435 / 504
Doarine
of
Saints
Perf.fuited to
their
Confolation.
C:Xft.
nature and
Caufes
ofit,
the
meanes
ofits
prefervation;
The
oppofitions
that
lye againft
ït:
and by all
the
Confiderations
ofit, to
have manifefted;
That it
is
utterly
impof{ible
to
keep it
alive one
moment
in
the
heart
of
a Believer,
without the contribution
of
fupportment.
it
receives from
the
Do&rine
in
hand.
And
that
thofe who refute
to
receive
it,
as
ufually
delivered,
indeed
have none, nor
can
have any
drop
ofit,
but
what
is
instilled
into them, from,
and
by
the power and
efficacy,
which
Cecretly
in and upon their hearts
that
truth hath,
which
in
wordsthey oppofe
:
all
their
peace
and comfort
,
being
indeed abfolutely proportioned, to
that
which
theDoctrine
of
the
Saints
per-
feverance tends
to confirm;
and
to
nothing
elle.
But
this Difcourfe
grow-
ing
under
my hands
beyond
all
thought
or
expe&ation,
I
{hall nOw
only keep
dole
to
the removal'
of
the
Exceptions made againft
it,
and haften
to
a
dole.
I muft not
leave this Argument;
without taking
notice
of
the
Medium,
whereby
M.
Goodwin
fuppofeth himfelfe
to
have
confirmed the
truth of
the
affumption,
laid
downe at the entrance, or
to
havemanifefted
the good com-
plexion (as he phrafes
ít)
ofthat
nurse
he
bath provided for
the Confolation
of
the
Saints
(
a
Nurfe with
breath offlint,
and
a
heart
of
Iron,
bath
,
this
Cru-
ell man
provided for them;
a
Nurfe whom God
will
never admit into
his
fa-
mily, nor ever
expofe his childrens lives,
to
any
filch
Wolfe,
or
Tygre
,
as
will
certainly
starve
them,
if
not
devourethem Rather
a curft, yea an
accurfed
fiep-dame,
than
a Nurfe;
who
when
the
children
aske
for
bread,
gives
them
a
{tone;
and
when
they begge for
fith, gives
them
a Scorpion:
A
falle
and
trea-
'cherous
hireling, doing
not the
leaft fervice
for God, but labouring
to
ftirre
up
strife
in
his
Family,
to
let
his
poore children, and their heavenly Father
at
variance,
filling
them, with hard thoughts
of
him,
As
one
that
takes
little
or
no care forthem,
And difcouraging
them
in
that
obedience, whichhe
requir-
eth at
their hands, continually
belying
their Father
to
them, and that
in
refe-
rence
to
the
most defireable Excellencies
of
his Faithfulneffe,
Truth,
Mercy,
and
Grace;
never fpeaking one good
or
comfortable word
to
them
all
their
dales,
nor
once urging them
to
doe their
duty,
But with-holding
a
rodde,
yea Scorpions
over their backs;
And cafting
the eternall
flames
of
Hell
into
their
faces;
this
is
that
fanguine,
indeed
truly
fpiritually
bloudy
Complexion
of
this newNurfe,which
is
offered
to
be
received
in
the roome
of that
fadMelan-
choly
piece,
of
the Perfeverance
of
the
Saints.
Thus
then
he proceeds
The
Confolation
of
true Believers,
depends
upon
their
obedience,
their
obedi-
ence
is
farthered
by
this Dotlrine
, and
therefore
their
confolation
alfo.
Avf.
What
are the
fprings
of
true
fpirituall
heavenly,
Confolation, the con-
folation which God
is
willing
Believers
should receive; whence
it
ffowes;
the
meanes
of
its
continuance and
increafe,how
remote
it
is
from
a
foie
depen-
dency on
our
own
Obedience, bath
been
in
part beforedeclared;
But
yet
if
the next
Affertion can
be
made
good,
(viz.)
That
the
Dottrine
of
the Saints
Apo
fiat),
hath a
tendency
inflituted
of
God, to
the promotion
of
their
Obedience
and
Holineffe,
I
{hall
not contend about the
other,
concerning
the
iffuing
of
their
confolation from thence.
All
that
really
is
offered in
the
behalfe
of
Apo
Italy,
as
to
its ferviceableneffe in this
kind
is,
that
it
is
fuited,
to
ingenerate
in
Believers,a feare
of
Hell, whichwill
put them upon
all
wayes
of
mortifying
the
flesh,
and
the fruits
of
it,
which
otherwife would bring them thereunto:
And
is
this
indeed the great
miftery
ofthe
Gofpell?Is this Chrifts way
ofdea-
lingwith
his
Saints
?
Or
is
it
not
a
falling from
Grace,
to returne
agame
unto
the
Law
?
Thofe
of
whom
alonewe fpealt,who are concerned
in
this
butines
are
all
of
them
taken intothe
Glorious liberty
ofthe
Sonnes
of
God, are
every
Ccc2
one
4.