201 / 504
Ofthe right
uCe
&
improvement
of
Gofpell
Promifes.
CAr.V1.
¢. Zo.
venant
of
my
Peace
be
removed ,
faith
the
Lord,
that hath
mercy
on thee.
He
biddeth
them
confider
the
mountaines
and Mies, and
fuppofe
that
they
may
be
removed,
and'depart;
fuppofe
that
the moll unlikely things
in
the
World
'Mall come to paffe, whofe accomplifhment none can
judge
poffible
,
while
the World endureth, yet
my kindneffe
to thee
is
filch,
as
than hot
fall
with-
in thofe fuppofalls, which concerne,things
of
fuch
an impoffibility.
I
am ex-
ceeding confcious,that all Parapbrafing,or Expolition
of
the
words
that
may be
ufed
for their Accommodation
to the
Truth
we
plead for ,
doth but darken
and
Eclipfe
the Light and Glory,which
in
and by themfelves
,
to
a
believing
foule, they
caft upon
it. Now leaft any fhould
think
,
that there
is
the
leaft
tendency
in
fuch
Promifes
as
thefe
as
held
out
to
Believers)
to
turne
them
a-
fide from
dole
walking with God,before I enter
upon
the
confideration
of
a-
ny
other.
(this
feeming
of
all
others moft
expofed
to
Exceptions
of
that na-
ture)
I fhall
give fume
few
Obfervations,that
may
a
little
dire& Believers,
to
whom I
write, and
for whole fake
thistaske
is
undertaken
,
into
the right
improvement
of
them.
The
genuine
influence which
this, and the
like
Promifes
haveupon the
foules
of
the
Saints,
is,
mightily
to
flirre them up
unto
, and
to
Aft
them
in
anfwering, what
lieth
in
them,
that
inexpreflible Love
and
Kindneffe
,
which
their God and
Father
in Jefus Chrift,
holdeth out
unto their
hearts
in
them:
This the
Apoftle
inferreth from them.
2
Cor
:7.
r.
Having
theft
Promifes
(that
is
thofe efpecially mentioned
in
the words preceding the
conclufion,
and the
inference
the
Apoftle here maketh,
Ch.6.v.
i6,í8.
z
will dwell
in
them ,
and
will
be
a
Father
unto them,
and
they
(hall
be my
children)
therefore
(faith
he)
let
ur
cleanfe our
Pelves
from all
pollution
of
flefh
and
fpirit
, perfetling
holineffe
in
the feare
of
the Lord.
Univerfall purity, holinefie,and
clofe
walking with
God,
is
that
which thefe Promifes
doe
preffe
unto,
and naturally promote
in
the
hearts
of
Believers
:
and
in
2
Pet.
4. 5,
6.
that
Apoftle
purfueth
the
fame
at
large; God hath
called
us
to
Glory
and
Pertue ,
hath
iven us
exceeding
great
and
pretions Promifes,
that
by
theft
you
might
be
partakers
of
the Divine Nature,
having
efcaped
the corruption,that
k
in the
Worldthrough
lull:
nefides
this
giving
all
diligence
&c
The
exceeding
great and
pretions Promifès,which
are given
un-
to
us, in
our
calling, are beftowed for this
end,
that
by
them we may be made
partakers
of
the
Divine
Nature;they have no tendency
to
communicate
to
us
the
Nature
of
the
Divell,and
to
flirre
us
up
to
Rebellion,
Vncleanneff
è,
and
ha-
tred
of
the God
of
all
that
Love
that
is
in
them ;
But lye
indeed,
at the
bot-
tome, the
Root,
and foundation
of
the
pra
&ice
and
exercife
of
all
thofe
Gra-
ces, which
he enumerates
,
and from
the
receiving
of
thofe
Promifes,
ex-
horts
us
to,
in
the
following
verfe. Some
I
confeffe
doe, or
may
turne the
Grace
of
God
into lafcivioufneffe;that
is
the Do
&rine
of
grace, and
of
pardon
of
finne in
the blond
of
Jefus
Chrift;and
fo
the
mercy mentioned in
fuck
Promi-
fes as
thefe, (meerely
as
in
them it
is
mentioned) Grace and
Mercy
communi-
cated,
cannot
be turned into
Wantonneffe
;
but
what are they
that
doe
fo?
ungodly
men, men
of
old
ordained
to
condemnation; 7ude 4.
Paul
rejeð
any
filch
thoughts from the hearts
of
Believers,
Rom.
6.
i.
Shall
we
continue
in
fin,
that
Grace may
abound?
God
forbid
!
Nay
fu
ppofe
that that
naturali corrupti-
on,
that
flefh
and
blond
that
is
in Believers,
be apt
to
make
fuch
a
conclufion
as
this;
Becaufe
God
will
certainly abide with
us
for ever, therefore let
us
walke
carelelly,
and doe
him all
the defpight
we can, thefe Promifes being
not
made
for
the ufe and exalting
ofthe
flefh,
but
being given
to
be mixed
with
Faith
,
which
is
carefully
to
watch againft all abufing
or corrupting
of
that
Love
and Mercy,
which
is
held
out untoit,
flefh
and
blond
can
have
no
advantage
given
unto it
thereby,
as
fhall
afterward bemore
fully
and clear-
u
ly
r45
.
so.