211 / 504
Johnio.27,28,29.
opened
and vindicated.
CAP.VI.ß:
,6.
hint
as his
sheepe,
upon the
Omnipotence
of
God,which upon account
of
the
i
55
confancieof
his
Love
towards
them,
he
will
exerciCe
and exert
as
need
fhall
be,in their
behalfe.
There
are many eniphaticall
expreffions
both
of
theircon-
tinuance
in
the Obedience
of
Faith,and
of
his
undertaking
for
their Preferva-
tion
therein.
The latter
I
at
prefent only intend. (Saith he)
a.
/know
these.
2.
'igve
them
Eternall
Lire.
3.
They
fhall
never
perifh.
..
No
man
(hall
placke
them
out
of
my
hand. 5.
My
Father
is
Omnipotent
: and
hath
a Soveraignty
over all, and
he
taketh
care
of
them,
and
none
(hall
take
them out
of
his
band.It
is
not
eafy
to
caft
thefe words into
any
other
form
of
arguing, then
that
wherein they lye,
without
looting much
of
that
convincing Evidence
that
is
in
them:
this you
may
take for the
furnine
of
their
influence
into the
Truth
in
hand-
Thofe whom
Chrift
fo
owneth,
as
to take
upon him
to
give
them.
Eternall
Life,
and by
his
Power, and the Power
of
his
Father, to
preferve
them
thereunto,
which
power
fhall
not, nor
poífibly can
be
prevailed againft,
fo
that the end
aimed
at
to
be
accomplifhed
therein,
{hould
not
be
brought
about,
thofe
[hall
certainely be
kept for
ever in
the
Favour and Love
ofOod,
they
fhall
never
be turned
from hiut.Such
is
the
cafe
of
all
Believers: for
they
are
all
the
Sheep
ofChrift,
they all heare
his
voice
and follow him.
Somefew;things
to
wreft
this
Gracious affurance given
Believers,
ofthe
e-
verlaf}ing
good
will
of
God
&
Chrift
unto them,by
Mr
Goodwin Cap.io.See`t.
t.36;
37.Pag. 203.
are
attempted:
t.
He
granteth,thatthere
is
an engagement
of
the
mighty
power
of
God
for
the
fafegarding
of
the
Saints,
as
fach,
or
remaining
fuch,againflall
adverfe
power
what
ever: But
no where
for
the
compelling
ornecefitatingofthem
to perfevere,
and
continuefuch,
is
there
any
thing in
the
scripture
.
Ant',
The
fum
is,if
they
will
continue Saints,Gòd
will
take
care
that not.
withftanding all
oppoftion,
they (hall be
Saints
fill.
Very well!
if
they
will
be
fo,they
fhall
be
fo:But
that
they (hall
continue
to
be fo,that
is
not premifed.
The
termes ofCompelling, or Neceffitating, are calf
in
;
meetly
to
throe
dirt
upon
the
Truth
,-leak
the beauty
fhining
forth too brightly,there might have
bin
danger,that the
very
Exceptor
himfelfe could
not have born
it:We
fay
riot
that
God
by his
Power compelleth
men
to
perfevere,
(that
is) maketh them
doe
it,whether
they
will
or
no.Perfeverance being
an
habitual Grace
in
their
wills,it
is a
groffe
contradi
&ion
once
to
imagine
that
men fhould
be compel-
led thereunto.
But this
we
fa
y,'that by the
Almighty Power
of
his
Spirit,
and
Grace, he confirmeth
his
Saints, in
a
voluntary abiding
with him all
their
dayes. Having made them
a
willing People
in
the
day
of
the
Power
ofChrift
towards them,he preferveth them
unto
the end.
Neither are they wrapt
up
by
the
pòwer
of
God
into
fuch
a
neceffity
of
Perfeverance, as
fhould
obfu
&
rthe
liberty
of
their Obedience;
The
necefiity
that
regardeth them
in
that
Condi
-.
tion,
refpe4ling only
the ifùe and end
of
things, and
not their manner
of
fupport
in
their
abiding with God. And it
is
not
eafie
to
cohjeéturè why
our
Author,
hhould fo
fudioufly
avoid
the grant
of
a
Promife
of
finali
Perfeve-
rance,
in
thefe
Words ,
who
in his
next obfervation upoh
them,
affiirmeth,
that
they refpeci
the
fate
of
the
Saints in
Heaven,
and
not
at all
thofe
that
are on
Earth;
I
meane
that part
Of
thole
words, which exprefieth their
prefervati-
on
and fafegarding by
the Power
of
God.
So
that
this
is
fancied
perhaps, e-
ven
to be
the
condition
of
the
Saints in
Heaven,thatGod
will
there
preferve
them
whilf
they continue
Saints,
but that they
fhall fo
do,
there
is
not
any
Affurance
given,
or to
be had.
It
is
marvelous
if
this
be
fo,
that
info
large
and
vaft
á
fpace
oftime,
we
yet never heard
of
any
of
thofe holy
ones,
that
were
call-
out
of
his
Inheritance,
or that
forfeited
his
injoyment.
But
let
us
heare what
is
farther
afferted. He
addeth
by way ofAnfwer,
X
2
to