489 / 504
What
progres man
not
reallyRegen.may make
in
the
things
ofGodC.
XVII!
on,
unto
which perfons
not truly
converted,
but
only wrought upon
by an
effe&uall
cons
&ion in
the
preaching
of
the word,
may
attain;
M:
G:
is
no
way able
to
prove: And
there
is
alto this confideration riling up
with
ftrength
and
power,
againft
that
interpretation; viz.
that
thofe
that
are
fo
made partakers
of
the Spirit
as
to
be
regenerated, quickned,
fealed,
comfor-
ted
thereby, which are fome
of
the peculiar
as
of
his
Grace,
in
and
towards
the
foules
of
thofe
that
Believe, can
never
lode
him, nor
be
deprived
of
him,as was manifefted
before at large,being fealed and confirtned,not only in
the prefent enjoyment
of
the Love
and
favour
of
God, but
alto
unto the
full
fruition
of
the Glory,
which
is
provided for them, and therefore cannot
fall
away,
as
thefe are fuppofed
to
do,
What
there
is
in
Mr Goodwin Difcourfe,
on this paffage
Se
&.23,24,
to
weaken
in
the
leafs
what
is
ufually
anfwered,or
farther
to
enforce
his
expofition
of
the
place;
I
am
not
able
to
apprehen
dand
(hall
therefore proceedwith what remaineth.
All
that
followes in
the
place
of
the
Apoftle
underconteft,
is
regulated by
$5.
35.
the
word,
Taft:
they
have
tailed
of
the
good
word
of
God,
and
the
powers
of
the
World
to come:
what the
fence
and importance
of
that
word
is,
hath been al-
ready declared:neither
can
it
beproved,
that
the
perlons here defcribed,
doe
fo
raft
of
the
good
word
of
God,as
to
mix
the
protnifes
ofit
with
Faith,or
ofthe
powers
of
the world
to
come,
as
to
receive them,in
power
in
their hearts
by
believing
fo
that
farther conteftabout
there
words
feetnes
to be altogether
needleffe.
.
How farre men may proceed in
the
wayes
of
God , what progreffe they
may make
in
amendment oflife, what gifts and common
graces
they
may
re-
ceive,
what light and knowledge they
may be
indued withall , what kind
of
Faith, Joy,
Repentance, Sorrow, Delight, Love, they mayhave,
in
and about
fpirituall things;what
defire
of
mercy and heaven
,
what
ufefull gifts
for
the
Churches
edification
they may receive
,
how farre
they
may perfwade
their
Own
foules,
and upon what grounds,
that their
condition
Godward
is
good,
and
laving, and beget an opinion
in
others
that
they are
true
Believers,
and
yet
come
fhort
of
union with Chrift, building
their
houfes on
the
fand &c.
is
the
daily taske
of
the
Preachers
of
the
Gofpell
to
manifeft, in
their
preffrng
that
exhortation
of
the
Apoftleunto their
hearers, to examine and try
them-
felves in
the middeft
of
their
profefiìon,
whether Chrift be
in
them
of
a
truth
or
no.
I
hall
not nowenter upon
that
labour; the Reader
knowes
where to
find
enough
in
the
writings
of
holy and learned
men
of
this
Nation
to
evince,
that
men may
arrive at
the utmoft
height
of
what
is
in
this place
of
the
Apo
-
file by
the Holy Gholt
afcribed
to the
perlons
of
whom
he fpeakes, and yet
come fhort
ofthe
Rate
of
true
Believers.
M.G. indeed
tells
us
Sel`.27.
The
Premifes
relating
to
the two
pafages yet
under debate confidered,
.I
am
fo
st:
37.
fierre
from
queflioning whether the
Apo
file
fpea
es
of
true
and
found
Believers
in
them,
that
I
verily judge,
that
he purpofely
fought
out
feverall.ofthe
moll
empha-
tieá!l
and
fgnall charaf
ers
of
Believers,
yea
fach
which are hardly or
rather
not
at all,
to be
found
in
the
ordinary
fort
of
true Believers, but
only
in
thofe
that
are
moll
eminent
amongl
them,
that
fo
he
and
fetch,
who
though found,
yet
were weahe
in the Faith, might
fall
away
and
perifle,
but
that
even
-Ouch
all
r
who were
lifted
up
nearer unto Heaven
than theirfellowes,might
through
carelefneffe
and carnall-
f
ecurity,
daft
themfelves
in
pieces
againflthe
fame
fione,
&
make
fhipwracke
.
of
theirJoules,aa
well
as
they.
.
Aril:
The
Houle
built
on
the
fand
,
may
oftentimes be built higher, have
more
faire
perapets and
battlements,
windowes
and ornaments than
that
which
is
built
upon
the Rock: yet
all guifts
and
priviledges, equall
not one
Grace,in
refpe&
of
light, knowledge,
guifts, and
many
manifeftations
of
the
K
k k
Spirit
435