is and also proved how God doth bring the Saints to that perfection and also that justifying Faiths perfection and dissolution are both in this life Pag. 128. to the 140 from pag. 128. to the 140. And because Faith works by love it is requisite to treat upon the nature of love and how that love doth arise in the mindes of beleevers and in a word all love in general in the minde of man arises from that suitable agreeableness between the subject and the object and so in this case of justifying Faith for no man can love that which is not suitable nor agreeable to his minde From this ground Jacob could not love Leah so well as Rachel but because there was a suitable agreeableness between the subject and the object therefore Jonathans love to David was more than the love of women so much to shew how love ariseth in the minde of man but the question will be What is love in its own general nature Quest In a word Answ It may be definitively thus laid down It is in the minde of man a liking and an uniting affection but the point will be more cleared by its natural properties the which are two What is the first property Quest It is to endevour as neer an Union and Communion with the thing loved Answ as possible may be therefore it was that Jonathan and David kissed one another and wept one with another until David exceeded and that David said concerning Jonathan I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan 2 Sam. 1.26 1 Sam. 18.1 very pleasant hast thou
off from amidst his people I but mark the reason and ground because he hath despised the word of Jehovah and hath broken his Commandement Here note that God concludes his word and his Commandements to be one and the same thing and concludes That soul shall be utterly cut off his iniquity shall be upon him Exo. 9.20 that is it shall never be forgiven him except God in mercy grant repentance the truth is you are worse than the Heathen for they beleeved the word spoken unto them by Moses to be the word of Jehovah He that feared the word of Iehovah Exo. 2.23 among the Servants of Pharaoh made his Servants and his Cattel flee into the Houses Likewise he conveyed his minde by his word to the minde of the Israelites for to them he spake all these words saying I am Iehovah thy Elohims Deut 4.2 which have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage thou shalt have no other Elohims before me Moreover he saith Ye shall not adde unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it Here take notice of this That this Scripture God ownes to be his word therefore admits of no addition or diminution then it is certain it is the spirit of the Devil in you I do not say doth adde or diminish but that which is much worse for you endevour utterly to dissolve the Scriptures Again The Apostle Peter affirms two conclusions of the old Testament First That the then written Scripture in his dayes namely the old Testament was to the Churches of Christ a more sure word of Prophecie than that excellent speech that came from Heaven to Jesus Christ upon the Mount because that was a private and peculiar respect to him alone He renders this reason why Knowing this first saith he that no Prophecie of Scripture is of any private interpretation as all your quaking Doctrines are being bottomed upon your light within which neither you nor any man else knowes what it is Secondly 2 Pet. 1.17 18 19 20. Your Doctrines are of a private interpretation because they are not owned by the publick Oracles of Gods word neither do you own them to be his word The Apostles second conclusion to the Churches as to the old Testament is you do well that ye take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place until the day-dawn and the day-Starre arise in your hearts and in the 21. Verse he renders a reason thereof for saith he the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man as your quaking Doctrines do but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Now the reason why the shining of the old Testament was in a dark place is because it was under types and shadows and Prophecies as to them that had not beleeved the Gospel though then unveiled and by the dawning of the day and the day-starre arising in their hearts is meant the preaching of the Gospel without that veile so beleeving in Christ more clearly manifested to their mindes by his spirit that was the day-starre which was to arise in their hearts Again Our Lord Jesus Christ himself proves the Scriptures to be the word of God Mark 7.8 13. when he had charged them that they had laid aside the Commandements of God as do you more directly then ever they did then in the 13. Verse he affirms that Commandement written in the Scriptures to be the word of God Likewise he affirms the Gospel preached to be the word of God Luk. 8.11 for saith he expounding the parable the Seed is the word of God and it appeares also to be the word of God preached Vers 18. saying Take heed how you hear And from this ground I told you that a wiser man than you did affirm the Scriptures to be the word of God that is the Lord Jesus Christ Likewise he saith unto them Joh. 10.34 35. It is written in your Law I said ye are Gods if ye call them Gods to whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be dissolved Here our Lord also affirms the word of God to be the Scripture And in John 17.8 Our Lord to his Father concerning his Apostles saith I have given them thy words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have beleeved that thou diddest send me Observe here that Gods word which the Father gave to Christ Christ to his Apostles and they beleeving those words preached them to the World the substance whereof is in their Gospels and Epistles and the Scriptures is unto us these words of God and the ground of our Faith But you endevour to dissolve this ground and to lay a foundation of your own making a thing that you call a light within and tell us that that is Gods word and that there is none other but that and you call this thing the everlasting word of God and your Christ and your spiritual King Jesus and this lye is the ground of your Faith But our Lord Jesus Christ in the houre of his Temptation kept his minde close to the word of God in the Scriptures that were written by Moses to repel the Tempter and his temptations saying to the Devil It is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God that is his minde shall live by beleeving the Scriptures as his body does by bread as in Vers 8. Deur 6.16 Chap. 10. Get thee behinde me Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and this word was then written And here our Lord applies those Scriptures to the Devils that were spoken to the Israelites they being his Creatures as well as man Thus the word of God in the Scriptures was the ground of Christs Faith and so are to all that are his that is that are truly godly therefore because you deny the Scriptures to be Gods word and also the sacred Trinity consequently you deny God himself for it is proved that Jehovah is in the Elohims and the Elohims in Jehovah wherefore I told you because you deny principles you ought to be served as they serve such in the Schools that is they kick them out and so ought you to be kicked out of the School of Christ and the company of all Gods people yet nevertheless I did then grant that the Scriptures as a humane expression as printed in Inck and paper was not the word of God for that may be burnt in the fire as the King did the Roll yet that which was express'd to the King in that Roll Jer. 26.29 30. was the word of God and God made it good upon him and so he will make good his word upon you and your Companions though you endevour to dissolve that word as did that King that all men
the minde of man and therefore Light for saith the definition Whatsoever doth manifest that is light Fourthly There is in all men a light within but not in your sense for although in Adams fall we were all totally darkness it self yet I say there is a light which enlighteneth every man which commeth into the World which is the Spirit of God the third Elohim and he doth write the effect of the Law of God in the hearts of all men from whence they do by nature the things contained in the Law which as saith the Text shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts and it was written to this end that from this Light within suitable to that Light without Gods Word namely the Scriptures they might come to Christ that he might give them life or on the contrary if then by custom in sin extinguish this light within this will leave them in their own Consciences without excuse as is at large amplified in all my three Treatises but your light within you is a lye and you have extinguished that good light which was written within you And you are become dead in sins and trespasses to come to Christ for you deny him and say the light in you is Christ and you deny the Scriptures to be Gods word you also deny the Trinity and consequently you deny God himself and therefore as our Saviour saith If the light that is in thee be darkness Mat. 6.23 how great is that darkness And now I come to the fifth general point which is you affirm the Scriptures are true as a witness-bearer or declarer of that light in man which you call Christ in answer to which I deny that the Scriptures are a witness-bearer to your light within which is your Idoll stiled by the several names aforesaid for if it should beare witness to your foolery it should witness it self to be no word of God and also that the Lord Jesus personally God-man blessed for ever more is not the Son of God and so it should contradict what it self affirms Also it should deny what it self affirms that is that Jehovah our Elohims is one Iehovah as doth your light within which Mystery of Iniquity you varnish over with the words of the Scriptures in an injurious and uncouth sense as do our Gipseys and Canting-beggars who leave their native language as do you the native sense of the Scriptures and onely use the termes and you had need put glorious titles upon it and when you have done all it is nothing else but a painted Sepulchre and nothing but stench and rottenness wherefore you gild it over with your sufferings and imprisonments writing your selves persecuted Saints truly if you and your Companions be Saints you are of the Pope or the Devils canonizing for I am sure that God never owned any man to be holy that ever denyed the holy Scriptures to be his word or that denyed the second Elohim to assume humane nature and so became personally God-man and to be his seventh meanes as is proved in my second Treatise or that ever denyed the Trinity which is to deny God himself Jehovah our Elohim to be one Jehovah And if the Lord Jesus Christ commanded Peter who was a Saint get thee behinde me Satan in reference to the temptation which Peter unawares tempted him unto then much more will he judge you to be the Children of the Devil whose works ye will do as did your Father the Devil when he alleaged the Scriptures to Christ tempting him to throw himself off from the Temple that he might destroy himself so you bring in the Scriptures a witness-bearer to the lying light within you but it is to destroy and dissolve the Scriptures from being Gods word to make that good that there is no sure word of God but that lying light of yours within you for you deny the second person in Trinity to be the increate word mentioned in 1 John 1. and the Scriptures to be Gods word also you deny the Trinity consequently you deny Jehovah our Elohims to be one Jehovah consequently you leave no God at all but your light within which you call by the name of God in divers places of your Book Lastly you affirm That Gods Word the Light in man was long before the Scriptures but having so largely proved this Word of God within you to be no more nor lesse then a lye this last point of yours needs no answer at all nevertheless I grant your Word of God to be long before the Scriptures were For your Father the Devil was a lyer from the beginning and it was long after the Devil was first a lyer Joh. 8.44 that Moses began the Scriptures and your quotations of Scripture in the margent of your Book are numerous and all is but to guild over your Idol Light within and although you give us number yet you give us no weight of truth even as you give us antiquity but no verity And although you undervalue the Antiquity of the Scriptures yet it declares a truth unto us more ancient then you or your Fathers lies that is what the Elohims speak each to other and said Let us make man in our Image Also it tells what God said to man having made him the Elohims said unto him Be fruitful and multiply and the Elohims said Behold I have given unto you every Tree bearing seed Gen. 1.26 27 28 29. Gen. 2.16 c. Jehovah Elohim commanded the man saying Of every Tree of the Garden c. Also the Scriptures tell us of divers things long before themselves were written That the Word of God after the fall was manifested to Adam and his Wife Gen. 3.8 9. and also that Jehovah manifested himself to Cain by his Word three times and also that the Word of Jehovah came to Noah Gen. 4.6.9 13. and so to Abraham and others I would ask you this Question Can your Light within tell you any of all this if the Scriptures had not told it first and yet you would fain make us beleeve that that Light is the onely word of God and Scripture and that is the reason you endevour so much to dissolve our Scriptures but in all this you do but wash the Blackamore and make a night-cap for the Moon for that which our Lord Jesus Christ saith shall stand firm Heaven and Earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe away And as he saith in the forecited Text Luk. 24.33 and the Scriptures cannot be dissolved And for all your Light within which you call your God and unbeleeve the Scriptures yet God will make his Word good upon you and all your Companions He that beleeveth shall be saved He that beleeveth not shall be damned Mar. 16.16 And truly whereas you put this title upon your Book The Resurrection of John Lilburn you should rather have put it thus The perverting of John Lilburn in order to his destruction if God