L)oet. of Sts Perfev. its ufefulne[fe to promoteGOell.Obedìence. C.X;g: i o, wards Holine(fe, and Obedience , then the .ingenerating of fervile feares 21,5 gendering unto bondage, can do. This then we have obtained; firft that the Promifes peculiarly infifled on, aremotives to,& furtherancesofObedience; fecondly,that the way,'whereby they become fo, is by being mixedwith Faith; and the . ftronger Faith is the more effe&uall will the working ofthofe Promifes untoHolineffe be thirdly, that the Do&rine ofthe Perfeverance ofthe Saints, and flability:.of God's Love to them, givinglrim the Gloryofall his Excellencies, which in his Pro- mifes are tobe confidered, is fuited to thecarrying on of Faith,in its.grówth andincreafe. Indeed, that which makes our beliefe ofthe PromifesofFaith divine, is the rife it hath,and the bottome whereinto it is,refolved, viz...The Excellencies ofhim, who makes the Promifes: As that he is 7rr:e, Fairhfull, Alfufficient; the Glory ofall,which is given him in Believing, as the Apoflle informes us, Rom. 4.2o,21. Yea and all this He mutt be.rceived tobe, in re- ference to theaccomplilhment ofhis Promifes, or we Believe them' not with divine, fupernaturall, (ifthat terme may be allowed) and laving Faith. Surely they mutt needs thinkus very Bale of beliefe, andwholly unexpéri- enced of any Communion with God, who (hall fuppofe that we will be perfwaded , thatthe Doetrine which eminently affetts and afciibesunto God, theGlory ofall his Attributes, which he would have usto eye in his Promifes, ftrengthning Faith on that account, doth annihilate the Promi- fes in the Wordofthe Minifiry, as to their ufefülneffe untó burObedience. Let us deale byinftance: God hath promifed tobegin andperfefs a gnádworke 7n us; according+as thisPromife is mixt with Faith, fa it will be ufefull and profitable tous; If therebeno Faith it mill be ofno ufe: Whale, of little; if more, ofmore;Let a man now be fuppofed to bewavering about his mixing thíaPromife with Faith, whereupon the iflue ofits Efficacy and Fruitfulneffe (as was faid,) doth depend: And let the Do&rine we teach he called in, to fpeake in thisCafe, and let us trye whether what it faies be`prejudicial! to eftablifhment ofFaith, or whether it be not ail that ]óokes towards its Con- firmation. It faies then unto the foule of a Believer; : why art . thou fo catt downe, thou poore foule ? And whyare thy thoughts perplexed within thee ? It is true thouart weake, unflable, ready to fall away, and toperifh: thy temptations are many,great , and prevalent , and thou haft no ftrength to Rand againft the power,and multitude ofthem. But looke a little upon him, who hath promifed, that thou (halt never depart from hitn; who hath pro- ifed tofinifh thegood worke begun; he is Unchangeable in his Purpofes, Faithfulin his Prómifes,andwill put forth the exceeding greatneffe ofhis pow- er,for the Accomplifhmentof them, fo that though thou faileft, he will caufe: thee to renue thy ftrength, though thoufallefl, thou (halt not becaft downer Hefhathmidert:#ken to worke, and who(hall let him ? The Councell ofhis heart, (as to the fulfilling ofit) doth not depend on any thing in us; what finne thou art overtakenwithal], he will pardon and will effe&ually fupply thee with his Spirit,thatrthou fhalt'not fall into, or continue in filch finnes, as would cut off thy Cot minion with him; And 4th pot tbis.En }76e;: foresnentionedPremifes with Faith, anafá renderit4itettuall totkettinryP ing onoftheworke ofLove and Obedience, as was mentioned? Andas this Dot-trine is fuited to the eflablifhment ofthe foule in Believing, and to the flirting ofmen up tomixe the the Promifes with Faith, fo there is not any thing that is,or canbe thought moreeffe&uall, to the weakening, impairing, and fhatteringof theFaith oftheSaints, then that which is contrary there- unto, as (hall afterwards be more fullymanifefled. Tell a foule,that God will write his Law in him, andput his feare in his inward partes, that he {hall I i 3 never
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