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Promifes
given
to
Perforas
not
alifications.
CAP.
V
§:to,
never
leave
thee, nor
forfaI
e
thee.
Zofita
r.
5.
fo
are
many
of
them made
to
the
721
Saints
in
their
weaknefhe,
darknefle,
and
defections
, as
will
appeare
iy
the
confideration
of
the particular
inftances following.
Now what one drop
of
Ifa
4.3,4
confolation
can
a
poore drooping tempted
foule fqueeze
out
of
fuch
Promi-
fes,
that
depend wholly
and
folely
upon any
thing
within themfelves : he
will
be
with mee and be my
God,
it
is
true: but
alwaies
provided,
that
I
continue
to
be
his:
That
alto
is
a
fweet
and gratious Prornife;but
that
I ¡hall
doe
fo,
he
bath
not promifed ;
It
feems
I have
a turfed Liberty
left
me,
of
departing
wickedly from
him;
fo
that
upon
the matter, notwith(tanding
thefe Promi-
fes
of
his,
I
am
left
to
my
felfe;
If
I
will
abide with him,
well
and
good,
he will
abide with me,
and
fo
it
!hall
be
well
with mee:
That
he
fhould fo
abide with
me,
as
to
caufe
me
to abide
with
him,
it
feemes
there
is
no
fuch
thing
;
Souk
look
to
thy
felfe;.all
thy
hopes
and help
is
in
thy
felfe:
bit
alas
!
for
the pre-
fent
I
have no fence
of
this
Love
ofGod,
and
I
know not
that
I
haue any
true,
reall
, unfained Obedience
to
him.
Corruption
is
thong
,
Temptations are
many,
what
¡hall
I
fay ?
Shall I exercife
Faith
on thofe Promifes
of
God,
wherein he hath
Paid;
and given Affurance,that
he
will
be
a God
to me
for
ever?
According
as
my
thoughts are
of
my
own
abiding with him,
fo
mayI think
of
them,
aqd
no otherwife;
fo
that
I
am
againe rolled upon mine own hands,
and
left
to
mine own endeavours,
to
extricate
my felfe
from thefe fad
intan-
glements.
What
now becomes
of
the
Confolation,which
in thefe Promifes
is
intended? Are they
not
on this account
rather
flints,
and
pieces
of
Iron, then
Breafts
of
comfort andjoy.
Lay,
if
itbe
fo
as is
fúppofed,
it
is
evident,
that
God makes no Promifes
unto Perf
ns,
but
only
unto
Conditions
and
,Rualifications,
that
is, His
-Pro
-
mifes
are not engagements
of
his
love
&
Goodwill to
Believers,
but
difcove-
ries
of
his
Approbation
of
Believing:
fuppofe any
Promife
of
God,
to
be
our
God,our
all fufficient
God for ever not eminently
to
include
an
engagement
for
the
effe6tuall
exertion
of
the
alfufficiency
to
preferve and continue us, in
fucha
Bate and fpirituall 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
finewes
of
it,as
to
the Adminiftration
of
any Con
-
folation
unto
them
to
whom it
is
given.
The
Promifes
,
muff
be made
good:
that
is
Certaine: and
if
they are accomplifhedí,
or
not
accomplifhed
unto
men
,meerely
upon
the
account
offuch,
and
fuch ,rsalifzcations in
them,
which
if
they are not found,
then
they
¡hall
be fulfilled;
if
not, then they
are
fufpended: they are made
to
the
Conditions,
and not at
all
ro
the
Perlons.
And
though
force perhaps will
eafily
grant this,yet
upon this account
it
can-
not
be
faid,
that God
ever made any one Promife
untó
his
Church,
as
con-
fitting
of
fuch
perfons,
namely
Abraham
and
his
seed; which
is
direly
contra
ry
to that of
the
Apoftle.
Rom.
9.8.
Where he
calleth
the
Elef,
the
children
ofthe
Promifes,
or
thofe
to
whom
the
Promifes were made.
It
appears
then,
that
neither are
thefe
Promifes
of
God
Conditionall. As
they proceed
from.
free
Grace,
fo
there
is
no
other
account,on
which
their
given
out,continued,
and accomplifhed towards
the Children
of
God.
Though the things
of
The
Promife are often placed
in
dependence one
ofanother,as
Meanes-and Ends,
yet
the
Promifes themfelves
are abfolute.
Thefe
few
things being premifed,
I
fhalI
now name and
infift
upon fome
§:
s
t.
particular Promifes,wherein
the
Lord hath
gracioully
engaged himfelf
that
he
will abide
to be
a
God
in
Covenant
unto
his
People,&
their
Guide unto
death:
from
which
Ifball labour
to
make good this Argument, for
the
Perfeverance
o
f
the
Saints.
That
which
that
God,who
cannot
lye,
nor deceive,
with
whom is
rìó
variable=
R.
nefe,