306 / 504
C.x.g.8,9.Doéì.of
StS
Perfev.
its
ufefulnefle
to promote
Gofpell.Obedience.
250
which
is
fpoken
thereunto, tendeth
to
the further
clearing
of
what former-
ly
bath
been
evidenced, concerning the fuitablenefle
of
the
Dot`trine conten.
ded
for,
unto the promotion
of
Holinefle,
I
(hall
farther
confider what
he
draweth
forth on
this occafion.
Seer.
33. he
giveth
us
an
Obje
&ion;and
a
foure
fold anfwer
theruutopag.
333,
334, 335.
That
whichhe calleth
anObjeëtion
he
laieth downe
in
thefe words.
If
it
be
ohjetled
andfaid
:yea but Afurance
of
the Vnchangeableneffe
of
God's
Love towards
him,that
is Godly,is both a
more
effect
call
&
perfwading motive un-
to
Godlineffè,
and
more encouraging to a
perfevering
in Godlinefe, then
a doubt
-
fulneffé, or uncertainty,
whetherGod
will
be
confiant
in
his
Afeóíion,
ta
filch
a
man
or
no; Certainty
of
reward
is more encouraging nnto aEÏion,
then
uncer-
tainty.
S
Anf.
If
any one
hath
been
fo
weake,
as
to
make
ufe
of
this
plea
in
behalfe
55.
of
that
Do
&rine
it
feemeth
to
defend, (which
I
fcarcely
believe) it
will
I
doubt not,be
an
eafie
tafke
to
undertake,that
he
(hall
be no more
admitted,or
entertained
as
an
Advocate
in this caufe;
The
affurance
ofthe
Llnchangea-
blenes
of
GodsLove
to
them
that
areGodly,is
but
one part
of
the.
Do&rine
in
hand,&
that
fuch,as may perhaps
be cbmon
to
it with
that
wch
is
brought
in.
to
competition
wth
it
:It
is
theAffuranceoftheLlnchangeablenes
of
GodsLove
to
a
man,to
keepe him
up toGodlines,to
preferve him
in
that
ftate&Condtti-
on
of
Holines
to
the
end,&
of
the
certainty
of
the continuance
of
Love
of
God unto
him,
on that
account
&
in
that
way,that
is
that
great
Gofpell mo-
tive to
Obedience,wherein,
as
its peculiar,
our Do
&rine
glorieth,
as
hath for-
merly
been
manifeled.
Perhaps Mr
Goodwin
doth not think,
that
any man
is
bound
to
lay
more
blocks
in
his
owne way, then he judgeth himfelfe
well
ableto
remove: and.therefore
.
he framed
that Obje
&ion fo,
that
he might
be
fore
to
returne
at leaft
a
fpecious
anfwer
thereunto,
and this he attempt-
eth accordingly, and telleth
us in
hisfirft
Paragraph three
things.
4.9.
1.
That
the-
Doólrine teaching the
Saints
de
fellion,
cloth
alto
maintain
the
Vnehangeablenefe
of
the Love
of
God,
to
them
that
are Godly;
Anf
But
what
Love
(I
pray
you)
is
that,which, when it might prevent
it,
will
yet
fuffer
thofe
Godly
ones,
to
become
fuck
ungodly
Villaines and
wretches,
as
that
it (hall
be utterly impofiible for
the Lord to
continue
his
Love
to
them?
Is
the Love
you mention
indeed
a
Love
to
their
Perfons,
or
only
an
Approbation
of
their
Duties
aid
Qualifications
If
the Firft,
whence
is
it that
God
ceafeth
at
any
time
to
love them
?
Doth
he
change,
and alter
hisLove
like
the
Sonnes
of
Men?
Why,
they change, therefore he
changeth
allo;
That
God changeth
not, and therefore
we, who are
fift4grtó
ange,
are yet preferved
from being
conf
tined
,'
we
have heard;
But
that
upon the
change
that
is
in
men, God
alfo fhould
change,
we
are yet
to
be
inftru
&ed;
and the
Immutability
of
God,
bath taken greater hold
upon
our
underftan-
dings,
and
in
our
hearts, then
that
we
fhould
eafily
receive any
thing
fo
dia-
metrically
oppofrtethereunto;
If
the
Love
mentioned
be only
an Approbati-
on
of
theQialifications
that
are
in
them,and
of
theDuties that they
doe
per
-
forme, then
is
it
no
more
a
Love
to
them,-Or
to
their
perlons,
then it
is
to the
perlons
of
the moft profligate
wretches
that
live.
The
objet
is
Duty,
folely
where ever
it may be
found,
and
not
any perfon
at
all
;
for it
is an
A&
of
Gods
approving,
not
purpofng,
or
determining
Will.
This
is
not our
fence
of
the
continuance
of
the
Love
of
God,
to
them
that
are
Godly;
fo
that
there
is
no companion betwixt
the
Do&rines
under
cornea', as
to
the
Afferting
of
the
Love
of
God
to
Belieidrs,
or
to
them
that are
Godly; Wherefore he
faith,
4'
1O'
2.
.
That
the
Dotirine
he oppofeth,
Promifeth
Gods
Love,
and
the
unchangea-
ble
continuance
ofit
untomen, though
they change to
Praphanenefe;
Though
this