The Promifes made 4ts 17.14.&Mata9.28.co11fdered, C A P. V.§:it God whom he worfhiped and Preached) in-any thing,whofe truth tnight;in i23 the leaft be lyable t9exception, being in theway ofdeclaring a newDoElrine to the world, which would have beene everlaftingly prejudiced by anymil_ eet. 1. 4t4: prifron ofthe Faithfulneffe ofthat God, in whole name &Authority he prea- r Tim:4. . toe ched it The fumme ofthat Do&rine alto being the exaltation ofthat God, in oppofition to all the pretended Deities of the world: He (I fay)-boafts himfelfe upon the Promifes that he had received, that there fhould be no verss; 3 ofany mans life among them,v.22. y. 5. hegives the reafonofhis con- fident Aflertion , when all hope was taken away; y.2o. zbelieve God(faith he) that itfhallbe even as it was told me; His Faithin God was in reference to theevent, that it fhouldcome to paffe, as it was told him. Faith in God, Divine Faithcan have nothing for its Obje&, that may faile it. Heloth not fay, that he believes that God will be Faithful/ to his Promife in Genet all, but alfo tells them wherein his Faithfulneffe doth,confift,even in the perfor- mance and accomplifhment ofthat which he had promifed. This he informes theCenturion,'and the reff in the fhip with him: and if in the iflùe it had o- therwife fallen out, there had not beetle any colour of Juftifying theFaith of that God he ferved, orhis owne truth in being witneffe to him. Had any perifhed,thofe that remained would have arguedhim oflying. Yea+but faith he not himfelf,except thefe abide in thefhipye cannotbefivediHe did fo indeed, and thereby declared the necefiity ofufing: futable meanes,; when Provi - denteaffordes them tous, for theAccomplifhment of appointed determined ends. God, who Promifeth anything, and affordeth meanes for the attaining ofit,will dire& them towhom thofe Promifes are made, to the ufeofthofe meanes, as he doth theCenturionby Paul; It being incumbent. in thiscafe on his Holy Majefty, upon the account of his engaged Faithfulnege to fave them,-he will yet have them fubfervient to his Promife in their endeavours for their owne fafety. Meanes maybe affìgned foranEnd, as to their ordina- ry fubferviency thereunto, without any fufpending ofthe Event on thew,as a condition ofan uncertaine iffue and Accomplifhment. And therefore that this folemnePromifemade unto Paul,whofe Event and Accomplifhment,up on the account of hisbelieving God,heabfolutely believed,& whole perfor- mance he foretold with out the leaft intimationof any Condition whatever, (only he bids them not throw away the meanes oftheirPrefervation) fhould depend, asto its fulfilling, on fucha Condition, as in refpe& of the event might not have beene,(Godwho made the Promife notmaking anyinfalli- ble provifion for the Condition) and fo have beene a&ually fruftrate, is an Affertion, notonlynot groundedon thefe wordsof Paul,Cettingout the fuit able meanesofthe providenceofGod for the accomplifhment ofan appoin- ted end, but allo derogatory in thehigheft to the Glory of the Truth and Faithfulneffe ofGodhimfelfe. But 3. That Promife, (faith he) ofourSaviour to kr Difitiples. Mat. 19.28. That theywho followed him in the Regeneration, fbouldit upon twelve thrones7udg- ing the twelve tribes ofIfrael, judos beingyet one ofthem, was not fulfilled, and incafe the ref% had declined, t ey alfo with himmight have comefort ofthe Pro- rnife made unto them, Anf. Chrift knewwhat was in man,:and had no needófany to tell him, he knew from the beginning who it was that fhould betray him,and plainely pronounced him to be aDivell;Heknew he was fo,that he Believednot; that toh .ó ; o he wouldcontinue fo , he wouldbetray him, that hisend would be defperate; ; r 4 s be pronouncedacurfe upon him, asbeing curfedby David: Pf. tog. fo many Generationsbefore his coming into the world; and is it probable now that he promifed thisman aThrone for his following him in the Regeneration.? R 2 which
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