The Faithfulneffe ofGod ingaged in his Promifes. C A P.V.4: s;. faiihfull,by whomyou are called to the fellowfhipofhis sonne : in the foregoing 125 verfe he telleth them that Godwill confirme them to the end , that they may be blamelejjein the dayof theLordchri.fí; ofwhich confident Aßèrtion, hegives them this account , God is faithfull to make good his Promifes made unto them,hechangeth not. When a Promife is once paffed, that which firft pre- fents it (elfe to the confideration of them to whom it ismade, and whole con- cernement it is,that it be fulfilled, is theFaithfulneffe ofhim that bath made thePromife. This property ofGods nature doth the Apoftle therefore mind the Saints of, to lead them to a full Affurance oftheir prefervation. His Pro- mife being pa%d, feare nothis faithfulneffe for its Accomplifhment. Might there in this cafe a fuppofall be allowed ofany fuch interveniences, asmight intercept them in the wayofenjoying what God trulypromifed, and caufe them to come Ihort thereof,what a ffurance could arife to them from the of theFaithfulneffeofGod, who made thofe Promifes unto them? The FaithfulneffeofGod then is ingaged for theAccomplithment ofthe thing promifed, which alfo (hall bedone, incafe that faile not. Soalto the t 7hef. 5. 23,24. 'The very Godofpeacefanllifyyou wholly, andIpray God,yourfpirits, and foules, andbody beprefervedblameleffe unto the comingofour Lord !elmChri"l: faithfull is he that calleth you, who willalfodoe it. He aflìares them oftheirpre- fervation in, andunto the enjoyment ofthe thingswhich he prayed for, and that upon the account ofhis Faitbfulneffe whohad promifed them: and, faith he he will doe it: viz. becaufe heis Faithful!. Let the oppofitions to it be ne- ver fomany, the difficulties never fo great, the intervenienceswhat they will; He is faithfull,and he willdoe it: as it is affirmed 2 The f f 3. 3. Ent the Lord is faithfull,who"hall eflablifhyou, andkeepeyoufrom evil!: as alto in the t Cor: so. 13. God isfaithfu l,whowill notfiíifferyou to be tempted above thatyou are able, butwill with the temptation alfo make a way to efcape, that you may he able to beare it. The fame Faithfulneffe ofGod is held out as that upon the account whereof no temptation (hall befall Believers, foas to feparate them from him. The Promife here peculiarly confirmed by it, and e(tablifhed on it, isfuch as nocondition can tollerably be fixedunto. I will not fuffer Believers to be o- vercome with Temptations, in cafethey be not overcome withTemptations, is aPromife not tobe afcribed to the Infinite Wifdome ofGod , with which® we have to doe, and yet no other can with the leaft colour be propofed. All finne, all falling from God is upon temptation. Though Sathan and the World (hould have no hand indrawing man afide from God, yet what they doe from their own1ufts,they doe fromTemptation. lam. t.54,1 5. IfGod in his Faithfulnéffe will not Suffer any Temptation toprevaile againftBelievers, unleffe they negle& their duty and fall fromhim, and they can no otherwife negle& their duty, nor depart fromhim, but uponthe prevalency of Temp- tation, their abiding withhim, their finall unconquerableneffe bath' acer- tainty anfwerable to the faithfulneffe ofGod. This part ofourftrength Mr Goodwin attempts to deprive us of. Cap. t t, sell: i8.p. 236. in thefe words. Whereas theApoftle mentianeth the Faithfulneffe ofGod, as that Divine principle in him, or Attribute, out ofwhich he is moved to ellablifh, and confirme Believers unto the end, andfo to keepe themfrom evil!; by Faithfùlneffehe doth not necefarily meane that Property or Attribute ofhis , that rendershim true,andjuft, or Confiant in the performance ofhisPromifes, as if the Apoftle in thefe, or any likeplaces,fuppofed fucha Promife , one or moremadeby him, bywhie he"landsobligedto eflablifh andconfirmehis Saints unto the end bya firongand irrefilliblehand. Anf. Thefummeofthis Anfwer is,that the Apoftleby layingGod is Faithful!, dothnot underftand Gods Faithfrtlneffe. What other virtue is intended in lk 3 God
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