119 / 504
be
Conditional!, Confidered.
i
Sam.z.3o.Produced.
CA
P
1l1.
9: zF.
by the
Socinians,
viz.
Such a
ward
is
in
another
place ufed
to
another pur-
63
pole,
or
in
another
fence,
therefore
this
cannot
be
the
neceffary fence
of
it
in
this: yet
it
is
not only confuted over
and.
over
as
irrationall
,
and uncon-
eluding, but generally exploded,as an Invention fuited only
to
(hake.
all
Cer-
tainty whatever
in
matters
of
Faith, and Revelation. Mr
Goodwin
in his
in-
fiancegoes
not
fo
farre,
(or
rather he
goes
farther,
becaufe
his
infiance goes
not
fo
farre) there
being
no likelineffe,
much
leffe
fàmeneffe
of
Exprefli-
-
on
it
thofe
Texts,
which
he
produces
to
weaken the obvious, and literally
expofed
fence
ofthe
other
inGfied
on therewith.
To
wave
the
force
of
the in-
ference from the words
ofthe
Holy Gho
fl, (Teeing
nothing
in
the leaft
intima-
ted
in the
place
will
give in any
affifiance
thereunto.)
Fir(f,
r. This
Thefts
is
introduced:
The Purpofes,
and
Decrees
of
God
(confeffedly
ingaged
in the
place
in
hand)
are,
os
to
their
refgellive Exec,5ions,fíJpendezi
on
conditions
in
men.
An
Affertion
deflrative to
the Power,Goodneffe,Grace,
Righteoufneffe,
Faithfulneffe,
Wifdome, Unchangeablenefle, Providence,
and
Soveraignty
of
God
, as
might be demonfirated
,
did
it
now lye
in
our
way.
To
prove
that
this
muff needs be
fo,
and
that that Rule
muff
take
place,
in the
mention
that
is
made
of
the
Purpofes &Decrees
of
God,
(Rona.
8.
I.)
r
Sam.2.3o.
is
produced, being
a
Denunciation
of
Gods judgments upon
the
Noufe
of
Eli,
for
their unworthy
walking
in
the honour
of
the
Prieflhood,
whereunto they were by
him
advanced and called, and
which
they were
intrufied
withal],
expreflèly
upon condition
of
their
obediences
Let
us
then a
little
confider
the
Correfpondency,
that
is
between
the
places
compared for
their mutual'
illufiration.
I.
(Firfi,)
in
the
one,
there
is
expreffe
mention
of
the Purpofe
of
God,
and
that
his
Eternal] Purpofe:
in
the other,
only
a
Promife
expresfly
Condi-
tional'
in
the
giving
of
ir, amounting
to
no more then aLaw,without the leaft
intimation
of
any
Purpofe
or
Decree.
.
(Secondly,)
The
one
incompaffeth the whole
defigne
of
the Grace
of
the
Gofpell5
the
other
mentions
not
any fpeciall
Grace
at
all:
3.
(Thirdly,)
the
one
is
wholy
expreffive
of
the Ads
of
God, and
his
de-
figne
therein ; the
other
declarative
of
the Duty
of
man, with the
iffue
there
upon depending.
This then
is
the firengtb
of
this
Argument.
God approo-
ving
the
Obedience
of
a
man
tels
him,
that
upon the Continuance
ofthat
Obedience
in
him,and
his,he
will
continue them
an
Office
in
his fen, ice;
(a
temporal] mercy,whichmight be injoyed
without the
leafs Paving
Grace) and
which upon
his
Difobedience,he
threatneth
to take fro
him:
(both
Promife &
threatning
being declarative
of
his
approbation
of
obedience,
& his
annexing
the Preifihood thereunto
in
that
family)thereforeGod intending
the
confola-
tien
of Elea
Believers,affirming
that
a,
ll
things
'hall
work together
for their
good,
upon
this Account,
that
he hath Eternally
Purpofed to preferve them
in
his
Love, and
to bring
them
to
him felfe by
filch
Effe&uall
A&î's
of
his
Grace,as
whole
Immutable dependance one upon the other.&
all
upon
his
owne
Pur-
pof
cannot be
interrupted,and therefore
fuch,as (hall
infallibly produce
and
workein them all
the
obedience,which for
the
end propofed
he
requires.His
Purpofes
I
fay
thus mentioned, muff be
of
the
fame
Import'
with
thedecla-
ration
of
his
Will
in
theother
place fpoken
of
If
filch
a
Confounding
of the
Decrees
and Denuntiations, Abfolute Purpofes, and Conditional] Promifes,
Spiritual'things
withTemporall,& the
GenerallAdminifiration
of
the Cove-
nant
of
Grace in ChriPc, with
Special' Providential] Difpenfations
maybe
allowed, there
is
no man needs
to
defpaire
ofprooving
any
thing
he bath a
minde
to
afferr.
3t
..,110...