349 / 504
l,ertainty. of
Prom.
confiftent
with
the
tile &
end
of
Threatnings.
C.Xl1.
or
for
the
canfing
ûf
them
to Perfevere.
And
Laftly, 'tis
every
whit
as
evident, 293
that
fuchPromifes
whereby Godfhould
affare the
saints
,that
they
fballnot
Apo
-
ftatixe,
but Perfevere, are upt
and
proper to
render them
uncapable
of
allfeare
of
Eternal] Death, and
confequently
are apparently
obilrullivc
of
and
deflruCfive
un-
to
the
native
tendency
ofthe
faid
Threatnings towards,
and
about the Perfeverance
of
the
saints;
thef
ihreatnings
can
doe
nothing, contribute nothing towards the
Perfeverance
of
the
Saints,
but
by
the mediation
ofthe
Feare
of
evill
in
them,
upon
their
nonperfevering; therefore whatfoever hardens them
againft
thisfeare,or ren-
ders them uncapeable
of
it,
fuperfedes
all
the virtue
and
vigour which are
to
be
found in t
efe Threatnings,
for
or towards
the
effecting
of
their
Perfeve-
rance.
Auf.
Firft, be it
granted that
one end
of
God
in his'threatnings,i.s
to pre-
ms.
vent
Apoflacy
in
the
StS,by
flirting them up
to
take
careful]
heed
to
the
wayes
and
means
whereby they may perfevere, and
that they no
otherwife worke
or
caute Perfeverance,
but
as
they
fo
ftirre
up
and provoke men
to the
things
wherein they are
to
abide;
But
this
is
not their
only end.
They
are
alto
difco-
veryes
to
all
the world
ofthe
feverity
of
God
againfl
finite,
and
that
it
is
his
:udgement,
that
they who
commit
it
are worthy
of
death.
Secondly, IfbyAbfolute
Promifes
of
Find/
Perfeverance,
you
intend fuck
Promifes
of
Perfeverance,in,and by
the
ufe
of
meanes,inftituted and appoin-
ted by God
himfelfe for
the
accomplifhment
of
the
end promifed,
which
are
not made
or
given,upon
the
Confideration
of
any
worth
in them
to
whom
they are made, nor
do
depend
as
to
their
Accomplifhment,on any
filch
con-
dition
in them
as
in
the
event and
ifiue
may
not be
fulfilled,
this obfervation
alto
is
granted.
You
may adde alto,
that
God
will
certainely,
effe&uaily
and
infallibly
worke
in
them
an
abiding
with
him
to
the
end,
or put his Law
in
their
hearts
that
they£hall
never
depart
from
him;
If
by
in
frui
rably
allo, you
in-
tend
only
that
he
will fo
worke
it
as
that
his
Counfell
and Purpofe
fhall
not
in
the
end
be
fruflrated
or
difappointed,
we
grant
that
allo, for he bath laid
his
Counfellfhall
fland
and
he
will
do
all his
pleafure.
Thefe things being thus
fuppofed,
let
ustry
the
inferences from
them,
that
mull make good the former
Affertion concerning
the fruftration of the
ufe
of
Comminations
by
them,
for they are fingled
out to
beare
the weightof
this
charge.
To
the
firfl
Affumption
then
and
Inference I fay,
there
is
a
twofold feare
of
eternall
death
and
definition. t.
AnAnxious perplexing
Feare
in refpe&
ofthe
End
it
lelfe;
2.
A Watchful! careful! Feare in refpe&
of
the
meaner
leading
thereunto;
In
refpe&
of
the
firfl, it
is
utterly
denyed,
that
the
ufe
and end
ofthe
Threatnings
o
f
God,in refpe&
of
his
Saints,are
to
ingenerate any
fuch
Feare in
them,
it
being
direly
oppofed
to that Faith,
Affurance,
Peace,
BoldneffeConfolation, and
Joy,
that
God
is
pleafed
to
afford
to
them
and abundantly exhorts them
to
live
up
unto;
Yea an Anxious
abiding
Feare
of
Hell, is
fully
contrary to
that
very
Conditionall Affurance
of
Salvation,
which
Mr
Goodwin
hinfelfe
in
refpe&
of
theirprefent Condition
allowes
to
them; Nor bath the
Lord infiituted
his
Ordinances
at
fuch
a
difference
and
Oppofition one to another
, as
that
at
the
fame time
towards the
fame per
-
fons,
they fhould be
effe&uall
to
beget oppofite and contrary
frames
and
principles.
For the other, or
a Watchful!
heed
full
Feare
for
the
avoiding
of
the
way
&
meaner
that
would
lead
them,and
do
lead others
to
deflru
&ion,
that
is
not
in
the lead
inconfiflent
with any
Affurance,
that
God
is
pleafed by
his
Promifes
to
give
to
his Saints
of
their Perfeverance. God
will
have
them ex-
pe&
their Perfeverance
in
the
way
wherein hebath promifed
it;
that
is,
by
the
ufe
of
fuch
and
fuch
Meanes,helpes,
and Advantages,ashe hath appointed
for
P p
3
the