350 / 504
C.X11.Conf
ftency
of
Prom.
of Peri
&
Exhortations to
the
ufe
of
meanes
294
the
effeetuall
Accomplithment thereof. And therefore nothing
is
,in
vaine. or
ufeletlly applied
to
them,
which
according
to
his
appointment
is
fuited
to
the
ftirring
of
them up
to the
ufe
of
the
meanes Ordained for
that
end,
as
before
mentioned.
Therefore
to
Mr
Goodwin's
fecond Affertion
which
he calls
evi-
dent: I
fay
Firft
that it
is
not the
making,or
the bare
snaking knowne
to
the
Saints
of
the
Promifes
ofGod, that
will
worke
the
end for
which
they are
given
to
them,
or
enable
them
to
mixe them with Faith;
and according to the
ftrength
of
that,
and not according
to
the
Truth that
is
in
the
Promifes themfelves,
is
their
Affurance
ofthe
things promifed;
And therefore
notwithftanding
all
the
cleare Promifes
of
Perfeveránce
which
are
made,
and
made knowne
to
them
we
fee
very
many
ofthem
not
to
come up
to
any
fuch
Aflùrance thereof,
as
to
be
freed
from theFirfi fort
of
Feare mentioned,which yet
is
the proper
iffue
ofunbeliefe
,to the
begettingwhereof
in
them,God bath not intlituted
anyOr-
dinance.
Secondly
that
none
of
the
Saints
ofGod
are by the Promifes
of
Grace
which we aflert, freed from
that
Feare
which
is
the
proper produ&and
effe
t
"of
Gods
Comminations
in refpe&
of
them, and therefore
by
them
there
is
no
obltru
&ion.laid
in
the
way
of
the proper
efficiency
ofthofe
threatnings What
is
added
in
the third
and laft
place,
is
only
a
Repetition
of
what
was
before
fpoken, without any
attempt'ofProofe;
unleffe he
would have it look't upon
as
a
Conclaafonfrom
the
premifes,
whole weakeneffe being difcovered
as
to
the
intent and
purpofe
in
hand,
we need
not farther trouble our
felvés
with
it. Inftead
of
Mr
Goodwin's
now confidered,
take
thefe few
obfervations which
will give
fo
much
light into the
whole
matter under
debate,
as
may
fuperfede
his
whole infuing Difcourfe..
4:
56.
Firft then,
it
may
be
obferved (as
it
was by
the
way in
the
foregoing
Dif-
courfe)
that
notwithftanding the
PromifesofPerfeverance which
are given to
the
Saints,
yet many there are,
who are
not enabled all their
dayes
to
mix
them
with Faith
(although their intereft
&
portion
lyes
in
them,no
lefle
than
theirs
who
through Grace attaine the greateft
Affurance) and
on
that
account
do
never all
their
dayes
get
free
from tome bondage
by
reafon
of
the
Feare
of
Death
and deftru
&ion:
And
in refpe&
of
fuch
as
thefe,the
Corn -
minations and threatnings
infifted on, may
have much
of that
End
accom-
plifhed which
by
Mr
Goodwih
is
affigned
to them;
not
that
fuch a
frame
is
di-
reedy
aimed
at
in
them,Chrift dying to
deliver them,
who,by
reafon
of
Death
were
in
bondage
all their
dayes,
from
that
bondage
which
the
Feare
of
Death
for
finne
doth keepe the
foules
of
men in,
and under, but that
it
followes
and
willfollow upon
their
darkeneffe and weákeneffe
ofFaith.
Secondly,
that
the
Promifes
of
Perfeverance being
of
the
effe&ing
and ac-
complifhment
of
it,
by and
in
the
efe
of
meaner,
do not, nor
will
give delive-
rance
to
them
to
whom they are made from feare
of
death
and Hell,
but
On-
ly
whilftthey
confcientioufly
ufe the means appointed
for them
to
walke
in:
fo
that
upon their
deflexion from
the
Ride
which
is
attended with
Mercy
and
Peace,
the
threatnings
of
God
to
finne
and
(inners,
to
Apoftacy
and
Apoftates,
do
lay
hold
on them in
their full
force and
efficacy;
efpecially
to
the
ingene
rating
in
them
a
Terreur
of
the Lord
(as
the
Apoftle fpeakes)
& an
abhorrency
of
their
wayes,
a
loathing
of
them
as
not'
good,
that
would
caufe
them
to
fall
into
the
hands
of
the
Living
God;
So
that
all
Mr
Goodwin's
Arguings,
not
be-
ing levied againft
the
certainety
of
Perfeverrance
but
mens
Certainty that
they
Mall
Perfevere (which
Tome
never attaine unto
fome loofe either
in
whole,
or
in
part,
oftentimes) are
not
to
the
bufineffe in
hand.
Thirdly