C. I11.4:46.Chr.preferv. Believ.depends not on their preferv. themfelves. 86 fented untous, Heb. 2.18. Forin that he himfelfe hath faltered, being tempted, heis able tofuccour them,that are tempted,and (ch.4. 15, 16. ) We have 'not an High-Priefl, which cannot be touchedwith thefeeling ofour infirmities, but was in all poynts tempted like unto us, yet withoutfnne. Ili. 40. I I, 12. It is faid of him, hefliallfeedhisflocklikeafheapheard, he gathers the Lambswithhis Armes, and carriesthem inhis bofome, andpallgently lead them that are withyoung. And be quarrells with thofe fheapheards,who manifeff not acare and tender- neffe like his, towardshis flock. Ezec: 34.4 The difeafed haveye not lïrength_ ned, neither,haveyee healed that which wasficke, neither have)ee bound up that whichwas broken, neither haveyee brought again thatwhich was driven away, neither haveyefought that which was loll, all which he takes upon himfelfe to performe. v. I.5,16.Or is it want of ? All Power is given to him in Hea- ven andEarth. Mat.28.8. All things are delivered to himofhis Father. Mat. I r. 27. He is able tofave to the utmofl them that come to God by him. Heb.7.25, If he wants neither Care, nor Tendernefle, Wifdome, nor Watchfullneffe, Love, nor Ability, Will, nor Faithfullneffe, how comes it to paffe that they mifcarry, and fall away into ruine, whom he hath undertaken to keepe ? Daviddurft fight with a Lyon, andaBeare in the defence of his Lambs; and 7acob indured.Heat and Cold, upon the account of Faithfullneffe: And fhall wethink that the Shepheard ofifrael,from whofebeing fo,the Pfalmifi con- cludes hefliall want nothing, (Pfa 23.1.) who did not only fight for his Flock, but layed downe his Life for them,will be leffecarefullofhis Fathers Sheepe, hisowneSheepe, whichare required alto at his hand, for his Father knower them,and Galles themall by name ? 4.46. Yeabut(faiesMr Goodwin)it maybe thus,in cafe themfelvesfball not comport withChrift inhis Ad of Preferving them, with their care anddiligence inprefer- ving themfelves. that is, Chrift will fürely keepe them, in cafe they keepe themfelves. Alas ! poore Sheepe ofGod ! Ifthis were the cafeofthe Flocks ofthe Sonnes of men, how quickly would they be utterly deftroyed? Doth theverieft Hierling in theWorld deale thus with his Sheepe?keepe them,in cafe they keepe them felves ? Nay to what end is his keeping, if they keepe themfelves? Chrift compares himfelfe to the Good Shepheard,which feeketh out, and fetcheth awandringSheepe from the Wilderneffe, layinghim on his [boulders, and bringing it home to his Fold. How did that poore Sheepe keep it felfe when it ranne among theRavenous Wolvesin the Wilderneffe? Yet by the GoodShepheard it was preferved; This is the Spirit,and comfor- tingGeniusofthis Do&rive. Chrift keeps us, provided we keepe our felves. We hoped it hadbeen he whoSaved Ifrael: that he gave us his holy Spirit to abide with nsforever, toSealeus up to the dayofRedemption:that knowing himfelfe, and telling us,that without" him we can doe nothing, he wouldnot fufpend his doing, uponour doing fo great a thing, aspreferving our felves? For let us fee now,what it is,that is required in us,ifweThall be preferved by Chrift: it is to comport with him in hisXiofPerfeveringus, and to bediligent to keepe ourfelves. What is this, comportingwith him in his A&ofpreferving us? Our comport- ingwithChrift in any thing, isby our Believing inhim, and onhim: that's our radical]. Comportment, whence all other clofings of Heart in obedience doe flew; fo then, Chrift will preferve us in. Believing, providedwe continue to Believe. But what needofhis help todoe fo, ifantecedentlythereunto fo we doe? Is not this not onlygnaw, but alfo áso e, not only Unfcripturall , but alto Unreafonable, yeaabfurd and Ludicrous: This is the flinty Fountainof all that AbundanceofConfolation,which Mr Goodwin doêtrine Both afford. Doubtlefle they muff; beWife and Learned men (like himfelfe) who,can ex- tral
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