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CaP.V111,4.;1.
Sealing
ofthe
Spirit
wherein
it
confifis.
i86
I.
I
Anfwer
farther,
by
way
of
exception,
that
the Sealing
we
fpeal¿e
of, it
neithergranted
by
God,
unto
Believers themfelves,
upon any
filch termer,
that
lip-
0.
31.
on
no
occafton,
or
occafions
whatfoever,as
of
the greatefl
and
moll
horrid
fins
com-
mited, and
long
continued
in
by
them, 'orthe
like,
it
fbould never
be
interrupted
or
defaced:
for
this is contrary
to
many
plaine
Text.c!of
Scripture,
and
particularly
unto
all
thofe, where
either
Apoftates
from
God,
or
mill
doers,
and
workers
ofini-
quity are
threatnedwith
the
lofe
of
Gods
Favour,
and of
the inheritance
of
Life,
fuch asHeb.ro.
&c.
Anf.
i.
It
is
the intent
and purpofe
of
God,
that
the
Sealing
of
Believers
[hall abide with them for ever: whence comes it to
paffe ,
that
his Purpofes
doe not
Band, and
that
he
cloth
not
fulfill his
pleafure
?
It
is
not
that
he
than-
geth,but
that
men are
changed:
that
is,the beginning
ofthe
change
is
not
in him;
Occafion
of
it
is
adminiftred
unto
him
by men. When
his
Sealing
is
removed
from
Believers,
doth God
Rill
purpofe
that it
(hall
continue
with
them,
or
no
?
If
he
doth,
then he pupofeth
that
(hall
be
,
which
is
not,
which
it
is his
will (hall
not
be,
and he continues
in
his
vaine Purpofe
to
Eternity.
Or
if
he
ceafes
to
purpofe, how
is
it that
he
is
not
changed?
Such
things
fpeake
a
change in
the
fonnes
of
men,and
we
thought
had
been
incompatible with
the
Perfe&ion
of
the Divine Nature:even
that
he fhouldWill
&Purpofeone
thing
at
one
time,
and
another,
yea
the
cleane
contrary, at another:
Yea
but
the
R.eafon
ofit
is,
becaufe
the
men concerning whom
his
Purpofes are,
do
change; This
fakes
not
the
Immutability
of
God
;
Though
he doth not
change from any new
confderation
in himfelfe,
and from
himfelfe, yet
he
Both from obftru
&ionsin his
way,and
to
his
thoughtsin
the Creatures:yea in.
Reed
of
falving
his
Vnchangeablenefe,
this
is
deftru
Live
to
his
Omnipo-
tency.
2.
This whole Anfwer
is
a
fuppofall,
that
God may alter
his
Purpofes
of
confirming men
in
Grace,
if
they be
not
confirmed
in
Graces or
that,
though
Gods
Purpofe
be
to
Peale
them
to
the
day
of
Redemption,yet
they may
not
continue,nor be preferved thereunto: and
then Gods Purpofe
of
their
conti-
nuance ceafeth alto.This
is
'
3.
More evident in
his
fecond Anfwer, by way
of
exception, which
is
made
up
of
thefe
two parts.
P
ira
a begging
of
the
mame, and upon the
nsat_
ter,only
thing
in queflion, by fuppofing
that
Believers
may
fall
into the
mofi
horrible
finnes,
and continue
in
them
to the end:
fo
proving
with
greate
Evi-
dence and perfpicuity,
that
Believers
may
fall
away,becaufe they
may
fall`
away. And
2. A
fuggeflion
of
his
ovine
Judgement,
to
the
contrary:
And.
his
fuppofall,that
it
is
confirmed by fome
Texts
ofScripture,
which
(God of
-
r
Gifting)
íhall be delivered from
this
Imputation
hereafter :
And thefe two
da
make up
fo
cleare
an Anfwer
to
the
Argument
in
hand,that
a
man
knowes
not
well
what to
reply; let
us
take
it
for
granted,that
Believers may
fall
a-
way,
and
how
'hall
we
prevent
Mr
Goodwin
from
proving it
? But he
adds
farther
Believers are
faid
to be
fealed
by
the
Hob,
Spirit
of
God, againfb,
or
unrtill,or
for
(is)
the day
of
Redemption,
becaufe
that
Holineffe,
which is wrought
in
them
by
the
Spirit
of
God, qualifies
them, puts
them
into
a prefent
and
aEluall Capacity
of
partaking
in that
foy
and
Glory,
which the Great
day
o
f
the
full
Redemption
of
the
Saints,
(that
is,
o
f
thole,
who
lived, and
dyed,
and
_ball
be
found
filch)
fhal7
bring with
it;and
it
is
called the
Farneif
o
f
their
Inheritance.
Anf
How
pis
comes
to
be againft,
or
for, or
to
denote the
matter
fpoken
of,,and what all
this
is
to
the
purpofe
in
hand, he
fhewes
not. Thee
ayme
of
-him
the
words are fpoken
of,
and,
the uninterrupted continuaneeofthe
workementioned,
to
the
end expreffed, feemes
rather
to beintended
in
the
whole