199 / 504
I(d
14.7,8,
9. opened and argued.
CAP
.
VI.
4:t$.
ry mom ent,
as
our walking with
God
in its felfe
confidered,
not
relating
to
143
the Unchangeableneflè
of
his
Purpofe,
&
the
efficacy
of
his
promifed Grace,is
apt to doe; what oppofition can
there be
betwixtthat
defection
wherewith
they
are
exercifed
, and the kindneffewherewith they
are embraced,
as
to
their
continuance
?As
that
is
laid
to
be for
a
little
while
for
a
woe
ent,fo this
al-
fo
may be
ofno
longer abode:
It
may poffibly
be
as Jonah's Gourd
,
that
grew
up in the
morning, and before night
was
withered
;
what then
faall
become
of the
foundation
of
that
confolation,
wherewith God here refrefheth the
fouler
of
his
people, confifting
in
the continuance
of
his
kindneffe,
in
an Anti-
thefts
to
the
momentarineffe
oftheir
defertion.
Leaft
that
any
fhould
call
this into Queftion,(as
our
unbelieving hearts are
4
i8
very apt,and skilful'
in
putting
in
pleas
againft
the
truth of
the
Promifes
of
God,
and
their accomplifhment towards
us)
V.9.
theLord
farther confirmeth
the
Affurance
formerly given, and removeth thofe objeftions',
to
which
through
the
sophifiry
of
Satan, and the
sottifhneffe
of
our
own hearts,
it
may
feem
to be
lyable.This
is(faith
he)as thewaters
of
Noah:
Gods dealing with
th4
in
that
mercy,
which
floweth from
his
everlaf ing kindneffe,
is
like
his deal-.
ing with the World
in
the matter
of
the
waters
of
Noah.,
or the
flood
where-
with
it
was
drowned
and deftroyed, when he
with
his,were faved in the Arke.
He
calleth
upon
his
Children
to
confider
his
dealingswith
the
World
in
re-
fpe&
of
the
flood,
I
have
fworne,
(faith
he) (that
is, I
have entred into
a
cove-
nant
to that
end, which
was
wont
to
be
confirmed,
with
an
Oath
,
and God
being abfolutely
faithful'
in
his
covenant,
is
Paid
to
fweare
thereunto, though
there be
no expreffe mention
of
any fuch
oath,). that
the
World
fhould
no
morebe
fo
drowned
as
then
it
was
:
now
(
faith
God
)
fee
my Faithfulneffe
herein, it
hath never
been
drowned finte, nor ever
(hall
be;with
equall
Faith-
fulneflè
have
I
engaged
(
even
in
Covenant)
that that
kindneffe,which I
men.
tioned
to
thee,
{hall
alwaies
becontinued, fothat
I
will not
be
wroth
to
rebuke
thee,
(that
is)
fo
as
utterly
to
.caft
thee
off,
as
the World
was
when
it
was
drowned. But fome may
fay,
before
the
fond
the
Earth
was
filled
with
vio-
lence,
and
finne:
and
fhould it be
fo
againe, would
it
not bring another flood
upon it?
Hath
he
Paid
he
will
not drowne
it, notwithftanding
any
interpofall
of
finne, wickedneffe,
or
rebellion
whatever
?
Yea,
faith
he,
filch
is
my
Co-
venant;
I
took
notice in my
firIt
engagement therein,
that
the
Imagination
of
mans heart
would
be
evill
from
his
youth.
Gen:
8.2
t.
and yet I entred into
that
folemne
Covenant;
fo
that
this
exemption
of
the World
from an
univerfall
deluge
is
not an Appendix
to
the obedience
of
the World,
which
hath been
upon force accounts
more
wicked
fnte,
then before;
(as
in
the
crucifying
of
Chrifi
the Lord
of
Glory,
and
in rejehting
of
him being preached
unto
them)
but
it
folely
leaneth upon my Faithfulnele
in
keeping
Covenant,
and my
Truth
in
the accomplifhment
of
the
Oath,
that
I have folemnely
entred into:
So
is
my kindneffe
to
you;I have made
exprefle provifion
for your
finites
and
failings
therein;
loch
I
will
preferve you from
, as
are
inconfiftent with my
kindneffe
to
you,
and
fuch will
I
pardon,
as
you
are overtaken
withal!.
When
you
fee
an univerfall
deluge
covering
the
face
of
the Earth,
(
that
is,
God un-
faithful)
to
his
Oath
and Covenant) then, and
not
till
then,
fuppofe
that
his
kindneffe can
be "turned
from
Believers.
Something
is
excepted againft this Teftimony,
Ch:
t
r.
se11;4. Pag
:227.
but
4,
19
of
fo
little importance,
that
it
is
fcarce
worth
while
to
turne
alide
to
the
con,-
fideration
of
it.
The
fumme
is,
that
this
place
fpeakvth
only
of
Gods
Faithful/wife
in
his Covenant; but
that
thisfhould
be
the
Tenor
of
the Covenant,
that
they who
once
truly
believed,
fhould
by
God
infallibly,
and
by
a
firong
hand,againfi all
-
inter-
po
falls