376 / 504
C.X(V.
The
falacious
Ground
of
this
Argument
of
M. G's.
32o
their Rationall
Soules,
wherein are Principles
fit
to be excited
to
Operation,
by Exhortations and Promifes.
4
Thirdly,
all
that
is indeed
Argumentative in this
Difcourfe
is
built
on this
.
5.
Foundation;
that
a
Spirituali Affurance
of
attaining the
end
by
the
ufe
of
meaner,
is
difcouraging and
diffwafive
to
the
ufe
of
thofe
meanes;
A
Propo-
fition fo
uncouth
in
it
felfe,
fo
contradi
&ory
to
the
experience
of
all
the
Saints
ofGod,
fo
derogatory
to the
Glory and Honour
of
Jefius
Chrift
himfelfe,
(who
in all his
Obedience had doubtles
an Affurance
of
the
end
of
it
all)as a-
ny
thing
that
can well
fall
into
the imaginations
of
the Hearts
of
men;
Might not the Devill have thus replyed upon our
Saviour, wheu he
tempted
him
to turne
Stonesinto
Bread,
& caft himfelfe from a
pinacle
of
the
Temple,
Sc
received
Anfwer
that
man
lives not byBread alone
but
by
every
word
that
procee-
deth out
of
the mouth
of
God
but
alas! thou
efus
the
Sonne
ofthe
Living God,that
art
perfwaded thou
artfo,
and that
God
wi11
preférve thee, whether
thou
ufit
any
meaner or no,
that
thou
(halt
never
be
ftarved
for
want
of
Bread, nor
hurt
thy
felfe
by
any
fall,
whatever
thou
doll,the
Angell."
having
charge
that
no
evill(
hall
come
nigh thee,
nor thy
foot
be
hurt
agains7
a
florae,
thou mai.f/
now
caft
thy
felfe
head-
long
from
the
Temple, to
manifefi
thy Affurance
of
the
Love
and Faithfullneffe
of
Godwith his
Promifesto
thee;
Ifour
Saviour
thought
it
fufficient
to
ftop the
mouth
ofthe
Devill, to
manifeft from Scripture,
that
notwithftanding the
Affurance from God
that
any one
hath
of
the
end,
yet
he
is
to
ufe
the
manes
tending thereunto,
(a
negle&
whereof
is
a
finfull
tempting
ofGod;)
we limit
not
need
to
goe
farther
for
an Anfwer
to the
fame
kind
ofObje
&ions
in
the
mouth
of
any Adverfary whatever.
4.
6.
His
19th Se
&ion
containeth
his
fourth Argument,
in
thefe words;
If
there
be
nopuffîbility
of
the
Saintsfalling
away
finally,
then
is
their
Perfeve-
ring
uncapable
ofrrewardfrom
God. But
their
finall
Perfeverance is not uncapable
of
rewardfrom
God; Ergo,
The
minor
Propof/tion
I
prefume
contains
nothing
but what
is
the
fence
of
thofe
who deny
the
conchs/ion
:
or
how
ever
it
contain
es
nothing
but
what
is the
exprefféfenceofthe Lord
Chrifi
,where
he
faith;
that
he
that
endureth
to the end,
the
fameAall
befaved;
Therefore
I
fuppofe we
(hall
bee
excufed from
farther
proofe
of
this, without
any
prejudice
to
the taufe in
hand.
Aszf:
I
grant,
Eternal/Lifemay
be
called
the
Reward
of
Perfeverance
in the
fence
that
the
Scripture ufeth
that
word, applyed
to the matter
in
hand; It
is
afterwardneither procured
by
(properly
and Morally
as
the
deferving caufe)
nor
proportioned unto the
obedience
of
them
by whom it
is
attained;
a
Re-
ward it
is,
that withal!,
is
thefree
gift
of
God, and
an Inheritance purchafed
by
Jefus Ch rift; a
Reward
of
Bounty
and not
of
Iuftice, in refpe&
of
themupon
whom
it
is
beftowed,but
only offaithfulneffe in reference to the
promifeof
it.
A
Reward,
by
being
a
gratious incouragement
, as
the
end
of
our obedi-
ence, not
as
the procurement or
defert
of
it;
fo
we
grant
it
a
Reward
of
Perfe-
verance, though thofe words
of
our Saviour,
he
that
endureth
to
the end, the
fame
fliall
be
Paved,
expreffed aconfequence
of
things
only,and not
a
connexi-
on ofcaufality
of
the
one upon
the other:
of
the foundation ofthis dfcourfe
concerning
a
poffibility
of
declining, immediate
confederation fhall
be
had.
He
proceeds then.
4,
7.
The confequence
of
the Major Propoftion, ftandsfirme
upon
thisfoundation;
No
all
of
the Creature
whereunto
it
is
nece(tated,
or which
it
cannot
poßibly decline,
or
but
doe,
is
by
any
Law
of
God, or rule
of
Iuftice rewardable; therefore
if'the
Saints
be
nece/jitoted
by
God
to Perfevere
finally
,
fo
that
he leaves unto
them
no
pofibility
of
declining
finally,their
finall
Perfeverance
is
not according to
any
Law
of
God, or
man, nor indeed
to any
principles
of
Reafon or Equity,
capable
of
re-
ward;
no
whit
more
than
nf/lens
merely natural/are:
Nay
of
the
two, therefeems
to