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CA
P:1 V
4:
t8,
The
Promife rendred
void by M. G's ExpoSition.
I
Io
feti
mentioned, but
that
he
would
grantfuck
meaner;
aa.
wereproper to create
fuch
a
heart in
them.
Anf.
The
neet'er
the
bottome,
the
more
Cower Lees.
Firft,
Doth
God
fore-
tell the
coming
to
paffe
of
things future, upon
a
probable conje&ure
, which
is
here affigned
to
him?
Is
that
.the
Intendment
of
the
expreffion in
the
Para-
ble,they will
reverence
my
sons
Or
was
he miftaken
in
the Event,
the
thing
fall.
ing out contrary
to
his expeCtation
?
Or
is
there
any
thing
in
this, or the
plaèe
mentioned
Deut:
t7.I
2,13.
but
only an expreffion
of
the duty
of
men,
upon
the
account
of
the
meanes offered
?
Is
there'any the
leaft
intimation
of
any
Intent and purpofe
of
God,
as
to the
Events
infifted
on
?
Any
Promife
of
his
effe&uall
working for the
accomplifhing
of
them
?
Any
Predit`fion
upon the
account
'of
his
Purpofe and Defigne,
which are
the foundation
of
all his Pre
-
di&ións?
Or
is
there
any
the
leaft correfpondency
in
.name,or thing between,
the
places
now inftanced in, and called
in
for
reliefe,
with
that
under
confi-
deration
?
This then
is
the
finew
of
Mr Goodwin arguing
in this place: fome-
times
when
there
is
meanes offered men for
the performance
of
a
duty
,
the
accomplifhment
of
it
is
fpoken
of,as
of
what ought
to
have fucceeded;
and
it
is.
the fault
ofinen to
whom
that
duty
is
prefcribed, and thefe
meanes indul-
ged,
if
it come not
to
paffe:
therefore
when
God propofeth, and
prorisifeth
to
work
and
bring about
fuch, and
fuch
a
thing, and engageth
himfelfe
to
a
reali
efficiency
in
it, yet
it
may come
to
paffe,
or
it
may
not,
it may
be accom-
plifhed,or God may
faile in his
intendment.
a..
The
fenfe
here given to
the
promife
of God,
I
will
give them
one
heart
6c.
hath
been
formerly taken into confideration, and
it
bath
been
made
to
appeare,
that
notwithftanding all the
glorious Expreflions
:
of
Gods Ad-
mintffration
of
meanes
to
work
men
into the frame intimated
,
yet upon the
7
matter,
the intendment
of
the
Expofition given
amounts
to
this,
though God
faith,
he
will give
:is
a
new
heart, yet indeed he
doth
not
fo
give it
to any
one
in
the World,
nor ever intended
to
doe
fo;
but
this
new
Heart, men muff
cre-
ate,
snake, and worke
out themfelves,upon the
meanes afforded
them,
which
being
very
eminent, are
faid
to
create
Inch hearts in
them, though
they doe
it
not,but
only perfwade men
thereunto:
A
Comment
this is,
not much unlike
the
firft
that
ever
was
made upon the words
of
God
Gen: 4.
g.
Whether Cod,
or
man, create
the
new
Heart,
is
thematter
here
in
Qüef
}ion.
.
Forwhat
he laftly
affirmes, That
if
this
he
a Promife
of
Abfolute
Perfeverance,
it
is
inconfglent with all the
Prophefres
of
the
Rejeo`lion
of
the
Janes,
-which are
accordingly
fulfilled. I muff
referre
him
to
S'
Paul,
who hath long agoe
under=
taken to
anfwer this
Objeélion,
from whom
if
he receive
not
fattsfaftion,what
am
1,
that
I
fhould hope
to
afford
the
leaft
unto
him?
And thefe are
the
Reafonings,upon
the
account
whereof
Mr
Goodwin
dif-
chargeth
this
Text
of
Scripture, by
venue
of
his
Aitocratoricall power
in
de-
cidingControverfiesofthis nature, from bearing Teftimony
in this caufe any
more.
Whether
he
will
be attended
unto
herein,
time
will thew. Many At-
tempts to the
fame
purpofe
haveformerly
been
made, and yet it endureth
the
tryall.
4
s8.
I
have thus
turned
afide
to the
confideration
of
the
Exceptions given
in
to
the
ordinary interpretation
of
this
place
,
leaft any fhould
think
that
they
were waved upon the account
oftheir
ftrength
and
efficacy
to
overthrow
it.
The
Argument
I
intended from the words,for the liability ofGodsLove
and
Favour
to
Believers,upon
the account
of
his Covenant-
engagement,is
not
once
touched
in any
of
them. Thefe
words then yeeld
a
Third
Demonftration of
the
Stedftaftneffe
and
Unchangeableneffe
of
Acceptation
of
Believers
in
Chrift