359 / 504
U
fefulnefí-e
of
Pa-
mires
to further Perfeverance-
C.XII.
Now
if
men
are affuredas
this
Doéirine
fuppof
eth they
may
be,
that
they
'hall
at-
O3
ttaine
the end
whether
they
life
the
meaner or no,
how
can they
pof
fibly
be
incited
by
the Promifes to
the
life
of
meaner
propofed
for
the ittjoyment
of
the end promi
-.
fed:
That
this
is
the
fubftance
ofhis Difcourfe,
I
prefume
himfelfe will con
fefle,
and.
it
being the winding up
of
a tedious Argument,
I
fluff
briefeiy
ma-
nifeft its
ufefullneffe,
and
lay
it
alide.
I
fay
then,
Fir&,
what
is
the
True
life
of
the Promifes
ofGod,
and what
Influence
they
have
into the Obedience and
Holineile
ofthe
Saints,
bath
been
formerly
declared. Neither
is
any
thing there
afferted
oftheir
genuine
&
naturali
ten-
dency
to
the
ends
expreffed, enervated
in
the
leafi by
any
thing here inffted
on, or intimated
by
Mr
Goodwin;
fo
that
without more trouble I might
re-
ferre the
Reader
thither to
evince
the
falfeneffe
of
Mr
Goodwin's
Affertions,
concerning
the
ufeleffneffe
of
the
Promifes
unto
Perfeverance,
upon
a fuppofi-
tion
that
there are Promifes
of
Perfeverance:
Secondly,
Though
we
affirme
that
all
true
Saints Ihall
Perfevere,
yet
we
do
not
fay,
that
all
that
are
fo,
do know themfelves to be
fo;
and
towards them
at
leafi
the
Promifes may have
their
Efficacy in
that
way, which
Mr
Good-
win
bath
by his
Authority
confined them
to
worke
in.
Thirdly,
we fay
that our
Saviour
was fully
perfwaded
,
that
in
the
iffue
of
his
undertakings
and fufferings,he fhould be
Glorifaedwith his
Father,
accor-
ding
to
his
Promife: and yet upon the account
of
that
Glory
which he was
fo
Heb.
12.2,
affured of, being
let before him,
he
addreflèd
himfelfe
to
the
fharpeft
and
difficultefl pottage
to
it,
that
ever
any
one entred
on
He
indured
the
CroJfe,
del
piled thefhame, for the Glories
fake,
whereof
he had affurance,
Heb.
I2. And
why may
not
this
be the ftale
of
them,
towhom
in his fo
doing he
was
a
Cap
-
taine
of
Salvation s
Why
may
not the Glory and Reward let before them,
though injoyed
in
a
full
Affurance
of
Faith,
in
the
excellency
of
it
when
poffeffed,
as
promifed,
litre
them up
to
the
meanes leading
thereun-
to.
ç.
The truth
is,the more we are
affured
with the
affurance
ofFaith,(not
of
Prefumption) that
we fhll
certainly obtain
&
enjoy
the
end
whereunto the
meanes
we ufe
do
lead (as
is
the
Affurance
that
arifeth from the Promifes
of
God,)
the more eminently are we prefled
in a
Gofpell way,
if
we walke in
the Spirit
of
the Gofpell,
to
give up
our
felves
to Obedience
to that God,and
Father,
who
hath
appointed
fo
pretiousand lovely
meaner,
as
are
the pathes
ofGrace, for the obtaining of
fo
Glorious an end
as
that
Whereunto we
are
appointed. And thus
I
doubt not but that
it
is
manifeft,by thefe Confide
-
rations
of
Mr
Goodwin: Objeblionsto
the contrary
,
that
the
Do&rine
of
the Perfeverance
of
the
Saints,
asby
us
taught and delivered, doth
not
only fall in
a
fweet Çompliance withall
the
meanes
of
Grace,
efpeciti
ally
thofe
appointed by God
to
eftablifh
the
Saints
in
Faith and Obedience,
that
is,
toWorke
Perfeverance
in
them,
but
alto
to
be eminently
ufefüll
to
give Life,
Vigour,Power and
Efficacy
in
a
peculiar Gofpell
manner,to
all
Fx-
hortations, 7hreatnings
and
Promifes
appointed and applyed
by
God, to
that
end
and purpofe.
CA
P.X111.