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Dead-
PerCof
Sts
its u(efulnes
to promote
Cohen
Obedience.
C.XJ.ß: to.
propofall
of
it
for
an eafy
removal'. Thus then
he proceedeth.To
pretendthat
the
weaknefe
of
the
flefh
in
the
bell
if
Saints
eonf
dered, and their
aptneffe to goe
a
ray,
they
mull
needs
lye
under
many troublefome
and
tormenting fearer
of
peri-
mng, unleffe they
haveforce promi
f
è
or
of
trance from
God
to
fzepport
them, not-
withfianding
any.
de`clinings
orgoings affray
incident
unto them,
yet
they (ball
not
loofe
his
favour,
or perifh, is
to
pretend nothing but what
bath
been
throtrghly
aní-
fweredalready,
efpecially
in
Cap,
r
Anf.
Before I can
admit
this plea
to
be put
in,in
our
behalfe,
I
{hail
crave
'eave a
little to
rectify,
and point
it more
tharply againft
the Doctrine it
aim
-
eth
to
oppofe. I
fay
then,
z. .It
is
not
the
weakneffe
of
the
flefh ;
or the
feeblene(fe
and difability
of
our
naturali man
to
at
in,
or
goe
through with great
duties
and trialls
,
but
the ftrength and wilfulnefe
of
the
flefh ,
(i.e.)
of
the corrupted man
even in
the belt
of
Saints,
continually provoking; and reducing them with fometitnes
an infuperable
efficacy,
leading them captive, and working
in
them-continu-
ally, with a
thoufand baits,
and
wiles,
(as hath
been
in
part difcovered
)
la-
bouring
to
turne
them
afide from
God;
That
fills
the
Saints
of
God
with
tor-
menting, perplexing
feares
ofperifhing
;
and
muff needs
doe
fo,
if
they
have
no promifeofGod
for their
prefervation;
Befides
all
this ftrength
and wil-
fulneffe
ofthe
flefh,
they are expofed
to the
Affaults Of
other
molt
dreadful'
Adverfaries, wreftling with Principalities
and Powers
in
heavenly places,jand
contending with the
World,
as
it lieth
under the
curfe all
their
daies;
To re-
ferre
all
the oppofitions
that
Believers
meet withall,
in
the
courfe
of
their
a-
bedience, and which may
fill
them with
fears
that
they
(hall
one day perifh,
if
not fupported by
an
Almighty hand, and
kept
by
the
power
of
God
through
Faith
unto
Salvation,
unto the
weakneflè
of
the
flefh ,
which,
in
the place
where the
expreflion
is
ufed, plainly
pointed'
at
the
difability
ofthe
natural'
man to
abide in, and goe through with
great
duties and trialls,is.a.moftvaine
and empty contemplation. Thofe
who have
to
doe
with
God, in
the
matter
of
Gofpeil obedience,
and
know
what
iris
indeed
to
ferve
him under
tempta-
tions, can
tell
you
another
manner
of
Rory
: and among them
M.
Goodwin
could doe
fo
to the
purpofe; when
his
thoughts were not prejudiced,
6y
any
byafing opinions
that
muff
be leaned unto.
2.
We do not
fay
that
the
Saints
ofGod
in
the
condition nìentioned,fland
in
need
of
any
Promife
ofGod,that
notwithlhanding any declinings,or goings
affray
incident
unto them,
they
(hall
not
loofe
his
favour
or
perilh
,
but
that
they fhall
have
fuch
a
prefence
of
his
fpirit
,
and
fufficiency
of
his
grace with
tiì
^a
distahties, that
they
(hall
never, notwithftanding
all
the
oppofitions
and
difficulties
theymeet
withall;
utterly
faile in
their Faith, nor
be
prevai=
led
againft,
to
depart
wickedly
and
utterly
from God. And now I
fee
not
but that
fuppofing
that it
is
neceffary,
that
the
Saints
be
delivered from
trou-
blefome perplexing feares
of
perifhing, and
that
God hath made provifìonfor
that
end and purpofe,
which
that
he
bath,
feemes
to
begranted by our
Au-
thor,
I
cannot
fee
but
that
this
Plea,
flriketh
at the
very
heart
of
Apoflafy
of
Saints,
though
not
very
fitly
brought
in, in this place, in reference
to
the
At-
guments
that
occafioned
it;
but our
Author,
knowing
his
faculty
to
lye
more
in
.
evading
what
is
objected againft him, than in ,urging Arguments for
his
own opinion,
doth everywhere, upon
the
firfr
propofall
of
any
Argument,
di-
vert to
other confiderattons, and
to
the
anfwering
of Objetions
,
though
perhaps
not at all
to
the Plea
in
hand
,
nor
any
way occafioned by it. But
what
faith he
now,
in
defence
of
his
dearly
beloved,
thus,attempted,
to
vin-
dicate it
from this fore
imputation
of
robbing and
défpoiling
the
Saints
of
God
of
their Peace, and
.
Affurance purchafed
for them
at
no
leffe
rate
L
I
than
257