200 / 504
CAP.V
t9.
The
place vindicated
from M.G's
Exceptions.
144
pofalls
of
jinn,
wickedneffe,
or rebellion,be
preferved
in
filch
a
Faith,is
not
by any
word,
f
llable,or
Iota intimated.
Anf.
This
is
that
which
is
repeated
ufque
ad
nauf
am;
and were
it not
for
variety
of
expreffions,
wherewith
fome men
doe abound
,
to
adorne
it
,
it
would appeare extreame beggerly and over-
worn;
but
a
lorry
fhift
(
as
they
fay)
is
better
then none, or doubtleffe in
thisplace it had not been
made
ufe
of.
For,
r.
This
reftimony is
not
called forth
to
fpeake immèdiately
,
to
the
con-
tinuance
of
Believers
in
their
Faith, but
to
the continuance and
unchangea-
bleneffe
of
the
Love
of
Cod to them;
and confequentiallyonly
to their
pre -
fervation
in
Faith
upon
that
account.
2,
It
is
not only
abated
at
a
cheap,and very
lowrate
or
price,
but
clear-
ly
gratisfuppofed, thatBelievers maymake
fuch
interpofalls
ofsinne,
Wicked
-
neffe,
and
Rebellion
in
their
walking
withGod,
as
fhould be
inconlftent
with
the
continuance
of
his
Favour and
Kindneflè
to
them,
according
to the
tenor
of
the
Covenant
of
Grace.
His Kindnefle
and Favour
being
to
us
things
ex-
trinfecall,
our
finnes
are not
oppofed
unto
thetas
really
and
direllly,
as
though
they might
effe&ually
infringe
an
A&
of
the Will
of
God, but
only
meritori-
ouJly;
now when God faith,
that
he will continue his kindneffe
to
us
for
ever,
notwithftanding the demerit
of
Sinne,
as is
plainly
intimated
in
that
Allufion
to
the
Waters
of
Noah,
for any one
to
fay
that
they may
fall
into
fuch
Sinnes
and
Rebellions
, as
that
He cannot
but turne
his
Kindnefle
from
them,
is
a
bold attempt
for
the
violation
of
his Goodneffe and Faithfulneffe, and
a
plaine begging
of
the thing
in
Queftion. Certainly it
is
not
a pious
labour
to
thruft
with violence
fuch fuppofalls
into the Promifes
of
God ,
as
will
ftoppe
thofe
breafts from giving
out
any
confolation
,
when no place
or
roome
for
them doth
at
all appeare:
there
being
not
one
word,fyllable,
Iota, or tittle of
any
fuch fuppofalls in
them.
3.
The
Expofition
and
Gloflè,
that
is
given
of
thefe words , namely,
that
upon
condition
of
their
Faithfulneffé
and
obedience, which,
notwithffanding
any
thing in this
or any
other Proisife, they
may
turne
away
from,
he
will
engage hina-
felfe
to
be
a
God
to
them,
is
fuch,
as
noSaint
of
God, without the
helpe
of
Sa-
tan
and
his
owne unbeliefe, could
affixe
to
the
place
, neither
will
that
at
all
afiìft: which
4.
Is affirmed, namely,
that
in all
Covenants
(and
his
Promise holdeth out
a
Covenant)there
muftbea
condition
on
both
fdes;For
we
willingly
grant
that
in
this Covenant
of
Grace,
God
`doth
promife
fomething
to
us, and
requireth
fomething
of
us;
and
that
thefe
two
have mutual/ dependance
one upon
another.
But we
alto
affirme
that
in
the
very Covenant
it
felfe ,
God
hath
gracioufly promifed
to
worj.e
effe
&ually
in
us
thofe things, which
he requir-
eth ofus;
and
that
herein it mainly differeth from
the
Covenant
of
Works,
which he bath abolifhed.
But fuch
a
Covenant,
as
wherein God fhould Pro-
mile
to
be
a
God
unto
us, upon
a
condition by us,and in our
own ftrength
to
be
fulfilled,
and on the
fame
account continued
in
unto the
end,
we
acknow-
ledge
not,
nor
can whileft
our hearts
have any
fence
ofthe
Love
of
the Fa-
ther, the
Blond
of
the
Sonne,
of
the
Grace
of
the
Holy
Spirit,
the fountaines
thereof. Notwithflanding then
any
thing that bath
been drawn forth
in
op
-.
pofition
to it,
Faith may triumph from the Love
of
Godin
Chrift,
held
out
in
this
Promif
to
the
full affurance
of
an
everlafting
Acceptance with him;
for.
God
alto willing
yet more abundantly
to
give in confolation
in
this
place,
to
the
heirs
of
the
Promis,
affureth the liability
of
his
Love
and
kindnefle to
them by another
allufion.
v.
to.
The
Mountaines
(faith
he)
Pall
depart, andthe
bills
be
removed,
but
my
kindneffe
fhall
not departfrom
thee,
neither
'hall
the
Co-
venant