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Whether
Doarine
renders
men
proud and prefumptuous. C.XVII.
affured;
&
therefore knowing
the terrour
of
the Lord
do
perfwade men
(what
'we.are able)
to call
downe
all high
thoughts and imaginations concerning
their owne
Abilities
to
doe good,
to
believe,
to obey the
Gofpell,
or
to
abide
in
the Faith thereof, and
to
rowle
themfelves freely, fully,
wholly
on the free
Grace
and faithfulneffe
of
God ,
in
the covenant
of
Mercy
, ratityed
in
the
blond
of
his
Sonne, wherein
they
fhall
be
affured
to
find
Peace
to
their
foules.
On
this
foundation doe we'build
all
our
endeavours, for
the
exalting the fo-
veraigne, free,
effe&uall
grace
ofGod,
in
oppolition
to
the
proud and
pre,
tmp-
tuous conceits
of
men,
concerning their own imbred, nativopower in.fpirituall
things;
an Apprehenfion
whereof
we
are
well
allured, difpofeth
the heart
in-
to
fuch a
frame
as
God abhorres,
and prepares
the
foule
to
a
battle
againft
him,
in
the
higheft
and molt abominable Rebellion imaginable;
I
no waits
doubt, but that the
way and meanes whereby
innumerable poore creatures
have been hardened to
their
eternall
Ruine,
have had all their fprings
and
fountains,
ly
in
this one wretched referve
,
of
a
power
in
themfelves
turne
to
God, and
to
abide with
him.
That
any one by mixing
the
protnifes
of
God
with Faith, whereinthe Lord bath gratioully affured him,
that
feeing
he
hath
no
firengih
inhimfelfetocontinueinhismercy
,he
will
preferve
and
keep
him in, and through
the
Sonne
of
his
Love,
hath
ever been
,
or
ever can be
turned
wholly
afide
to
any
Way
orpath not acceptable
to
God,or not ending
in everlafting peace,
will
never be made good
whileft
the
Gofpell
of
Chrift
finds
honour and credit
amongft any
of
the
fonnes
of
rien
There
may
be
force
indeed, who areftrangers
to
the
covenant
of
proniife.,
what ever they doe
pretend,
who may
turn
this Grace
ofGod
in
the
Gofpell,
as
alto
that
of
the
Satin
f4
'ion ofChri
ft,
Redemption
by
his
blond,
andJuftifrcation by Faith,
(the
whole
DoEtrine
of
the covenant
of
Grace in
Chrift) into
lafcivioufneffe5
but
fhall
their
unbeliefemake
the
Faith
ofGod
of
none
effect? fhall
their
wicked
-
nffe
and Rebellion
, prejudicethe mercy;
peace
,
and Confolation
of
the
Saints
?
Becaufe
the Gofpell
is
to
there
the
favour ofDeath
unto
Death,
may it
not
be
the
favour
of
Life
unto Life
unto
them
that
doe embrace it
?
What e-
ver then be
the
difaffers,
(
of
which themfelves
are the
foie cattle
)
of
men
with their prefumptuous
conceits
of
the
impoflìbility
of
milëarrying
(
feeing
every
prefumptuous conceit
of
what kind foever,
is
a
defperate tnifcarriage)
their
ruine and deftru
&ion
cannot
in
theleaft
,
be afcribed
to that
Do&rine,
which
calls
for Faith
in
the
promifes
of
God,
a
Faith
working
by
Love,
and
de-
crying all prefumptuous conceits whatever;
A
Do
&rive
without
which
,
and
the
neceffary
concomitant
Do
&rives
thereof, the
whole
bottomeof
mens
walking
with God
,
and
of
their
obedience,
is
nothing
but
prefomption
and
conceit,
whereby
Petting afide
the
cold
fins
they
are
fometitnes
caít
into,
by
the
checks
of
their
confciences,
they
fpend
their
daies in
the diftemper
of
a
Feaver
of
Pride
and Folly.
In the
infuing Difcourfe
Mr
Goodwin
informes
us
of thefe two
things.
Firft,
What
Rule
he proceeds
by
in
judging of
the
Truth
of
contrary opinions when
(as
he
phrafeth
it)
th_e
toting
of
the
Scripturefeemes
to
be
r
loven about them.
And
Secondly,
Of
his
owne
Advantages
and
abilityes
to maize a
right
judg-
meat according
to=that
Rule.
TheRule
he attends
unto
upon the information
he
bath
given us
is,
7he Conftderattott
of
which
of
the opinions
that
are
at
any
time
Rivalls
for
his
judgement and
acceptation
tend
molt.
unto Godlineffe;
the
Gofpell
being the
truth
whichis according
to
Godlineffe,
of
his
owne advantages
and
abilityes
to
make
aright
judgment according
to
this rule,
there
a're
fe-
verall heads and fprings;
as
his
knowledge
of
the
general'
courfe
of
the Scripture,
the Experience
of
his
owne
heart,
his
long
obf
ervation
o
f
the Spirits and
wayes
of
men, but chiefely
that
light
of
Keafon
andVnderftanding
which he bath.
And by
this
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