326 / 504
C.
XII.'F
17,
Total',
St
final',
defection
of
Sts
in
what
fence
impoffible.
270 rail principles
of
all
operations
flowing from
them;
a
conceit
as
groffe and
ridiculous,
as
certainely
definitive to
all
the
efficacy
of
the
Grace
of
God.
All
the
rett
of
this
se Jion
as
farre
as
it concernes
us is
only
an
affirming
this
way,
and that,
that
an Aflurance
of
the
End
to
be obtained
by
the
ufe
of
meanes,
renders thofe
meanes
altogether
.ufeleffe;
which
when he proves, the Con
-
troverfy
may be
nearer to
an
iffue,
than
otherwife he hath
any
R.eafon
to
hope
that
tis
or
will
be,
to
his
advantage.
0.16.
Se
&,¢.Leaving the father confirmation
of
his
Argument
he enters upon
the
removeallof
a
plea
infifted
on,
to
the
Juftification
of
the
Do&rine
oppofed
and
vindication
ofit
from
the
crime wherewith
here by him tis charged:
this
he
tells
you
is,that the Exhortations,
Comminations,and Promifes,fpoken
of,
are means appointed
of
God
for the
accomplifbing and
effe&ing
of
the
Perfeverance
of
the
Saints, which
he
hath made
limply
and Abfolutely
ne-
ceffary
by
his
decree.
This
(he faith,)
hath neither
any
Logical!, nor
Theolo-
gical'virtue
in
it,
°for the
ptirpofe
for
which
tis
produced: but is a.notion
irrelative
to the
bufineffe
the accommodation
whereof
it
pretends.
Anf.
It
may be
fo,
fuffer
you
to
frame
the Obje
&ion,
and who
will
doubt of
your
Abilityes
of
giving an Anfwer; But
:
who
(I
pray
)
faies
that
God
by
his
Decree, hath made the Perfeverance
of
the.Saints fimply
and
Ab-
folutely
neceffary;
that
tis
certaine
in refpe&
of
the
event, from the Decree
of
God,
we
grant;
and
do
we
thereby overthrough the
meanes whereby
tis
to
be
accompltthed
.
Yea, we
eflabliJh
them; We
are
of
the
mind
that God
bath purpofed, and
thereupon. Promifed,
the
Accomplifhment
of
many
things,
(as the
felling
of
Jofeph
into Egypt, the bringing
of
the Children
of
'Ifrael
from
thence, and the like)
which
yet were
to
be carryed on
to
their
Accomplifhment,
and
brought
about
through
innumerable contingences,
by the free rational!, deliberative
a&ings
of
men;
If
by(imply and
Abfolutely
neceffary,
you
intend that the thing
Decreed
is
to
be
wrought
of
men,
limply
and
Abfolutely neceffarily
by
their
operations,
as
to the
manner
of
them,
we
(amply
and
Abfolutely
deny any
fuch
Decree;
If
by-
thofe exprefiions
you
im-
properly intend only the certainty
of
the
Event,
or
Accomplifhment
of
the
thing decreed
with
refpe&
to
the
meones
appointed and
fitted
thereunto,
we
fay this
ettablifbeth thofe meanes,
neither
have
they
the
nature ofmeanes
to
an
End from
any Reafon
what ever,
but
as
fo
appointed
of
God thereun-
to:
But heproceeds
in
the
proofe:of
his
former A(Iertion,and
faies
6:17.
Firfi
that
the Exhortations
whereby
the
Saints are exhorted
to Perfeverance,
are
no meanes by which the Promifes`ofPerfeverance
made,as
our Adverfaries
fup-
pofe
to
them are Acton;
pl-Jhed
or
efeûed,
is thus
clearely
evinced; What
%never
is
a
meanes
for
the
bringing
of
any
thing
to paffe, ought
not to containe
any
thing in
et, Repugnant or Contrary
unto
that
which is
intended
to
be
brought
to paffe
by
it,
for
meones ought to be
fubora'inate
to
their
ends, not
rep signant; Sut the
Scripture
Exhortations unto
perfeverance, containe
that
which is repugnant
to
the
Promi-
fes of
Perfevera
nce
iffuppofed fuck
as
our
Adverfaries fuppofe them
to be,
there-
fore
they can
by
no meanes
efeea thofe Promifes; the
Minor is evident
by
the light
of
this
eonfideration;
fuch
Exhortations
as thefe
to
the
Saints,
tithe heed
leaf!
at
any
time
there
bean
evil1
heart
of
unbeliefe
in
you,
lee
ou be
hardened
through
the
deceitfi~lnefe
offinne;
leafs
you
fall
from
Grace, leaf/youreceive the
Grace
of
God
in
vaine,
lea
f
you
fall
from
your
owne
fledfafne
j/e;
in their naive
and
pro-
per
tendency import
a
danger,
andferve
to
raife a
flare
in men,
leaf! the danger
imported,fhould
come upon
them;
whereas
fuch
Prom
fes
as
theft
made unto the
fame
peri
ons,
and
that
not conditionally
as
is
fuppored,
that
there
fhall
never
be
an
h-
artofnnbeliefein
you,
that
they
(
hall never
be
hardened through
the deceit-
ful:
ffé offinne,that
they
flsallnever
fall
away
from
the
Grace
of
God,
exclude
all
danger