79 / 504
Mr G. Grounds
of
Sts
Perfeverance.
`
C
a
P.
I. 4:37-
lfition,
and preferved from all,
or
any
fuch finnes
as
will
certainely make
a
2 3
feparation
betweene
God
and
their
Soules
?
Nay
there
is
not
one
fuck
Pro
-
mife
in all
the
Booke
of
God;
they
are
Conditionall,
for
the
injoyment
of
the
good
things
;whereof
Believers (rand all
their
dayes
upon their good behavi-
our?
Is
it
then that the
Lord Jefus,who
is
aiwais
heard
of
hi
s
Father,interceder
for them,that
their
Faith
falle
not,
&
that they
may
bè
preferved
by
the
power
of
God
unto
Salvation, &
that
not
only
upon Condition
of
their
Believing,but
cheefiy,that they
may
be
kept
and preferved
in
Believing
?
Or
is
it
that
their
Enemies
are
fo
conquered
for.
them
and
on
their
behalf;
in
the
Death
and
RefurreCEion
of
Chrift,
that
they
(hall
never have dominion
over them,
that
their
Security
doth
arife?
Neither the
one, nor the
other;
nor any, nor all
of
thefe,are the Grounds,
a
nd Foundations
oftheir
Eftablithment, but they are
wholy
given
up
to
the
powerfull hand
of
fome Confderations, which
M. Good-
win
expreffeth and
fetteth out
to
the
life,
Cap.
9.
Seel. 327
33,
34
Pag.
174,
175
Now
becaufe theitemonftrants
have
always
told us,that God bath provided
4.3q.
fuftcieütly for the
Perfeverance
of
the
Saints,
if
they
be
not fupinely wanting
to
coitxag.es.s
themfelves
in
the
life
of
them
;but
havenot
hitherto, either joyntly,orfeverally
(that
I
know
of)
taken the paints
to
difcover
in
particular, wherein
that
5,Tte
¡.2.
Sufficiency
of
Provifion
for their
fafety
loth
confift,
or
what
the
meanes
are
that
God
offords
them
to
this end
and purpofe; Mr
Goodwin
who
is
a
lear-
ned
Myftes
of
all
their
Councels,
having
exá&ly
and
fully
layd them
forth,
as a
folid
Foundation
of
his
Affertion, concerning only
a
remote Poflibility
of
the
Saints
totall Defeûion,
let
it
not
"feerne
Tedious
or Impertinent,
if
Tranfcribe,
for
the
clearer
Debate
of
before,the
Reader, that
whole
Dif-
courge
of
his,
and confider
it
in
order
as
it
lyes.
if
(faith
he)
it
be
Demanded,
what are the Meaneswhich
God
bath givenfo- abundantly
to
the
Saints,
to
make
themfelves
fo free,fo
flrong
in inclinations
to
avoid thingsfo
apparantly
deflru-
£liveto
the
spiritual/
Peace,and
Salvation
of
Soules,ae naturally men are
to
forbeare
all fuch
occafions
which
-are
apparantly
deflruCiive to
their
naturali
lives,
fo that
they
need not
to
be, any
mores
any
whit
more
afraid
of
looting
their
Soules
through
their
ovine
all
tugs,
then-men are,or
need to
be
of
de-
l-fraying
their
naturali
lives
upon
the
fame
termer.
7Anfwer
a.
First,
he
bath given
them
Eyes
wherewith,& Light
whereby
Clearaly,&
evi-
dently
to fee
and
know,
that
it
is not
more
rationall,
or
manlike
for
men to
re-
frame
allfach
as;
which
they know they
cannot
performe, but
to
the prefent
and
unavoidadle
de
firuilion
oftheir
naturall,
liver, then'tis
to
forbeare
all
finfull
4th
whatfoever,and
efpecially
firth;
which are apparantly
defirulive
to
their
Soules,
2..
Secondly; God hath not
only
given
them the Eyes;
and the
Light
we
fpeake of, wherewith,and
whereby cleerely
to
fee;
&
vnderftand
the things
ma=
ni
fefled, but hath
farther
indeed them with
a
faculty
of
Confederation, where-
with
to
relied
upon,
and review,
and
ponder,
fo
oft
as they
pleafe,
what
they See,
Underhand,
and
Know
in this
kind.
Now
whatfoever a man is
capable,
Firft,
of
Seeing
and
Knowing:
(Secondly)
of
Pondering
and
Conjidering,
he is capable
or
`
railing or workingan inclination
in
himfelfe towards
it;
an!werableinStrength,
Vigour
and
Power,
to
any
degree
of
Goodneffe,or Defireablenefs,
which
he is able
to
apprehend
therein:
for
what
is
an
inclination
towards
any
thing,
but a
propenfion,
and
laying out
of
the
heart and
Thule
towards
it
?So
that
if
there
be
worth,and
good
nets fufftcient
in
any
objeEl
whatfoever?o
heart
it
and
(Secondly)
ifa
man
be
in
a
capacity
of
difcovering
and
apprehending
this
good clearly;
and
(Thirdly)
be
in
alike
capacity
of
confedering
this
v
ion,
certainly
he is
in a
capacity
and
at
liberty
to worke
himfelfe
to
what
flrength,or
degree
of
defere
and inclination
to-
wards