96 / 504
C
A
p.I
I.
g:
14,15,t6.
Mai:3.
6.
Vindicated.
40
it,as
certainely
to
be
fulfilled,
as
he
is
Vnchangeable;
that
(hall infallibly not
withftanding
all oppofitions
and
difficulties,be
wrought
&
perfe&ed;now that
fuch,andfo
Purely
bottomed,
is
the Continuance
ofthe
Love
of
God unto
his
Saints,and fo would he have
them
to
expel
&c.
bath
been proved
by
an indu&ion
of
many
particular
inftances, wherein
thofe ingagements
from
the
Immutability
of
God,
are
fully expreflèd.
14.
One
of
thefe Teftimonies,even
that
mentioned in
the
firft.
place,
Mal.
3.6.
from
whence this
Argument Both arife,
is
propofed
to
be
confidered, and
anfwered
by Mr
Goodwin,
Cap.ao.
Sed.4o,41.
Pag.
2o5,206,2o7.A briefe re-
movall
of
hisExceptions
to
our
inference
fr6
hence,will leave
the
whole
to
its
native vigour,& the
truth
therein contained
to
its
own
ftedfaftnes
in
the
hand
and power
of
that
Demonftration.
Thus
then he propofeth
that
place
ofthe
Prophet,
and
our Argument
from thence, whereunto he
fhapes
his
Anfwer:
For the
words
of
Mal:
I
am the Lord,
I
change
not; from
which
it
is
wont to
be
argued,
that
when God
once
Loves a perfon,
he
never
ceafeth to
love
him,
becaufe
this
mull
needs argue a changeableneffe
in
him, in
s
efpe&í
of
his
Affetlion
:and
confequently
the
saints
cannot
fall
away
finally
from
his Grace,(fo
he.)
-
--
Anf.
It
is
an
eafy
thing
fo to
frame
the Argument
of
an Adverfary,
as
to
con-
tribute
more
to the
weakening
of
it,in
its propofeing then
in
the
Anfxner
af-
terwards
given
there unto; and that
it
is
no ftrange thing with Mr
Goodwin,
to
make
ufe
of
this
Advantage
in his
Difputations
in
this Booke,
is
difcerned,
and
complayned
of
by all
not
ingaged in
the
fame conteft
with
himfelfe;
that
he
bathdealt
noe
othérwifewith
us
in
the
place
under Confideration,
the
infuing
Obfervations
will clearely
manifel.
ß.l5.
(Firft)
all
the ftrength,
that
Mr
Goodwin
will
allow
to
this
Argument,
ari-
feth from
a
naked
confideration
of
the Immutability
of
God,as 'tis
an eflènti-
all
Property
of
his
nature:when our
Arguing
is
from
his
ingagement
to
us,by,
and
on
the account
of
that
Property
;
that
God will doe
fuck
and
fuch
a
thing, becaufe
he
is
Omnipotent,
though
he (hall
not at
all manifeft any
pur-
pofe
of
his will
to
lay
forth
his omnipotency,
for the
accomplifhment
of
it,
is
an inference, all
whole ftrength
is
vaine
prefiunption.
But when
God
bath
ingaged himfelfe for
the
Performance
of
any
thing,
thence
to
conclude
to
the
certaine
accomplifhment
of
it,
from
his
power,whereby he
is
able to
doe
it,
is a
dedu
&ion,
that
Faith
will
readily
dole
withall.
So
the
Apoflle
af-
fures
us
of
the reimplanting
of
the
ewes
upon this
accounts God(faith
he)
is
able
to
plant
them
in
again
,
having
promifed
fo
to
doe.
Rom.
"r
I.
23.
There
are two confederations, upon
which
the
Vnchangeableneffe
of
God,hath
a
more
effe
&uall
influence
into
the continuanceof
his
Love-to
his Saints,
then
the
meere obje&ed
thought
of
it,
will lead
us
to
an
acquaintance withal!.
4
t6
z.
God
Propofeth
his
Immutability
to
the Faith
of
the
Saints,
for their
eftablifhment
&
confolation,in
this
very
cafe
of
the liability
of
his
Love
unto
them:
we
dare not draw
conclufions in
reference
to
our
felves, from any
Property
of
God,
but
onlyupon
the
account of
the Revelation,
which
he
bath
made
thereofunto
us,
for
that
end and purpofe: But
this being
done,
we have
a fure
anchor
firme
and ftedfaft,to
fix
us
againft
all Mails
of
Temp-
tation or
oppofition whatfoever5
W
hen
God
propofes
his
Immutability
or
Unchangeableneffe,
to
affure us
of
the
continuance ofhis Love unto
us,
if
we might
truly aprehend,yea
&
ought
fo
to
doe,
that
his
Unchangeableneffe
may
be.vreferved,and
himfelfe
vindicated from
the
leale
fhadow
of
Turning,
though he
fhould change
his
Mind,
Thoughts, Love,Purpofes
concerning
us every
dav,what
conclufion
for confolation
could
poffibly
arife from
fuch
Propofalls
of
Gods
Immutability
unto
us? Yea
would it
not rather
appeare
to
be
a way fuited
to
the
delufion
of
poore
Soules,
that
when they
(hall
think