178 / 504
E
AP
.V
.§.
tz.
The
$ate
of
the
Queflion.
Mr
G
s
Exceptions cleared.
122
nefe,
norfhadow
of
turning,
who
is
Faithfull in all
his Promifes,
and all
whole
words are
Truth and Faithfullneffe, hathfolemnely promifedand
engaged himfelfe
Titus
1.2.
unto,
to
this
end,
that
they,unto
whom
he
fo
promifeth and
engageth himfelfe,may
Heb.6.18.
f
rom tho
fa
Promifes receive ron
Con
f
o
1ation;
That
he
will certainel
y
p
er
f
orme
1
Cor.1.9.
and
Accompliflb.
That
he
will
be
a God
and
a
Guide unto
death
unto his
Saints,
that
he
will never
leave them norforfal¿e
them,
that
he
will
never
call
them
off,
nor leave them out
of
his
favour, but
willpreferve them
fach
as
is meet
for
his
Holy
Majeflie
to
embrace, Love,
and
delight
in, and that with
an
expreffë
not
-
withftanding
for
every
firth
thing,as rnightfeeme
to
provoke
hint
to
fort
l¿e
them,
He
hath
Promifed,
and
for
the end
mentioned.
Therefore
that
he
will
fo
abide
with
them,that
his Love
fhall
be
continued
to
them
to
the End,
that
he
will
Preferve
them
unto himfelfe
&c.
according
to
his
Truth
and Faith
f
irllnefe,
fball
be
aecom-
plifbed
andfulfilled.
The
inference
bath
its
ftrength from the
Nature, Truth
and
Faithfulnefe
of
God: and
whileft
they
abide
in any
credit with the
fonnes
of
men,
it
may feeme
ftringe, that
it
fhould
be
denyed or queftioned.
The
major
propofition
of
the forementioned Argument
is
examined by
Mr
Goodwin
Cap.
t r.
Sett.
t.
Pag. 225.
faith
he.
¢.
12.
t.
What
God
hothpromifed
in
his Word,
is
certaine
in
_filch
a
fence,
and
up-
on
fuch
Termes, as
Godwould
be
underflood
in
his Promifes; but what
he
promi-
fed
in
one
fence,is not certaine
of
performance
in
the other.
Anf,
1.
Doubtleffe Gods meaning
and intention
in
his
Promifes
is
the
-
Rule
of
their
accomplifhment.
This
fometimes
we may
not
be
able
to
fa-
thome: and thereupon be
expofed
to Temptations
not a
few, concerning
their
fulfilling, fo
was
it
with
them with whom
Paul
had.to do, in reference
to
the
Promifes made
to the
seed
of
Abraham.
The
Queftion then
is
not
whither
that
which
is
promifed in
one
fence, (hall
be
performed
in another:
but
whither
God's Promifes
have, and
(hall certainely
have, all
of
them,
ac-
cording
to
hi§
intendment,
any performance
at
all. And
the
aime
of
Mr
Goodwin
in
the
Example,
that
he afterwards produceth,
is
not
to
manifefl<
that that
which
God promifeth,
{hall
certainely be performed
only
in
that
fence,wherein he made
his
Protnife
>but
that
they may
be
performed
,
or not
performed
at all.It
is
not in
whore
fence
they
(hall
have their
performance,but
whither
they (hallhave
any
performance,or
no.
If
the thing
promifed be
not
accomplifhed,
the Promife
is
not
at
all
in
any
fence
performed;
unleffe
Mr
Goodwin
will diftinguifh,
and
fay,
there are two
wayes
of
any things
perfor-
mance,
one
whereby it
is
performed;
'another, whereby
it
is
not.
But he
pro -
ceedes
to
manifeft this Affertion
by
an
indu
&ion
ofinftances-
Mts
27.
God
(faith he)
promiJéd
to
Paul
the
lives
of
them
that
were
in
the ship:
his
intent and
meaning
was
not,
that
they
fhould all
be
preferved,
againgl
what
ever
they
in
the
Ship
might
do to
hinder
that
Promife,
butwith this
provifo
or Con-
dition, that
they
in the
Ship
fhould
harI
en
unto
him,
and
follow his advice:
which is
evident
from
thole words
of
Paul,Except
theft
abide
in
the
Ship, yee can
-
not
be
raved: And
had
they gone away,
God
had not
made
any
breach
of
Promife,
though
they
had
been
all
drowned.
Anf.
Firft when men
ferioufly promife any
thing,
which
is
wholly,
and
abfolutely
in
their
power
to
Accomplifh &
bring about,caufing thereby
good
men
to
reff
upon their words,&to declare
unto
others their
repofe upon
their
honefty and
worth;
if
they do not make good
what
they have fpoken,
we
account them unworthy promife
-
breakers, and they do it
at the
perill
of
all
the repute
of
honefty,honor, and Faith they have
in
the world.
With
God
it
feemes
it
is
otherwife; He makes
a folemne Gracious Promife
to
Paul
that
the
lives
of
all
them
in
theshipwith
him,fhould
be
faved:
Paulon
whó it
was as much
incumbent
as
on any man
in
the world not to
engage
the
name
of
God
(that
God