John 6.38,49,4o. & the Argum. from thenceVindicated, CA.P.111.ß:gy. tra& any fuch thing therefrom; Let him goe with it to a pooreweake temp- 87 ted fainting Believer, and try what a Comforter he will be thought, a Phyfi- . tian ofwhat value hewill be efteemed. Let him tell him , thou art indeed weake in Faith, ready todecay and perifb, which thou tnaift doe, every day, therebeingneither Purpofenot PromifeofGod to the contrary; great Oppo,. Gtions, andgreat Temptations haft thou towreftle: withal], but yet Chrift is loving, tender, faithful!, and in cafe thou continueft Believing ,-hewill take care thou (halt believe: That Chrift will increafe thy Faith, and keep it alive by continual) influences, as from a Head into its Members, prefervirig thee not only againft outwardEnimies, but thetreacheriesanddeceits, and unbe-. liefeofthine own heart, of any fuch thing Ican give thee no account. Such Confolation a poore man mayhaveat home at any time. Further; what is that A& ofChrift in Preferving them that is to be coin- portedwithall ? Wherein doth it confift ? Is it not in his dayly continuali IAA. 16. Communication to them ofnew fupplyes of that Spirituali life,whofe fprings 4ch°2,22-3! are in him ? The making out from his owne fulnefé unto them:?His perfor- a. 21, aa. suing the officeof an Head to its Members, and 'filling thofe other. Relations 45i` Gat-pi:- ral a. zo. whereinhe ítands,working in themboth to will & to doe ofhi r o vn goodplea- co1.,.,r,,8, fare? What is it then to comport with this Ad, or thefe A&s ofChift ? Can any 79. 2. r9 thing reafonable be invented, wherein fuch comportment may be thought to confift, but either it will be found coincident with that, whereof it is a Condition, or appeare tobe fuch as will crufh the whole undertaking of Chrift forthe PrefervationofBelievers into vanity andnothing? Againe, hath Chrift undertaken to Preferve us againft all our Enemies, or fome only ? If Heb. 7. ,g: forceonly, giveus an Account both of them; that he Both undertake a- gainft, that we may know for what to goe tohim, whereof to complain; andofthem, that he doth not foundertake to fafegard us againft them, that we mayknow, wherein to traft to our felves ? And let us fee the places of ioh. t 3. g. Scripture,wherein anyEnemies are excepted out ofthis undertakingofChrift irdi 30. for the fafety ofhis? Paul goes far in an enumeration ofparticulars Rom.8: If he hath undertaken againft them all, then let us know,whither it bean Ene- my that keeps us from thisComportment with Chrift,oraFreirad ? Ifit be an Enemy,(as Purely every thing inus, that moves usto depart from the living God is) hath Chrift undertaken againftit or no Ìfnot,how bathhe underta- kenagainftthem all ? Ìfhe hath, how is it that it prevailes ? Yea but he un- dertakes this incafe wecomport with him; that is, he undertakes toovercome fuchanEnemy,in cafetherebe no fuch Enemy. In cafewe be not turned afide from comporting with him, hewill deftroy that Enitny that turnes us afide from comporting with him. Egregiam veto laudem eP fpolia ampla. Oron the otherfide, if our Enemyes prevaile not againft us, hebath faithfully under- takenthat they f iall not prevaile againft us. Yeabut (faith Mr Goodwin) No Scripture prooves that thofe,.whomChriffpre- fernes, muff byany compulfory, neceffitating Power,ufe their diligence inprefer- ving themfelve s. Andwho I pray ever fail they did ? Compulfory A&ingsof Grace are your own figment;fo areall Inch neceffitating Ai7s.,which procceed any further; then only as to the infallibillity of the Event aymed at. God doth not compel! the Wills ofinen,whenhe workes in them to will. Chrift doth not compelí men to Care and Dilligence, when he workes in Rom. 2,a. them Holy Care and Diligence when the Difciples prayed, Lord in- Lak.,9.5. creafe our Faith, they did not pray that they might be compelled. to Believe. Gods working in them, that Believe, according to theexceeding col.r.ri,ra greatneffeofhis Power,.firengthning themwithall might, according to his Glori- eus Power untoallpatience andlong- fufering, with7oyfullnefe, very farre from any
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