342 / 504
C.X11.Confiflency
of
Prom.
ofPerf
&
Exhortations
to
the
ufe
of
meane
286
Anf.
That
all Promifes
of
Temporal/ things
without exception, are
Conditi-
onal',
that
is, fo
as
to be
fufpended on any Conditions,
not
promifed
to
be
wrought
with
equal!
Affurance
to
that
web
depends
on
them,is not
the
judg-
ment
ofarty
Divined know,
unlefie
it be
of
Mr
Goodwin,
and thofe
of
the
fame perfwafion with him
in
the
matter
of
our
prefent Controverfy; Who
ever
but
they
will fay,
{if
they will)
that
the Promife
of
bringing the
Chil-
dren
of
ifrael out
of
Egypt
was
Conditional!
?
Let them
that
do
fay fo
af-
fgne
the
condition
im which
the
Accomplithment
of
that
Promife
was
fuf-
pended :
The
Promife made
to
the Parents
of
Sampfon
of
his
birth,
and
mighty
actions,
what Condition
was
it fufpended
on
?
And yet was
it
a.pro-
mife
ofa
Temporal'
thing',
Though
this
may
be accounted
a
general!
rule
becaufe for
the molt part
'tis fo,
yet may
not
God make
a
particular
excep
Lion
thereunto
?
Did
he
not
fo in
the
cafe
of
.Hhezekiah,
as
to
his
living
15.
yeares,
as alfo in
thofe
cafes
before mentioned
?
'Tis
true
all fuch Promifes
have
appointed meaner
for their Accomplifhment,but not
Conditions
whereon
their
fulfilling
is
Abfolutely fufpended.
4.44
But
he adds
Thole
words ds
of
Paul
to
the Centurion
and
Sauldiers lately esenti
-.
oned,
(except
thefe
abide
in
the(hipye cannot
be
fafe)
undeniably prove the
faid
Fromife
to
have
beene
sot
Abfolute, but
Conditionall;
for
in
cafe God
fhouldhave
Promifed
Abfolutely.
&
without
all
exception
that
they
fhouldhave
been
fafe,Paul
had
plainly
contradilled thetruth
of
it
by
affirming,
not that
they
fbould
not,
but
that
they could
not befafèotherwife than
upon
the
Condition
of
the Mariners
abi-
ding
in
the (hip.
Anf.
1.
This
is
boldly ventured; God promifeth
that
the
End
fhalibe
accomplifhed;
Paul
exhorteh
to the
ufe
of
the
meaner
for the attainment
of
that
End, and
in
that
contradicts
the
Truth of
Gods Promife,
if
it be
not
Conditional"; And
why
fo
?
Who
ever
faid
that
God
promifed
that
they
fhou'd be
fafe
and preferved
in
the
negle&
of
meanes;
They
were
men,
and
not
(tones
that
God promifed
fo
to
fafegard. And
it
was
by
his
blefiìng upon
meanes
that
he intended
to
preferve
them;
therefore he
that
flirted
them
up
to
the
ufe
of
meanes, contradi&ed
the
promife,
unleffe
it were Conditionall,
Paul
faies
indeed,
they
could
not
be
fafe
unlefe
the
Mariners
abode
in
the (hip;
not
fufpending
the
certainty
of
Gods Promife upon
their continuance
in
the
(hip,
but
manifefting
the
meaner
whereby
God
would bring
about
their
fafety.
That
which infues
in
the two
following Exçeptions,
('as
Paul's
perfwading
them
tg
take
meat, which conduced
to their
fafety, and
their
ca.lsing the
reheatinto the
fea for the
Came
end)
amounts no higher than the
Affirmations
already confidered,
Afferting an infallible Promife
of
an end
to
be
attained
by meanes,
and
an
Exhortation to the
ufe
of
meanes
with
the
aftuall
ufe
of
them
on
the account
of
their
neceffity
as meanes,
are
inconffftent; which
is
plainely
without the
leaft
ffhewof
proofe
or
truth, to
begge
the
thing in
Queftion.
Nether
is
his
Cafe
in
hand at
all
promoted,
by comparing
this
partial,
lar Promife
given
at
fuch
a
time
and feafon, with thofe
general!
Promifes
of
Earthly
Bleffings
made
to
the Obedience
of
the
Jewes in
the Land
of
Canaan,
.mentioned
Deut.
28.3,4.
Of
that
which Sixtly followes in
theninth
Se
&ion,
being
a
marvilous
pret-
ty
Difcourfe
about
the
Promife here made,
as
though it
fhould
be
only
this,
that
though
thefiip
were loft
and
mifcarried, yet none
of
them in
it
fhould
perifh
thereby
(meetly
upon
the
account
of
the
(hips
mifcarrying) though
on fome
other
account, they might
be
drowned
at the
faine
time;
Which
up
on narrow
fcanning he
bath at
Taft
found
out to
bethe
fence
of
the
place,may
well