439 / 504
r
Doit.
of
Ses
Pert.
not¿ontrary
to
the Councells
of
the
Holy
Gh.C.XVI.
in this difcourfe, coupled with cautions
of
the deepeftcharge,
as
though they
383
mull at the lame time operate the
fame way
to
Believers,
or
elfe
the Holy-
Ghoft be
liable
to be traduced,
as
inconfftent
with himfelfe. When
the
great
'variety
that
is
in
their fpirituall
frame and
temper, the
manifold
Temptations
wherewith they
are aflaulted
,
the
Light
and
Darke
places
they walke
through
&c.
give
occalon
fufficient
to
the
exerciuing
towards them,
all
the
piping
and mourningthat
is
provided for
them.
Fiftly,That
all Believers
are
affured
of
their Perfeverance,
&
that
to
fuch
a
4.
r¢,
degree
as
not
to
feare any Apoftafy,
or
to
care
what
becomes
of
them
(
that
is
aitured to prefumption not
Believing,
)
&
therefore are thofe Cautions and
Admonitions
of
the Holy Ghoft on
that
Account,
tending
to
ftirre up
in
them
any Godly care or feare rendred
fruftrate;
when M.
Goodwin
himfelfe,
thinks
that
very few
of
them
,
doe upon
any
good and abiding foundation
,
know
themfelves
to
be
Believers. And we
never once fuppofed
that
all
of
them
have
Affurance
of
their Perfeverance, nor
any
of
them upon
the
termer
here
propofed;
all
the
ftrength
of
what
is
here infinuated
lyes in
this
that God
gives
Affurance
to
men
of
the
ftedfaftnefíîe,
and
conflancy
of
his
Love,
un-
der
fuppofall
of
their
falling into
all
manner
of
abominable
finites;
Which
fuppofall alone renders an inconfftency between the
fence
ofthe
Promifes we
embrace, and
that
ofthe
Admonitions.
that
are
given
to
theSaintscharging
them
to
walke heedfully and to watch diligently againft
the attempts and
affaults
of
Sathan.
Now
this fuppofall
is
in
it
felfe falfe
and ridiculous: Nei-
ther
ever
did the Lord, nor do
we ever
fay
he did, tender
men Affurance
of
his
Love on fuch termes;
Neither
is
it
poffible
for any onefor ever to have
a
true
perfwafion
of
his
owne
Perfeverance
under
fuch
notions.
Sixtly,That there
is
an inconfiftency
betwixt
Faithfull Promifes
of
attaining
§;15.
an
end
by
the
ufe
of
meanes,and
Exhortatiòn
with
Admonitions,to make
ufe
of
thofe
meanes; fo
that
if
it be fuppofed
that God
promifeth
that
Sathan (hall
not
in
the
iffue
prevaile over
us
prefcribing to
us
the
meanes
whereby we
(hall be preferved
from
his
prevalency,
'tis
in vaine
to
deale with
us
for
the
application
ofour
felves,
unto
the
ufe
of
thofe
meanes.
Seaventhly,'Tis
alfo
fuppofed
that
an
Afarance
of
the Love
of
God and
4.16,
the
continuance
of
it to the
Saints
unto the
end,
fo
that
they
hhall
be never
utterly
rejeered by him
is
an effeftuall
way& meanes
to
induce them
to
carnali
&
bofe
walking, and
a
negligence in thofe
things,,
which are
a
provocation
to
the
eyes
of
his
Glory, and therefore if
he Promife
Faithfully
neverto
leave
as
nor
forfake
us,
it
is
an inducement for
us
to
conclude, let the
Divell now
take
his fwing &
do with
us
what
he pleafeth.
To
exhort
us
to
take
care for
the
a-
voidance
of
his
fubtiltyes
and oppofition
is
a
thing altogether ridiculous;
The
vanity
of
this fuppofall,
bath been
fufficiently
before difcovered and
k
felfe
difproved.
Upon
fuch
Hypothefes
as
thefe
(I
fay) upon
filch
painted
ports,
is
the
whole 4.17.
pageant erefted
which we
are here ingaged withall
;
and thefe being
eafily
caft
down, the
whole
ruffies
to the
ground,
iti
the
roome whereof accor-
ding
to
our
principles this following Difcourfe may
befupplyed.
You
that
are
true
Believers,
called,Juftifyed, Sanfifyed
by
the Spiritand
4.
18;
Blood
ofChrift, adopted into
my family
in
grafted in,
&
united unto the
Son
of
my
Love,
I knowyour
weakenefle,infufiïciency,
difability,
darkeneffe,
bow
that
without my Sonne and continuall fupply
of
his
Spirit,you can do nothing,
the
power
of
your Indwelling
finne, is
not hid
from me, how with violence
it
leads you captive
to
the
Law
thereof,and though
ye
do believe, yet know
youhave yet allo
Come
unheal'd unbeliefe and
on
that
account are often
o-
verwhelmed with Feares, Sorrowes; Difconfolations and Troubles, and are
ready