316 / 504
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2
5.Do
t.of
Sts
Perfev
-its
ufefulnel[e
to
promote
Gofpell-
Obedience.
26o
,fiery, no
filch
matter
of
difficulty, unto
fuch
men
and
that
when the are
overcome
and
fall
into
finne,
it
is
through
a
meere
voluntary negleti; and thus
we
fèe
all
Ming,
unpartially weighed,
and
debated
to
and
fro,that
the Doélrine which
fup-
pofeth;à
poffibility
of
the Saints declining,
-is
the
Doîrine
which
is
according.
to
Godlineffe,
and
the
corrivall
of it
an
enemy
thereto.
Anf
.
We
havehere an Afertion,an
Inference,
and
a
Conclufion;
The
A1er-
tion
is,
that
there
is no
fuch aptnef
e
and
proneneff
é
to
finne
in
Believers,
as is
in-
timated; and that
becaufe
there is
fach
a
ffrong
propenfity
in
them
to
Righteouf
-
neffe,
which
that
they have
is
proved from fundry
places
of
Scripture;
That
ís,becaufe
the
Spirit
is
in Believers,the
flefh is
not
in
them.
Becaufe
they
have
a
new man
in
them,they have not
an
old;
becaufe they have
a
principle
of
Life,
.
they
have not
a
body
of
death.
That
is,where theSpirit
luffeth
againfl
theflefh,the
flefh lu
fteth not againft the
Spirit.We
thought
theDotrine of
Paul,Rom.7,Gal
5
and
in
innumetable
other
places, with
the
experience
off
all
the
Saints in the
World
had laine againft this
piece
of
Sophifiry.
It
is
true,
their
propenfion
unto
Righteoufnefie
raigneth in
them,
but it
is
as
true, their
propenfion unto
finne, rebelleth
in
thetn.Though the
Land beconquered
for Chrift,
yet the
Canaanite, will
dwell
in
it
&
if
the
Saints
leave
of
but one
day,
the
worke
of
Itilling,crucifying
and
mortifying,
they will quickly
finde an
aLtuall
rebellion
in
them, not
eafie
to
be fupprefled:They have indeed
a propenfion
to
Holi-
nefl'e
ruling
in them,but alto
a
propenfion
unto
finne.dwelling
in
them,,
%'that
when
they would do good
evenis prefént
with
them,
and
the goodthey would do,
they
cannot; But when
Mr
Goodwin
can
prove this confequence,
that
Saints
have
firong inclinations
to
Righteoufneflè, therefore they have not
fo
to
finne, for my
part
I
will
forbeare forever difputing with
him
;
If
hecan beat
us,
not
only from Scripture,
but
all
our
Spiritual( fence
and
experience,
doubtleffe
it
is
to
no
purpofe
to
contend
any longer
with
him
;
Hence
then
p.24
2.
Heinferreth,
thattoabffainefromfnn
ing,thatis,finningcuffomarily,&
againft confcience,
fo as
to
endanger the
Joffe
of
the Favour
of
God,
is
no
filch great
maftesy,
no
fuch matter
of
difficulty
to
fuch
men.
This
abftaining from
filch
finnes,(on
the
one
hand)
is
the
whole courfe
of
our
Gofpell Obedience,
which
it feemeth however it be compared
to
running in
a
race,
firivingfor
mafleríes,
called refilling
unto
blood,
wrffling
with principallities and
powers,
requiring for
its
carrying on
the
exceeding
greatneféof
the
power
o
fGod,
with
fuitable
help
in time
of
need
from.
f
e
fur
Chri
ff, who
is
fenfible
of
the
weight
of
it,
as
no fmali
matter,
knowing what
it
is
to
ferve God
in
Temptations,
yet
is
it
indeed
but
a
trifling thing,
a
matter
of
no great
diffi(silty
men
Watch, Pray,
Contend, Fight, Wreftle
with
God,
and Satan, doth
the
Lord
put
forth
his
Power, and
the
Lord
Jefus
Chrift continually intercede
for
the
prefervation
'of
the
Saints
,
Ad quidperditio hsc
?
to
what end
is
all
this toile-and
labour, about
a
thing
oflittle
or
no weight?
Egregiam
vero Jan-
dem
(
We
know indeed,
the
Yoke
ofCbrift
is
ea()
and
his Commandement not
grievous,
that
we
can
doe
all
things
through him
that
inableth
us, but
to
make
Gofpell obedience,
fo
flight
a
thing,
that it
is
no great
maffery,
or
matter
of
no great commendation, to
hold
out
in
it
to
the
end ,
this we were
to
learn
'till now,
and are
as
yet
flaw
of
heart
to
receive
it.
5
The
Conclufion
is:
ió,
Pean, vicimus:
all
things impartially
weighed, the
cafe
is
ours,
and
Godlineffe exceedingly
promoted
by.
the
Doblrine
of
the
poffibility
of
the Saints defeliion
omp
tSo ,rill.
<)and
the
corrivallof
it
an
enemy
to
it:
to
prove
which
not one word
in
the Argument hath
been fpoken,
nor,
to
free
the o-
ther
from
a
charge
of
a dire&
contrary
importance, one
word
to
the
purpofe;
and