135 / 504
1
2
Tit
n.2.tç.
Explained
and
Vindicated.
CA
pill.
4:40.
This then, beyond all
colourable
Exception,
is
the intendment
of
the
A
pq
pofde in
the
words
under
confederation;
Though
many Profefiors
fall
away,
yet
you,that
are
true
Believers
,
be not
{haken in
your
confidence
,
for
God
bath
laid
the foundation
of
your prefervation
in his.Eternall
Prarpofe,
whereby
you are defigned
to
Life and Salvation, and by
the
fruitswhereof, you
are
difcriminated from
the
beft
of
them,
that
fallaway:
onlycontinue
in
theufe
of
meanes,
let
every one
of
yee
depart
from iniquity, and keepe up
to that
uni
verr
ll
Holinefe, whereunto alto
ye
are appointed and
chofen.
And this
is
the
whole
of
what
we defile
Demonftration
of:
neither
will
leffein
any
meafüre,
anfwer the Objeelioit,
or
remove the Scruple,
at
firft
propofed.
But
it
feems,
we
ate
all
this while
befìdes
the
intendment
of
the
Apoftle,
4.4°.
whole
Refolution
of
the
objeílìon
mentioned,
is
quite
of
another nature, then
what we have
hitherto
infifte'd
on';
which Mr
Goodwin
thus
reprefents: pag.
359.
Cap.
14.
Se&.
14.
To
this Objeílion
or
scruple,the
Apoftle
(in
the
words now
in
hand)
Anf
pereth,
tothis
eff'ell;
that
notwith anding the
falling
away
of
men, who
ever, or
how
ma-
ny
foever
they
be,yet the
Glorious Gofpell,
and
Truth
of
God
therein,
{randy
and
al-
waies
bath hood,firme
and,
fiedfafl;
Which Gofpell
bath
the
matter and
fobffance
óf
this
laying in
it,
as
a
feale
for
the
eflablifbment
of
thofe, who'are
upright
in the
fight
of
God,
viz.
The
Lord knoweth,
that
is, takes
fpeciall
notice
of,approoveth
.tnd delighteth
in
thofe
that
are his,
that
is,
who
truly
Believe
in
him,
love
and ferve
him : yea
and
farther
bath this Item,tending
to
the
ame ends
Let
every
one
that
calleth
upon
the
name
of
Chrifl,
that
is,makes
profeJ
ton
of
hisname,
depart
from
iniquity:
fo
that
in
this
Anfwer
to
the
Scruple
mentioned, the Apoflle
intimateth
by
way
of fatis-
faction, thatthe
rea/on,
why men
fall
away
from
the
Faith,
it
partly
becaufe
they
dee not confider,
what
worthy refpects God
beareth
to
thofe,
who
cleave to
him
in
Faith, and
Love:
partly
alfo
becaufe they
degenerate into
loofe
and
fnfull
courfes,
contrary
to
the
Law impofed
by
the
Gofpell,
and
confequently,
that
there
is no
fuch
danger
of
their
falling
away,
who
(hall
duly confider
the
one,
and
obferve
the other,
inferting
the
(lability
of
the Truth
of
God,
in
the
Gofpell,
by
the
way
of
Antidote
againft
the
fearer
of
thofe,
that
might
poJfibly
fufpect
it,
becaufeo
f
the defections
of
others
from
it:
he Both
but
tread in
his
own
footfeps,elfe
where
in this
veryChap-
ter,
if
we
Believe
not, yet
he
abideth
faith.full_
and
cannot
deny
himfelfe.
Anf,
If
that
neceffrty
were
not
voluntarily
chofen,
which
inforceth men
to
wreft and
pervert the
Word
of
God, not only
to
Miflaken,
but
ftrange
,
un-
couth, and
inconfiftent
fences,
their
fo
doing might perhaps feeme
not
to
be
altogether without colour and pretext
:
but
when
they willingly imbrace
thofe
paths, which will
undoubtedly
lead them
into the
Briers,
and contrary
to
abundance
ofLight,
and Evidence
of
Truth
imbrace
thofe
perfwafions,
which neceflitate them
to
fuch courfes,
I
know not what
Cloake they have
Ieft
for their
deviations.
An
Example
of
thiswe have
before
us in
the words
recited:
Afence
is
violently pinned upon the
Apoftles
words, not only
alien,
forraigne
to
the
(cope
of
the
place,
and Genuine
fignification
of
the
words themfelves,
but
wholv unfuited for any ferviceableneffe
to
the end,for
which
the Author of
thisGloIfe himfelfe, confeffeth
thefe
Expreffions
ofthe
Apoftle,
to be
produced, and ufed.
The fumme
of
Mr GoodwinExpofition
of
this
place,is this.
The
Foundation
of
God,
is
the
Gofpell
or
the
Do&rine
of
it:
its (landing,
or
Handing
fare, the
certaine truth
of
the
Gofpell:
the
Seale
mentioned,
is
the
fitbftance
or
mat-
ter of
that
faying,
God
knowes who
are
his,
conteined
in the
Gofpell; and
the
Anfwer
to the Obje&ionor fcruple,
lyes in
this,
that the
reafon why men
fall from
the
Gofpell, (which
neither
is,
nor
was
the
fcruple,
nor
was
it
fo
propofed