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C
AP.VI.§:3
That
the
Promife mentioned
cheifly relates
to
Spiritual's,
130
Promife
is
not made
to
us,
it
was
made
to
others,
and they may reape the
fweetneffe
of
it,God
may be
faithful' in
it,
thoughwe never enjoy the mer-
cy
intended
in
it
I
fay)
in
the next
words he leads
Believers
by
the
hand,
to
snake
the
fame conclufion
with
boldnefse
and
confidence
from this, and
the like
Promifes,
as
David did
ofold,upon the
many Gracious affuranees,that
he
had
received
of
the
prefence
ofGod
with
him.
v.
6.
So
that
(faith
he upon the
ac-
count
of
that
Promife)
we
may
fay
boldly(
without
ffaggering
at it
by nube-
liefe) that
the
Lordis
ourhelper;
This
is
a
conclufion
of
Faith:Becaufe
God
laid
to
Iofhuah a
Believer,
I
mill never
leave thee
norforfake thee,
(though
upon
a
particular
occafion,
and
in
reference
to
a
particular employment)
every
Be-
liever may
fay
with
boldnefre,
He
is
my
helper.
4: 2.
It
is
true, the
Application
of
the
Promifes here lookes immediately
unto
temporalls: but yet
being drawne
out from the
teftimony
of
the continuance
of
the
prefence
ofGod
with
his Saints,
doth
much more powerfullyconclude
to
fpiritualls.
Yea
the
Promife
it
felfe
is
of
spirituall Favour,and what con-
cernes
Temporally,
is
only from thence extra&ed.Let
us
then
weigh
a
little the
importance
of
this
Promife,
which
the
Apottle
hath
refcued from
fuffering
under
any
private
Interpretation, and fet at
liberty
to
the
ufe
of
all
Believers.
To
every one
of
them
then, God faith
direly
and plainly,
that
he
will
never
leave them
nor
forfake
them.
If
there
fhould any Queftion arife, wehther
Gen 3.1.
he fhould
be taken
at
his
word or no,it
muff be
the
Devill
that
muff be
enter-
tained
as
an
advocate
againft him.
Unbeliefe indeed
hat:
many
pleas,
and
will
have
in
the
breafts
of
Saints
againft
doting
with
the
Faithfulneffe of
God
in thisPromifes and the
Iffue
of
confidence
in
him,
which from a
due doting
with
its
would certainely
flow. But (hall
our
unbeliefe make the
truth
of
God
of
none
efellsHe
hath
told
us
that
he
mill'never
leave us nor
forfake
us;Theold
Serpent, &fome arguing from
him
herein,are ready
to
fay:yea,hathGod
indeed
fayedfo?
The truth of
it
(hall
not indeed be
furely
fo,
it
may
be otherwife,
for
God doth know,
that
many
cafes may fall
out, that
you may be
utterly
reje
&ed
by
him, and
cart
out
of
his
prefence: youmay have
fuch
oppofitions
rife againftyou in
your walking
with him,
as fhall
certainely overcome you
and
fet
you at Enmity with
him; or
you
may fully
depart
from him:
and
many
Inch
like pleadings
will
Sathan furnith
the
unbeliefe
of
Believers
withal'.
If
they are not
fufficiently
taught
by experience, what it
is
to
give credit
to
Sathan, indeavouring
to
impair, and
call in
Queftion
(upon
any
pretence
what ever) the
Faithfulneffe
of
God and
his
Truth,when
will
they
learne
it ?
Surely they have
little
need
to
joyne with
their
Adverfaries
for the
sseakeing
oftheirfiipportments,or
the
impairing
of
their
Coefolations;
Whereas there
is
an endeavour tomake men believe,that the denying
any
abfolute unchange-
able Promife
of
Godunto
Believers makes much
for
their
comfort and
ReftefG-
ment,
it
fhall
afterwards
be
confidered in common, in reference
alfo
to
thofe
other
Demonftrations
of
the
saints
Perfeverance,
that
!hall,
God
willing,
be
produced.
It
will
be excepted,
that
God
will
not
forfake
them,
whilft they
are
Belie-
vers;
but if
they forfake him, and
fall
from him,he
is
at
liberty
to
renounce
them alfo.But
that
Gods
not forfaking
of
any,
is
no more but
a
meet
non
-re-
je
&ion
of
them,lhall afterwards be difprooved. Whom he doth
not
forfake
as
a
God
in
Covenant,
to
them
doth
he
continue
his
Prefence., and towards
.
them
exercifeth
his
Power and
Allfuf iciency
for
their
Good.And
if
lie can
by
his Spirit
and
the
Power
of
his
Grace keep them
whom he
doth not
forfake,
in
a
Rate and Condition
of
not
forfaking
him, he
doth
forfake
them,
before
they forfake him, yea
before
he
is
Paid
to
forfake them. Gods not
forfaking
Believers,
is
effe&ually
preventive
of that
frate and condition in them, on
the