86 / 504
'
C
A
p.
L
x:49,50.
IJa:C.4.
opened,
The
Doft.
ofPerfeverance
Rated.
30
the
fame
root
with
thin.
In
this place
it
is
by common confent rendered,
a
defence
or
prateition,
being
fo
ufed, either by
Allufion
to that
refrefhment,
cant.a.
4.
that
the Lord Chrift the great
Bridegròonte
gives
to
his
Bride
in
his Banque-
ting
Houfe,
orrather
in
purfuit
of
the former fimilitude
of
the
Cloude,
that
was
over tha7abernacle,and the
Arke,which
reprefented the Glory
of
that
People.
Thus this
defence
or
covering
is Paid
to
beupon, or
above
the
Glory,as
the
Claude
was
over
the
Tabernacle,
and
as
the
Mercy
feste
lay
upon the
Arke.
Adde only
thus much
to
what hath
been fpoken
(which
is
alto
affirmed in
the
beginning
of the
verte) viz.
That
this
defence
is
created,
or
is
an immediate produ&
Of
the
mighty Power
ofGod,
notrequiringunto
it
the
leaft concurrence
of
Creature Power, and the
whole
will manifeft
the intendment of the Lord
everlaflingly
to
fafegarde
the
Spirituall
Gloryes
of
his Saints in
Chrifi.
s.
49
As
there
was
before
{hewn,
there are two
parts
ofour
spiritual!
Glory:
the
one purely
Extrinfecald,
to
wit,the.
Love
and Favour
of
God unto
us,his
free
and Gracious Acceptation
ofus
in
Chrift;on
this part
of
our
Glory,
there
is
this defence
Created,
it
fhall abide
for
ever
it
{hall
never
be
removed. His
owne
Glory and
Excellencies
are ingaged
for the
prefervation
of
this
excellency
and glory
of
his
People. This Sunne,though
it
may be for
a while eclipfed,
yet
{hall
never fet,nor give place
to
an eventng,thar
fhall
make long
the
{bade
thereof:
whom
God
once
freely accepts in
Chrift, he
will
never
turne
away
his
Love from
them,
nor
cafe
them
Vtterly
out
of
his
Favour.
The other
is
within
ue,
and
that
is
our sanl
ification:
our,Portion
fromGod by the Spirit
ofHolinef ïe, and
the
fruits thereof,in
our Faith,
Love,
and Obedience
unto
hire;
And on
this
part
of
our
Glory,
there
is
this,Defence,
that
this Spirit
{hall
never
Vtterly
be diflodged from
that
Soule
,
wherein he makes his refi-
dence, nor
refigue his
habitation to the
Spirit
of
the
World
,
that
his
fruit
{hall
never
fo
decay,
as
that
the Fruits
ofsoclome,
and the Grapes
of
Gomorra
{hould
grow
in
their
roomer
nor they,wherein they are Everlaftingly,
Utter-
ly
and
wickedly grow
barren,
in
departing
from
the Living God
;
thefe two
make up
that
Perfeverance,whereofwe.fpeake:
Whom God
accepts
in
Chrift,
he
will
continue
to
doe
fo
for ever
:
whom he quickens
to
walke with him ,
they
{hall
doe it to
the
end. And there
three
things,
Acceptance
with
God,
Ho-
lineffe
from
God,
and
a
Defence
upon
them both,
unto the
end'',
:
all Free and
in
Chrift, are
that
.
threefold cord
of
the Covenant
of
Grace
,
which
ca
nnot
be
broken.
4
5o.
In the handling then
of
the Do
&rive
propofed
unto
confideration,
I
{hall
(the
Lord affifting)
{hew,
Firft,
that the
Love and
Favour
of
God,
as
to the
free
Acceptation
of
Believers
with
him in Chrift,is conftant,
abiding,and (hall
never be turned
away; handling
at
largethe
Principles,
both
of
its being
and
manifeftation. Secondly,
that
the spirit
and grace
of
Sanatfication, which
they
freely receive
from him,
(hall
never utterly be extinguifhed
in
them,
but
fo
remaine,
as
that
they
{ball
abide with
him for ever:
the
Sophifticall
fepa-
ration ofwhich two parts
of
our.Do&rine,
is
the
greateft advantage our Ad-
verfaries have againft
the
whole. And
demonftrate
Thirdly, the
Real!,
and
Caufall
influences;which this
Truth
bath, into the
Obedience
and
Confolation
of
the
Saints, confidered
both
abfolutely,and
compared
with the
Do&rine, which
is
fet up in
competition with
it:
In
the
purfuit
of
which particulars,
I
fhall
in-
deavour
to
Inforce
and
prefl'e
thofe
places
of
Scripture, wherein they
are a-
_
bundantly delivered, and
vindicate them from all the Exceptions
put
in,to
our
inferences
from them by M.
Goodwin
in his
Redemption Redeemed;
as
alto
Anfwer
all
the
Arguments
,
which
he hath with
much
labour and
induftry,
colle&ed
and improved,
in
oppofition
to
the
'Truth'
in
hand:
Take
then on-
ly
thefe
few
Previous
obfervations, and
I
{hall
infìft
fully
upon
the
proofe and
Demon-