What the principle mercies were that were in Gods intendment to them and whereof by their effectuall calling they shall be made partakers he tells us v. 26 27. The Deliverer or Redeemer which comes out of Sion shall according to the Covenant of Grace turne them from ungodlinesse the Lord taking away their sinne Sanctification and Justification by Christ the two maine Branches of the New Covenant Ierem. 31. 42. Ierem. 32. Ezek 36. Heb 8. 13 14. chap 10. 17 18. doe make up the Mercy purposed for them The certainty of the Collation of this Mercy upon them notwithstanding the interposition of any present obstruction amongst which their Enmity to the Gospell was most eminent and lay ready to be objected the Apostle argueth frō the Unchangeablenesse of the Love of Election wherewith the Lord embraced them from Eternity as touching the Election they are beloved and farther to manifest on that account the fulfilling of what he is in the proofe and Demonstration of viz. that though the major part of Israel according to the flesh were rejected yet the Election should obtaine and all Israell be saved he tells them that that calling of God whereby he will make out to them those Eternally designed mercies shall not be repented of eminently in that Assertion distinguishing the grace whereof he speakes from all such common gifts and such outward dispensations as might be subject to a removall from them on whom they are bestowed and if upon any supposition or consideration imaginable the Mercies mentioned may be taken away the Assertion comes very short of the proofe of that for which it is produced Against this plaine expression of the Apostle §. 6. that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Mr Goodwin puts in sundry Exceptions to weaken the Testimony it bears in this case Cap 8. Sect 86. which because they have been already sufficiently evinced of Weakenesse Falshood and Impertinency by his Learned Antagonist I shall only take up that which he mainly insists upon and farther manifest its utter uselessenesse for the end for which it is produced Thus then he pleads The Gifts and Calling of God may be said to be without repentance because let men continue the same persons which they were when the Donation or Collation of any gift was first made by God unto them he never changes or altereth his Dispensations towards them unlesse it be for the better or in order to their farther good in which case he cannot be said to repent of what he had given but in case men shall change and alter from what they were when God first dealt gratiously with them especially if they shall notoriously degenerate or cast away the Principles or divest themselves of that very qualification on which as it were God grafted his benefit or gift in this case though he recall his gift he cannot be said to repent of his giving it because the termes on which he gave it please him still only the Persons to whom he gave it and who pleased him when he gave it them have now rendred themselves unpleasing to him Two things are here Asserted 1. §. 7. That if men continue the same or in the same state and condition wherein they were when God bestowed his gifts and graces upon them then God never changeth nor altereth his dispensations towards them abide the same 2. That there are certain Qualifications in men upon which God grafts his grace which whilest they abide his gifts and graces abide upon them also and therefore are said to be without repentance but if they are lost God recalls his gifts and that without any chang◠Let us a little consider both these Assertions and First it being evident that it is Spirituall grace and Mercy of which the Apostle speakes as was manifested for they are such as flow from the Covenant of the Redeemer v. 26 27. Sanctification Justification being particularly mentioned let us consider what is the condition of men when God Invests them with these Mercies that we may be able to instruct them how to abide in that condition and so make good the possession of the Grace and Mercy bestowed on them and to keep close to the Text let our Instance be in the three eminent mercies of the Gospell intimated in that place 1. Vocation 2. Sanctification 3. Justification The Gift and Grace of Vocation is confessedly here intended being expressely mentioned in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Calling which is an effect of the Covenant of Grace v. 28. consider wee then what is the state of Men when God first calls them and gives them this gift and Favour that if it seeme so good we may exhort them to a continuance therein Now this Sate with the Qualifications of it Isa. 65. 1. is a State 1. of Death Ioh. 5. 25. The Dead heare the voyce of the Sonne of God Rom. 9. 25. Christ speakes to them who are dead Hos. 2. 23. 1 Pet. 2. 10. and so they Live 2. Of Darknesse Acts 25. 26. God calls them out of Darknesse into his marvelous light Ephes. 2. 12. 1 Pet. 29. a State of Ignorance and Alienation from God Ephes 4. 18. The grace of Vocation or effectuall calling finding men in a state of Enmity to God and Alienation from him if they may be prevailed withall to continue such still this gift shall never be recalled nor repented of But perhaps the Gift and Grace of Sanctification finds men in a better condition in a state §. 8. wherein if they abide them that also shall abide with them for ever The Scripture abounds in the description of this state that we shall not need to haesitate about it Ephes 2. 1 2. you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Quickning renewing Grace is given to persons dead in sins is so farre from depending as to its Unchangeablenesse upon their Continuance in the State wherein it finds them that it consists in a reall change and translation of them from that State or Condition The Apostle sets out this at large Titus 3. 3 4 5. wee our selves were sometimes foolish c. the State of men when God bestowes their Gifts upon them is positively expressed in sundry particulars v 3. the Qualifications on which this Gift or Grace is grafted of which M Goodwin speaks afterwards negatively v 5. it is not of any work that we have done which is unquestionably exclusive of all those stocks of Qualifications which are intimated whereon the Gifts and Graces of God should be grafted The gift it selfe here bestowed is the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost saveing us through mercy from the state and Condition before described In briefe that the Condition wherein this Grace of God finds the Sonnes of Men is a state of a Mat. 8. 27. Rom. 6. 13. Col. 2. 13. Death b Ezek. 17. 6. Isa. 4. 4. Job 14. 4. Joh. 3. 6.
Efficiency That the taking away of a heart of Stone the giving of a new heart and Spirit the writing of the Law in their hearts and which is all one the quickning of the Dead the opening of blind eyes the begetting of us a new as they relate unto God doe signifie no more but his administration of meanes whereby men may be wrought upon and perswaded to bring their hearts and spirits into such a condition as is described in those expressions to quicken themselves to open their blind eyes c. Mr Goodwin shall scarce be able to evince 2. Conversion and Pardon of Sinne being both in this promise of the Covenant I take in also that place of the same importance cap. 31. and relating alike to the Grace of God if Conversion or the giving of a new heart be done only by administring outward meanes and perswasions unto men to make the new heatrs the forgivenesse of Sins must also be supposed to be tendred unto them upon the condition that their sinnes be forgiven as Conversion is on condition they be converted or doe convert themselves 3. This Promise being by the Prophet and Apostle insisted on as containing the Grace whereby eminently and peculiarly the New Covenant is distinguished from that which was abolished If the Grace mentioned therein be only the laying a powerfull and strong obligation on men to duty and obedience upon the account of the gracious and bountifull dealing of God with them both as to their Temporall and Spirituall condition I desire to know wherein the difference of it from the old Covenant as to the collation of Grace doth consist And whether ever God made a Covenant with man wherein he did not put sufficient obligations of this kind upon him unto obedience And if so what are the better promises of the New Covenant And what eminent and singular things as to the bestowing of Grace are in it Which things here are emphatically expressed to the uttermost 4. The scope of this Exposition which lookes but to one part of the Promise about bestowing of Grace overlooking the maine End and intendment of it as hath been shewed being to darken the words of the Holy Ghost so farre as to make them represent a contribution of means instead of an effectuall working the end and the event on which the means supplied have an influence of perswasion to prevaile with men to doe the things they are afforded them for I desire to know First What new thing is here promised to them which exceeded that mentioned ch 25. v 4 5. Wherein the Lord testifies that he had granted them formerly a large supply of outward means and especially of the word for the end here spoken of Secondly To what end and on what account is this administration of means for a work expressed by termes of a reall efficiency in reference to the work it selfe which proceeding from the intendment of God for the event aimed at must needs produce it And Thirdly Why these words should not be of the same importance with the associate expression which of necessity must be interpreted of an actuall and absolute efficiency v. 41 42. And Fourthly Whether the Administration of outward sufficient means for the producing of an Event can be a ground of an infallible prediction of that Event As God here absolutely saith they shall all know him from the Greatest to the least Ch 31. 34. which how it is brought about the Holy Ghost acquaints us Is. 4. 13. They shall be all taught of the Lord and Ioh 6. 44 45 46. It is written of the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto mee But Mr Goodwin hath sundry Reasons to confirme his Glosse which must also be considered and he saith 1. That it is the familiar Dialect of Scripture to ascribe the doing of things or effects themselves to him that ministers occasions or proper and likely meanes for the doing of them so God is said to give them one heart and one way to put his feare into their hearts when he administers motives means occasions and opportunities to them which are proper to work them to such a frame and disposition of heart out of which men are wont to love and obey him whether they be ever actually brought thereunto or no and this Promise was fulfilled to the People after their returne out of Captivity in the mercies they enjoyed and the Preaching of the Prophets Ans. 1. We are not now to be informed that this is Mr Goodwin's Doctrine concerning conversion that God doth only administer meanes motives and oportunities for it but that man thereupon converts himselfe And 2 ly That when God hath done all he will or can that the Event may not follow nor the work be wrought But 3 ly That this sence by any meanes or opportunities can be fastned on the Promise under consideration we are not as yet so well instructed When God once intendeth an End and expresseth himselfe so to doe promising to work really and efficiently for the accomplishing of it yea that he will actually doe it by that efficiency preventing all interpositions whatever that may tend to frustrate his designe that that End of his shall not be accomplished or that that working of his is only an Administration of meanes whereby men may doe the things intended if they will or may doe otherwise he affirming that he will doe them himselfe is a Doctrine beyond my reach and capacity 4 ly His saying that in this sence the Promise was fulfilled to the People after the Captivity is a saying against his own light He hath told us not long since that it could not be a Promise of those things which were enjoyed before it was ever given as in our sence they did the Grace of Perseverance c Surely the means he mentioneth untill at least the coming of Christ in the Flesh were advanced to a farre higher pitch and eminency on all hands before the Captivity then after and at the coming of Christ it was eminently fulfilled in our acceptation of it unto all to whom it was made But he adds 2. That if it be not so to be understood §. 16. and so said to be fulfilled as above it is impossible for any one to assigne how and when this Promise was fulfilled For first it was made to the whole People and the fulfilling of it to a few will not confirm the Truth of it Secondly The Elect had no need of it knowing themselves to be so that they should never fall away so that this is but to make voyd the glorious Promise of God And thirdly to say that it was made to the Elect is but to begge the thing in question Ans. 1. As farre as the Body of the People was concerned in it it was and shall be in the latter daies absolutely accomplished towards them It was is shall be fulfilled
1. The Promise only assures them that trust in the Lord that they shall be preserved but not at all that they that trust in him shall be necessitated to doe so still or that so they shall doe So Paul saith it was in my heart to live and dye with the Corinthians but doubtlesse with this proviso that they alwaies continued such as they then were or as he apprehended them to be when he so wrote to them Ans. I must be forced to smite this evasion once and againe before we arrive at the close of this contest it being so frequently made use of by our Adversary who without it knowes himselfe not able to stand against the evidence of any one Promise usually insisted on This is the substance of all that which with exceeding delightfull variety of expressions is an hundred times made use of The Promise is conditionall and made to those that trust in the Lord and is to be made good only upon the account of their continuing so to doe but that they shall so doe that they shall continue to trust in the Lord that is wholly left to themselves and not in the least undertaken in the Promise and this is called a discharging or dismissing of places of Scripture from the service whereunto contrary to their proper sence meaning they are pressed a delivering them from the bearing the crosse of this warfare with such like Imperiall termes and expressions To speake in the singlenesse of our spirits we cannot see any one of the discharged Souldiers returning from the Campe wherein they have long served for the safety and consolation of them that doe believe Particularly this Scripture detests the glosse with violence imposed on it and tells you that the end for which the God of truth sent it into this service wherein it abides is to assure them that trust in the Lord that they shall be preserved in that condition to the end That in the condition of trusting and depending on God they shall be as Sion and the Favour of God unto them as immoveable mountaines he will for ever be with them and about them And that all this shall certainly come to passe Christ does not say that they shall be as established mountaines if they continue to trust in the Lord but they shall be so in their trusting abiding for ever therein through the safegarding presence of God For their being necessitated to continue trusting in the Lord there is not any thing in Text or in our Argument from thence or in the doctrine we maintaine that requires or will admit of any such proceeding of God as by that expression is properly signified Indeed there is a contradiction in termes if they are used to the same pupose to Trust in the Lord is the voluntary free act of the creature to be necessitated unto this Act and in the performance of it so that it should be done necessarily as to the manner of its doing is wholly destructive to the nature and being of it That God can effectually and infallibly as to the event cause his Saints to continue trusting in him without the least abridgement of their liberty yea that he doth so eminently by heightning and advancing their spirituall liberty shall be afterwards declared if by necessitated to continue trusting not the manner of Gods operation with and in them for the compassing of the end poposed and the efficacy of his Grace whereby he doth it commonly decryed under those termes be intended but only the certainty of the issue rejecting the impropriety of the expression the thing it selfe we affirme to be here promised of God But is urged 2. That this Promise is not made unto the Persons of any § 14. but meerely unto their Qualifications like that he that believeth shall be saved it is made to the Grace of Trusting Obedience and walking with God for threatnings are made to the evill Qualifications of men Ans. This it seemes then we are come unto and what farther progresse may be made the Lord knowes The Gratious Promises of God made to his Church his People in the bloud of Jesus on which they have rolled themselves with safety and security in their severall generations are nothing but bare declarations of the will of God what he allowes and what he rejects with the firme concatenation that is between Faith and salvation Obedience and reward And this it seemes is the only use of them which if it be so I dare boldly say that all the Saints of God from the foundations of the World have most horribly abused his Promises and forced them to other ends then ever God intended them for Doubtlesse all those blessed soules who are fallen a sleepe in the Faith of Jesus Christ having drawn refreshment from these breasts of Consolation could they be summoned to give in their experience of what they have found in this kind they would with one mouth professe that they found farre more in them then meere conditionall declarations of the will of God Yea that they received them in Faith as the engagement of his heart and good will towards them that he never failed in the accomplishment and performance of all the good mentioned in them neither will that emphaticall expression in the close of the second verse which being somewhat too rough for our Author to handle he left it quite out beare any such sence That the Promises of the Covenant are made originally to Persons and not to Qualifications hath been in part already proved and shall be farther evinced God assisting as occasion shall be offered in the ensuing discourse The Promises are to Abraham and his seede and some of them as hath been declared are the springs of all Qualifications whatever that are acceptable unto God what be the Qualifications of Promises of opening blind eyes taking away stony hearts c. hath not as yet been declared But it is farther argued 3. That this and the like Promises are to be interpreted according to the rule which God hath given for the interpretation and understanding of his threatnings unto Nations about temporall things and his Promises that are of the same import which we have Jer. 18. 7 8. Plainely affirming that all their accomplishment dependeth on some conditions in the Persons or Nations against whom they are denounced Ans. God forbid shall those Promises which are branches of the everlasting Covenant of Grace Heb. 7. 23. called better Promises then those of the old Covenant upon the account of their infallible accomplishment 2 Cor 1. 20. ratified in the blood of Christ made yea and amen in him the witnesse of the Faithfulnesse of God to his Church 2 Pet. 1. 3. and grand Supporter of our Faith exceeding great and pretious shall they be thought to be of no other sence and interpretation to make no other Revelation of the Father unto us but in that kind which is common to threatnings of Judgements expresly conditionall
of the floud I have sworne saith he that is I have entred into a covenant to that end which was wont to be confirmed with an Oath and God being absolutely faithfull in his covenant is said to sweare thereunto though there be no expresse mention of any such oath that the World should no more be so drowned as then it was now saith God see my Faithfulnesse herein it hath never been drowned since nor ever shall be with equall Faithfulnesse have I engaged even in Covenant that that kindnesse which I mentioned to thee shall alwaies be continued so that I will not be wroth to rebuke thee that is so as utterly to cast thee off as the World was when it was drowned But some may say before the floud the Earth was filled with violence and sinne and should it be so againe would it not bring another floud upon it Hath he said he will not drowne it notwithstanding any interposall of sinne wickednesse or rebellion whatever Yea saith he such is my Covenant I took notice in my first engagement therein that the Imagination of mans heart would be evill from his youth Gen 8. 21. and yet I entred into that solemne Covenant so that this exemption of the World from an universall deluge is not an Appendix to the obedience of the World which hath been upon some accounts more wicked since then before as in the crucifying of Christ the Lord of Glory and in rejecting of him being preached unto them but it solely leaneth upon my Faithfulnesse in keeping Covenant and my Truth in the accomplishment of the Oath that I have solemnely entred into So is my kindnesse to you I have made expresse provision for your sinnes and failings therein such I will preserve you from as are inconsistent with my kindnesse to you and such will I pardon as you are overtaken withall When you see an universall deluge covering the face of the Earth that is God unfaithfull to his Oath and Covenant then and not till then suppose that his kindnesse can be turned from Believers Something is excepted against this Testimony §. 19. Ch 11. Sect 4 Pag 227. but of so little importance that it is scarce worth while to turne aside to the consideration of it The summe is that this place speaketh only of Gods Faithfulnesse in his Covenant but that this should be the Tenor of the Covenant that they who once truly believed should by God infallibly and by a strong hand against all interposalls of sinne wickednesse or rebellion be preserved in such a Faith is not by any word syllable or Iota intimated Ans. This is that which is repeated usque ad nauseam and were it not for variety of expressions wherewith some men doe abound to adorne it it would appeare extreame beggerly and over-worne but a sorry shift as they say is better then none or doubtlesse in this place it had not been made use of For 1. This Testimony is not called forth to speake immediately to the continuance of Believers in their Faith but to the continuance and unchangeablenesse of the Love of God to them and consequentially only to their preservation in Faith upon that account 2. It is not only assumed at a cheap and very low rate or price but clearly gratis supposed that Believers may make such interposalls of Sinne Wickednesse and Rebellion in their walking with God as should be inconsistent with the continuance of his Favour and Kindnesse to them according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace His Kindnesse and Favour being to us things extrinsecall our sinnes are not opposed unto them really and directly as though they might effectually infringe an Act of the Will of God but only meritoriously now when God saith that he will continue his kindnesse to us for ever notwithstanding the demerit of Sinne as is plainly intimated in that Allusion to the Waters of Noah for any one to say that they may fall into such Sinnes and Rebellions as that He cannot but turne his Kindnesse from them is a bold attempt for the violation of his Goodnesse and Faithfulnesse and a plaine begging of the thing in Question Certainly it is not a pious labour to thrust with violence such supposalls into the Promises of God as will stoppe those breasts from giving out any consolation when no place or roome for them doth at all appeare there being not one word syllable Iota or tittle of any such supposalls in them 3. The Exposition and Glosse that is given of these words namely that upon conditon of their Faithfulnesse and Obedience which notwithstanding any thing in this or any other Promise they may turne away from he will engage himselfe to be a God to them is such as no Saint of God without the helpe of Satan and his owne unbeliefe could affixe to the place neither will that at all assist which 4. Is affirmed namely that in all Covenants and his Promise holdeth out a Covenant there must be a condition on both sides For we willingly grant that in this Covenant of Grace God doth promise something to us and requireth something of us and that these two have mutuall dependance one upon another But we also affirme that in the very Covenant it selfe God hath graciously promised to worke effectually in us those things which he requireth of us and that therein it mainly differeth from the Covenant of Works which he hath abolished But such a Covenant as wherein God should Promise to be a God unto us upon a condition by us and in our own strength to be fulfilled and on the same account continued in unto the end we acknowledge not nor can whilest our hearts have any sence of the Love of the Father the Bloud of the Sonne of the Grace of the Holy Spirit the fountaines thereof Notwithstanding then any thing that hath been drawn forth in opposition to it Faith may triumph from the Love of God in Christ held out in this Promise to the full assurance of an everlasting Acceptance with him for God also willing yet more abundantly to give in consolation in this place to the heirs of the Promis assureth the stability of his Love and kindnesse to them by another allusion v. 10. The Mountaines saith he shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee He biddeth them consider the mountaines and hilles and suppose that they may be removed and depart suppose that the most unlikely things in the World shall come to passe whose accomplishment none can judge possible while the World endureth yet my kindnesse to thee is such as shall not fall within those supposalls which concerne things of such an impossibility I am exceeding conscious that all Paraphrasing or Exposition of the words that may be used for their Accommodation to the Truth we plead for doth but darken and Eclipse the Light and Glory
words the case is undoubtedly concluded in them This then we shall consider and therefore must look a little back into the generall designe of the whole Chapter for the evasion of Qualifications will not here serve God betrotheth Persons not Qualifications There are two parts of the Ch 1. §. 21. That from the beginning to v. 4. containeth a most fearfull and dreadfull commination and threatning of the Judgments of the Lord against the whole Church and Common-wealth of the Jewes for their Apostasy Idolatry and Rebellion against him It is not an affliction or a triall or some lesser desolation that God here threatneth them withall but utter destruction and rejection as to all Church and Politicall State He will leave them neither substance nor ornament State nor Worship describing the condition which came upon them at their Rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ left they must be as in the day that God first looked on them poore naked in their bloud unpittied formed neither into Church State nor Commonwealth so will I make them saith the Lord And this dispensation of God the Prophet expresseth with great dread and terrour to the end of the 13. verse 2. The second part of the Chapter is taken up and spent §. 23. from the 14. verse to the end in heavenly and gracious Promises of the conversion of the true Israelites the seed according to the Promise of God of the Renovation of the Covenant with them and blessing them with all spirituall blessings in Jesus Christ unto the end And hereof there are these foure parts 1. An heavenly Promise of their Conversion by the Gospell which he demonstrateth and setteth out by comparing the Spirituall deliverance therein to the deliverance which they had by an high hand from Aegypt v. 14. and 15. 2. The delivery of them so converted from Idolatry False-worship and all those waies whereby God was provoked to cast off their Fore-fathers attended by their obedience in close walking with God for ever 3. The quietnesse and peace which they shall enjoy being called and purged from their sinnes before mentioned which the Lord expresseth by his making a Covenant with the whole Creation in their behalfe v. 18. 4. A discovery of the fountaine of the mercies before mentioned with those also which afterwards are insisted on to wit the Everlasting Covenant of Grace through which God will with all Faithfulnesse and Mercy take them to himselfe v. 19 20. to the end Before we farther open these particulars §. 24. some Objections must be removed that are laid to prevent the inference intended from these words Ch 11. Sect 8. pag. 229. It is first objected 1. The Promise of the Betrothing here specified is made unto the entire body and Nation of the Jewes as well unbelievers as Believers as appeareth by the carriage of the Chapter throughout Ans. The carriage of the Chapter throughout is a weake proofe of this Assertion no doubt fixed on for want of particular instances to give any light unto it neither doth the carriage of the Chapter throughout intimate any such thing in the least but expressely manifesteth the contrary It is universall desolation and utter Rejection that is assigned as the portion of unbelievers as such all along this Chapter This Promise is made to them whom God allureth into the Wildernesse and there speaketh comfortably to them which what it doth import shall be afterwards considered Yea and which is more the words of v. 23. which runne on in the same tenor with the Promises particularly insisted on and beyond all exception are spoken to and of the same persons are applied by the Apostle Paul not to the whole Nation of the Jews Idolaters and Unbelievers but to them that were brought in unto the Lord Christ and obtained the Righteousnesse of Faith when the rest were hardened Rom. 9. 26. From v. 24. to the 30. the Apostle by sundry instances from the Scripture of the Old Testament manifesteth that it was a Remnant of Israel according to the election of Grace to whom the Promise was made To us whom God hath called not to the Jewes only but also to the Gentiles For so saith he it is in Hosea instancing in the passage we insist on I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved and it shall come to passe that in the place where it was said unto them You are not my people there shall they be called the Children of the Living God Which he farther confirmeth firmeth by a Testimony out of Isaiah 10. 22 23. manifesting that it is but a Remnant that are intended Wherefore it is objected 2. That the Promise is conditionall and the performance of it of the Mrceies mentioned in it suspended upon the repentance of that people especially of their Idolatry to the true and pure worship of God as appeareth v. 14 16 17. which plainly sheweth that it was made as well nay rather to those that were wicked and Idolatrous amongst this People then unto others as being held forth unto them chiefly for this end to wooe them away from their Idols unto God Ans. I hope the people of God will more stedfastly abide by their interest in the sweetnesse usefulnesse and consolation of this Promise then to throw it away upon such slight and Atheologicall flourishes For 1. Is there any title Iota or word in the whole Text to intimate that this Promise is conditionall and dependeth on the peoples forsaking their Idolatry The 14 16 17. verses are urged for proofe thereof God indeed in those verses doth graciously promise that from the Riches of the same Grace whence he freely saith that he will Betroth them to himselfe that he will convert them and turne them away from their Idolatry and all their sinnes but that that should be required of them as a condition whereon God will enter into Covenant with them there is nothing in the whole Context from v. 14. and downewards that intimateth it in the least or will endure to be wrested to any such sence it holding out severall distinct Acts of the same free Grace of his unto his People 2. That this is a Promise of entring into Covenant with them cannot be denied Now that God should require their Repentance as an antecedaneous previous qualification to his receiving them into Covenant and yet in the Covenant undertake to give them that Repentance as he doth in promising them to take away their hearts of stone and give them new hearts of flesh is a direct Contradiction sit only for a part of that Divinity which is in the whole an expresse contradiction to the Word and mind of God 3. Neither can it be supposed as a conditionall Promise held out to them as a motive to work them from their Idolatry when antecedentaly thereunto God hath expressely promised to doe that for them v. 16 17. with as high an hand and efficacy of Grace
is so great and so much variety therein that it can scarce be cast into one course and current and if the generall scope aime and tendency of the Scripture may passe for the course of it there is not any one thing that lyes so evident and cleare therein as the decrying of all that Ability and strength and power to doe good in men which M. Goodwin so much pleads for and Asserts to be in them with an Exaltation of that rich and free Grace in the efficacy and the power of it which he so much opposeth The experiment all knowledge he hath of his own heart §. 8. the workings and reasonings thereof a thing common to him with others and what advantages he hath thereby I shall not consider Only this I shall dare to say that I would not for all the World have no experience in my heart of the truth of many things which M. Goodwin in this Treatise opposeth or that my weake experience of the Grace of God should not rise above that frame of heart and spirit which the teachings of it seem to discover I doubt a person under the Covenant of workes heightned with convictions and a low or common worke of the Spirit induced thereby to some Regular walking before God may reach the utmost of what in this Treatise is required to render a man a Saint truly gracious regenerate and a Believer And in this also I doubt not lyes the deceit of what is thirdly insisted on viz. His observation of the wayes and spirits of men their firstings and lastings in Religion A sort of men there are in the world who escape the outward pollution of it and are cleane in their owne eyes though they are never wash't from their iniquityes who having been under strong convictions by the power of the Law and broken thereby from the course of their sinne attending to the Word of the Gospell with a temporary Faith do go forth unto a profession of Religion and walking with God so far as to have all the lineaments of true Believers as Mr Goodwin somewhere speakes drawne in their faces hearing the Word gladly as did Herod receiving it with joy as did the stony ground attending to it with delight as they did in Ezech. 33. 31. Repenting of former sinnes as did Ahab and Judas untill they are reckoned among true Believers as was Judas those John 2. 23. who yet were never united unto Jesus Christ of whose wayes and walking Mr Goodwin seemes to have made observation and found many of them to end in visible Apostacy But that this observation of them should cause him to judg them when Apostatized to have been true Believers or that he is thereby advantaged to determine concerning the truth of severall Opinions pretending to his acceptance I cannot grant nor doth he go about to prove For what he mentions in the last place of the light of reason and understanding §. 9. which he hath I do not only grant him to have it in common as he saith with other men for the kind of it but also as to the degrees of it to be much advanced therein above the generality of men yet I must needs tell him in the close that all these helps and advantages seeming to be drawne forth and advanced in opposition to that one great assistance which we enjoy by promise from Christ of his Spirit leading us into all truth and teaching us from God by his owne anointing are to me hay and stubble yea losse and dung of no value nor esteeme Had we not other wayes meanes helps and advantages to come to the knowledge of the Truth than these here unfolded and spread by Mr Goodwin actum esset we should never perceive the things that are of God The Fox was acquainted with many wiles and devices the Cat knew unum magnum wherein she found safety Attendance to the Word according to the direction of the usuall knowne Rules and helpes agreed on for the interpretation of it with humble dependance on God waiting for the guidance of his Spirit according to the Promise of his deare Sonne asking him of him continually that he may dwell with us anoint and lead us into all truth with an utter abrenunciation of all our skill abilityes wisdome and any resting on them knowing that it is God alone that gives us understanding is the course that hitherto hath been used in our enquiry after the mind of God in the Doctrine under consideration and which the Lord assisting shall be heeded and kept close unto in that discussion of the Texts of Scripture wrested by Mr Goodwin as by others before him to give countenance to his opposition to the Truth hitherto uttered confirmed and vindicated from his contradictions thereunto The place of Scripture first insisted on §. 10. and on the account whereof he triumphs with the greatest confidence of successe is that of Ezech. 18. 24 25. Unwhich words he subjoynes a Triumphant Exulting Exclamation What more saith he can the understanding judgement soule and conscience of a man reasonably desire for the establishment in any truth whatsoever than is delivered by God himselfe in this passage to evince the possibility of a righteous mans declining from his righteousnesse and that unto death The councell given of old to the King may not be unseasonable to Mr Goodwin in that dominion which he exerciseth in his owne thoughts in this worke of his let not him that putteth on this armour boast like him that puteth it off You have but newly entered the lists and that with all pressed Souldiers unwilling so much as once to appeare in that service they are forced to If you will but suspend your triumph untill we have made a little tryall of your forces and your skill in managing of them to the battle perhaps you may be a little taken off from this confidence of successe notwithstanding the facing of this Scripture upon the Truth being cut off and taken away from that coherence and connexion and station wherein it is placed of God which is not at the least enquired into it will be found in that issue to beare it no ill will at all As will also be manifested by the light of the ensuing consideration 1. The matter under enquiry into a disquisition of whose state we have hitherto been engaged in the condition of the Saints of God and his dealing with them in and under the Covenant of Grace in Generall For our guidance and direction herein a Text of Scripture evincing the Righteousnesse of Gods dealings with a number of persons in a peculiar case which was under debate is produced and by the tenour of this and according to the tenour of the reasonings therein must all the Promises of God in the Covenant of Grace mape and ratifyed by the Bloud of Christ be regulated and interpreted We have been told by as Learned a man as Mr Goodwin that Promises made to the people of
the Jewes peculiarly and suited to the peculiar state and condition wherein they were do not concerne the People of God in generall And why may not the same be the condition of Threatnings given out upon a parralell account Compedes quas fecit ipse ut ferat aequum est 2. That it is the determination and stating of a particular Controversy between God and the people of the Jewes suited to a peculiar dispensation of his Providence towards them which is here proposed is evident from the occasion of the words lay'd downe v. 2 3. What mean ye c. that use this proverb concerning the Land of Israel saying the Fathers have eaten sower Grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge As I live saith the Lord c. It is the use of a Proverb concerning the Land of Israel that God is descrying and disproving the truth of the Proverb it selfe under consideration and that this should be the standard and Rule of Gods proceeding with his people in the Covenant of mercy no man that seemes to have either understanding judgement or conscience can reasonably imagine 3. That it is not the nature and tenour of the Covenant of Grace and Gods dealing with his chosen secret ones his Saints true Believers as to their eternall condition which in these words is intended but the manifestation of the Righteousnesse of God in dealing with that people of the Jewes in a peculiar dispensation of his providence towards the body of that people and the Nation in generall appeares farther from the occasion of the words and the provocation given the Lord to make use of these expressions unto them The proverbe that God cuts out of their lips and mouthes by the sword of his Righteousnesse in these words was concerning the Land of Israel Used perhaps mostly by them in captivity but it was concerning the Land of Israel not concerning the Eternall state and condition of the Saints of God but concerning the Land of Israel v. 2. God had of old given that Land to that people by Promise and continued them in it for many Generations untill at length for their wickednesse ' Idolatry Abomination and obstinacy in their evill wayes he caused them to be carryed captive unto Rabylon In that Captivity the Lord revenged upon them not only the sinnes of the present Generation but as he told them also those of their fore-Fathers especially the Abomination Cruelty Idolatry exercised in the dayes of Manasseh taking this season for his worke of vengeance in the Generations following who also so farre walked in the steps of their fore-Fathers as to Justify all Gods proceedings against them Being wasted and removed from their owne Land by the Righteous Judgement of God they considered the Land of Israel that was Promised to them though upon their good behaviour therein and how instead of a plentifull enjoyment of all things in peace and quietnesse therein there were now a small remnant in captivity the rest the farre greatest part being destroyed by the sword and famine in that Land In this state and condition being as all other of their frame and principle prone to justify themselves they had hatched a proverb among themselves concerning the Land of Israel promised to them excedingly opprobrious and reproachfull to the Justice of God in his dealings with them The summe of the intendment of this saying that was growne rise amongst them was that for the sinne of their fore-Fathers many yea the greatest part of them was slain in the Land of Israel and the rest carried from it into bondage and captivity To vindicate the Righteousnesse and equity of his wayes the impartiallity of his Judgements the Lord recounts to them by his Prophet many of their sinnes whereof themselves with their Fathers were guilty in the Land of their nativity and for which he had brought all that calamity and desolation upon them whereof they did complaine confirming under many supposalls of rising and falling that principle of rising and falling that principle he layd downe in the entrance of his dealings with them that every one of them suffered for his own iniquity whatever they suffered whether death or other banishment and not for the sinnes of their fore Fathers Whatever influence they might have upon the procuring of the generall vengeance that overtooke the whole Nation in the midst of their iniquity This being the aime scope and tendency of the place the import of the words and tenour of Gods intendment in them I cannot but wouder how any man of understanding and Conscience can once imagine that God hath given any Testimony to the possibilty of falling out of Covenant with him of those whom he hath taken â—igh to himselfe through the Bloud of his Sonne in the Everlasting bond thereof As though it were any thing of his dealing with the Saints in reference to their Spirituall and Eternall Condition that the Lord here reveales his will about being only the tenour of his dealings with the House of Israel in reference to the Land of Canaan 4. This is farther manifest in that principle Rule of Gods proceedings in the matter laid down v. 4. which is not only a line from but also directly opposite unto that which is the principle in the Covenant of Grace The soule that sinneth he shall dye That soule and person and not another when in that Covenant of Grace he sets forth his Sonne to be a propitiation through faith in his Bloud giving him up to death for all causing the just to dye for the unjust the soule that never sinned for the soules that had sinned that they might go free And I would faine know on what solid grounds an answer may be given to the Socinians triumphing in the 4. v. against the satisfaction of Christ nolesse than Mr Goodwin in the 24 25. against the Perseverance of the Saints If you do not manifest the whole tendency of this place to be accommodated to Gods providentiall dispensation of temporall Judgements and Mercyes in respect of that people and the Covenant whereby they held the Land of Canaan and not at all to respect the generall dispensation of his Righteousnesse and Grace in the Bloud of Christ. So that 5. The whole purport and intendment of the Scripture under consideration is only to manifest the tenour of Gods Righteous proceeding with the people of Israel in respect of his dispensation towards them in reference to the Land of Canaan convicing them of their own abominations confuting the profane proverb invened and reared up in the reproach of his Righteousnesse beating them from the vaine pretence of being punished for their Fathers sins and the conceit of their owne Righteousnesse which that people was perpetually puffed up with all He letts them know that his dealing with them and his wayes towards them were equall and righteous in that there was none of them but was punished for his owne sinne and though some of them might have made some
est Cunctis Vigor variarum Illecebris rerum trahitur dispersa voluntas Sponte aliquos vitiis succumbere qui potuissent A Lapsu revocare pedem stabilesque manere As I sayd we have the summe of Mr. Goodwin's Book in this declaration of the Judgment of the Semi-Pelagians so also in particular the state of the Controversy about the perseverance of the Saints as then it was debated I doubt not but the learned Reader will easily perceive it to be no other then that which is now agitated between me Mr. Goodwin The controversy indeed in the matter between Austin and the Pelagians was reduced to 3 heads 1. As to the Foundation of it which Austin concluded to be the decree of Predestination which they denyed the Impulsive Cause of it he proved to be the Free grace of God the measure or quality of that Grace to be such as that whoever received it did persevere it being perseverance which was given both which they denyed about the kind of faith which Temporary professours might have and fall from it which were never elected there was between them no Contest at all Of his Judgment then there were these two main heads which he laboured to confirme That perseverance is a gift of God and that no man either did or could persevere in Faith and obedience upon the strength of any grace received much less of his own Ability stirred up and promoted by such considerations as Mr. Goodwin makes the ground and bottome of the perseverance of all that so do but that the whole was from his Grace Subservient to this he maintained that no one Temptation whatsoever could be overcome but by some Act of Grace and that therfore perseverance must needs be a work thereof it being an abiding in Faith and obedience notwithstanding and against Temptation To this is that of his on Joh Hom. 53 quosdam nimia voluntatis suoe fiducia extulit in superbiam quosdam nimia volunta tis sua diffidentia dejecit in negligentiam Illi dicunt quid rogamus Deum ne vincamur tentatione quod in nostrâ est potestate Isti dicunt at quid conamur bene vivere quod in Dei est Potestate ô Domine ô Pater qui es in Coelis ne nos infer as in quamlibet istarum Tentationum sed libera nos à malo Audiamus Dominum dicentem rogavi pro Te Petre ne fides deficiat tuae ne sic existimemus fidem nostram esse in Libero Arbitrio ut Divino non egeat adjutorio c. That with both of these sorts of men the way and work of the Grace of God is at this day perverted and obscured is so known to all that it needs no Exemplification Some require no more to the Conquest of Temptations but men's own rational consideration of their Eternal state and condition with the tendency of That whereto they are tempted Others turning the Grace of God into wantonness supinely casting away all heedful regard of walking with God being enslaved to their lusts and corruptions under a pretence of God's working all in all The latter denying themselves to be men the former to be men corrupted And in plaine terms the Milevitane Councel tells us si quis finxerit ideò Gratiam esse necessariam ad vitanda peccata quia facit hominem cognoscere peccata discernere inter Peccata non peccata quá Discretione per gratiam habitâ per liberum Arbitrium potest vitare is procùl c. The light of Grace to discerne the state of things the nature of sinne and to consider these aright the Pelagians allowed which is all the Bottome of that perseverance of Saints which we have offered by Mr. Goodwin but upon that supplie of these meanes to abide and persevere in faith to fly and avoid sinne is a thing of our own performance This the Doctors of that Councel Anno 420. condemned as a Pelagian fiction As Prosper also presents it at large C 25 against Cassianus the Semi-Pelagian further cleares confirmes it so Austin againe De Bono Persev c 3 cur ista perseverantia petitur à Deo si non datur à Deo an ista irrisoria Petitio est cum illud ab eo petitur quod scitur non ipsum Dare sed ipso non dante esse in hominis potestate sicùt irrisoria est etiam illa Gratiarum Actio si ex hoc gratiae aguntur Deo quod non donavit ipse nec fecit And the same Argument he useth againe Cap 6 9 much resting on Cyprian's Interpretation of the Lord's Prayer and Cap 26 he further presseth it as to the root and foundation of this Gift of God Si ad Liberum Arbitrium Hominis quod non secundum gratiam sed contra eam defendis pertinere dicis ut perseveret in Bono quisquis vel non perseveret non Deo dante sic perseverat sed humana voluntate faciente One or two instances more in this kind amongst hundreds that offer themselves may suffice De Correptione Gratiâ Cap 14. Apostolus Judas cum dicit ei autem qui potens est c nonne apertissimè ostendit Donum Dei esse Perseverare in Bono usque ad Finem quid enim aliud sonat qui potest conservare nos sine offensione constituere ante conspectum gloriae suoe immaculatos in Laetitiâ nisi Perseverantiam Bonam quis tam insulsè desipiat ut neget Perseverantiam esse Denum Dei cùm dicit Sanctissimus Jeremias timorem meum dabo in corde eorum ut non recedant à me c. I shall adde only that one place more out of the same Book c 59. where both the matter manner of the thing in hand is fully delivered in hoc loco miseriarum ubi tentatio est vita hominum super terram virtus infirmitate perficitur qaoe virtus nisi qui gloriatur ut in domino glorietur per hoc de ipsa perseverantiâ Boni noluit Deus Sanctos suos in viribus suis sed in ipso gloriari qui eis non solùm dat Adjutorium quod Primo homini dedit sine quo non possit persever are si velit sed in iis etiam operatur velle quoniam non perseverabunt nisi possint velint perseverandi eis possibilitas voluntas Divinae Gratiae largitate donatur tantum quippe Spiritu Sancto accenditur voluntas eorum ut ideò possint quia sic volunt ideò sic velint quia Deus operatur ut velint Nam si tantâ infirmitate hujus vitae ipsis relinquetur voluntas sua ut in Adjutorio Dei fine quo perseverare non possent manerent si vellent ne Deus in eis operaretur ut velint inter tot tantas tentationes infirmitate suâ succumberet voluntas ideò persever are non possent quia deficientes infirmitate voluntatis non vellent aut non ita vellent ut
debilitate and overthrow an acquired habit whereunto it is opposite 2. Meritoriously by provoking the Lord to take them away in a way of punishment for of all punishment sinne is the morally procuring cause Let us a little consider which of those wayes it may probably be supposed that sinne expelles the spirit and habit of grace from the soules of Believers 1. For the spirit of grace which dwells in them it cannot with the least colour of reason be supposed that sinne should have a naturall efficient reaction against the spirit which is a voluntary indweller in the hearts of his he is indeed grieved and provoked by it Ephes. 4. 30. Heb 3. 10 11. Isa. 63 10. but that is in a morall way in respect of its demerit but that it should have a naturall efficiency by the way of opposition against it as Intemperance against the Mediocrity which it opposeth is a madnesse to imagine The habit of Grace wherewith such believers are indued §. 26. is infused not acquired by a frequency of Acts in themselves the root is made good and then the fruit and the work of God It is a new Creation planted in them by the exceeding greatnesse of his Power as he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead which he also strengthens with all might and all power to the end Is it now supposed or can it rationally be so that vitious acts acts of sinne should have in the soule a naturall efficiency for the expelling of an infused habit Col. 2. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ephes. 1. 19. Col. 1. 11. and that implanted upon the soule by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God That it should be done by any one or two acts is impossible to suppose that a man in whom there is an habit set on by so mighty an impression as the Scripture mentions to act constantly contrary thereunto is to think what we will without troubling our selves to consider how it may be brought about Farther whilest this Principle life and habit of Grace is thus consuming doth their God and Father look on and suffer it to decay and their spirituall man to pine away day by day Eph. 1. 23. Col. 2. 19. giving them no new supplies nor increasing them with the increase of Gods hath he no pitty towards a dying child Eph 4. 16. 1 Thes 3. 12. or can he not help him doth he of whom it is said that he is faithfull and that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able Phil 1. 6. 1 Cor. 10. 13. but with the very temptation will make way for us to escape let loose such floodgates of Temptations upon them as he knows his grace will not be able to stand before but will be consumed and expelled by it what also shall we suppose are the thoughts of Iesus Christ towards a withering member Heb 2. 17 18. 3. 15. 7. 25. a dying brother a perishing child a wandring sheep where is his zeale and his tender mercies and the sounding of his bowells are they restrained Isa 40. 11. 63. 8. Will he not lay hold of his strength and stirre up his Righteousnesse to save a poore sinking creature Ezek 34. 4 12. Also He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world and will he suffer himselfe to be wrought out of his habitation and not stirre up his strength to keep possession of the dwelling place which he had chosen So that neither in the nature of the thing it selfe nor in respect of him with whom we have to doe doth this seem possible But secondly §. 27. Sinne procureth by the way of merit the taking away of the Spirit and removeall of the Habit graciously bestowed Believers deserve by sinne that God should take his Spirit from them and the Grace that he hath bestowed on them They doe so indeed it cannot be denied but will the Lord deale so with them Isa 48. 9. Will he judge his house with such fler and vengeance Is that the way of a Father with his Children untill he hath taken away his Spirit and grace although they are Rebellious Children yet they are his Children still and is this the way of a tender Father to cut the throats of his Children when it is in his power to mend them The casting of a wicked man into Hell is not a punishment to be compared to this the losse of Gods presence is the worst of Hell How infinitely must they needs be more sensible of it who have once enjoyed it Isa 49. 15 16 Isa 66. 13. then those who were strangers to it from their wombe Certainly the Lord bears another Testimony concerning his kindnesse to his Sonnes and Daughters Ierem 2. 14. Hos. 2. 14. c. then that we should entertaine such dismall thoughts of him He chastises his Children indeed but he doth not kill them he corrects them with rodds but his Kindnesse he takes not from them notwithstanding of the attempt made by the Remonstrants in their Synodalia I may say that I have not as yet met with any tolerable extrication of those difficulties more to this purpose will afterwards be insisted on 3. That which we intend when we mention the Perseverance of Saints is their continuance to the end in the condition of Saintship whereunto they are called Now in the state of Saintship there are two things concurring 1. That Holinesse which they receive from God and 2. That Favour which they have with God being justified freely by his grace through the blood of Christ and their continuance in this condition to the end of their lives both to their reall Holinesse and gracious Acceptance is the Perseverance whereof we must treat The one respecting the reall estate the other their relative of which more particularly afterwards And this is a briefe delineation of the Doctrine §. 28. which the Lord assisting shall be explained confirmed and vindicated in the insuing discourse which being first set forth as a meere Skeleton its Symetry and Complexion Its Beauty and Comelinesse Its Strength and Vigor Excellency and Vsefulnesse will in the description of the severall parts and branches of it be more fully manifested Now because Mr Goodwin §. 29. though he was not pleased to fixe any orderly state of the Question under debate a course he hath also thought good to take in handling those other Heads of the Doctrine of the Gospell wherein he hath chosen to walke for the maine with the Arminians in Paths of difference from the Reformed Churches yet having scatterd up and downe his Treatise what his conceptions are of the Doctrine he doth oppose as also what he asserts in the place roome thereof and Upon what Principles I shall briefly call what he hath so delivered both on the one hand on the other to an account to make the clearer way for the proofe of the Truth which
will destroy them and separate them from God and that by Obedience they shall come to the Greatest Good Imaginable where upon it is in their Power so strongly to incline their hearts unto Obedience that they shall be in no more danger of departing from God then a Wise and Rationall man is of killing or willfully destroying himselfe The first part whereof may be performed by them who are no Saints the latter not by any Saint whatsoever And is not this noble Provision for the Security and Assurance of the Saints enough to make them cast away with speed all their interest in the unchangeable purposes Gracious and Faithfull Promises of God Intercession of Christ Sealing of the Spirit and all those Sandy and triviall supports of their Faith which hitherto they have rejoyced in And what ever experience they have or Testimony from the Word they doe recieve of the Darkenesse and Weakenesse of their Minds the stubbornesse of their Wills with the strong inclinations that are in them to sinne and falling away what ever be their Oppositions from aboue them Ephes. 6. 12. Heb. 12. 1. Rom. 7. 17. about them within them on the right Hand and on the Left that they have to wrestle withall let them give up them selves to the hand of their owne manlike Considerations and weighing of things which will secure them against all danger or Probability of falling away For if they be but capable First of seeing and knowing Secondly of pondering and considering and that rationally it matters not whether these things are Fruits of the Spirit of Grace or no nay 't is cleare they must not be so that such and such evill is to be avoided and that there is so and so Great a Good to be obtained by continuing in obedience they may raise and worke inclinations in themselves answerable in strength vigour and power to any degree of goodnesse which they apprehend in what they see and ponder The whole of the Ample sufficient Meanes §. 40. afforded by God to the Saints to inable them to Persevere branching it selfe into these two heads First The rationall considering what they have to doe Secondly Their vigorous Inclination of their Hearts to act suitably and answerable to their Considerations I shall in a word consider them apart 1. First the Considerations mentioned of Evill to be avoided and Good to be attained I meane that which may put men upon Creating those strong inclinations For such considerations may be without any such Consequence as in her that cryed video meliora proboque deteriora sequor are either Issues and products of mens owne naturall faculties and deduced out of the power of them so that as men they may put themselves upon them at any time or they are Fruits of the Spirit of his Grace who worketh in us to will and to doe of his owne good Pleasure 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. If they be the latter I aske seeing all Grace is of Promise whether hath God promised to give and continue this Grace of selfe-consideration unto Believers or noe If he hath whether absolutely or conditionally If absolutely then he hath promised absolutely to continue some Grace in them which is all we desire If Conditionally then would I know what that Condition is on which God hath promised that Believers shall so consider things mentioned And of the Condition which shall be expressed it may farther be enquired whether it be any Grace of God or only a meer Act of the Rationall Creature as such without any immediate Inworking of the Will and Deed by God Whatsoever is answered the Question will not goe to Rest untill it be granted that either it is a Grace Absolutely promised of God which is all we desire or a pure Act of the Creature contra-distinct thereunto which Answers the first inquiry Let it then be granted that the Considerations intimated are no other but such as a Rationall man who is inlightened to an assent to the Truth of God may so exert and exercise as he pleaseth then is here a Foundation layd of all the Ground of Perseverance that is allowed the Saints in their owne indeavours as men without the Assistance of any Grace of God Now these Considerations be they what they will must needs be beneath one single good thought for as for that we have no sufficiency of our selves yea Vanity and nothing for without Christ we can doe nothing yea evill and displeasing to God 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ioh. 15. 5. Gen. 8. 21. as are all the thoughts and imaginations of our Hearts that are only such I had supposed that no man in the least acquainted with what it is to serve God under Temptations and what the worke of Saving Soules is but had been sufficiently convinced of utter the insufficiency of such Rationall Considerations flowing only from Conviction to be a solid Foundation of abiding with God unto the end If mens Houses of profession are built on such Sands as these we need not wonder to see them so frequently falling to the ground 2. Secondly §. 41. suppose these Considerations to act their parts upon the stage raised for them to the Greatest Applause that can be expected or desired yet that which comes next upon the Theater will I feare foully miscarry and spoyle the whole Plot of the Play That is mens vigorous inclination of their hearts to the good things pondered on to what height they please For besides that 1. First it is liable to the same Examinations that passed upon it's Associate before or an inquiry from whence he comes whether from Heaven or Men upon which I doubt not but he may easily be discovered to be a Vagabond upon the earth to have no Passe from Heaven and so be rendred liable to the Law of God 2. Secondly it would be inquired whether it hath a Consistency with the whole designe of the Apostle Rom. 7. and therefore 3. Thirdly it is utterly denied that Men the Best of Men have in themselves and of themselves arising upon the account of any Considerations whatsoever a Power Ability or Strength vigorously or at all acceptably to God to incline their Hearts to the performance of any thing that is spiritually good or in a Gospell tendency to walking with God All the Promises of God all the Prayers of the Saints all their Experience the whole designe of God in laying up all our stores of Strength and Grace in Christ joyntly cry out against it for a counterfeit pretence In a word that men are able to plant in themselves Inclinations and Dispositions to refraine all manner of Sinne destructive to the safety of their soules fuller of Energie Vigor Life Strength Power then those that are in them to avoid things Apparantly tending to the destruction of their naturall lives is an Assertion as full of Energy Strength and Vigor Life and Poyson for the destruction and eversion of the Grace of God in Christ as any can be
them to doe them good and I will put my feare in their Hearts and they shall not depart from me Or as v 39 They shall feare me for ever which distinguisheth this Covenant from the former made with their Fathers in that that was broken which this shall never be Cap 21 32 This is the Crowning Mercy that renders both the other glorious As to Acceptation he will not depart from us as to Sanctification we shall not depart from him CAP. II. 1. The Theses proposed for confirmation 2. The fivefold foundation of the Truth thereof 3. Of the Unchangeablenesse of the Nature of God and the influence thereof into the confirmation of the Truth in hand Mal. 3. 6. considered explained 4. lames 1. 16 17 18. opened 5 6 7 8 9 10. Rom. 11. 29. Explained and vindicated The conditions on which Grace is asserted to be bestowed and continued discussed The vanity of them evinced in sundry instances Of Vocation Justification and Sanctification 11. Isa. 40. 27 28 29 30. opened and improved to the end aimed at 12. Also Isa. 4. 43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. 13. The summe of the first Argument 14. Mal. 3. 6. with the whole Argument from the immutability of God at large vindicated 15 16. Falsely proposed by Mr G. set right and reinforced 17. Exceptions removed Sophisticall comparisons exploded distinct dispensations according to distinction of a People 19. Alteration and Change properly and directly assigned to God by Mr G. 20. The Theme in Question begged by him 21. Legall approbation of duties and conditionall Acceptation of Persons confounded As also Gods command and purpose 22. The Unchangeablenesse of Gods Decrees granted to be intended in Mal. 3. 6. The Decree directly in that place intended 23. The Decree of sending Christ not immutable upon M. G. Principles The close of the vindication of this First Argument THE Certain Infallible continuance of the Love and Favour of God unto the end §. 1. towards his those whom he hath once freely accepted in Jesus Christ notwithstanding the interposition of any such supposalls as may truly be made having foundation in the things themselves being the first thing proposed comes now to be demonstrated Now the foundation of this the Scripture layes upon Five unchangeable things §. 2. which eminently have an influence into the Truth thereof First of the Nature Secondly Purposes Thirdly the Covenant Fourthly the Promises Fiftly the Oath of God Every one whereof being ingaged herein the Lord makes use of to manifest the Vnchangeablenesse of his Love towards those whom he hath once graciously accepted in Christ. First he hath layd the shoulders of the Vnchangeablenesse of his owne nature to this worke §. 3. Malac. 3. 6. I am the Lord and I change not therefore ye Sonnes of Jacob Rom. 9. 6. 11. 4 5 6. are not consumed These Sonnes of Jacob are the Sonnes of the Faith of Jacob the Israel of God not all the seed of Jacob according to the flesh the Holy Ghost in this Prophesy makes an eminent distinction betweene these two Cap. 3. 16. Cap. 4. 1 2. The begining of this Chapter containes a most evident and cleare prediction and Prophesye of the bringing in of the Kingdome of Christ Mat. 3. 12. in the Gospell wherein he was to purge his floore and throw out the Chaffe to be burnt This his appearance makes great worke in the Visible Church of the Jewes Isa. 49. 3 4 5 6. very many of those who looked and waited for that coming of his Luk. 2. 34. are cut off and cast out as persons that have neither Lot nor Portion in the Mercy wherewith it is attended Rom. 9. 30 31. Though they sayd within themselves that they had Abraham to their Father and were the Children and Posterity of Jacob Yea v. 5. To them who are only the carnall seed and doe also walke in the wayes of the flesh he threatens a sore Revenge and swift destruction when others shall be invested with all the eminent Mercies which the Lord Christ brings along with him least the true Sonnes of Jacob should be terrifyed with the dread of the approaching Day and say as David did Isa. 54. 4 5 61 when the Lord made a breach upon Vzzah who can stand before so holy a God Shall not we also in the issue be consumed He discovereth to them the Foundation of their preservation to the end even the Vnchangeablenesse of his owne nature and being whereunto his Love to them is conformed Plainely intimating that unlesse himselfe and his everlasting Deity be subject and lyable to Alteration and Change which once to imagine were what lyeth in us to cast him downe from his Excellency it could not be that they should be cast of forever and consumed These are the Tribes of Jacob and the Preserved of Israel which Jesus Christ was sent to raise up Isaiah 50. 6. The House of Jacob which he takes from the womb and carries unto old Age unto hoary hairs and forsaketh not Isaiah 46. 3 4. This is confirmed §. 4. James 1. 16 17 18. Doe not erre my beloved Brethren every Good Guift and every perfect guift cometh downe from the Father of Lights with whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Of his owne will begat he us with the word of truth He begets us of his owne will by the word of truth For whatsoever men doe pretend we are borne againe not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man but the will of God John 1. 13. Now herin saith the Apostle we doe receive from him good and perfect Guifts Guifts distinguished from the common endowments of others Yea but they are failing ones perhaps Such as may slourish for a season and be but Children of a night like Jonas Gourde Though God hath begotten us of his owne will and bestowed good perfect Guifts upon us yet he may cast us off for ever Doe not erre my beloved Brethren saith the Apostle these things come from the Father of Lights God himselfe is the Fountaine of all Lights of Grace which we have received and with him there is no Variablenesse nor shadow of Turning not the least appearance of any change or Alteration And if the Apostle did not in this place Argue from the Immutability of the Divine Nature to the Unchangeablenesse of his Love towards those whom he hath begotten and bestowed such Light and Grace upon there were no just Reason of mentioning that Attribute and Property there Hence Rom. 11. 29. The guifts and calling of God are said to be without Repentance § 5. the guifts of his effectuall calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall never be repented of They are from him with whom there is no change The words are added by the Apostle to give Assurance of the certain Accomplishment of the Purpose of God towards the Remnant of the Jewes according to the Election of Grace
Blood c Joh. 1. ◠Ephes. 5. 8. Col. 1. 13. Luk. 4. 18. Darknesse d Rom. 8. l 6 7 8. Rom. 5. 10. Col. 1. 21. Gal. 3. 13. Joh. 3. 35. Bindnesse Enmity curse and Wrath Disobedience Rebellion Impotency and Vniversall Alienation from God is beyond all contradiction by Testimonies plentifully given out here a little and there a little line upon line manifest in the Scripture Shall we now say that this Grace of God is bestowed on men upon the account of these Qualifications and continued without revocation on condition that they abide in the same State with the same Qualifications Let then men continue in sinne that grace may abound Is the case any other as to Iustification doth not God justify the ungodly Ro. 4. 5. are we not in filthy Robes when he comes to cloath us with Robes of Righteousnesse Zech 3. 3. are we not reconciled to God when alienated by wicked workes Col 1. 13. these are the Qualifications on which it seemes God grafts his Gifts and Graces and whose abode in the Persons in whom they are is the condition whereon the irrevocablenesse of those Gifts and Graces does depend Who would have thought they had been of such reckoning and esteeme with the Lord And this considering what is learnedly discoursed elsewhere may suffice as to the other Assertion 1 Cor. 4. 7. that God gives his Gifts and Graces to Qualifications not to Persons Those Qualifications are either Gifts of God or not if not who made those men in whom they are differ from others if they are on what Qualifications were those Qualifications bestowed That God freely bestows on Persons of his own good pleasure not Grafting on Qualifications his Gifts and Graces we have Testimonies abundantly sufficient to out-ballance M. Goodwins Assertions Rom 9. 18. He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy he bestowes his Mercy and the fruits of it not on this or that Qualification but on whom or what Person he will and to them it is given saith our Saviour to know the Mysteries of the Kingdome of God but to others it is not given I see no stock that his gift is grafted on but only the Persons of Gods good will whom he graciously designes to a Participation of it Truth is §. 9. I know not any thing more directly contradictory to the whole Discovery of the worke of Gods Grace in the Gospell then that which is couched in these Assertions of M. Goodwin neither is it any thing lesse or more then that which of old was phrased The Giving of Grace according to merit ascribing the primitive discriminating of persons as to Spirituall Grace unto selfe indeavours casting to the ground the free distinguishing good pleasure of God and that Graciousnesse of every Gift of his I speake as to the first issue of his love in quickning renewing pardoning Grace which eminently consists in this that he is found of them that seeke him not and hath Mercy on whom he will because so it seemed good to him Not to digresse farther in the discovery of the unsatisfactorinesse of this pretence from the pursuit of the Argument in hand Because Gods gifts are not repented of therefore doe men continue not in the condition wherein they find them but wherein they place them And all Qualifications in men whatever that are in the least acceptable to God are so farre from being stocks whereon God grafts his Gifts and Graces that they are Plants themselves which he plants in whomsoever he pleaseth Yea the Tree is made good before it beare any good fruit and the Branch implanted into the True Olive before it receive the sap or juyce of any one good Qualification The summe of Mr Goodwins Answer amounts to this let men be stedfast in a good condition and Gods Gifts shall stedfastly abide with them if they change they also shal be revoked which is directly opposite to the plain intendment of the place viz. That the stedfastnesse of men depends upon the irrevocablenesse of Gods Grace and not è contra there is not in his sense the least intimation in these words of the permanency of any Gift or Grace of God with any one on whom it is bestowed for a Day an Houre or a Moment but notwithstanding this Testimony of the Holy Ghost they may be given one houre and taken away the next they may flourish in a man in the morning and in the evening be cut downe dried up and withered this is not to Answer the Arguings of men but positively to deny what God affirms To conclude God gives not his gifts to men I mean those mentioned because they please him Jerem. 31. 32. but because it pleaseth him so to doe he does not take them away because they displease him but gives them so to abide with them that they shall never displease him to the height of such a provocation Neither are the Gifts of God otherwise to be repented of then by taking them from the Persons on whom they are bestowed But this heape being removed we may proceede Farthermore then §. 10. in sundry places doth the Lord propose this for the Consolation of his and to assure them that there shall never be an everlasting separation between him and them which shall be further cleared by particular instances Things or Truthes proposed for Consolation are of all others most clearely exalted above exception without which they were no way sutable considering the promptnesse of our unbelieving hearts to rise up against the worke of Gods Grace and Mercy to compasse the end for which they are proposed Isaiah §. 11. 40. 27 28 29 30 31. Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israell my way is hid from the Lord and my Judgment is passed over from my God hast thou not knowen hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his Vnderstanding He giveth power to the faint to them that have no might he increaseth strength Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly faile but they that wait upon the Lord shall renue their strength they shall mount up with wings as as Eagles they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint v. 27. Jacob and Israel make a double complaint both parts of it manifesting some feare or dread of Separation from God for though in Generall it could not be so yet in particular Believers under Temptation may question their owne condition with their right unto and interest in all the things whereby their state and Glory is safegarded My way say they is hid from the Lord The Lord takes no more notice sets his heart no more upon my way my walking but lets me goe and passe on as a stranger to him And farther My judgement is passed over from my God Mine enemies prevaile perhaps Lusts and
End proposed is resolved ultimately into themselves and their endeavours and not into any purpose or Act of God Such as is the foundation such is the strength of the whole building Inferences can have no more strength then the Principle from whence they are deduced If a man should tell another that if he will goe a Journy of a hundred miles at each twenty miles end he shall meet with such and such refreshments all the consolation he can receive upon the account of refreshment provided for him is proportioned only to the thoughts he hath of his own strength for the performance of that Journy Farther If in such Expressions of the Purposed Workes of God we may put Cases and trust in what supposalls we think good where there is not the least Jot Title or Syllable of them in the Text nor any roome for them without destroying not only the designe and meaning of the place but the very sence of it why may not we doe so in other undertakings of God the certainty of whose Event depends upon his Purpose and Promise only For instance The Resurrection of the Dead may we not say God will raise up the dead in Christ in case there be any necessity that their bodies should be glorified What is it also that remaines of praise to the Glorious grace of God This is all he effects by it in case men obstruct him not in his way it doth good God calls men to Faith and Obedience in case they obstruct not his way it shall doe them good But how doe they obstruct his way By Unbeliefe and Disobedience take them away and Gods calling shall be effectuall to them that is in case they Believe and Obey Gods Calling shall be effectuall to cause them to Believe and Obey The Cases then foisted into the Apostles discourse §. 20. in the close of this Interpretation of the place if I may so call it namely that God will justify the Called in case they obstruct not his way and will glorify them whom he hath justified in case they continue and abide in the state of Justification are First thrust in without Ground Warrant or Colour of Advantage or occasion given by any thing in the Text or Context and Secondly are destructive to the whole designe of the Holy Ghost in the place whereinto they are intruded injurious to the Truth of the Assertion intended to be made good that all things shall work together for Good proposed upon the account of the unchangeable purpose of God and infallible Connexion of the Acts of his Love and Grace in the Pursuit thereof and resolve the promised work and designed event wholly into the uncertaine lubricous wills of men making the Assurance given not only to be lyable to just Exceptions but evidently to faile and be falsified in respect of thousands and Thirdly render the whole dispensation of the Grace of God to Lackey after the Wills of Men and wholly to depend upon them Giving in thereby as was said Innumerable Presumptions that the word for whose Confirmation all these Acts of Gods Grace are mentioned and insisted on shall never be made good nor established Take then in few words the sence and scope of this place as 't is held out in the Exposition given of it by M. Goodwin and wee will then proceed to consider his Confirmations of the said Exposition Oh you that Love God many Afflictions Temptations and Oppositions ye shall meet withall but be of good comfort all shall work together for your Good for God hath appoynted you to be like his Sonne and you may triumph in every Condition on this account for if yee before any Act of his speciall Grace towards you Love him he Approves you and then he Predestinates you what that is I know not then it is in your power to continue to love him or to doe otherwise if ye abide not then ye perish if ye abide he will call you and when he doth so either ye may obey him or ye may not if you doe not all things shall work together for your hurt and ye will be like the Devill if you doe then he will justify you and then if you abide with him as perhaps ye may perhaps ye may not he will finally Justify you and then all shall be well This being the substance of the Interpretation of this place here given let us now consider how 't is confirmed That §. 21. which in his own termes he undertaketh to Demonstrate to vindicate from all Objections in his ensuing Discourse he thus expresseth pag. 209. Sect 43. These Decrees or purposed Acts of God here specified are to be understood in their successive dependencies with such a condition or proviso respectively as those mentioned and not absolutely peremptorily or without Condition Ans. The imposing of Conditions and Provisoes upon the Decrees and Purposes of God of which himselfe gives not the least intimation and the suspending them as to their Execution on those conditions so invented and imposed at the first view reflects so evidently on the Will Wisdome Power Pre-science and Unchangeablenesse of God who hath said his Purposes shall stand and he will doe all his Pleasure especially when the Interruption of them doth frustrate the whole designe and aime of God in the mentioning of those Decrees and Purposes of his that there will be need of Demonstrations written with the Beames of the Sunne to inforce men tender and regardfull of the Honour and Glory of God to close with any in such an undertaking let us then consider what is produced to this end try if it will hold weight in the ballance of the Sanctuary This saith he appears First 1. By the like Phrase or manner of expression frequent in the Scripture elsewhere I meane when such Purposes or Decrees of God the respective Execution whereof are suspended upon such and such conditions are notwithstanding simply and positively without any mention of Condition expressed and asserted Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith I said indeed that thy House and the House of thy Father shall walke before mee meaning in the Office and Dignity of the Priesthood for ever But now saith the Lord be it farre from me I said indeed that is I verily Purposed or Decreed or I Promised it comes much to one When God made the Promise and so declared his Promise accordingly that Eli and his Fathers house should walke before him for ever he expressed no condition as required to the Execution or performance of it yet here it plainly appears that there was a condition understood In the same kind of Dialect Samuel speaks to Saul Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the Commandment of the Lord thy God for now the Lord had established thy Kingdome upon Israel for ever but now thy Kingdome shall not continue the Lord had established that is he verily purposed or decreed to establish it for ever to wit in case his
posterity had walked obediently with him Here we have the strength as will be manifest in the progresse of our Discourse of what Mr Goodwin hath §. 22. to make good his former strange Assertion Whether it will amount to a necessary proofe or no may appeare upon these ensuing Considerations 1. First The Reason intimated being taken neither from the Text under debate nor the Context nor any other place where any concernement of the Doctrine therein contained is touched or pointed at there being also no Coincidence of phrase or expression in the one place and the other here compared I cannot but admire by what Rules of Interpretation M. Goodwin doth proceed to make one of these places exegeticall of the other Though this way of Arguing hath been mainly and almost solely insisted on of late by the Socinians viz. Such a word is in another place used to another purpose or in another sence therefore this cannot be the necessary sence of it in this yet it is not only confuted over and over as irrationall and unconcluding but generally exploded as an Invention suited only to shake all Certainty whatever in matters of Faith and Revelation Mr Goodwin in his instance goes not so farre or rather he goes farther because his instance goes not so farre there being no likelinesse much lesse samenesse of Expression in those Texts which he produces to weaken the obvious and literally exposed sence of the other insisted on therewith To wave the force of the inference from the words of the Holy Ghost seeing nothing in the least intimated in the place will give in any assistance thereunto First 1. This Thesis is introduced The Purposes and Decrees of God confessedly ingaged in the place in hand are as to their respective Executions suspended on conditions in men An Assertion destructive to the Power-Goodnesse Grace Righteousnesse Faithfulnesse Wisdome Unchangeablenesse Providence and Soveraignty of God as might be demonstrated did it now lye in our way To prove that this must needs be so and that that Rule must take place in the mention that is made of the Purpose Decrees of God Rom. 8. 1. 1 Sam. 2. 30. is produced being a Denunciation of Gods judgments upon the House of Eli for their unworthy walking in the honour of the Priesthood whereunto they were by him advanced and called and which they were intrusted withall expressely upon condition of their obedience Let us then a little consider the Correspondency that is between the places compared for their mutuall illustration 1. First in the one there is expresse mention of the Purpose of God and that his Eternall Purpose in the other only a Promise expressly Conditionall in the giving of it amounting to no more then a Law without the least intimation of any Purpose or Decree 2. Secondly The one incompasseth the whole designe of the Grace of the Gospell the other mention not any speciall Grace at all 3. Thirdly the one is wholy expressive of the Acts of God and his designe therein the other declarative of the Duty of man with the issue there upon depending This then is the strength of this Argument God approoving the Obedience of a man tels him that upon the Continuance of that Obedience in him and his he will continue them an Office in his service a temporall mercy which might be injoyed without the least saving Grace and which upon his Disobedience he threatneth to take frō him both Promise threatning being declarative of his approbation of obedience his annexing the Preisthood thereunto in that family therefore God intending the consolation of Elect Believers affirming that all things shall work together for their good upon this Account that he hath Eternally Purposed to preserve them in his Love and to bring them to him selfe by such Effectuall Acts of his Grace as whose Immutable dependance one upon the other all upon his owne Purpose cannot be interrupted and therefore such as shall infallibly produce and worke in them all the obedience which for the end proposed he requires His Purposes I say thus mentioned must be of the same Import with the declaration of his Will in the other place spoken of If such a Confounding of the Decrees and Denuntiations Absolute Purposes and Conditionall Promises Spirituall things with Temporall the Generall Administration of the Covenant of Grace in Christ with Speciall Providentiall Dispensations may be allowed there is no man needs to despaire of prooving any thing he hath a minde to assert 3. Thirdly there are two things that Mr Goodwin insists upon to make good his arguing from this place First that these words I said indeed hold out the reall Purpose and Decree of God Secondly that in the Promise mentioned there was no Condition expressed or required to the Execution or Performance of it By the First he intends that God did really Purpose and Decree from Eternity that Eli and his House should hold the Preisthood for ever By the Second that no condition was expressed neither in termes or necessarily implyed in the thing it selfe which is of the same import If neither of these now should prove true what little advance hath M. Goodwin made for the weakning of the plaine intendment of the words in the place under consideration or for the confirmation of his own glosse and interposed conditionals either by this or the following instances that are of the same kind will plainly appeare Now that these words I said indeed are not declarative of an Eternall Decree and Purpose of God concerning the futurition and event of what is asserted to be the object of that Decree the Continuance of the Priesthood in the house of Eli may be evidenced as from the generall nature of the things themselves so from the particular explanation of the Act of God whereunto this expression I said indeed doth relate 1. First §. 23. from the Generall nature of the thing it selfe may this be manifested To what hath been formerly spoken I shall adde only some few Considerations being not willing to insist long on that which is but collaterall to my present designe 1. First then when God Decreed and Purposed this if so be he purposed it as it is said he did he either foresaw what would be the issue of it or he did not If he did not where is his infinite Wisdome Understanding If we may not be allowed to say his fore-knowledge How are all his works known to him from the foundation of the World How doth he declare the End from the Beginning Acts 15. 18. Isa. and the things that are yet to come Distinguishing himselfe from all false gods on this account If he did fore-see the Event that it would not be so Why did he Decree and Purpose it should be so Doth this become the infinite Wisdome of God to Purpose and Decree from all Eternity that that shall come to passe which he knowes will never come to passe Can any such
being made and granted upon the Condition of Obedience which is clearely expressed once againe that the Continuance of it was also suspended on that Condition as to the Glory and beauty of that office the thing principally intended cannot be doubted yea it is sufficiently expressed in the Occasion of the Promise and fountaine thereof But this was not that promise wherein Eli's was particularly concerned Indeed his Posterity was rejected in order to the accomplishment of this Promise the seed of Phinehas returning to their dignity from whence they fell by the interposition of the House of Ithamar That which this Expression here peculiarly relates unto §. 25. is the Declaration of the mind of God concerning the Priesthood of Aaron and his posterity which you have Exodus 28. 43. Exodus 29. 91. where the confirming them in their Office is called a perpetuall Statute or a Law for ever The signification of the terme for ever in the Hebrew especially relating to Legall Institutions is known Their Eternity is long since expired that then which God here Emphatically expresses as an Act of Grace and Favour to the House of Aaron which Eli and his had interest in was that Statute or Law of the Priesthood and his purpose and intention not concerning the Event of things not that it should continue in any one branch of that Family but of his connexing it with their Obedience and Faithfulnesse in that Office It is very frequent with God to expresse his Approbation of our duty under termes holding out the Event that would be the Issue of the duty though it never come to passe and his disapprobation or rejection of the Sonnes of Men under termes that hold out the end of that disobedience though it be prevented or removed In this latter case he commands Jonas to cry yet forty daies and Niniveh shall perish not that he purposed the destruction of Niniveh at that time but only effectually to hold out the end of their sinne that it might be a meanes to turne them from it and to prevent that end which it would otherwise procure His purpose was to prevent at least prorogue the ruine of Niniveh and therefore made use of threatning them with ruine that they might not be ruined To say that God purposed not the execution of his purpose but in such and such cases is a plaine Contradiction The purpose is of Execution and to say he purposed not the Execution of his Purposes is to say plainly he purposed and purposed not or he purposed not what he purposed The examples of Pharaoh and Abraham in the precepts given to them are proefes of the former but I must not insist upon particulars This then is all that here is intended §. 26. God making a Law a Statute about the continuance of the Priesthood in the Family of Aaron affirmes that then he said his House should walke before him for ever that is with Approbation and Acceptation for as to the right of the Priesthood that still continued in the House of Aaron whilest it continued notwithstanding the ejection of Fli and his Now whether there were any conditions in the promise made which is Mr Goodwins second improvement of this instance may appeare from the Consideration of what hath been spoken concerning it It is called a Law and Stâ—â—uâ—e the Act on that Account what ever it were that God here points unto is but a Morall legislative Act and not a Physicall determining Act of the Will of God and being a Law of Priviledge in its own nature it involves a condition which the Acts of Gods Will vitall and eternall wherewith this Law is compared doe openly disavow Let us now see the parallell between the two places insisted on for the Explanation of the former of them which as it will appeare by the sequell is the only Buckler wherewith Mr Goodwin defends his Hypothesis from the irresistible force of the Argument wherewith he hath to doe First the one speakes of things Spirituall the other of Temporall Secondly The one of what what God will doe and the other of what he approves to be done being done Thirdly The one holds out Gods Decree and Purpose concerning Events the other his Law and Statute concerning duties Fourthly The one not capable of interposing Conditionalls without perverting the whole designe of God revealed in that place the other directly including conditions Fifthly The one speaking of things themselves the other only of the manner of a thing Sixtly In the one God holds out what he will doe for the Good of his upon the account of the Efficacy of his Grace In the other what men are to doe if they will be approved of him And how one of these places can be imagined to be suited for the illustration and interpretation of the other which agree neither in name nor thing word nor deed purpose nor designe must be left to the judgements of those who desire to ponder these things and to weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary The other instances in the Case of Saul and Paul §. 27. being more heterogeneous to the businesse in hand then that of Eli which went before require not any particular help for the removall of them out of the way Though they are Dead as to the end for which they are produced I presume no true Israelite in the pursuit of that Sheba in the Church the Apostacy of Saints will be retarded in his way by their being cast before them In briefe neither the Connexion of obedience and suted Rewards as in the case of Saul nor the necessity of meanes subservient to the Accomplishment of purposes themselves also falling under that purpose of him who intends the end and the fulfilling of it as in the Case of Paul are of the least force to perswade us that the Eternall Immanent Acts of Gods will which he pursues by the Effectuall irresistible Acts of his Grace so to compasse the end which he hath from everlasting determinately resolved to bring about are suspended upon imaginary Conditions created in the braines of men and notwithstanding their Evident inconsistency with the scope of the Scripture and designe of God therein intruded into such Texts of Scripture as on all hands which will be evident in the sequell of this Discourse are fortified against them Besides in the Case of Paul though the infallibility of the Prediction did not in the least prejudice the Liberty of the Agents who were to be imployed for its accomplishment but left roome for the Exhortation of Paul and the endeavours of the Souldiers yet it cutts off all possibility of a contrary event and all supposall of a disjunctive purpose in God upon the accompt whereof he cannot predict the issue or event of any thing whatsoever But of this more largely afterward But this is farther Argued by Mr Goodwin from the purposes of God in his threatnings §. 28. in these words Most frequently the purpose
and Decree of God concerning the punishment of wicked and ungodly men is expressed by the Holy Ghost absolutely and certainly without the least mention of any condition of relaxation or reversion yet from other passages of Scripture it is fully evident that this Decree of his is conditionall in such a sence which imports a non-execution of the punishment therein declared upon the repentance of the Persons against whom the Decree is In like manner though the purpose and Decree of God for the justification of those who are called and so for the Glorifying of those that shall be Justified be in the Scripture in hand delivered in an absolute and unconditioned forme of words yet is it no way necessary to supose the most familiar frequent and accustomed expression in Scripture in such cases exempting us from any such necessity that therefore these Decrees must needs bring forth against all possible interveniences whatever so that for example he that is called by the Word and Spirit must needs be Justified whether he truly Believe or no and he that is Justified must needs be Glorified whether he Persevere or no. Ans. 1. That the Threatnings of God are morall Acts not declarative as to Particular Persons of Gods Eternall Purposes but subservient to other ends together with the Law it selfe whereof they are a Portion as the avoyding of that for which men are threatned is knowne They are Appendixes of the Law and in their Relation thereunto declare the Connexion that is betweene Sinne and Pnnishment such Sinnes and such Punishments 2. That the Eternall Purposes of God concerning the workes of his Grace are to be measured by rule and Analogy of his Temporall Threatnings is an Assertion striking at the very Root of the Covenant of Grace and efficacy of the Mediation of the Lord Jesus yea at the very being of Divine Perfections of the nature of God himselfe This there is indeed in all Threatnings declared of the absolute Purpose and Unchangeable Decree of God that all impenitent sinners shall be punished according to what in his Wisdome and Righteousnesse he hath apportioned out unto such deservings and threatneth accordingly In this regard there is no Condition that doth or can in the least import a non-execution of the Punishment Decreed Neither do any of the Texts cited in the Margent of our Author proove any such thing They all indeed positively affirme Faithlesse Impenitent Vnbelievers shall be Destroyed which no supposall whatsoever that takes not away the Subject of the Question and so alters the whole thing in Debate can in the least infringe Such assertions I say are parts of the Law of God revealing his will in Generall to Punish impenitent Unbelievers concerning which his Purpose is absolute Unalterable and Stedfast The conclusion then which Mr Goodwin makes is apparently racked from the words by stretching them upon the unproportioned bed of other Phrases and Expressions wholly Hetcrogeneous to the designe in this place intended Added here are supposed Conditions in generall not once explayned to keepe them from being exposed to that shame that is due unto them when their intrusion without all order or warrant from Heaven shall be manifested only wrapped up in the Clouds of possible Interveniences when the Acts of Gods Grace whereby his Purposes and Decrees are accomplished doe consist in the effectuall removeall of the Interveniences pretended that so the end aimed at in the Uuchangeable Counsell of God may suitably to the determination of his Soveragin Omnipotent Infinite Wise Will be accomplished Neither doth it in the least appeare that any such Calling by the Word and Spirit as may leave the Persons so called in their unbeliefe they being so called in the pursuit of this Purpose of God to give them Faith and make them conformable to Christ may be allowed place or Roome in the Haven of this Text The like may be said of Justification wherein men doe not Persevere Yea these two supposalls are only not an open beging of the thing in Contest but a flat defying of the Apostle as to the validity of his Demonstration That all things shall worke together c. Notwithstanding then any thing that hath been objected to the contrary the Foundation of God mentioned in this place of Scripture stands â—irme and his Eternall Purpose of safegarding the Saints in the Love of Christ untill he bring them to the injoyment of himselfe in Glory stands cleare from the least shaddow of Change or suspension upon any certaine Conditionalls which are confidently but not so much as speciously obtruded upon it The next thing undertaken by Mr Goodwin §. 29. is to vindicate the forementioned Glosses from such oppositions as arise against them from the Context and words themselves with the designe of the Holy Ghost therein These things doth He find his Exposition obnoxious unto The exposition which He pretends to give no strength unto but what is forraigne on all Considerations whatsoever of words and things to the place it selfe This it seemes is to prophesy according to the Analogie of Faith Rom. 12 6. First then Sect. 44. To the Objection that those who are Called are also Justified and shall be Glorified according to the Tenor of the series of the Acts of the Grace of God here layd down he Answereth That where either the one or the other of these Assertions be so or no it must be Judged of by other Scriptures Certain it is by what hath bin argued concerning the frequent usage of the Scripture in point of Expression that it cannot be concluded or determined by the Scripture in hand The Sum of this Answer amounts to thus much Although the sence opposed be cleare in the Letter and Expression of this place of Scripture in the Grammaticall sence and use of the words though it flowes from the whole Context and Answers alone the designe and scope of the place which gives not the least Countenance to the interposing of any such Conditionalls as are framed to force it to speake contrary to what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it holds forth yet the mind of God in the words is not from these things to be concluded on but other significations and sences not of any word here used not from the laying downe of the same Doctrine in other places with the Analogie of the Faith thereof not from the proposing of any designe suitable to this here expressed but places of Scripture agreeing with this neither in Name nor Thing Expression nor Designe Word nor Matter must be found out in the sence and meaning of this place and be from them concluded and our interpretation of this place accordingly regulated Nobis non licet c. neither hath M. Goodwin then produced any place of Scripture nor can he parallel to this so much as in expressioÌ„ though treating of any other subject or matter that will endure to have any fuch sence tyed to it as that which he violently imposeth on this place
of the Apostle And of the Sense and Mind of God in this place may not safely be received and closed withall from the proper and ordinary fignification of the word which is always attended unto without the least dispute unlesse the subject matter of any place with the Context enforces to the sense left usuall and naturall with the cleare designe and scope of the Context in all the parts of it universally correspondent unto it selfe I know not how or when or by what Rules we may have the least certainty that wee have attaind the knowledge of the minde of God in any one place of Scripture whatever What he nextly objects to himselfe §. 30. namely that though there be no Condition expressed in the instances by him produced yet there are in parallell places by which they are to be expounded but such conditions as these are not expressed in any place that answers to that which we have in hand it being by himselfe as I conceive invented to turne us aside from the Consideration of the irresistible efficacy of the Argument from this place which use he makes of it in his first answer given to it I owne not and that because I am fully assured that in any promise whatsoever that is indeed Conditionall there is no need to enquire out other Scriptures of the like import to evince it so to be all and every one of them that are such either in expresse termes or in the matter whereof they are or in the Legall manner wherein they are given and enacted doe plainly and undeniably hold out the Conditions enquired after His threefold Answer to this Objection needs not to detaine us Passing on I hope to what is more materiall and weighty He tells us First Sect. 44. that if this be so then it must be tryed out by other Scriptures and not by this which Evasion I can allow our Author to insist on as tending to shift his hands of this place which I am perswaded in the Consideration of it grew heavy on them But I cannot allow it to be a plea in this Contest as not owning the Objection which it pretends to answer The two following Answers being not an actuall doing of any thing but only faire and large promises of what Mr Goodwin will doe about answering other Scriptures and evincing the Conditionalls intimated from such others as he shall produce some doubtlesse will think these promises no payment especially such as having weighed Mony formerly tendred for reall payment have found it too light I shall let them lye in Expectation of their accomplishment Rusticus expectat c. In the meane time till Answers come to hand Mr Goodwin proffers to proove by two Arguments §. 31. one cleare Answer had been more faire that these Acts of God Calling Justification and so the rest have no such Connexion betweene them but that the one of of them may be taken and be put in execution and yet not the other in respect of the same persons His first Reason is this If the Apostle should frame this Series or Chaine of Divine Acts with an intent to shew or teach the uninterruptiblenesse of it in what case or cases soever he should fight against his Generall and maine scope or designe in that part of the chapter which lyeth from v. 17. Which clearely is this to encourage them to constancy and Perseverance in suffering afflictions For to suggest any such thing as that being Called Justified nothing could hinder them from being Glorified were to furnish them with a ground on which to neglect his exhortation for who will be perswaded to suffer Tribulation for the otaining of that which they have sufficient Assurance given that they shall obtaine whether they suffer such things or no therefore certainely the Apostle did not intend here to teach the certainty of Perseverance in those that are Justified Ans. Ans. That this Argument is of such a Composition as not to operate much in the case in hand will easily appeare For 1. First those expressions in what Case or Cases soever are foysted into the sence and sentence of them whom he opposes who affirme the Acts of Gods Grace here mentioned to be effectually and vertually Preventive of those cases and of which might possibly give any Interruption to the Series of them 2. Secondly Whatsoever is here pretended of the maine scope of the Chapter the scope of the place we have under consideration was granted before to be the making Good of that Assertion premised in the Head thereof that all things should work together for good to Believers and that so to make it Good that upon this Demonstration of it they might triumph with Joy and Exultation which it cannot be denied but that this uninterruptible series of Divine Acts not framed by the Apostle but revealed by the Holy Ghost is fitted and suited to doe 3. Thirdly suppose that be the Scope of the foregoing verses What is there in the Theses insisted on and the sence imbraced by us opposite thereunto Why to suggest any such thing to them as that being Called and Justified nothing could possibly interpose to hinder them from being Glorified that is that God by his grace will preserve them from departing wilfully from him and will in Jesus Christ establish his Love to them for ever was to furnish them with a motive to neglect his exhortations yea but this kind of Arguing we call here Petitio principii and it is accounted with us nothing valid The thing in Question is produced as the medium to Argue by We affirme there is no stronger motive possible to incourage them to Perseverance then this proposed It is otherwise saith Mr Goodwin and its being otherwise in his Opinion is the medium whereby he disproves not only that but another Truth which he also opposeth But he adds this Reason for who would be perswaded to suffer c. that is it is impossible for any one industriously and carefully to use the meanes for the Attainment of any End if he hath Assurance of the End by these meanes to be obtained What need Hezekiah make use of food or other meanes of sustaining his life when he was assured that he should live fifteen years The Perseverance of the Saints is not in the Scripture nor by any of those whom Mr Goodwin hath chosen to oppose held out on any such ridiculous termes as whither they use meanes or use them not carry themselves well or wickedly miscarry themselves but is asserted upon the account of Gods effectuall Grace preserving them in the use of the meanes and from all such miscarrages as should make a totall separation betweene God and their soules So that this first Reason is but a plaine begging of those things which to use is owne language he would not digge for But perhaps §. 32. although this first Argument of Mr Goodwin be nothing but an importune suggestion of some Hypothesis of his owne
whole Booke of God 2. That it is a case surmised by him suitable to his owne Hypotheses neither true in its selfe nor any way Analogous to that wherewith 't is yoked being indeed a new way and tone of begging the thing in question For instance It supposeth without the least Attempt of proofe 1. Conditionall Decrees or a disjunctive intendment of Events in God it shall come to passe or otherwise 2. A middle science conditionall as the foundation of those disjunctive Decrees with 3. A futurition of things Antecedent to any determining Act of the Will of God and 4. A possibility of frustrating as to Event the Designes and purposes of God and 5. That all medium's of the Accoplishment of any thing are conditions of Gods intentions as to the end he aymes at 6. That God appoints a series of mediums for the compassing of an End and designes them thereunto without any determinate Resolution to bring about that End 7. That the Acts of Gods Grace in their Concatenation mentioned in this place of Rom. 8. are severally Conditionall because he hath invented or faigned some Decrees of God which he sayes are so All which with the inferences from them Mr Goodwin knowes will not advance his Reasonings at all as to our Understandings being fully perswaded that they are all Abominations of no lesse base alloy then the Errour it selfe in whose defence and Patronage they are produced To our Argument then before mentioned §. 35. prooving an equall indissolveablenesse in all the linkes of the Chaine of Divine Graces drawne forth and insisted on from the equall dependance of the designe Purpose of God on the mutuall dependance of each of them on the other for the fullfillng of that Purpose of his and obtaining the End which he professes himselfe to intend this is the summe of Mr Goodwins Answer If I can invent a series of Decrees and a Concatenation of Divine Acts though indeed there be no such thing neither can I give any colour to it without laying downe and taking for granted many false and absurd supposalls and though it be not of the same nature with that here proposed by the Apostle nor any where held out in the Scripture for any such End Purpose as this is neither can I assigne any absolute determinate end in this Series of mine whose Accomplshment God ingages himselfe to bring about as the Case stands in the place of Scripture under Consideration then it is meet and equitable that laying aside all inforcements from the Text Context Nature of God the thing treated on all compelling us to close with another sence and Interpretation that we regulate the minde of the Holy Ghost herein to the Rule proportion and Analogie of the case as formerly proposed This being the summe of that which Mr Goodwin calls his Answer made naked I presume to its shame valeat quantum valere potest I shall only adde that 1. when Mr Goodwin shall make good that order and Series of Decrees here by him mentioned from the Scripture or with solid Reason from the nature of the things themselves suitably to the Properties of him whose they are And 2. Proove that any eternall Decree of God either as to its primitive enacting or temporall Execution is suspended on any thing not only really contingent in it selfe and its owne nature in respect of the immediate fountaine from whence it flowes and nature of its immediate cause but also as to its Event in respect of any Act of the will of God that it may otherwise be and so the accomplishment of that Decree left thereupon uncertaine and God himselfe dubiously conjecturing at the Event for instance whether Christ should Dye or no or any one be saved by him and 3. Clearely evince this notion of the Decrees and Purposes of God that he intends to Create Man and then to give him such advantages which if he will it shall be so with him if otherwise it shall be so To send Christ if men doe so or so or not to send him if they doe otherwise so of the residue of the Decrees mentioned by him and 4. That all events of things whatsoever Spirituall and Temporall have a Conditionall futurition antecedent to any act of the Will of God When I say he shall have proved these and some like things to these we shall further consider what is offered by him yea we will confesse that Hostis habet muros c. Of the many other Testimonies to the purpose in hand §. 36. bearing witnesse to the same Truth some few may yet be singled out and in the next place that of Jeremiah 31. 3. presents it selfe unto tryall and Examination Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee It is the whole Elec◠Church of the seed of Iacob of whom he speaks the foundation of whose blessednesse is laid in the Eternall Love of God Who the persons are thus beloved and of whom we are to interpret these expressions of Gods good will the Apostle manifests Rom 11. as shall afterwards be more fully discoursed and cleared He tells you it is the Election whom God intends of whom he saies that they obtained the Righteousnesse that is by faith according to the purport of Gods good will towards them though the rest were hardned God who adds daily to his Church such as shall be saved Acts 13. 48. drawing them thereunto upon the account of their being so Elected He calls them also the Remnant according to the Election of Grace and the People whom God did foreknow v 1 2. or from Eternity designed to the participation of the Grace there spoken of as the use of the word hath been evinced to be These are the Thee here designed the portion of Israel after the flesh which the Lord in his Free Grace hath eternally appointed to be his peculiar inheritance which in their severall Generations he drawes to himselfe with Loving Kindnesse And this everlasting Love is not only the fountaine whence actuall Loving Kindnesse in drawing to God or bestowing Faith doth flow as they Believe who are ordained to eternall life but also the sole Cause and Reason upon the account whereof in contra-distinction to the Consideration of any thing in themselves God will exercise Loving Kindnesse towards them for ever That which is everlasting or eternall is also unchangeable Gods everlasting Love is no more liable to mutability then himselfe And it is an alwaies equall Ground and Motive for Kindnesse On what account should God alter in his actuall Kindnesse or favour towards any if that on the account whereof he exercises it will not admit of the least Alteration He that shall give a Condition on which this everlasting Love of God should be suspended and according to the influence whereof upon it it should goe forth in Kindnesse or be interrupted may be allowed to boast of his discovery That of
the Promise of Salvation by Jesus Christ and Faith in him cometh in for their deliverance The Promise is given to them as shut up under sinne which they receive by mixing it with Faith And Rom 3. 23. 24. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ. Their condition is a condition of sinne and falling short of the glory of God when the Promise for Justification is given unto them and finds them Thence the Lord tells us Isai 54. 8 9. that this Promise of mercy is like that which he made about the waters of Noah Gen 5. 21 22 where is mentioned no condition at all of it but only the sinnes of men And in that state unquestionably was Adam when the first Promise was given unto him To say then that Gospell Promises are made to men in such conditions and are to be made good only upon the account of mens abiding in the condition wherein they are when the Promise is made to them is to say Ephes. 2. 4 5 8. that for men to leave the state of sinne is the way to frustrate all the Promises of God All deliverance from a state of sinne is by Grace all Grace is of Promise under that condition then of sinne doth the Promise find men and from thence relieve them 4. I say §. 7. these Discoveries of Gods good Will are made through Christ as the only medium of their Accomplishment 2 Cor. 1. 20. and only procuring cause of the good things that flowing from the good will of God are enwrapped and tendred in them And they are said to be in Christ as 1. The great Messenger of the Covenant as in him who comes from the Father because God hath confirmed and ratified them all in him not in themselves but unto us He hath in him and by him given Faith and Assurance of them all unto us declaring and confirming his good Will and Love to us by him He reveals the Father as a Father from his own Bosome Ioh 1. 18. declaring his name or Grace unto his Ioh 17 3. 2 Cor. 1. 20. In whom all the Promises of God are yea and in him amen to the Glory of God by us Ioh 17. 3. In him and by his Mediation they have all their Confirmation Establishment and unchangeablenesse unto us And 2. Because he hath undertaken to be Surety of that Covenant whereof they are the Promises Heb 7. 24. He is the Surety of the Covenant that is one who hath undertaken both on the part of God and ours what ever is needfull for confirmation thereof 3. Because that himselfe is the great Subject of all these Promises and in him it being of his own Purchase and procuring he having obtained Eternall Redemption for us Heb 9. John 1. 16. there is treasured up all the fulnesse of those Mercies Col. 1. 18 19. which in them God hath graciously engaged himselfe to bestow cap. 2 10. c. they being all annexed to him as the portion he brings with him to the Soule Rom. 8. 32. Then I say 5. That they are discoveries of Gods good will in a Covenant of Grace they are indeed the Branches Streames and manifesting conveyances of the Grace of that Covenant and of the Good Will of God putting it selfe forth therein Hence the Apostle mentions the Covenant of Promise Ephes 2. 12. either for the Promises of the Covenant or its manifestation as I said before Indeed as to the Subject-Matter and eminently the Promise is but one as the Covenant is no more but both come under a plurall Expression because they have been variously delivered and renewed upon severall occasions So the Covenant of Grace is said to be established upon these Promises Heb 8. 6. that is the Grace and Mercy of the Covenant and the usefulnesse of it to the Ends of a Covenant to keep God and man together in Peace and Agreement is laid upon these Promises to be by them confirmed and established unto us God having by them revealed his Good Will unto us with an attendency of stipulation of duty Their use for the begetting and continuing Communion betweene God and us with the concomitancy of precepts places them in the capacity of a Covenant And then 6. I mentioned the foundation of the Certainty and Vnchangeablenesse of these Promises with our Assurance of their Accomplishment The Engagements and Undertakings of God upon his Truth and Faithfulnesse is the stock and unmoveable foundation of this respect of them Therefore speaking of them the Holy Ghost often backs them with that Property of God He cannot lye so Heb 6. 17. 18. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of Promise the immutability of his Councell confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things wherein it was not possible for God to lye c. So Tit 1. 2. God which cannot lye hath promised us eternall life There is no one makes a solemne Promise but as it ought to proceed from him in sincerity and Truth so he engageth his Truth and Faithfulnesse in all the credit of them for the Accomplishment thereof what lyeth in him And on this account doth David so often appeale unto Psal. 31. 1. 5. 14. and call upon the Righteousnesse of God as to the fulfilling of his Promises Isa 45. 19. 2 Pet 1. 1. and the word which he caused him to put his trust in It is because of his engagement of his Truth and Faithfulnesse whence it becometh a righteous thing with him to performe what he hath spoken How farre this Respect of the Promises extends and wherein it is capable of a dispensation is the summe of our present Controversy but of this afterwards Then 7. A briefe description of the Matter of these Promises and what God freely engageth himselfe unto in them was insisted on Of this of the Promises in this regard there is one maine Fountaine or Spring whereof there are two everlasting Streames whence Thousands of refreshing Rivolets doe flow The originall Fountaine and spring of all good unto us both in respect of its being and manifestation is that He will be our God Gen 17. 1 2. I am Almighty God walke before me and be thou perfect and I will make my Covenant So every where as the bottome of his dealing with us in Covenant Ierem 31. 33. I will be their God Hos 2. 23. and they shall be my People Isai 54. 5. And in very many other places Now that he may thus be our God two things are required 1. That all Breaches and Differences between him and us be removed perfect Peace and Agreement made and we rendred acceptable and well pleasing in his sight These are the termes whereon they stand to whom he is a God in Covenant For the Accomplishment of this is the first maine streame that floweth from the former Fountaine namely the
and Favour to them whilest they wallow in all manner of Abominations and desperate Rebellions against him An Hypothesis crudely imposed on our Doctrine and repeated over and over as a matter of the greatest detestation and abomination that can fall within the thoughts of men And such supposalls and conclusions are made thereupon as border at least upon the cursed cost of Blasphemy but cui fini I pray To what end is all this noyse as though any had ever Asserted that God promised to continue his Love and gracious Acceptation alwaies to his Saints and yet took no care nor had promised that they should be continued Saints but would suffer them to turne very Devills It is as easy for men to confute Hypotheses created in their own imaginations as to cast downe men of straw of their own framing and setting up We say indeed that God hath faithfully promised that he will never leave nor forsake Believers but withall that he hath no lesse faithfully engaged himselfe that they shall never wickedly depart from him but that they shall continue Saints and Believers Yea if I may so say Promising alwaies to accept them freely it is incumbent on his Holy Majesty upon the account of his Truth Faithfulnesse and Righteousnesse to preserve them such as without the least dishonour to his Grace and Holinesse yea to the greatest advantage of his Glory he may alwaies accept them delight in them and rejoyce over them and so he tells us he doth Ierem. 31.7 Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawne thee he drawes us with his kindnesse to follow him obey him live unto him abide with him because he Loves us with an Everlasting Love 2. That these promises of God doe not properly and as to their originall rise depend on any conditions in Believers or by them to be fulfilled but are the Fountains and Springs of all conditions whatever that are required to be in them or expected from them though the Grace and Obedience of Believers are often mentioned in them as the means whereby they are carried on according to the appointment of God unto the enjoyment or continued in it of what is promised This one Consideration that there is in very many of these Promises an expresse non obstante or a not-withstanding the want of any such condition as might seeme to be at the bottome and to be the occasion of any such Promise or Engagement of the Grace of God is sufficient to give light and evidence to this Assertion If the Lord sayeth expresly that he will doe so with men though it be not so with them his doing of that thing cannot depend on any such thing in them as he saith notwithstanding the want of it he will doe it Take one instance Isai. 54. v. 9 10. In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord they Redeemer for this is as the waters of Noah unto mee whereas I have sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more cover the Earth so have I sworne that I will not be worth with thee nor rebuke thee for the mountaines shall depart aud the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee He will have mercy on them with everlasting kindnesse v. 8. Yea but how if they walke not worthy of it Why yet this kindnesse shall not faile saith the Lord for it is as the waters of Noah God sweareth that the waters of Noah should no more cover the Earth and you see the stability of what he hath spoken The World is now reserved for Fire but drowned it shall be no more my kindnesse to thee saies God is such it shall nor more depart from thee then those waters shall returne againe upon the Earth Neither is this all wherein he compareth his kindnesse to the waters of Noah but in this also in that in the Promise of drowning the World no more there was an expresse non obstante for the sinnes of men Gen. 8 21. The Lord said in his heart I will not againe curse the ground any more for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth Though men grow full of wickednesse and violence as before the Flood they were yet saith the Lord the World shall be drowned no more And in this doth the Promise of kindnesse hold proportion with that of the waters of Noah there is an expresse reliefe in it against the sinnes and failings of them to whom it is made viz. such as he will permit them to fall into whilest he certainly preserves them from all such as are inconsistent with his Love and Favour according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace and therefore it depends not on any thing in them being made with a proviso for any such defect as in them may be imagined 3. To affirme that these Promises of God's abiding with us to the end do depend on any condition that may be uncertaine in its event by us to be fulfilled as to their Accomplishment doth wholly enervate and make them void in respect of the maine end for which they were given us of God That one chiefe end of them is to give the Saints consolation in every condition in all the straights tryalls and temptations which they are to undergoe or may be called to is evident When Ioshua was entring upon the great work of subduing the Canaanites and setting the Tabernacle and people of God in their appointed Inheritance wherein he was to passe through innumerable difficulties tryalls and pressures God gives him that word of Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Iosua 1.5 so are many of them made to the Saints in their weaknesse darknesse and desertions as will appeare by the consideration of the particular instances following Isa. 4. 3 4. Now what one drop of consolation can a poore drooping tempted soule squeeze out of such Promises that depend wholly and solely upon any thing within themselves he will be with mee and be my God it is true but alwaies provided that I continue to be his That also is a sweet and gratious Promise but that I shall doe so he hath not promised It seems I have a cursed Liberty left me of departing wickedly from him so that upon the matter notwithstanding these Promises of his I am left to my selfe If I will abide with him well and good he will abide with me and so it shall be well with mee That he should so abide with me as to cause me to abide with him it seemes there is no such thing Soule look to thy selfe all they hopes and help is in thy selfe but alas for the present I have no sence of this Love of God and I know not that I haue any true
reall unfained Obedience to him Corruption is strong Temptations are many what shall I say Shall I exercise Faith on those Promises of God wherein he hath said and given Assurance that he will be a God to me for ever According as my thoughts are of my own abiding with him so may I think of them and no otherwise so that I am againe rolled upon mine own hands and left to mine own endeavours to extricate my selfe from these sad intanglements What now becomes of the Consolation which in these Promises is intended Are they not on this account rather flints and pieces of Iron then Breasts of comfort and joy Lastly if it be so as is supposed it is evident that God makes no Promises unto Persons but only unto Conditions and Qualifications that is His Promises are not engagements of his love Goodwill to Believers but discoveries of his Apporbation of Believing suppose any Promise of God to be our God our allsufficient God for ever non eminently to include an engagement for the effectuall exertion of the alsufficiency to preserve and continue us in such a state and spirituall condition as wherein he may with the Glory and Honor of his Grace and will not faile to abide and continue our God and you cut all the nerves and sinewes of it as to the Administration of any Consolation unto them to whom it is given The Promises must be made good that is Certaine and if they are accomplished or not accomplished unto men meerely upon the account of such and such Qualifications in them which if they are not found then they shall be fulfilled if not then they are suspended they are made to the Conditions and not at all to the Persons And though some perhaps will easily grant this yet upon this account it cannot be said that God ever made any one Promise unto his Church as consisting of such persons namely Abraham and his Seed which is directly contrary to that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 8. Where he calleth the Elect the Children of the Promises or those to whom the Promises were made It appears then that neither are these Promises of God Conditionall As they proceed from free Grace so there is no other accoūt on which they are given out continued and accomplished towards the Children of God Though the things of the Promise are often placed in dependence one of another as Meanes and Ends yet the Promises themselves are absolute These few things being premised § 11. I shall now name and insist upon some particular Promises wherein the Lord hath graciously engaged himself that he will abide to be a God in Covenant unto his People their Guide unto death from which I shall labour to make good this Argument for the Perseverance of the Saints That which that God who cannot lye nor deceive with whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning who is Faithfull in all his Promises and all whose words are Truth and Faithfullnesse Titus 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. Jam. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 1. 9. hath solemnely promised and engaged himselfe unto to this end that they unto whom he so promiseth and engageth himselfe may from those Promises receive strong Consolation That he will certainely performe and Accomplish That he will be a God and a Guide unto death unto his Saints that he will never leave them nor forsake them that he will never cast them off nor leave them out of his favour but will preserve them such as is meet for his Holy Majestie to embrace Love and delight in and that with an expresse notwithstanding for every such thing as might seeme to provoke him to forsake them He hath Promised and for the end mentioned Therefore that he will so abide with them that his Love shall be continued to them to the End that he will Preserve them unto himselfe c. according to his Truth and Faithfullnesse shall be accomplished and fulfilled The inference hath its strength from the Nature Truth and Faithfulnesse of God and whilest they abide in any credit with the somes of men it may seeme strange that it should be denyed or questioned The major proposition of the forementioned Argument is examined by Mr Goodwin Cap. 11. Sect. 1. Pag. 225. saith he 1. What God hath promised in his Word §. 12. is certaine in such a sence and upon such Termes as God would be understood in his Promises but what he promised in one sence is not certaine of performance in the other Ans. 1. Doubtlesse Gods meaning and intention in his Promises is the Rule of their accomplishment This sometimes we may not be able to fathome and thereupon be exposed to Temptations not a few concerning their fulfilling so was it with them with whom Paul had to do in reference to the Promises made to the Seed of Abraham The Question then is not whither that which is promised in one sence shall be performed in another but whither God's Promises have and shall certainely have all of them according to his intendment any performance at all And the aime of Mr Goodwin in the Example that he afterwards produceth is not to manifest that that which God promiseth shall certainely be performed only in that sence wherein he made his Promise◠but that they may be performed or not performed at all It is not in whose sence they shall have their performance but whither they shall have any performance or no. If the thing promised be not accomplished the Promise is not at all in any sence performed unlesse Mr Goodwin will distinguish and say there are two wayes of any things performance one whereby it is performed another whereby it is not But he proceedes to manifest this Assertion by an indction of instances God saith he promised to Paul the lives of them that were in the Ship Acts 27. his intent and meaning was not that they should all be preserved against what ever they in the Ship might do to hinder that Promise but with this proviso or Condition that they in the Ship should harken unto him and follow his advice which is evident from those words of Paul Except these abide in the Ship yee cannot be saved And had they gone away God had not made any breach of Promise though they had been all drowned Ans. First when men seriously promise any thing which is wholly and absolutely in their power to Accomplish bring about causing thereby good men to rest upon their words to declare unto others their repose upon their honesty and worth if they do not make good what they have spoken we account them unworthy promise breakers and they do it at the perill of all the repute of honesty honor and Faith they have in the world With God it seemes it is otherwise He makes a solemne Gracious Promise to Paul that the lives of all them in the Ship with him should be saved Paul on whō it was as much incumbent as on any man in
of this Promise expired with the conquest of Canaan and died with him to whom it was made To manifest the samenesse of Love that is in all the Promises with their Establishment in one Mediator and the generall concernment of Believers in every one of them how ever and on what occasion soever given to any this Promise to Ioshua is here applied to the condition of the weakest meanest and poorest of the Saints of God to all and every one of them be their state and condition what it will And doubtlesse Believers are not a little wanting to themselves and their own consolation that they doe no more particularly close with those words of Truth Grace Faithfulnesse which upon sundry occasions and at diverse times have been given out unto the Saints of old even Abraham Isaack Jacob David and the residue of them who walked with God in their Generations These things in an especiall manner are recorded for our consolation that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope Rom 15. 4. Now the Holy Ghost knowing the weaknesse of our Faith and how apt we are to be beaten from closing with the Promises and from mixing them with faith upon the least discouragement that may arise as indeed this is none of the least that the Promise is not made to us it was made to others and they may reape the sweetnesse of it God may be faithfull in it though we never enjoy the mercy intended in it I say in the next words he leads Believers by the hand to make the same conclusion with boldnesse and confidence from this and the like Promises as David did of old upon the many Gracious assurances that he had received of the presence of God with him v. 6. So that saith he upon the account of that Promise we may say boldly without staggering at it by unbeliefe that the Lord is our helper This is a conclusion of Faith Because God said to Ioshuah a Believer I will never leave thee nor forsake thee though upon a particular occasion and in reference to a particular employment every Believer may say with boldnesse He is my helper It is true § 2. the Application of the Promises here lookes immediately unto temporalls but yet being drawne out from the testimony of the continuance of the presence of God with his Saints doth much more powerfully conclude to spiritualls Yea the Promise it selfe is of Spirituall Favour and what concernes Temporalls is only from thence extracted Let us then weigh a little the importance of this Promise which the Apostle hath rescued from suffering under any private Interpretation and set at liberty to the use of all Believers To every one of them then God saith directly and plainly that he will never leave them nor forsake them If there should any Question arise wehther he should be taken at his word or no Gen 3. 1. it must be the Devill that must be entertained as an advocate against him Unbeliefe indeed hath many pleas and will have in the breasts of Saints against closing with the Faithfulnesse of God in this Promise and the Issue of confidence in him which from a due closing with it would certainely flow But shall our unbeliefe make the truth of God of none effect {reversed} He hath told us that he will never leave us nor forsake us The old Serpent some arguing from him herein are ready to say yea hath God indeed sayed so The truth of it shall not indeed be surely so it may be otherwise for God doth know that many cases may fall out that you may be utterly rejected by him and cast out of his presence you may have such oppositions rise against you in your walking with him as shall certainely overcome you and set you at Enmity with him or you may fully depart from him and many such like pleadings will Sathan furnish the unbeliefe of Believers withall If they are not sufficiently taught by experience what it is to give credit to Sathan indeavouring to impair and call in Question upon any pretence what ever the Faithfulnesse of God and his Truth when will they learne it Surely they have little need to joyne with their Adversaries for the weakning of their supportments or the impairing of their Consolations Whereas there is an endeavour to make men believe that the denying any absolute unchangeable Promise of God unto Believers makes much for their Comfort and Refreshment it shall afterwards be considered in common in reference also to those other Demonstrations of the Saints Perseverance that shall God willing be produced It will be excepted that God will not forsake them whilst they are Believers but if they forsake him and fall from him he is at liberty to renounce them also But that Gods not forsaking of any is no more but a meer non-rejection of them shall afterwards be disprooved Whom he doth not forsake as a God in Covenant to them doth he continue his Presence and towards them exerciseth his Power and Allsufficiency for their Good And if he can by his Spirit and the Power of his Grace keep them whom he doth not forsake in a state and Condition of not-forsaking him he doth forsake them before they forsake him yea before he is said to forsake them Gods not forsaking Believers is effectually preventive of that state and condition in them on the account whereof it is asserted that he may forsake them 1 Sam. 12. 22. The truth we have under consideration is confirmed by the Prophet in the name Authority of God himselfe §. 3. and the words wherein it is done have the force of a Promise being declarative of the good will of God unto his people in Christ For the Lord will not forsake his People for his great Name sake because it pleased the Lord to make them his People The expression is the same with that which the Lord gives his People of his good will in the Covenant of Grace Gen 17. 1. Ierem. 31. 38 39. of which I have spoken before Many may be their Calamityes and Afflictions many their Tryalls and Temptations many their Desertions and Darknesses but God will not forsake them he will not utterly cast them off for ever That his People are his People in Covenant his secret ones his Spirituall Church the remnant according to the Election Grace hath beene before declared in the handling of like places of Scripture It is to vindicate this and the like Promises from all surmises of failing and coming short of Accomplishment that the Apostle saith God hath not cast away his People which he did fore-know Rom. 11. 2. that is He hath made good this Promise to them even to them among the Jewes whom he did so fore-know as also to Predestinate them to be Conformed to the Image of his Sonne Rom. 9. 29. So out of all Israel Saving all Israel even the whole Israel of God That a discriminating Purpose of God is
can prompt thee to Certainely this perwasion is fit only to ingenerate in thee an high contempt of humble and close walking with God What other conclution can ' st thou possibly make of that presumption but only that I may then do what I please what I will let the flesh take its swing in all abominations it matters not Goodnesse and Mercy shall â—ollow me Alas saith the Psalmist these thoughts never come in my heart I finde this perswasion through the Grace of him in whom it is effectuall to ingenerate contrary Resolutions This is that which I am upon the account thereof determined on I will dwell in the house of God for ever seeing Goodnesse and Mercy shall follow me I will dwell in his house and seeing they shall follow me all the dayes of my life I will dwell in his House for ever There are then these two things in this last verse §. 9. pregnant to the purpose in hand 1. The Psalmist's assurance of the presence of God with him for ever and that in kindnesse and pardoning Mercy upon the account of his Promise unto him Goodnesse or benignity saith he shall follow me into every Condition to assist me extricate my Soule even out of the vally of the shadow of death A conclusion like that of Paul 2 Tim. 4. 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evill worâ— and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdome Having v. 17. given testimony of the Presence of God with him in his great tryall when he was brought before that devouring monster Nero giving him deliverance he manifesteth in the 18. v. that the Presence of God with him was not only effectuall for one or an other deliverance but that it will keepe him from every evill worke not only from the rashnesse cruelty and oppression of others but also from any such way or workes of his owne which should lay a barre against his injoyments of and compleat preservation unto that Heavenly Kingdome whereunto he was appointed What reason now can be imagined why other Saints of God who have the same Promise with David and Paul established unto them in the hand of the same Mediator 2 Cor. 1. 20. being equally taken into the same Covenant of Mercy and Peace with them may not make the same conclusion of Mercy with them viz. That the Mercy Goodnes of God will follow them all the dayes of their lives that they shall be delivered from every evill worke and preserved to God's Heavenly kingdome To fly here to immediate Revelation as though God had particularly and immediately assured some persous of their Perseverance which begat in them a confidence wherein others may not share with them besides that it is destructive of all the vigour and strength of sundry if not all the Arguments produced against the Saints Perseverance it is not in this place of any weight or at all relative to the businesse in hand For evident it is that one of them even David is thus confident upon the common account of Gods Relation unto all his Saints as he is their Shepheard one that takes care of them and will see not only whilst they abide with him that they shall have Pasture and refreshment but also will find them out in their wandrings and will not suffer any of them to be utterly lost And he is a Shepheard equally in care and love to every one of his Saints as he was to David He gives them all the sure Mercies of David Isa. 55. 3. even the Mercy conteined wrapped up in the Promise that was given to them and what by virtue thereof he did enjoy with what he received from God in that Covenant-Relation wherein he stood And for Paul it is most evident that he grounded his Confidence and Consolation meerly upon the generall Promise of the Presence of God with his that he will never leave them nor forsake them but be their God and guide even unto death Neither is there the least intimation of any other bottome of his Consolation herein Now these being things wherein every Believer even the weakest in the world hath an equall share and interest with Paul David or any of the Saints in their generations what should lye in their way but that they also may grow up to this assurance being called thereunto I say they may grow up unto it I doe not say that every believer can with equall assurance of mind thus make their boasts in the Lord and the continuance of his kindnesse to them The Lord knowes we are oftentimes weake and darke at no small losse even as to the main of our interest in the Promises of God But there being an equall certainty in the things themselves of which we speake it being as certaine that the Goodnesse and Mercy of God shall follow them all their dayes as it did David and as certaine that God will deliver them from every evill worke and preserve them to his Heavenly kingdome as he did Panl they also may grow up unto and ought to presse after the like Assurance and Consolation With them whom Goodnesse and Mercy shall follow all their dayes and who shall be of God preserved from every evill worke they can never fall totally and finally out of the Favour of God That this is the state and Condition of Believers is manifested from the Instances given of David and Paul testifying their full perswasion and assurance concerning that Condition on Grounds common to them with all Believers 2. The conclusion and inference thar the Psalmist makes §. 10. from the Assurance which he had of the Continuance of the Goodnesse and Kindenesse of God unto him followeth in the words insisted on All the daies of his life he would dwell in his House He would for ever give up himselfe unto his Worship and service seeing this is the case of my Soule that God will never forsake me let me answer this Loye of God in my constant obedience Now this conclusion followes from the former principle upon a twofold account 1. As it is a motive unto it The Continuance of the Goodnesse and Kindnesse of God unto a Soule is a constreining motive unto that Soule to continue with him in Love Service and Obedience It workes powerfully upon a heart any way enobled with the ingenuity of Grace to make a suitable returne as farre as possible it can to such eminent Mercy and Goodnesse I professe I know not what those men thinke the Saints of God to be who suppose them apt to make conclusions of wantonnesse and rebellion upon the account of the Stedfastnesse of the Love and Kindnesse of God to them I shall not judge any as to their state and Condition yet I cannot but thinke that such mens prejudices and fulnesse of their own perswasions doe exceedingly interpose in their Spirits from receiving that impression of this Grace of God which in its owne nature it is apt to give or it
breake open their seales In the Latter are all promissory ingagements confirmed established and made unalterable wherein men either in conditionall compacts or Testamentary dispositions doe oblige themselves These are the Sigilla appensa that are yet in use in all Deeds Enfeofements and the like Instruments in Law And with men if this be done their engagements are accounted inviolable And because all men have not that Truth Faithfulnesse and Honesty as to make good even their sealed engagements the whole Race of man-kind hath consented unto the establishment of Lawes and Governors amongst others to this end that all men may be compelled to stand to their sealed Promises hence whatsoever the nature of it be and in what particular soever it doth consist the end and use of this worke in this speciall Acceptation is taken evidently in the latter sence from its use amongst men Expressed it is upon the mention of the Promises 2 Cor 1. 20. To secure Believers of their certaine and infallible accomplishment unto them the Apostle tells them of this sealing of the Spirit whereby the Promises are irrevocably confirmed unto them to whom they are made as is the case among the Sonnes of men sutably Ephes. 1. 13. he saith they are sealed by the Holy spirit of Promise Heb. 9. 14. that is that is promised unto us and who confirmes to us all the Promises of God That the other end of security also safety and preservation is designed therein secondarily appears from the appointed season whereunto this sealing shall be effectuall it is to the day of Redemption Eph 4. 30. untill the Saints are brought to the enjoyment of the full whole and compleat purchase made for them by Christ when he obtained for them eternall Redemption And this is a reall Testimony which the Holy Spirit gives to his owne abiding with the Saints for ever The worke he accomplisheth in them and upon them is on set purpose designed to assure them hereof and to confirme them in the Faith of it Unto an Argument from this sealing of the spirit thus proposed § 30. Those who are sealed shall certainly be saved Mr Goodwin excepts sundry things Ch. 11. Sect. 42. Pag. 255 256 257. which because they are applied to blurre that interpretation of the words of the Holy Ghost which I have insisted on I shall briefely remove out of the way that they may be no farther offensive to the meanest sealed one He answers then first by distinguishing the Major Proposition thus They who are sealed shall certainly be saved with such a sealing which is unchangeable by any intervenience whatsoever as of sinne and Apostasy so that they cannot loose their Faith but if the sealing be only such the continuance whereof depends on the Faith of the sealed and consequently may be reversed or with-drawne it no way proves that all they who are partakers of it must of necessity retaine their Faith therefore saith he 2 ly We Answer farther that the sealing with the spirit spoken of is the Latter kind of sealing not the former i.e. which depends upon the Faith of those that are sealed as in the beginning or first impression of it so in the duration or continuance of it and consequently there is none other certainty of its continuance but only the continuance of the said Faith which being uncertaine the sealing depending on it must needs be uncertaine also That the sealing mentioned depends upon the Faith of the sealed is evident because t is said in whom also after yee believed yee were Sealed with the spirit of Promise Ans. I dare say there is no honest man that would take it well at the hand of Mr Goodwin or any else that should attempt by distinctions or any other way to alleviate or take off the credit of his Truth and Honesty in the performance of all those things whereunto and for the confirmation whereof he hath set his Seal What acceptation an like attempt in reference to the spirit of God is like to find with him he may doe well to consider In the meane time he prevailes not with us to discredit this worke of his Grace in the least For 1. First This supposall of such interveniencies of sinne and wickednesse in the Saints as are inconsistent with the life of Faith and the favour of God as also of Apostasy are but a poore meane insinuation for the begging of the thing in Question which will never be granted of any such termes An interveniency of Apostasy that is defection from the Faith is not handsomely supposed whilest men continue in the Faith 2. That which is given for the confirmation of their Faith and on set purpose to adde continuance to it as this is cannot depend on the condition of the continuance of their Faith The Holy Ghost seales them to the day of Redemption confirming and establishing thereby an infallible continuance of their Faith but it seemes upon condition of their continuance in the Faith Cui fini Of what hitherto is said this is the summe If they who are sealed Apostatize into sinne and wickednesse they shall not be saved notwithstanding that they have been sealed and this must passe for an answer to our Argument proving that they cannot so apostatise because they are Sealed on purpose to preserve and secure them from that Condition Men need not goe farre to seeke for Answers to any Argument if such as these pure beggings of the thing in Question and argued will suffice 3. Neither doth the begining or first impression of the sealing depend upon their Faith any otherwise but as Believers are the subject of it which is not to have any kind of dependance upon it either as to its nature or use Neither doth that place of the Apostle Fph. 1. 13. After ye Believed ye were sealed prove any such thing unlesse this generall axiome be first established that all things which in order of nature are before and after have the Connexion of Cause and effect or at least of Condition and Event between them It proves indeed that their Believing is in order of nature antecedent to their sealing respecting the use of it here mentioned but this proves not at all that Faith is the condition of sealing the bestowing of Faith and the grant of this seale to establish it being both acts depending meerely solely distinctly on the free Grace of God in Christ Though Faith in order of nature goe before Hope yet is no Hope bestowed on men on the condition of Believing The truth is both Faith Sealing all other spirituall Mercyes as to the Goodwill of God bestowing them are at once granted us in Jesus Christ but as to our reception of them the actuall instating of our soules in the enjoyment of them or rather as to the exerting of themselves in us they have that order which either the nature of the things themselves requires or the soveraigne Will of God hath alotted to them neither
Truth it selfe be rendred a Glory to the understanding and the mind be actually inlightned as to the Truth represented it is not to be received in a spirituall manner Those who know at all what the Truth is as the Truth is in Jesus will not take it up upon any other more common account Somtimes in dealing with Godly Persons to convince them of a Truth we are ready to admire their Stupidity or perversenesse that they will not receive that which shines in with so broad a Light upon our spirits The truth is untill the Holy Spirit sends forth the Light and Power mentioned it is impossible that their minds and hearts should rest and acquiesce in any Truth whatever But 4. From this Indwelling of the Spirit §. 23. we have supportment our Hearts are very ready to sinke and faile under our tryalls indeed a little thing will cause us so to do flesh Psal. 73. 26. and heart and all that is within us are soone ready to faile Whence is it that we do not sinke into the deeps that we have so many and so sweet and gracious Recoveries when we are ready to be swallowed up The Spirit that dwells in us gives us supportment Thus it was with David Psal. 51. 22. He was ready to be overwhelmed under a sence of the Guilt of that great sinne which God then sorely charged upon his Conscience and cryes out like a man ready to sinke under water Oh uphold me with thy free Spirit if that do not support me I shall perish So Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit helpeth beares up that Infirmity which is ready to make us go double How often should we be overborne with our burthens did not the Spirit put under his Power to beare them and to support us Thus Paul assures himselfe that he shall be carried through all his tryalls by the helpe supplyed to him by the Spirit Phil. 1. 19. There are two speciall waies §. 25. whereby the Spirit communicates supportment unto the Saints when they are ready to sinke and that upon two accounts First of Consolation and then of Strength 1. The first he doth by bringing to mind the things that Jesus Christ hath left in store for their supportment Our Saviour Christ informing his Disciples how they should be upheld in their tribulations tells them that the Comforter which should dwell with them and was in them Ioh 14. 16 17. should bring to remembrance what he had told them v. 26. Christ had said many things things gracious and heavenly to his Disciples He had given them many rich and pretious Promises to uphold their hearts in their greatest perplexities But knowing full well how ready they were to forget and to let slip the things that were spoken Heb. 2. 1. and how coldly his Promises would come in to their assistance when retained only in their naturall faculties and made use of by their owne strength to obviate these evills tells them that this work he committeth to the charge of another who will doe it to the purpose When ye are ready to drive away the Comforter saith he who is in you he shall bring to Remembrance apply to your soules the things that I have spoken the Promises that I have made which will then be unto you as Life from the dead And this he doth every day How often when the Spirits of the Saints are ready to faint within them when straites and perplexities are round about them that they know not what to doe nor whether to apply themselves for helpe or supportment doth the Spirit that dwelleth in them bring to mind some seasonable suitable Promise of Christ that bears them up quite above their difficulties and distractions opening such a new spring of Life and Consolation to their soules as that they who but now stooped yea were almost bowed to the ground doe stand upright and feele no weight or burthen at all Often times they goe for Water to the well and are not able to draw or if it be powred out upon them it comes like raine on a stick that is fully dry They seeke to Promises for refreshment and find no more savour in them then in the white of an Egge but when the same Promises are brought to remembrance by the Spirit the Comforter who is with them and in them how full of Life and Power are they 2. As this he doth to support Believers §. 26. in respect of Consolation so as to the Communion of reall strength he stirres up those Graces in them that are strengthning and supporting The Graces of the Spirit are indeed all of them supporting and upholding If the Saints fall and sinke at any time in any duty under any tryall it is because their Graces are decayed and do draw back as to the exercise of them If thou faint in the day of Adversity it is not because thy Adversaries are great or strong but because thy strength is small Prov 24. 10. All our Fainting is from the weaknesse of our strength Faith Waiting Patience are small when Davids Faith and Patience began to sinke and draw back Psal. 116. 11. he cries All men are lyars I shall one day perish by the hand of mine Enemies When Faith is but little and Grace but weake we shall be forced if the Wind do but begin to blow to cry out save Lord or we sinke and perish let a Temptation a Lust a Corruption lay any Grace a sâ—eepe and the strongest Saint will quickly become like Sampson with his haire cut and the Philistims about him he may think to doe great matters but at the first tryall he is made a scorne to his enemies Peter thought it was the greatnesse of the Winds and waves that terrified him but our Saviour tells him it was the weaknesse of his Faith that betrayed him Mat. 14. 31. 32. For reliefe in this condition the Spirit that dwells in the Saints stirres up enlivens and actuates all his Graces in them that may support and strengthen them in their duties and under their Tribulations Rom 5. Paul runs up the influence of Grace into the Saints supportment unto this Fountain v. 3. We glory in Tribulation this is as high a pitch as can be attained to be patient under Tribulation is no small victory to Glory in it a most eminent Triumph a conformity to Christ who in his Crosse triumphed over all his opposers we are not only patient under tribulations and have strength to beare them but saith the Apostle we glory and rejoyce in them as things very welcome to us How comes this about Saith he Tribulation worketh patience that is it sets it a worke for Tribulation in it selfe will never worke or beget patience in us and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed It is from hence that these Graces Patience Hope Experience being set on worke doe beare up and support our soules and raise them to such an
needs no labour to demonstrate The Spirit himselfe so interprets it John 7. 38 39. He who believeth on me saith our Saviour as the Scripture saith rivers of living Water shall flow out of his belly But this he said of the Spirit which they should receive who believe on him that which in one place he calleth a Well of Water springing up to Life in us is in the other in equivalent termes called Rivers of living Water flowing out of our bellies And the Holy Ghost tells us that he himselfe the Blessed Spirit is signified by that expression Neither is there any thing bestowed on us that can be compared to a spring of water arising up increasing and flowing out abundantly upon its owne account but the Spirit only It is only the Spirit that is a fountaine of refreshment from whence all Grace doth abundantly flow It is I say the Spirit whereof we have been speaking who is procured for us and bestowed upon us by Jesus Christ which as an everlasting Fountaine continually supplies us with refreshing streames of Grace and fills us a new therewith when the Channells thereof in our soules are ready to become dry And Secondly the state and Condition of them on whom this living Water is bestowed in reference thereunto is described Saith our Saviour he that hath this Spirit of Grace this well of living Water shall never thirst It is most emphatically exprest by two Negatives and an Exegeticall additionall terme for weight and certainty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall never thirst to eternity or as it is exprssed John 6. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall never thirst at any time There is a two fold thirst 1. There is a thirst totalis indigentiae of a whole and intire want of that men thirst after and this is the thirst that returnes upon men in their naturall lives After they have allayed it once with naturall water they thirst againe and their want of water returnes as intire and full as if they had never dranke in their lives Such a spirituall Thirst doth God ascribe to wicked men Isa. 65. 13. My servants shall eat but you shall be hungry my servants shall drinke but ye shall be Thirsty Their hunger and thirst is the totall want of Grace not that they do desire it but that they have it not And this thirst of totall want of Grace is that that never shall nor can befall them who have received the Spirit of Grace as a Well of Water in them They can never so thirst as to be returned againe into the Condition wherein they were before they dranke of that Spirit 2. There is also a Thirst of desire and complacency of the good Things thirsted after In this sence they are pronounced Blessed who hunger and Thirst after Righteousnesse Math. 5. And Peter instructs us to grow in this Thirst more and more the 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that ye may grow thereby The enjoyment of the Spirit doth not take away this Thirst but begin it and increase it and by this Thirst as one meanes are we preserved from that totall want indigency which shall never againe befall us Thirdly §. 31. our Saviour gives the reason why and whence it is that they who drinke of this Water are made partakers of his Spirit shall thirst no more or never be brought to the Condition of totall want of Grace which they were in before they received him because the water which I shall give them saith he the Spirit which I shall bestow upon them dwelleth in them as we have shewed shall be a well of Water a fountaine of Grace springing up in them to everlasting Life continuing and perpetuating the Grace communicated unto the full fruition of God in Glory There are among others three eminent things in this Reason to confirme us in the faith of the former Assertion 1. The condition or nature of the Spirit in Believers He is a Well a Fountain a Spring that never can nor will be dry to Eternity 2. The constant supplyes of Grace that this Spirit affords them in whom he is He is Water alwaies springing up so that to say he will refresh Saints and Believâ—ers with his Grace provided that they turne not profligately wicked is openly to contradict our Saviour Christ with as direct opposition to the design in the words as can be imagined This springing up of Grace which from him is had and received which is his worke in us is that whereunto this profligate wickednesse is opposed and whilst that is this cannot be There is an everlasting inconsistency beâ—ween profligate wickednesse and a never failing spring of Grace 3. His Permanency in this worke and efficacy by it this living Water springs up to everlasting Life He ceases not untill our Spirituall Life be consummated in Eternity This then is the summe of this Promise of our Saviour He gives his holy Spirit to his who lives in them and gives them such continuall supplies of Grace that they shall never come to a totall want of it as they doe of Elementary Water who have once dranke thereof And from this spring doth this Argument flow They on whom the Spirit is bestowed to abide with them for ever and to whom he constantly yeildes such supplyes of Grace as that they shall never be reduced to a totall want for ever they shall certainely and infallibly persevere but that this is the Condition of all that come to Christ by Believing or that Christ hath promised that so it shall be with them is cleare from his owne Testimony now insisted on Ergo. Unto their Argument from the Promise of our Saviour §. 32. Mr Goodwin endeavours an Answer Ch. 11. Sect 10. 11. 12. pag. 232. 233. and in the Preface of it tells us that this Scripture doth but face if so much the businesse in hand To face it I suppose is to appeare at first view in its defence and this indeed cannot well or colourably be denied the words of it punctually expressing the very Truth we intend to prove thereby And this notwithstanding the allaying qualification if so much must needs somewhat prejudice the ensuing evasions But we are yet farther confident that upon the more diligent and strict examination it will be found to speake to the very heart and soule of the businesse in hand and the Considerations of his Reasons to the contrary doth seeme only to give us farther light herein and assurance hereof He saies then Here is no Promise made that they who once believe how unworthily soever they shall behave themselves shall still be preserved by the Spirit of God or the Spirit of God in Believing or that they shall be necessitated alwaies to Believe Ans. This is the old play still It is not at all our intendment to produce any Promise of safe-guarding men in the Love of God how vile soever they may prove but
of preserving them from all such unworthinesse as should render them utterly uncapable thereof And this is plainly here asserted in the Assurance given of the perpetuall residence of the Spirit in them with such continuall supplies of Grace from him as shall certainly preserve them from any such state or condition as is imagined Of being necessitated to Believe I have spoken formerly The expression is neither used by us nor proper to the thing it selfe about which it is used nor knowne in the Scripture as to this purpose and therefore we justly reject it as to its signifying any thing of the way and manner whereby we are preserved by the power of God through faith unto Salvation If it denotes only the certainly and infallibility of the event as the phrase or locution is improper so to deny that there is a Promise of our being preserved by the Spirit of God in believing is not to Answer our Argument but to beg the thing in Question yea to deny the positive assertion of the Lord Christ But if there be not such a Promise in the words what then is in them what doe they containe Saith he 2. They are only a Declaration and Assertion made by Christ of the Excellency and desireablenesse of that life which he comes to give unto the World above the life of nature which is common unto all This by comparing the words with those in the former verse is evident whosoever Drinketh of this water shall thirst againe but whosoever Drinketh of the water that I shall give him c. that is the best meanes that can be had and enjoyed to render this present life free from inconveniencies will not effect it but whosoever shall Drinke Injoy Receive and Believe the Doctrine which I shall administer unto him shall hereby be made partaker of such a life which shall within a short time if men be carefull in the interim to preserve it by reason of the nature and perfect condition and constitution of it be exempt from all sorrow trouble and inconvenience whatsoever as being eternall Ans. 1. That these words are only an Assertion of the excellency and desireablenesse of that eternall life which Christ would give above the naturall that the Woman sued to sustaine and that this appears from the Context is said indeed but no more It is true our Saviour doth divert the thoughts of the Woman from the naturall life and care for provision about it with an insinuation of a better life to be attained but is this all he doth or is this the intendment of the words under consideration Doth not the maine of the opposition or difference which at present he speakes unto lye in the supplies that are given for the two kinds of Life whereof he speakes The Water he tells her which she drew from that Well by which he fate for the supply of her naturall life was such that after her drinking of it she should quickly returne to the same Condition of thirst as formerly before she drank of it But that which he gave was such as that who ever drank of it should thirst no more but be certainely preserved in and unto the full fruition of that Life whereof it is the meanes and supply The opposition is not between the lives continued but the meane of consolation and its efficacy 2. It is not the Condition of the Life naturall which is subject to dissolution not capable of perfection that is the Reason why they thirst again againe that have Water naturall for the refreshment thereof But 't is the nature of the meanes it selfe which is supplyed that is not fitted nor suited to permanency abiding usefullnesse as the Water which Christ Promises is that he insists on There is not any thing leades us to suppose that it is the Imperfection of Life and not the Condition of the meanes of naturall life that is primarily intended in the instituted Comparison though the frailty and nothingnesse of that life also be afterwards intimated in the substitution of Eternall life unto the thoughts of the poore woman in the Roome thereof 3. I say that it is not the Doctrine of Christ but his Spirit principally that he is here said to give as Water and that this is not promised to make men partakers of Eternall Life if in the interim they be carefull to preserve it but to preserve them to it and to give them that Care which as a Grace is needfull thereunto The plaine intendment of the Promise is that by the water they drinke they shall be kept and preserved in the Life whereof they are made partakers unto the fulnesse and perfection of it which preservation by the parenthesis if any be carefull in the interim to preserve it is directly taken away from the Spirit that Christ promiseth and assigned to mens owne care even in contradistinction to all the benefits which they receive by him being so bestowed on them The difference then here between Jesus Christ and Mr Goodwin is this Christ saith the Water that he shall give will be a well springing up to Everlasting Life Mr Goodwin That it is the Care of men to preserve themselves that produces that Effect 4. The present exemption which we have by the Waters of Christs giving is not from sorrow and trouble but from thirst that is from what is opposed unto and is destructive of that Life which he also gives as naturall thirst is unto naturall life But of this thirst and our exemption from it I have spoken before It is not then the nature and condition of the Life promised that he points unto no farther then as it is coincident with the meanes of it here spoken of Indeed this meanes of life is our life as to the inchoation of it here below and its daily growing up unto perfection But he adds Sect. 11. 1. That he doth not oppose that Life which accrues unto mē by drinking that Water which he gives thē §. 33. unto the naturall life which they live by other means in respect of the present Condition or Constitution of it or as it is enjoyed by men in this present world is evident from hence because he asserts it free from thirst shall never thirst Now we know that the Saints themselves notwithstanding that life of Grace which is in them by drinking that Water that Christ hath given them are yet subject to both kinds of Thirst as well that which is corporeall or naturall as that which is Spirituall yea the Spirituall Thirst unto which they are now subject though it argues a deficiency of what they would farther have or desire to be and in that respect is troublesome yet is it Argumentative of the goodnesse of their Condition Mat. 5. 6. Ans 1. The summe of this Answer is that the Life here spoken of and promised is not that Spirituall life whereof we are here made partakers but eternall life which is for to come which when
new Obedience and there will be the work of that Faith in purifying the Heart and mortifying of the sinnes supposed Farther the way here prescribed and limited to the Lord Jesus how he shall intercede for his and for what viz. not for actuall Perseverance and continuance in the Faith to be wrought in them by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God but for meanes to inable them to preserve themselves we are perswaded he walkes not in And that much upon this account that the way whereby God begins and carries on Believers in the way of Faith and Obedience is not by such a supply of meanes as leaves them to themselves to work and effect the things for which they are so supplied but he himselfe workes in them to will and to doe of his own good pleasure fulfilling in them all the good pleasure of his Goodnesse and the worke of Faith with power giving them all their sufficiency and preserving them by his power through Faith unto salvation To make Faith and Perseverance therein to follow such a supply of meanes as leaves the production of them to the power of the wills of men so that after God hath done all that on his part is to be done or performed that is quickned them being dead giving them new Hearts Spirtis shone into their mindes to give them the knowledge of his Glory in the Face of his Sonne c. it is yet uncertaine whether â—ver Faith shall be wrought in their Soules or no or rather whether men so supplied with means will Believe and Persevere or no is an Assertion that will never be proved to Eternity nor whilest Truth is Truth it is capable of proofe The granting of such meanes and such a presence of his Spirit that men may be inabled to worke for themselves is an expression exceedingly unsuited to all the Promises of the new Covenant what ever either of the Spirit of Grace or the meanes of it is given out to Believers Christ intercedes that his Father would keepe them not that they should keepe themselves he was too well acquainted with our frame and our temptations to desire we might be our own keepers God forbid we should be left to our owne preservation to the hand of our owne counsell and power though compassed with all the supposed sufficient meanes that may be not eventually effectually God creates a defence upon our Glory and doth not leave it to our owne safegarding Our salvation is not in our own custody That the Father doth not keepe us or preserve us that the Sonne doth not Intercede that we may be so preserved that the Spirit doth not make us meete for and keepe us unto the Inheritance of the Saints in Light but that in the use of meanes we are as Adam was our own keepers are some of the Principles of that new way of administring consolation to Believers which Mr Goodwin hath found out This then is the utmost which Mr Goodwin will allow to be for disputation sake not that he really believes it granted that Christ intercedes for his Saints as to their continuance and preservation in that condition viz. That God would give them such meanes as they may use or not use at their liberty which may be effectuall or not effectuall as their own wils shall choose to make use of them which he also takes for granted to be common to all the World and not to be peculiar unto Believers But it is farther argued If Christ should simply and absolutely Intercede that no sinne or wickednesse whatsoever may destroy the Faith of any true Believer and consequently deprive him of Salvation should he not hereby become that which the Apostle rejects with indignation as altogether unworthy of him I meane a Minister of sinne Is therefore Christ the Minister of sinne God forbid or whereby or wherein can it lightly be imagined that Christ should become a minister of sinne rather then by interceding with his Father that such and such men how vile and abominable soever they shall become may yet be precious in his sight and receive a Crowne of Righteousnesse from his hand Or doth not such an Intercession as some men put upon him as they who make him to Intercede simply and absolutely for the Perseverance of Believers in their Faith amount to an Intercession of every whit as vile and unworthy Import as this Ans That this is the tenor of Christs Intercession with his Father for men let them become as vile as they will how vile and abominable soever yet that they may be still precious in his sight and that he would give them a Crowne of Righteousnesse M. Goodwin knoweth full well not to be the Doctrine of them he opposeth If he shall otherwise affirme it will be incumbent on him to produce some one Author that hath wrote about this Doctrine in what language soever and so stated it If he be ignorant that this is not their Doctrine he ought not to have ingaged into an opposition thereof if he argue that it is otherwise this procedure is unworthy of him That Christ Intercedes for his Saints that they may be kept from all such sinnes as would separate them from the Love and Favour of his Father for which there is no Remedy provided in the Covenant of Grace and that their Faith may not faile or perish under such sinnes as they may through Temptation fall into is the Doctrine which he opposeth or at least ought to oppose to make good his undertaking Now if this be so then saith he is Christ the minister of sinne why so He sees and foretells that Peter should deny him thrice yet he prayes that Peters Faith may not faile under that sinne and wickednesse is he therefore a minister of sinne because he Intercedes that his Saints may not be given up to the power of sinne nor every time they are assaulted lye conquered by sinne is he therefore a minister of sinne or rather a deliverer from sinne That very thing which M. Goodwin affirmes would make him a minister of sinne he affirmes himselfe to do in the case of Peter how he will free himselfe from this charge and imputation ipse viderit 2. What it is to Intercede simply and absolutely for Believers that they may continue believing we are not so cleare in Christ Intercedes that they may be preserved by the power of his Father in and through the use of those meanes which he graciously affords them and the Powerfull presence of the Spirit of God with them therein and that not on any such absurd and foolish conditions that they may be so preserved by his Father provided they preserve themselves and continue Believers on condition they continue to believe and if this be of a vile and unworthy import the Gospell is so too and one of the most eminent Graces that is inwrapped in the New Covenant is so too What there is farther in M. Goodwin Sect. 34. Pag. 249
thereof We are not as yet of that minde And yet 2. We do not lay the only motive unto obedience tendered by the Doctrine we contest for on the certainty of reward which it asserteth which yet is such that without it all other must needs be of little purpose but it hath also other advantagious influences into the promotion of Holinesse which in part have been insisted on 3. It seemeth we say that God promiseth a Reward to them that shall not runne a Race because we maintaine that he promiseth it to none but those who do runne in a Race promising withall to give them strength power and will that they may do so to the end 2. For the close which amounteth to this That the certainty of reward when it is uncertaine for so it is made to be when it is suspended on Actions that are uncertain is more encouraging to Action then certainty of reward not so suspended I shall adde only because I know not indeed how this discourse hangeth on the businesse under Consideration that we neither suspend the certainty of Reward upon our Actions in the sence intimated neither do we say that it is assured to men whether they act or no but say that the Reward which is of Grace through the Unchangeable Love of God shall be given to them that act in Holinesse through the same Love shall all Believers be kept to such an acting of Holinesse as God thinketh good to carry them out unto for the fulfilling of all the good pleasure of his Goodnesse in them and making them meet for the inheritance of his Saints in Light We do not think mediums designed of God for the Accomplishment of any End are such that conditions of the End that it is suspended on them in uncertainty in respect of the Issue before its accomplishment Neither do we grant or can it be proved that God assigneth any medium for the accomplishment of a determinate End such as we have proved the Salvation of all Believres to be and leave it in such a Condition as that not only it shall be effected produced suitably to the nature of the immediate cause of which it is whether free necessary or contingent but also shall be so farre uncertaine as that it may or may not be wrought and accomplished The former part of this third Paragraph is but a Repetition of an Assertion §. 12. which upon the Credit of his own single Testimony we have had often tendered viz. That an Assurance given him that is Godly of the Love of God not depending on any thing in him which it is uncertain whether he will performe or no is no motive to men to continue in the wayes of Holinesse This as I said before I cannot close withall That that which is a motive to Faith and Love and eminently suited to the stirring of them up and setting them on worke is also a motive to the Obedience which is called Love and Obedience of Faith hath been declared If there be any thing of the new and Heavenly nature in the soule any Quality or disposition of a Child therein what can be more effectuall to promote or advance the Feare Honour and Reverence of God in it then an Assurance of his Spirit to continue and preserve them in those wayes which are well pleasing unto him It is confessed that in many Promises of Acceptation here and Reward hereafter the things and duties that are the meanes and wayes of enjoying the one and attaining the other are mentioned not as conditions of the Grace and Love of God to them to whom the Promises are made as though they should depend on any thing of their uncertaine accomplishment as hath been declared but only as the meanes and wayes which God hath appointed for men to use and walke in unto those ends and which he hath absolutely promised to worke in them and to continue to them 4. The close of this Paragraph in the fourth place §. 13. deserveth a little more cleare consideration it containing an Assertion which some would not believe when it was told them and hath stumbled not a few at the repetition of it Thus then he proceedeth Besides whether any such Assurance of the unchangeablenesse of the Love of God towards him that is godly as the Objection speaketh of can be effectually and upon sufficient grounds cleared and proved is very questionable yea I conceive there is more reason to judge otherwise then so Yea that which is more I verily believe that in case any such Assurance of the unchangeablenesse of Gods Love were to be found in or could regularly be deduced from the Scriptures it were a just ground to any intelligent and considering man to question their Authority and whether they were from God or no For that a God infinitely righteous and holy should irreversibly as sure the immortall undefiled inheritance of his Grace Favour unto any Creature whatsoever so that though this creature should prove never so abominable in his sight never so outragiously and desperately wicked and prohane he should not be at liberty to with-hold his inheritance from him is a saying doubtlesse too hard for any man who rightly understandeth and considereth the nature of God to beare Ans. §. 14. The Love mentioned in the foregoing Objection is that which God beareth to them that are godly in Jesus Christ exerting it selfe partly in his Gracious acceptation of their Persons in the Sonne of his Love partly in giving to them of his Holy Spirit and Grace so that they shall never depart utterly and wickedly from him and forsake him or reject him from being their God Whether an assurance of this Love may on good grounds be given to Believers hath been already considered and the Affirmative I hope in some good measure confirmed The farther Demonstration of it awaiting its proper season which the will of God shall give unto it This Mr Goodwin saith to him is questionable yea I suppose it is with him out of question that it cannot be else surely he would not have taken so much paines in labouring to disprove it And that this us his resolved judgement he manifesteth in the next words I verily believe that in case any such assurance were to be found in c. That is Si Deus homini non placuerit Deus non erit What more contemptible could the Pagans of old have spoken of their dunghill Deities with their Amphibolous Oracles were it not fitter language for the Indian Conjurers who beat and afflict their hellish Gods if they answer not according to their desires The whole Authority of God and of his Word in the Scriptures is here cast downe before the consideration of an intelligent man forsooth or a vaine man that would be wise but is like the wild Asses colt and this intelligent man it seemes may contend to reject the Word of God and yet be accounted most wise Of old the Prophet thought
that it was possible in respect of the event that he should be damned Why because he laboured that he might not be so That is no man can use the meanes of avoiding any thing but he must be uncertaine whether in the use of those meanes it may be avoided or no This looketh like begging the thing in question Paul labouring and indeavouring in the wayes expressed evidently manifesteth such a labour and indeavour in such a way to be the appointed meanes of avoiding the Condition of being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there is an infallible connexion betwixt the use of such meanes the deliverance from that state is proved But that Paul had not assurance of the sufficiency of the Grace of God with him for his certaine use of those meanes certaine infallible deliverance from that end nothing in the least in intimated in the Text or brought in from any place else by Mr Goodwin to give colour thereunto But of this Scripture at large afterwards Supposing himselfe to have fairly quit himselfe of the former plea §. 20. in the behalfe of our Doctrine as by himselfe proposed he addeth another Pretension in the behalfe of the same plea formerly produced which he attempteth also to take out of the way having in some measure prepared it in his proposall of it for an eaâ—y removall Thus then he proceedeth To pretend that the weaknesse of the flesh in the best of Saints considered and their aptnesse to goe astray they must needs lye under many trouble some and tormenting feares of perishing unlesse they have some promise or assurance from God to support them notwithstanding any declinings or goings astray incident unto them yet they shall not loose his favour or perist is to pret and nothing but what hath been throughly answered already especially in Cap. 9. Ans. Before I can admit this plea to be put in in our behalfe I shall crave leave a little to rectify and point it more sharply against the Doctrine it aimeth to oppose I say then 1. It is not the weaknesse of the flesh or the feeblenesse and disability of our naturall man to act in or goe through with great duties and trialls but the strength and wilfulnesse of the flesh i.e. of the corrupted man even in the best of saints continually provoking and seducing them with sometimes an insuperable efficacy leading them captive and working in them continually with a thousand baits and wiles as hath been in part discovered labouring to turne them aside from God That fills the Saints of God with tormenting perplexing feares of perishing and must needs doe so if they have no promise of God for their preservation Besides all this strength and wilfulnesse of the flesh they are exposed to the Assaults of other most dreadfull Adversaries wrestling with Principalities and Powers in heavenly places and contending with the World as it lieth under the curse all their daies To referre all the oppositions that Believers meet withall in the course of their obedience and which may fill them with fears that they shall one day perish if not supported by an Almighty hand and kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation unto the weaknesse of the flesh which in the place where the expression is used plainly pointeth at the disability of the naturall man to abide in and goe through with great duties and trialls is a most vaine and empty contemplation Those who have to doe with God in the matter of Gospell obedience and know what it is indeed to serve him under temptations can tell you another manner or story and among them M. Goodwin could doe so to the purpose when his thoughts were not prejudiced by any byasing opinions that must be leaned unto 2. We do not say that the Saints of God in the condition mentioned stand in need of any Promise of God that notwithstanding any declinings or goings astray incident unto them they shall not loose his favour or perish but that they shall have such a presence of his spirit and sufficiency of his grace with them all their daies that they shall never notwithstanding all the oppositions and difficulties they meet withall utterly faile in their Faith nor be prevailed against to depart wickedly and utterly from God And now I see not but that supposing that it is necessary that the Saints be delivered from troublesome perplexing feares of perishing and that God hath made provision for that end and purpose which that he hath seemes to be granted by our Author I say I cannot see but that this Plea striketh at the very heart of the Apostasy of S t s though not very fitly brought in in this place in reference to the Argument that occasioned it but our Author knowing his faculty to lye more in evading what is objected against him than in urging Arguments for his own opinion doth every where upon the first proposall of any Argument divert to other considerations and to the answering of Objections though perhaps not at all to the Plea in hand nor any way occasioned by it But what saith he now in defence of his dearly beloved thus attempted to vindicate it from this sore imputation of robbing and despoiling the Saints of God of their Peace and Assurance purchased for them at no lesse rate then the blood of the Lord Jesus He telleth you then three things 1. That the weakenesse of the flesh or aptnesse of miscarrying through this is no reasonable ground of feare §. 31. to any true Believer of his perishing considering that no manlooseth or forfeiteth the Grace and Favour of God through sinnes of weakenesse or infirmity It is only the strength of sinne and corruption in men that exposeth to the danger of loosing the Love of God Ans. The latter part of these words plainely discovers the vanity of the former as produced for any such end and Purpose as that in hand For though I willingly grant that that which is termed the weakenesse of the flesh is enough to make any man what ever feare that he shall not hold outin the course of his Obedience to the end if he have no Promise of supportment and preservation by an Almighty power notwithstanding it is affirmed that it draweth men only to sinnes of weaknesse or infirmity which I thought had not been called so from the weaknesse of the flesh but of Grace in Believers yet it is the strength the power the Law the subtillty of the flesh or indwelling sinne that is the matter of our plea in this case Not that which Paul gloried in even his infirmity but that which made him cry out Oh! wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 8. 1. from the distresse by reason whereof he found no deliverance but only in the Assured Love of God in Jesus Christ. So that notwithstanding this Reply shaped to fortifie the minds of men against their failings upon the account
is equally provoked and had not Christ answered for the sinnes of Believers they could not they should not have escaped the wrath due to them 2. That the same sinnes doe not argue men alwaies under the Gospell to be in the same Condition as shall be afterwards fully manifested for 1. They doe not find them in the same state some are in a state of Death and sinne others of Life and Grace being translated from the one to the other having a Title to the Promise of Mercy in Christ. 2. And chiefly as there is a twofold justification of the Person and of the Fact and the one may be without the other so there is a twofold condemnation or dis-approbation of the Fact and of the Person As to the particular dis-approbation of God in respect of any sinfnll Act it is the same in reference unto all Persons Believers and Unbelievers As to their Persons there are in the Gospell other ingredients to the judgement of them beside particular Facts or Acts in answer to the Law or the rule of Righteousnesse viz. Faith and Repentance which alter the case of the Person even before the judgement seat of God To suppose the Saints to fall into the same sinnes with other men in the same manner and to continue in them without Faith and Repentance is to begge the thing in Question Suppose them to have what we affirme God hath promised those conditions of Evangelicall mercie and M. Goodwin himselfe will grant it no acceptance of Persons to deale otherwise with them then with others who have committed like sinnes with them in whom those conditions are not wrought or found that is he that Believeth shall be Saved he that Believeth not shall be Damned This is all we say in this thing but of the difference between Believers and unbelievers in their sining we shall speake afterwards at large to the full removall of this and another Objection For the present this shall suffice though Believers fall or may fall into the same sinnes with other men yet they fall not into them in the same manner with them and they have a reliefe provided to prevent the deadly malignity of sinne which those who believe not have no interest in no right unto Mr Goodwins second Argument is §. 8. that which of all others in this case hee seemeth to lay most weight upon and which he pursueth at large in 17 Pages and as many Sections treating in it concerning the Ministry of the Gospell and the usefulnesse of the Exhortations Threatnings and Promises thereof For an entrance into the consideration of it I must needs say Non venit ex pharetris ista sagitta tuis For besides that M. Goodwin hath taken very little paines in the improvement of it considering how it was provided to his hand by the Remonstrants at the Synod of Dort and that which he hath done farther consisting in a meere uselesse and needlesse stuffing of it with sundry Notions taken out of their first Argument and fifth De modo conversionis of the manner of the Spirits operation in and upon the Soule in its first conversion to God it was the old song of the Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians in their dealing with Austine Fulgentius Hilarius Prosper by them at large confuted renewed by Castallio and Erasmus against Luther after it had been sifted and rejected by the more learned Schoolemen in former ages What ever it be and how ever it is now come to hand being taught to speake out Language and that in the best fashion the consideration of it must not be declined And thus it is proposed If the common Doctrine of Perseverance rendreth the Ministry of the Gospell §. 9. so farre as it concerneth the Perseverance of the Saints vaine impertinent and void then is it not a Doctrine of God but of men and consequently that which opposeth it is the truth But certaine it is that the said Doctrine is of this unchristian tendency and import Ergo. The first part of the consequent of the Major is granted The Work of the Ministry being for the edification of the body of Christ and the perfecting of the Saints Ephes. 4. 12 13. that which frustrateth the End whereunto of Christ himselfe it is designed can be no Truth of his Of the farther inference That the Doctrine which opposeth it or is set up in opposition to it is the Truth more will be spoken afterwards For the present I cannot but insist upon the former observation That notwithstanding Mr Goodwins pretence of proving and arguing for the Doctrine he maintaines yet upon the matter he hath not any thing to say in the carrying on of that designe but instantly falls to his old work of raising Objections in their very setting up prepared to be cast downe for the most part which with all his might he laboureth to remove The stresse of the whole as farre as we are concerned in it lieth on the Minor which is thus farther attempted to be made good The Minor Proposition is Demonstrated thus The Doctrine which rendreth the Labour and Faithfulnesse of a Minister in pressing such Exhortations Threatnings and Promises which tend to the preservation of the Saints in Faith and holinesse to the end uselesse rendreth the Ministry of the Gospell as farre as it concerneth the encouragement or inabling of the Saints to Persevere needlesse and vaine but guilty of such a tendency as this is the commonly received Doctrine of Perseverance Ergo. Ans. This labour might have been saved and both these Syllogismes very easily reduced to one but then another seeming Argument as we shall find afterwards insisted on would have been prevented Our trade in such cases as this is by weight and not by number the Minor then is still to be confirmed which he laboureth thus to doe The common Doctrine of Perseverance requireth and commandeth all Saints or true Believers to be fully perswaded and this with the greatest and most indubitable certainty of Faith that there is an absolute and utter impossibility either of a totall or finall defection of their faith that though they should fall into ten thousand enormous and most abominable sinnes and lyewallowing in them like a swine in the mire yet they should remaine all the while in an estate of Grace and that God will by a strong hand of irresistible grace bring them off from their sinnes by Repentance before they dye but the Doctrine which requireth and commandeth all this and much more of like import to be confidently believed by true Believers rendreth the pressing of all Exhortations Threatning Promises upon them in order to prevaile with them or make them carefull to Persevere bootlesse and unnecessary Ergo. Ans. 1. §. 10. What weight M. Goodwin with all those with whom as to his undertaking under consideration He is in fellowship doth lay upon this Argument is known to all The whole foundation of what is afterwards at large insisted on for the establishment of
care and Godly feare about the meanes instituted and appointed with respect to the end which Exhortations do beget and will notwithstanding those Promises 5. The greatest inconsistency that can be imagined between Exhortations and Promises as by us explained is no more than this that in one place God promiseth that unto us as his Grace which in an other he requires of us as our duty between which two who ever feignes an Opposition he doth his endeavour to set the Covenant of Grace as to us proposed and declared at variance with it selfe The whole ensuing Discourse unto Sect 12. §. 19. drawing deepe upon an other Controversy viz. the manner of the Operation of Grace and being for the most part borrowed from what is delivered on that head in the Arminian writings Acta Synodal might be past over as not of any necessary consideration in this place What we assigne to the Exhortations of the Word and their consistency with whatever else we teach of the Saints Perseverance being already heard this Argument is at its properissue But the taske undertaken is not to be waved or avoided I shall therefore proceed to the discussion of it Thus then he goes on If saith he such Exhortations as we speake of be a meanes to effect the Perseverance which our Adversaryes suppose to be Promised in the Saints then must the Act of Perseverance in the Saints necessarily depend upon them so as that iâ— cannot nor will not be effected without them i.e. without the Saints submitting themselves to them But persevering upon these tearmes clearely supposeth a possibility of non-persevering for whatsoever dependeth upon a mutable condition and which possibly may not be performed may be also possible never to come to passe Ans. 1. Exhortations are improperly said to be a meanes to effect Perseverance We say only that they are meanes to stirre up quicken and increase those Graces in the exercise whereof the Saints according to the Purpose and Promise of God do persevere 2. The Perseverance of the Saints doth consist in the abiding and continuance of those Graces in them which those Exhortations do so stirre up further or increase And in that regard there is a connexion between the Perseverance of the Saints and the Exhortations mentioned yea a dependance of the one on the other But this dependance ariseth not from the nature of the things themselves whence such a Certainty as is asserted would not arise but from the purpose and Appointment of God that they should be effectuall to that end And therefore 3. A Perseverance on these termes supposeth a possiblity of non-persevering if you regard only the nature of the things themselves and set aside all Consideration of the Purpose and Promises of God concerning the end which is to begge the thingin hand yea the Promise of God extends it selfe to the certaine Accomplishment of the Saints submission to those exhortations So that the end aimed at doth not depend on a mutable condition If I understand any thing of that Expression so unsuited to the businesse in hand the performance of the condition or the yeilding of such Obedience as is required to the essence of the Saints Perseverance being certaine also from the Promises of God His fift Section is as followeth §. 20. If it be said that the said Exhortations are meanes of the Saints persevering in this respect because God by his Spirit irresistibly and infrustrably drawes and perswades the Saints to obey these Exhortations as meanes of their persevering I Answer It cannot be proved that God doth draw or perswade his Saints upon any such tearmes to obey these Exhortations Nay frequent experience sheweth and our Adversaries Doctrrne frequently mentioned expressely granteth that the Saints many times are so farre from obeying these Exhortations that they walke for a long time in full opposition to them is in security loosenesse vile practices nor have they yet proved nor I believe ever will prove but that they may walke yea and that many have thus walked I meane in full opposition to the said exhortations to their dying day Secondly If God by his Spirit irresistibly drawes his Saints to obey the Exhortations we speake of he thus draweth them either by such a force or power immediately acted upon their wills by which they are made willing to obey them or else he maketh use of the said Exhortations so to worke or affect their wills that they become willing accordingly If the former be asserted Then first the said Exhortations are no meanes wereby the Perseverance of the Saints is effected but God alone irresistibly by his Spirit for if the Will be thus immediately affected by God after such a manner and wrought to such a bent and inclination as that it cannot but obey the said Exhortations or do the things which the said Exhortations require Then would it have done the same things whether there had been any such Exhortations in beeing or no and consequenly these Exhortations could have no manner of efficiency about their Perseverance For the Will according to the common saying is of it selfe a blind faculty followes its owne predominant bent inclination without taking knowledge whether the wayes and actions towards which it stands bent be commanded or exhorted unto by God or no 2. If the will of a S t be immediately so affected by God that it stands inclin'd bent to do the things which are proper to cause them to Persevere then is this bent inclination wrought in the Will of such a person after his being a S t consequently is not essentiall to him as a S t but meerely Accidentall Adventitious if so then is there no inclinations or bent in the Will of a S t as such or from his first being a S t to Persevere or to do the things which accompany Perseverance but they come to be wrought in him afterwards Which how consistent it is with the principles either of Reason or Religion or their owne I am content that my Adversaries themselves should judge 3. If God doth immediately irresistibly incline or move the wills of the S t s to do the things which accompany Perseverance the said Exhortations can be no meanes of effecting this Perseverance for the will being Physically irresistibly acted drawne by God to do such such things needeth no addition of Morall meanes such as Exhortations are if they be any in order hereunto What a man is necessitated to he needeth no farther helpe or meanes â—o do it 4. The things which accompany Perseverance import a continuance in Faith Love to the end If then the wills of the S t s be immediately and irresistibly moved by God thus to continue I meane in Faith Love to the end what place is there for Exhortations to come in with their efficiency towards that Perseverance Need they be exhorted to continue in Faith Love or to Persevere after the end
Conscience doth however it tumultuate rebuke chide perswade trouble cry and the like whatever conviction of the guilt of sinne may shew into the judgement yet sinne hath the consent of the whole soule Every thing that hath a reall influence into operation consents thereto originally and radically how ever any principle may be dared by Conscience To take off any thing from full consent there must be something of a spirituall Repugnancy in the mind and will which when Lust is thus enthroned there is not Secondly That sinne reigneth in such persons Many have been the inquiries of Learned men about reigning of sinne As What sinnes may be said to reigne §. 8. and what not Whether sinnes of ignorance may raigne as well as sinnes against knowledge What little sinnes may be said to reigne as well as great Whether frequent relapses into any sinne prove that sinne to be reigning Whether sinne may reigne in a Regenerate person Or whether a Saint may fall into reigning sinne whereabout Divines of great note and name have differed all upon a false bottome and supposall The Scripture gives no ground for any such inquiries or disputes or Cases of Conscience as some men have raised hereupon And indeed I would this were the only instance of mens creating Cases of Conscience and answering them when indeed and in truth there are no such things so insnaring the Consciences of Men and intangling more by their Cases than they deliver by their Resolutions The truth is there is no mention of any reigning sinne or the Reigning of any sinne in the whole Book of God taking sinne for this or that particular sinne But of the Reigne of this Indwelling originall Lust or fountaine of all finne there is frequent mention Whilest that holds its power and universality in the soule and is not restrained nor straitned by the Indwelling spirit of grace with a new vitall principle of no lesse extent and of more power than it be the Actuall sinnes few or more knowne or unknowne little or great all is one sinne reignes and such a person is under the power and dominion of sinne so that in plain termes to have finne reigne is to be unconverted and to have sinne not to reigne is to be converted to have received a new principle of Life from above This is evident from the 5. and 6. Chapter of the Epist. to the Romans the seate of this Doctrine of reigning sinne The opposition insisted on by the Apostle is between the Reigne of Sinne and Grace and in pursuit thereof he manifests how true Believers are tanslated from the one to the other To have sinne reigne is to be in a state of sinne to have Grace reigne is to be in a state of Grace So Chapter 5. 21. % As sinne reigned unto death so Grace reignes through Righteousnesse unto eternall Life by Jesus Christ our Lord The sinne he speakes of is that whereof he treates in all that Chapter the sinne of Nature the Lust wherof we speake this by nature reigneth unto Death but when Grace comes by Jesus Christ the soule is delivered from the power thereof so in the whole 6. Chap. It is our change of state and Condition that the Apostle insists on in our delivery from the reigne of sinne and he tells us this is that that destroyes it our being under Grace v 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you because you are not under the Law but under Grace Plainely then there are two Lords and Rulers and these are Originall or Indwelling sinne and Grace or the Spirit of it The first Lord the Apostle discovers with his entrance upon his Rule and Dominion Chap. 5. and this all men by nature are under The second he describes Chap. 6. which sets out the Rule reigne of Grace in Believers by Jesus Christ. And then Thirdly the place that both these Lords have in this life in a Believer Cap. 7. This then is the only reigning sin in whomsoever it is in its power compas as it is in all unregenerate men in them in them only doth sin reigne every sin they commit is with full consent as was manifested before in exact willing Obedience to the soveraigne Lord that reignes in them Fourthly §. 9. observe that the Grace new Creature Principle or Spirituall Life that is Given to bestowed on and wrought in all and only Believers be it in the lowest and most remisse degree that can be imagined is yet no lesse universally spread over the whole soule than the contrary habit and principle of Lust and sinne whereof we have spoken In the Understanding it is Light in the Lord in the Will Life in the Affections Love Delight c. those being reconciled who were alienated by wicked workes Where ever there is any thing the least of grace there something of it is in every thing of the soule that is a capable seat for good or evill habits or dispositions He that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor 5. 17. not renewed in one or other particular he is a new Creature Fiftly that where ever true Grace is in what degree soever §. 10. there it bears Rule though sinne be in the same subject with it As sinne reignes before grace comes so Grace reignes when it doth once come And the reason is because sinne having the first Rule and Dominion in the heart abiding there there is neither Roome nor place for Grace but what is made by conquest Now who ever enters into a possession by right of Conquest what resistance soever be made if he prevaile to a Conquest he reignes In every regenerate man though Grace be never so weake and Corruption never so strong yet properly the Soveraignty belongs to Grace Having entered upon the soule and all the powers of it by Conquest so long as it abides there it doth reigne So that to say a Regenerate man may fall into reigning sinne as it is commonly exprest though as we have manifested no sinne reignes but the sinne of Nature as no good Act reigneth but the spirit and habit of Grace and yet continue Regenerate is all one as to say he may have and not have true Grace at the same time Now from these considerations §. 11. some farther inferences may be made First That in every regenerate person there are in a spirituall sence two Principles of all his actings Two Wills There is the Will of the Flesh and there is the Will of the Spirit a Regenerate man is spiritually and in Scripture expression two men a new man and an old an inward man and a body of Death and hath two Wills having two Natures not as Naturall faculties but as Morall principles of operation and this keepes all his actions as Morall from being perfect absolute or compleate in any kind He doth good with his whole heart upon the account of sincerity but he doth not good with his whole heart upon the account
their comportments with him in his higher and farther application they become filled with the spirit according to the expression of the Apostle Be ye filled with the spirit i.e. follow the spirit close in his present motions and suggestions within you and you shall be filled with him i.e. ye shall find him moving and assisting you upon all occasions at a higher and more glorious rate Ans. First what this joyning of our Wills of the spirit is was in part manifested before The Will of the spirit is that we be mortified His motions hereunto are his perswasions that we be so To joyne our Wills to his is in our Will to answer the Will of the spirit that is upon the spirits motions we mortify our selves By this also he tells us we draw or obtaine farther strength or assistance from the spirit for that worke which we have done already but how so why he tells you afterward that this is the Law of the Spirit It seems then that by doing one thing we obtaine or procure the assistance of the spirit for another and that by a Law I aske by what Law by the Law of workes by that Law the Apostle tells you that we doe not at all receive the spirit therefore by a parity of Reason we obtaine not any farther supplies from him by that Law By the Law of Faith or Grace that Law knows nothing of such termes as that we should by any acting of ours procure the Holy Spirit of God which he freely bestowes according to the maine tenour of that Law Farther How is this second grace obtained and what is the Law of the Spirit therein is it obtained ex congruo or ex condigno produce the Rule of Gods proceeding with his Saints or any of the sonnes of men in the matter of any gratious behovement of his and you will out-doe what ever your Predecessors whether Pelagians Papists Arminians or Socinians could yet attaine unto Our Lord hath told us that without him we can doe nothing yea all our sufficiency is of God and without him we cannot think a good thought that he workes in us to will and to doe not only beginning but perfecting every good worke fulfilling in us all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the work of Faith with power ascribing the whole of the great work of Salvation to Himselfe and his Holy Spirit working freely and gratiously as he wills and pleaseth Of this order of his dealing with men that his first or preventing Grace should be free but his subsequent Grace procured by us and bestowed on us according to our working and cooperation with his first grace invented by Pelagius Iulianus and Celastinus and here introduced a new by M. Goodwin he informes us nothing at all In briefe this whole discourse is the meere Pelagian figment wrapt up in generall clowdy expressions with allusions to some Scripture Phrases which prophane as well as erring spirits are prone to concerning the bestowing of the Grace of God according to the differing deportments and deservings of men differencing themselves from others and in comparison of them holding out what they have not received But Secondly §. 21. to Answer the first and gentle motions of the spirit is to be led by him and then we shall be filled by the spirit But how doth M. Goodwin prove that to be led by the spirit is to answer his first gentle motions and thereby to obtaine his farther and more glorious actings and perswasions Is it safe thus to make bold with the word of God or is not this to wrest it as ignorant and unstable men doe unto perdition Saints being led by the spirit of God and walking after the spirit are in Rom 8. expressions of that Effectuall sanctification exerting it selfe in their conversation and walking with God which the spirit of God worketh in them and which is their duty to come up unto in opposition to living or walking after the flesh If this now be attained and the Saints come up unto it antecedently to the subsequent Grace of the Spirit what is that subsequent grace which is so gloriously expressed and wherein doth it consist Neither doth that expression of led by the Spirit hold out the concurrence or comportment of their Wills as it is phrased with the gentle motion of the spirit but the powerfull and effectuall Operation of the spirit as to their Holinesse and walking with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not they comport or concurre with the Spirit in his motions but by the spirit they are acted and carried out to the things of God Neither hath this any relation to or coherence with that of the Ephesians 5. 18. % Be filled with the spirit neither is there any such intendment in the expression as is here intimated of a promise of receiving more of the spirit on condition of that compliance concurrence and comportance with his motions as is intimated That the spirit is sometimes taken for his Graces sometimes for his Gifts habitually sometimes for his actuall operations is known The Apostle in that place disswading the Ephesians from turning aside to such carnall sinfull Refreshments as men of the world went out unto bids them not be drunke with Wine wherein is excesse but to be filled with the Spirit to take their refreshment in the joyes of the spirit speaking to themselves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs v. 20. Could I once imagine that M. Goodwin had the least thought that indeed there was any thing in the Scripture looking towards his intendment in the producing of it I should farther manifest the mistake thereof To play thus with the word of God is a liberty we dare not make use of yet Thirdly he concludes That the reason why Believers are overcome by the Lustings of the flesh is not because the Spirit is not stronger than the flesh but because men have more will to harken to the Lusts of the Flesh than to the Spirit Fortunam Priami cantabo nobile bellum This is the issue of all the former swelling Discourse mens sinnes are from their owne willes and not because the Spirit is not stronger than the flesh And who ever doubted it the Conclusion you were to prove is That Believers sinne with their whole will and full consent of their wills and that the new principle that is in them doth not cause their wills to decline from acting in sinne to the just efficacy of all their strength and vigour But of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the insinuation in that expression of the Will hearkening to the lusts of the flesh and not the lusting of the Spirit in a sovereigne indifferency to both and a liberty for the performance of either in a way exclusive of good or vicious habituall Principles of operation in the will it selfe I shall not now divert to the consideration of What else remaines in this Section §. 22. either doth not concerne the businesse
whatever Mr Goodwin is pleased to think or say to the contrary nor is their apprehension weakened by Nathans charging upon David his despising of the commandement of the Lord. in doing evill which as it is virtually done in every sinne and in great sinnes in an eminent manner so that it did amount indeed not only to a consequentiall but a formall voluntary contempt of God Mr Goodwin shall never prove A Father often and severely chargeth upon his sonnes a despising of his command when he hath been carryed out to transgresse it when yet he kowes his sonne honoureth and reverenceth him in his heart and is exceedingly remote from any resolved contempt of him The close of all is a concession of the Contra-Remonstrants at the Hague Conference §. 38. That Believers might fall into such sinnes as that the Church according to the Commandement of Christ must pronounce that they shall no longer abide in her communion and that they shall have no part in the Kingdome of Christ which being usually made an argument for the Apostacy of the Saints I shall consider how it is here improved by M. Goodwin Certainly saith he their sence was That true believers may sinne above the rate of those who sinne out of infirmity in so much as there is no commandement of Christ that any Church of his should eject such persons out of their Communion who sinne out of infirmity only so that by the confession of our Adversaries themselves even true Believers may perpetrate such sinnes which are of a deeper demerit than to be numbred amongst sinnes of infirmity yea such sinnes for which the Church of Christ according to the Commandement of Christ stands bound to judge them for ever excluded from the Kingdome of God without repentance from whence it undeniably followes that they may commit such sinnes whereby their Faith in Christ will be totally lost because there is no condemnation unto those that are by Faith in Jesus Christ whether they repent or not and therefore they that stand in need of Repentance to give them a right and title to the kingdome of God are no sonnes of God by Faith for were they sonnes they would be heires also and consequently have right and title to the inheritance so that to pretend that howsoever the Saints may fall into great and grievous sinnes yet they shall certainly be renewed againe by Repentance before they dye though this be an assertion without any bottome on Reason or Truth yet doth it no wayes oppose but suppose rather a possibility of the totall defection of Faith in true Believers Ans. First That true Believers may sinne above the rate of sinnes of Infirmity because they may so sinne as that according to the appointment of Jesus Christ they may be cast out of a particular Church is not attempted to be proved M. Goodwin think none may be excommunicated but such as have sinned themselves out of the state of Grace That a man may through infirmity fall into some such sinne as for it to be amoved from a Church society that a motion being an ordinance of Christ for his recovery from that sinne I know not that it can be reasonably questioned So that by our confession that true Believers may so sinne as to be righteously cast out of the externall visible society of a particular Church doth no way inforce us to acknowledge that they may sinne above the rate of them who are overtaken with or surprized in sinne upon the account of their weaknesse or infirmity Secondly The Church of Christ in rejecting of one from its society according to the appointment of Jesus Christ is so farre from being obliged to judge any one for ever excluded from the Kingdome of God that they doe so reject a man that he may never be excluded from that Kingdome It is true he may be Ecclesiastically and Declaratively excluded from the visible Kingdome of God and his right and title to the outward Administration of the good things thereof but that such an one is and must be thought to be properly and really excluded from his interest in the Love of God and grace of the Convenant being still by the appointment of God and command of Christ left under the power of an ordinance annexed by him to the Administration of that Covenant it doth not follow Thirdly The non-restauration of persons cast out of communion by the Church to their place in the Kingdome of God but upon Repentance holds proportion with what was spoken before upon exclusion The Repentance intended is such as is necessary for the satisfaction of the Church as to its expressenesse and being known yet we grant withall that all sinnes whatever without Repentance in that kind and degree that is appointed and accepted of God are exclusive of the Kingdome of God and we doe much wonder that M. Goodwin to the Text Rom. 8. 1. should adde whether they repent or not which is not only beyond the sence of what went before but directly contrary to that which followes after that walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit not to repent of sin is doubtlesse to walke after the flesh and no one of them who are freed from condemnation in Christ doth good and sinneth not The words we confesse are not the condition in the intention of God on which their non-condemnation is suspended but yet they are a description infallible of them who through Grace are made partakers of it We say then that Believers may so fall as that being on that account rejected from the communion of the Church so as not to be restored but upon the evidence of their Repentance and we say that Repentance is required for all sinnes or men cannot be saved wondring what Mr Goodwin according to his principles intends by the addition to the Text of Rom. 8. 1. unlesse it be that no man stands in need of Repentance unlesse he have cast off all Faith and interest in God a most Anti-evangelicall assertion and yet not commit such sins as whereby their Faith must needs be wholly lost Fourthly There 's a twofold Right and Title to the Kingdome of God a Right and Title by the profession of a true Faith to the externall Kingdome of God in regard of its outward Administration and a Right and Title to the Eternall Kingdome of God by the possession of a true Faith in Christ The former as it is taken for jus in re believers may loose for a season though they may not in respect of a remote originall fundamentall Root which abides the latter they never loose nor forfeite We say also that repentance for sinne being a thing promised of God for those that come to him in Christ upon the account of the ingagement of his Grace for the Perseverance of Believers All such fallers into sinne shall certainly return to the Lord by Repentance who heales their back-slidings which Mr Goodwin hath not been able to disprove Of whose Arguments
be regenerate is to have a new and another generation not any one repeated In the place mentioned of John by M. Goodwin there is mention neither of a repetition of a former generation nor directly of a new one Though it be so it is not there called so our Saviour at first saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse a man be borne from above as the word is elsewhere rendred and properly signifies as Iohn 3. 31. % Iohn 19. 11. % Mark 15. 38. % Iames 3. 17. and sometimes of old or former daies as Acts 26. 5. once only it signifies againe Gal 4. 9. but there joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which restraines it And in the exposition afterwards of what he intended by that Expression he calls it simply a being borne of the water the spirit v. 5. without the least intimation of the repetition of any birth but only the asserting of a new spirituall one called a birth indeed with allusion to the birth Naturall which is the road opinion well beaten ever since Christ first trod that path Besides the very same thing which is exprest under the name of Regeneration being a spirituall birth which a man had not before is also delivered unto us in such words and termes as manifest no reiteration of any state condition or thing to be included therein as Conversion to God a Quickning from death Sanctification by the spirit c. all which manifest the induction of a new Life and forme and not the Repetition of another hence the ancients called Baptisme Regeneration being the initiall ordinance of Christianity and expressive of the new life which in and through Christ we receive and that from Tit. 3. 5. Regeneration then neither in the import of the word nor in the nature of the thing doth require a reiteration of any generation but only the addition of a new one to that which a man hath before and whereunto this doth allude The receiving of a new spirituall Birth and Life is our Regeneration Renovation Resurrection Quickning implanting into Christ and the like so that the foundation of all the ensuing discourse is a meere quagmire where no firme footing can be obtained and of the same Nature is that which ensues It is saith he the common sence of Divines that the two generations mentioned the Naturall and spirituall are membra dividentia and contra-distinguished the one unto the other and so the Apostle Peter too seemes to state and represent them as also our Saviour himselfe Ioh 3. 6. % Now there can hardly any instance be given where the introducing of one contrary forme or quality into the Subject is termed a reiteration or repetition of the other Calefaction for example is never termed a repetition of Frigefaction nor Calefaction called a reiteration of Frigefaction nor when a Regenerate or mortifyed man dyeth his naturall death is he said to reiterate or repeat his Spirituall death Ans That in the terme Regeneration two births are implyed may be granted that the same is intimated to be repeated is denyed and not proved at all And therefore Mr Goodwin sayes well that the introducing of a contrary forme is not called the reiteration of an other no more is it here our new birth is called our Regeneration or new generation in allusion to our naturall birth not as a repetition of it neither is the Allusion in respect of the contrary qualityes wherewith the one and the other are attended but in respect of the things themselves in which regard as they are not the same so they are not contrary but diverse They are both births the one Naturall the other Spirituall Naturall and Spirituall in that sence are not contrary qualityes but diverse adjuncts and so are the two births compared 1 Pet. 1. 23. Iohn 1. 13. In which last place our Regeneration is exprest under the simple terme of being borne with distinction to the naturall birth and not the least intimation of the iteration of any birth or Generation subjoyned so also is it Iames 1. 18. so that hitherto little progresse is made by Mr Goodwin towards his intendment whatever it be thus then he expresseth it I rather saith he conceive that Regeneration which the Scripture makes appropriable only unto persons living to yeares of discretion §. 48. who generally in the dayes of their youth degenerate from the innocency of their childhood younger yeares and corrupt themselves with the principles wayes of the world relates not to the Naturall generation as such I meane as naturall but unto the Spirituall estate and condition of men in respect of their Naturall generation and birth in and upon which they are if not simply absolutely yet comparatively innocent harmeles free from pride and malice and inrespect of these qualifications in Grace and favour with God upon the account of the death and sufferings of Christ for them as we shall afterwards prove Here you have the summe of the designe and the Doctrine of Regeneration cleared from all those vaine and erroneous opinions wherewith it hath so long been clouded It is the returning of men into the good state and condition wherein they are borne after they have degenerated into waies of wickednesse we thought it had been the quickening of them who are by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes their being begotten againe by the will of God the bestowing of a new principle of Spirit and Life upon them a Translation from Death to Life the opening of blind eyes making them who were darknesse to be light in the Lord. It seemes we have all this while been in the darke and that Regeneration indeed is only a returning to that condition from whence we thought it had been a delivery but let us a little see the Demonstration of this new notion of Regeneration First he saith the Scripture makes it appropriable only to them who come to yeares of discretion Sir your proofe we cannot take your bare word in a thing of this importance In the place your selfe chose to mention as the foundation you laid of the inferences you are now making our Saviour saies t is a being borne of the spirit doth the Scripture make this appropriable only unto men of discretion Men only of discretion then can enter into the Kingdome of God for none not so borne of the Spirit shall enter therein Ioh. 3. 5. If none but men of discretion can be borne of the Spirit then infants have no other birth but only that of the flesh and that which is borne of the flesh is flesh v. 6. Not capable of entring into the Kingdome of heaven surely you better deserve the title of durus pater infantum than He to whom of old 't was given perhaps a grosser figment was never framed by a man of Discretion Secondly It is true Infants are comparatively innocent in respect of Actuall Transgressions but equally nocent and guilty with Sinners of discretion in respect of naturall state and
as a reason of the former for though the future continuance of the thing in being can be no reason of the effect present yet it will be a ground or reason of the continuance of a present effect Ans I have thus at large transcribed this discourse because it is the sum of what Mr Goodwin hath to offer for the weakning of our Argument from this place of what weight this is will quickly appeare For 1. This Reason the seed abideth in him though brought in illatively in respect of what was said before he doth not commit sinne yet hath its causall influence chiefly into that which followeth he cannot sinne To make good what was first spoken of his not committing sinne that is borne of God the Apostle discovereth the cause of it which so farre secureth the truth of that expression as that it causeth it to ascend and call them up higher to a certaine impossibility of doing of that which was only at first simply denyed Neither is this Assertion the seed of God abideth in him any otherwise a Reason of the first Assertion He committeth not sinne than as it is the cause of the latter He cannot sinne Now Mr Goodwin granteth in the close of his Discourse that the future continuance of a thing in being is or may be the cause of the continuance of an effect which at present it produceth and what Mr Goodwin may more curiously discover of the intent of the Apostle his words plainly assert the continuance and abode of the seed of God in them in whom it is and using it as he doth for a reason of the latter claâ—se of that Proposition He cannot sinne he speaketh properly enough so great a Master of one language at least as Mr Goodwin being judge 2. The Reason insisted on by the Apostle is neither from the word seed nor from the word abideth nor from the nature of the seed simply consideâ—ed nor from its permanency and continuance the seed abideth So that it is no exception to the intendment of the Apostle to assert the abiding of the seed not to be a sufficient cause of the Proposition because its abiding or permanencie is not a cause of present not sinning for it is not asserted that it is His present not sinning in whom it is is from God his being borne of God by the seeds his continuance and estate of not sinning both which are intended is from the abiding of the seed The whole condition of The Person that He sinneth not neither can sinne which teâ—mes regard his continued estate is from the whole Proposition The seed of God abideth in him Separate the permanency of the seed which is asserted in the consideration of it and it respects only and solely the continuance of the effect which is produced by it as seed or of the estate wherein any one is placed by being borne of God All that Mr Goodwin hath to offer in this case is that the abiding of the seed is so asserted to be the Reason of that part of the Proposition He commits not sinne as not to be the cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cannot sinne When the abiding of the seed singly considered is not used as any reason at all of the first nor in the proposition as it lyeth the seed abideth any otherwise but as it is the cause of the latter he cannot sinne 3. Even the expression he committeth not sinne denoteth not only the present actuall frame and walking of him of whom it is spoken but his estate and condition being once borne of God he committeth not sinne no one that is so borne of God doth none in the state condition of a Regenerate Person doth so that is in his course and walking to the end and this is argued not so much distinctly to the permanencie of the seed as from the seed with such an Adjunct 4. Mr Goodwin's Allusions to the soule and the Obedience of Angels are of little use or none at all to the illustration of the businesse in hand For though the Reason why the soule moveth the body to day is not because it will move it to morrow yet the reason why the body moveth and cannot but do so is because it hath the Soule abiding in it and he that shall say he that liveth moveth for he hath a soule abiding in him and cannot but move shall speake properly enough And the reason why the Angells do the will of God in Heaven that is actually continue in so doing is because they have such a confirmed uncontroulable principle of Obedience So that all these Exceptions amount not to the least weakning of the Apostles Arguments Sect. 32. §. 71. Our Authour giveth two instances to prove that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture signifieth sometime only to be not to abide and they are the one John 14. And the other 1 John 3. 14. And one Argument to manifest that in the place under Consideration it must needs signify a present abode and being and not a continuance c. Ans. 1. If any such places befound yet it is confessed that it is an unusuall sence of the word and a thousand places of that kind will not inforce it to be so taken in another place unlesse the circumstances of it and matter whereabout it treateth enforce that sence and will not beare that which is proper 2. M. G. doth not make it good by the instances he produceth that the word is tyed up in any place to denote precisely only the being of a thing without relation to its abiding and continuance Of the one John 14. 17. % But ye know him because he remaineth with you shall be in you saith he the latter clause shall be in you will be found a meere Tautologie if the other phrase abideth with you importetha perpetuall residence or inbeing But that this phrase abideth with you importeth the same with the phrase in the foregoing verse where it is clearely expounded by the addition of the terme forever that he may abide with you forever I suppose cannot be questioned Nor 2. Is there any the least appearance of a Tautology in the words His remaining with Believers being the thing promised and his inbeing the manner of his abode with them Also the 1 John 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not simply denote an Estate or Condition but an estate or condition in its nature without the interposition of Almighty Grace abiding and permanent so that neither have we yet any instance of restraining the significancy of the word as pretended produced nor if any place could be so would it in the least inforce that Acceptation of the word in this place contended about Wherefore M. Goodwin as I said addeth an Argument to evince that the word must necessarily be taken in the sence by him insisted on in this place which is indeed a course to the purpose if his Argument prove so in any measure It