117 / 504
The
iniquity
of
ImpQCng
Conditions on God's Purpofes.
C.A
r.111.55:
zo.
at
all,
that
they
(hall
never be
f
eparated
from
the Love
o,
fçhrifi,
that
they
fhall
6
t
be made conformable
to
him
in
Glory, notwithftanding
all
oppoftion,
upon
the
account
of
the
difpenfation
of
Gods
Eternal!
and. A
&uall
Love
towards
them,
when
the whole
of
their
ufefulneffé
to
the
End
propofed,
, is
refolved
ultimately into
themfelves and
their endeavours;
and
not into
any
purpofe
or
A&
of
God?
Such as
is
the foundation,
fuch
is
the ftrength
of
the whole buil-
ding. Inferences can
have no more ftrength, then
the
Principle from whence
they are deduced;
Ifa
man (hould tell another,
that
if
he will goe
a
Journy
ofa
hundred miles,at
each
twenty
miles
end,he
fhall
meet with
fuch
and
fuch
refrefhments: all
the
confolation he can receive upon
the
account
of
refrefh-
ment provided for
him,
is
proportioned
only
to the thoughts
he hath
of
his
own ftrength for
the
performance
of
that
Journy.
Farther,
If
in
fuch Expre((ions
of
the
Purpofed Workes
of
God,
we
may
put
Cafes,
and
truft
in
what
fuppofalls we
think good,
where
there
is
not the
leaft
jot,
Title,
or
syllable
of
them
in
the
Text,
nor any roome for
them,
without
deftroying,
not
only
the
defigne
and meaning
of
the
place
,
but the
very
fence
of
it;
why may
not
we doe
fo in
other
undertakings
of
God
,
the
certainty
of
whofe
Event,
depends upon
his
Purpofe and Promife only
?
For
inftance,
The
Refurre&ion
of
the
Dead; may we
not
fay
God
will raife up
the
dead
in
Chrift,
in
cafe
there
be
any
neceJjty
that
their
bodies
fhould
be
glorified?
What
is
it alto
that
remaines
ofpraife
to
the
Glorious grace
of
God
?
This
is
all he
effe
&s
by
it:
in cafe
men obftru& him
not in
his
way ,
it doth
good.
God
calls men
to
Faith and Obedience:
in cafe
they
&lim&
not
his way,
it
(hall
doe them
good;
B
ut
how doe they
obf}ru&his
way
? 13y
Unbeliefe,
and Difobedience :
take them
away
,
and Gods calling
fhall
be
effe
&uall
to
them: that
is
in
cafe
they
Believe
and
Obey,
Gods
Calling (hall
be
effea-ttall
to
caufe
them
to
Believe
and
Obey.
The
Cafes
then
foifted
into the
Apoflles
difcourfe,
in
the
clofe
ofthis In-
4.
20,
terpretation
of
the
place
(WI
may
fo
call
it)
namely,
that
God
will juftify
the
Called,
in
cafe they
pbrirua
not
his
way; and
will
glorify
them
whom he
bath
juftifled, in
cafe they
continne
and abide
in
the
ftate
of
Juftification, are
thruft
in
without Ground,
Warrant,
or
Colour
of
Advantage,
or
occa-
fìon given
by any
thing
in
the
Text,
or Context
:
and,
Secondly,
are deftru-
dive
to the
whole defigne
of
the
Holy Ghoff in
the
place
whereinto they
are intruded: injurious
to
the
Truth
of the
Affertion
intended
to
be
made
good,
that
all thingsfhall
work,
together
for
Good,
propofed upon
the account
of
the
unchangeable purpofe
of
God, and
infallible Connexion
of
the Ads
ofhis
Love and
Grace
in
the
Purfuit thereof: and refolve the
promifed
work
and
defigned
event, wholly into
the
uncertaine lubricous
wills
of
men,
ma-
king
the
Affurance given,
not
only to belyable
to
juft Exceptions,
but
evi-
dently
to
faile,
and
befalfified in refpe&
of
thoufands
:
and,
Thirdly,
render
the
whole difpenfation
of
theGrace
of
God
to
Lackey
after the
Wills
of
Men,
and
wholly:
to
depend upon them, Giving
in
thereby
(as
was
faid)
In-
numerable
Prefumptions,
that
the
word,
for whofe
Confirmation all thefe
A
&s
of
Gods Grace are mentioned and infifted on,
fhall
never be made good
nor
eftablifhed.
Take
then
in few
words the
fence
and
fcope
of
this
place
,
as 'tis
held
out
in
the Expofition given
of
it
by
M. Goodwin,
and
wee
will
then proceed
to
confider his Confirmations
of
the
fail
Expofition;
Oh
you
that
Love
God,
many
Alifiions,
Temptations,
and
oppofitions
ye
¡hall
meet
withall,
but
be
o
fgood
com-
fort,
all
Pall
work together
for
your
Good,
for
God
bath
appóynted you
to be
like
be
Sonne,
and
you
tray
triumph
in
every
Condition
on
this
account;
for
ifyee be-
fore
any
All
o
f
his
fpeciall
Grace
towards
you, Love
Moss,
he
Appróvesyou,
and
then.
I
3
he