CAP.V.4:>to. A double PromifeofPerfeverance &c. 118 Promifes doth confiff,asfarre as they are declarativeof Gods i'urpofe and intendment. This is that,which (as I Paid before,) force obje&; Manyofthe PromifesofGodare Conditional!, and their truth muff needs depend upon theAccomplifhmentofthe Condition mentioned in them: ifthat benot ful- filled, then they alto muff faile, and beof none effe. I fay then that even the Conditional! Promifes ofGod , are Abfolutely made good. The truth ofany Promife confrffs in this, that that whereof it fpeakes, anfwers theAffirmation it felfe. For inftance; He that believethfhallbefaved. This Pro.. mir- Both not Primarily affirmethat any one (hall be faved, andnotwith(fan- ding it, no one might fo be: but only this it affirmes, that thereis an infalli- bleconnexion betweene Faith and Salvation: and therein is the Promife moff true, whither any onebelieveor no. Breifely, Conditional! Promifes are either fimply declarative ofthe willof God, in fixing anexa& correfpon- dency betweene a Condition mentioned and required in them, and the thing prómifed by them,inwhichcafe they have an Unchangeable & infallible veri. ty in themfelves,as there is in all the Promifes ofthe Moral] Law to this day; for he that keeps the Commandementsfhall live.or they are alto thedifcove- ries ofthe Goodwill ofGod,his intendrnents and Purpofes,that,whereof they make mention, beingnot the Condition,whereonhis Purpofes are fufpended, but theway and meanes, whereby the thing promifedis to be accomplifhed: and in.the latter Acceptation alone are they (in the bufineffe inhand)our concernment: 4.1o 4. That the Promifes concerning Perfeverance (as hath been often inti- mated) areoftwo forts. The firft, of the Continuance ofthe Favour ofGod to us; which refpeas our 7uflification. The other, ofthe continuance ofour Obedience unto God; which refpe&s ourSanthfication. Let usconfider both ofthem, and begin with the latter. a. Ofthem, I faythen, they areall Abfolute, not one of them Conditio- nall(fo astobe fufpended, as to their accompfifhment, on any Conditions) nor canbe TheTruth ofGod in them, hath not its efficiency and Accom. pli(htnent, byeffablifhing the relation that is between one thing and another, ór the connexion;that is betweene duty and reward, as it is in Conditio- nal]. Promifes that are purely and meerely fo: but inforceth the exa&fulfill- ing ofthe thing promifed, and that with refpe unto, and for the preferva- tion of theGloryofthat Excellency ofGod, He cannot lye. Let itbe confi- dered, what that Condition, or thofe Conditions be, ormay be, on which Promifes ofthi s nature (hould be fufpended, and the Truth ofthe former Affertionswill evidently appeare: That God bath Promifed unto Believers, that they (hall for ever abidewith him, in the Obedience ofthe Covenant unto the End, hhall afterwards be proved by a cloud of Witneffes. What now is the Condition,whereon this Promife doth depend?It is(faies Mr Good- win) what theyperform their duty, that theyfufernot themfelves to be feduced, nor willinglycall ofthe yoake ofChrifl; But what doth this amount unto?rs it not thus much, ifthey abide withGod, (for if theyperforme their Duty, and notfuffer themfelvestobe feduced, nor willingly depart from God, they abide with him) God bath promifed, that they (hall abide with him. Upon Condition they abide with him,he bath promifed they (hall; egregiá vero lau- dem.Canany thingmore ridiculous be invented?Ifinen abide with God,what need they any Promife,that they (hall fodo?The whole virtueofthe Promife depends on that condition& that condition,conteineth all that is promifed: neither is itpoffible that any thing canbe invented tobe fupplyed as the con- dition or conditionsofthefePromifes,but it will quickly appeare upon confi- deration, that, how ever it maybe differently phrafed, yetindeed it iscoinci- dent
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