343 / 504
infallible certainty
of
the
End,
incouraging
to
the ule
of
rneanes
C.Xll.
well deferve the confìderatibn
of
them
who
have nothing
elfe
to
do;
for my
28
part
I
have
other
imployment.
That
which we affirme
concerning
the
Words
öfGod
by
his
Angell;
tó
Pahl;
4.45
is
That that
they were fuch a
Promife
as
could
not but
infallibly
be ac-
complifhed,
according to the tenour
öf
what
is
in
thofe words expreft,
nor
in refpe&
of
the
Fa;thfulneffe
of
God
could it otherwife be,
but that
it
mull:
fo
fall
out and
cometo
paffe
as was
appointed,although the accomplifhment
ofit
was
to
be
brought about
by
the
eminent
Bleffing
of
God,
upon
the
means
that
were
to
be ufed by them
to
whom, and cdneerning
whom it was
given.
For
firft,
the
Promife
Was
hot only concerning the Marinersand the reft
in
the
fhip,for
the
prefervation
of
whom
the
means
formerly mentioned were
ufed
,
but ofPaul's
apearance before
Cefar,a
great
and
eminent worke
whereunto
he
was defigned
Ads
9.15.
Fear
not Paul thou
mg
be
brought before
Ctefar;
Looke
thenwhat
infallibility in
refpeer
of
the
Event
there
was,
as
to
Paul's
appearance before
Cefar, the
fame
there
was
in
the
prefervation
of
the
lives
of
the reft with him;Now
Although
the
flaying
of
the
Mariners
from
going out
ofthe
fhip, was a meanes
that
Paul
was
kept
a
live
to
be
brought
beforeCafar,yet
can any
one be foforfaken
of
common
fence
as
to
fay,
that
it
was
the Condition
of
the purpófeof God
concerning
the
fulfilling
of
that Te-
ftimony, which according
to
his
appointment Paul
was
tb
make at
Rome,
with all the mighty and
fuccefsfull
travel!
for
the propagation
of
the
Gofpell;
which he after this
was
ingaged
ins
VVas
it
all
now caft upon
the
fall
of
an
un-
certaine condition not
at
all
determined
of
God
as
to
its
accomplifhment
?
Doth
the
infinitely wife
God delight
to
put the
purpofes
of
his
heart, and
thofe
of
fo
great concernement to the
Kingdome
of
his
Sonne and
his
ovine
Glory in
the
everlafting wellfare
of
innumerable
foules
to
fuch
uncertaine
hazards ,
which by
various
wayes
obvious and naked before
his
eyes,he
could have pretended.
Secondly,
It
is
part
of
the
predi
&ion
of
Paul
from
thepròmife
he had
ceived,
(and
therewith
a
Revelation
thereof) that
they fhould be call upon
a
certaine
Ifland,
God havingfome worke
for him
there
to
do; Now
was
this
part
ofthe
Promife
Conditional!
or
no
?
If
it
be
aid
that
it
was,
Let the
Con=
dition
on
which
it depended be
affigned.
Nothing
can be imagined
unlefhe
it
be that the
Wind
fate
in fuch
or
fuch
a
quarter;
'Tis then
fuppofed
that God
promifed Paul and
his
company fhould
be
caft on an ifland
for their
prefer
-
vation,provided the
Wind
ferved for
that
end
or purpofe:
But who
I
pray
commands
the
VV
inds
and
Seas?
Doth the Wind
fo
blow
where
it
lifteth,
as
not to
be
at
the command
of
its
Maker
? Is
it
not
enough
that
we cart
off
his
yoake and foveraignty from men,
but
mull the
ref
due
of
the Creation be
forced
fo
to
pay
their homage
to
our free
wills
As
to
be
exempted thereby
from
Gods
difpofallc!f
this
part
of
the
Promife were infallible and Abfolute;
As
to
the
certainty
of
its accomplifhment,
why
not the other part
of
it
al
°,
fo
?
Thirdly,
Paul
makes confeffìon
of
his
Faith
to
his
Company, concerning
the
Accotnplifhment
of
this Promife.
I
believe God
(faith he)
hi
xis
'tw
xK
'
4. 47,
cv
Tejvov
)<ET4Nxkt
µoí.
It
{hall
fo come to pa
ffe
in
the fame manner
as
it
was
told
rye;
clearely
ingaging
the Truth
and Faithfulneffe
of
that
God
which
he
wor-
fhipped
(for
his
Teftimony
to
whofe
Truth
he
was
then
in
bonds) for the ac-
complifhment
of
what he
had
fpoken
to
them:
viz.t?
at
not
one
of
them
fGould
be
lofl:Now fuppofing
that
any
oneperfon had by any accident
fallen
out
of
the
(hip,
Mr
Goodwin
tells you
there
had been no opportunity or poffìbilitÿ
left
unto
God
to
have
fulfilled
his
Promife;trtie;for it
had bin wholly
fruflrá-
ted,