475 / 504
z
Cor.
9,27 Vindicated, the
fence
ofche
word
'A&.
CAP.
XVII.
keeping him by
the
Angels:
and
Hezechiah neglected
not the
meanes
ofLife, 419
notwithftanding the infallible promife
of
Living
fo
long,which
:
he had
re-
ceived
:
Paul was
carefull
in
the
ufe
of
meanes,
to
prevent
that
which
in-
himfelfe, it
was
poffible for
him
to
runne into, though
he
had
or
might have
affurance,
that through the
faithfulneffe
and power ofGod,
in
the
ufe
of
thofe meanes,(as an antecedent
of
the confequent, though not the conditions
of
the event)he
fhould
bepreferved
certainely
and
infallibly from
what
he
was fo in himfelfe
apt unto.
So
that
whatever bethe peculiar intendment
of
the Apofile
in this
place,taking the
terme
ádöwµo;
in
the largeft
fence poffiblè,
and
in
a fignificancy
of
the
greateft
compaffe,
yet nothing
will regularly
be
inferred thence,to the
leaft
prejudice
of
the Doctrine I have undertaken
to
maintaine.
And
this
may
fuffice as
to
the utmoít
of
what Mr
Goodwin
Argument from
4.
al.
this place
doth
reach unto.
There
is
another
,
and
that
a
more proper
fence
of
the
place, and accommodated
to the
context and
fcope
of
the
Apoftle
wherewith the
Dottrine
indeavoured
to
be
confirmed from hence,
hath not
the
leaft
pretence
of
communication. And
this
arifeth (as
was
before
mani-
felied)
from
the
fcope
of
the
place, with the
proper
native
fignification
ofthe
word
á
shu
&, here tranflared
a call -away.
The
bufineffe
that
the
Apofile
hath
in hand,-from
y.15.
ofthe
chapter,and
which
he
preffes
to the end,
is
a
relation
of
his
own principles, wayes,
and
deportment
in
the great worke
of
the
preaching
of
the
Gofpell
to
him
com-
mitted ;
in
the
laft
words
of
the
chapter he
acquaints
us
with one
efpeciall
áyme he
had
in
the
carrying on
of
that
worke
,
through the whole courfe
ofhis employment therein.
And
is
his fuch
care, and
endeavour after
per
-
fonall
mortification, holineffe,
and
felfe-
denyall,
that
he
might no
way be
lif-
ted up, nor
entangled with the revelations made to him; therein providing
in
the
midst
ofthe
great certainety, and
affurance which
he had (v. 26.)
that
he
might
approve
himfelfe
a
workman
not needing to be albamed,
as
not
only preaching
to
others for their good, but
himfelfe alfo
accepted
ofGod,
.
in
the
difcharge
of
that
employment,
as
one
that
had dealt uprightly, and
faithfully therein.
v. 17.
he acquaints
us
with what
is
the fiate
and condition
of
them thatpreach the Gofpell,
their
worke
may go on, and yet themfelves
not
be approved
in
the
worke
:
this he
laboured
to
prevent,walking
upright=
ly,
faithfully,
fincetely, zeloufly,
humbly
in
the
difcharge
of
his
duty:
uí
c
t
átaois
xnq
qn
faith
he
d
ç
ä,d`oxv'
yiv.(44a,
lea
ft having preached
to
others
he
fbould not hinafelfè
be
approved
and
accepted
in that
worke
,and
fo loofe
the reward
mentioned
(v.57.)
peculiar
to
them,
who walke in
the
difcharge
of
their
duty
with
a
right
toote,
according
to
the mind
of
God.
The
whole
context,
defigne,
and
fcope
of
the
Apofile,
withthe native
fignification
ofthe
word
ádlxstp-,lea-
ding
us
evidently and directly
to
this
interpretation, it
is
fufficiently
cleare,
that
Mr
Goodwin is
like
to
finde
little fhelter
for
his
Apoflaf
, in this
Affertion
of
the
Apoftle. And befides,
whatever
be
the importance
of
the word, the
Apoftle mentions not any thing
but
his
confcientious
diligent ufe
ofthe
meanes, for
the attaining
of
an end, which
end
yet
may fully
be
promifed
of
God
to
be
fo
brought about, and accomplifhed.,/
MrGoodwin tells
us indeed,
that the
wordcZNY,4
is
in
'the
writings
of
the 4.24..
Apoftle, con.flantly
tranflated
Reprobate, as Ham.
t.
28.
2
Cor.i 3,
5,
6,
7.
2
Tim,
3.8.
Tit.r.i6.
or
is
expreffedby
a
word equivalent, asHeb.
6.8.
how rightly
this
is
done,
in his
judgement
he tells
us
not: that
it
is
fo
done,
ferves his
turne;&
he hath
no caufe
farther to trouble
himfelfe
about
its
The truth
is,
in
moft
ofthe
places
intimated, the word
is
fo
refirained,
either from
the
can
fes
of
the thing
expreffed,
as Rom.
i
.
28
or the condition-of the
perfons
of
H h
h
2
whom