Ç.X1.4,2o' Doa%fPerfofSts its ufefulnes topromote Gofp.Obedience- 256 the Apoftle thatwe arenotfufcient ofourfelves to thinkagoad thought,but that allourfufficiency is of God: So that this felfe ability for prefervation exten- dethnot to the thinking a good thought : indeed is nothing: Is it from the GraceofGod ?Then the Affuranceof it mutt be, either becaufe God promi- fedabfolutely, fo toworke in him to will and to do; o fhis ozone goodpleafure, as that he fhould certainely be preferved, which you will not fay, (as I fup pofe,)or becaufe hewill fo afford him hisGrace,as that hemaymakeufecfit to theend propofed,if he pleafe:But now,whatAffprance hath he,that he (hall fo make ufeof hisGrace, as tomake it effe&uall for the end deigned? And is this goodufeofGrace, ofhimfelfe, or of Gracealfo ? Ifof himfelfe, it is nothing; aswas (hewed from that ofour Saviour John as. 5. Neither can a manpromife himfelfe muchAfiifiance, from the Ability of doing nothing at all. If you shall fay it is of Grace, the fame Queftion arifeth as formerly, manifetling that there is not the leaf} Affurance imaginable of our continu- ance in the Grace and Favour of God, but what arifeth from his Faithfúll Promifes (efhcacioufly overcoming all interveniences ) that we (hall fo do. 4. 19' 2. He tellethus, that Paul lived at an excellent rate offl_ffurance,andyet knewthat itwaspoffiblefor him to bea Reprobates I confeffe indeed he lived at an excellent rateofAffurance, which he manifefteth himfelfe 'tohave recei- ved upon fuch Principles, and Foundations, aswere common tohimwith all true Believers, Rom.8. 32, 33, 34, 35. That it was poffible in refpe ofthe Event, that He might have been aReprobate, whowas chofen fromEterni- ty, is not proved. He faith indeed t Cor. 9. 27. Ikeepe my body infubjetlion, leaflby.any meanes I fhouldbe found 'A&qLg-. That by ,.14,,P@ there, any more isintended, then not approvedor accepted in thatfirvice he had in band, Mr Goodwin laboureth not to evince; and if that be the fence ofthe words (as thefcopeofthewhole manifefteth it to be)then all thatPaulthere expreff- eth, is, that he endeavoured alwayes toapprove himfelfe, and by all meanes, an acceptable workeman not to be reje&ed, or difallowed in the labour of Preaching the Gofpell which hehad undertaken; andwe acknowledge that this thought, and contrivancemay well become him, who l ivethat the grea- teft rate ofAfï'urance, that God affordeth to any here below; yea that fuch thoughts& endeavours do naturally, & genuinelyflow from the Affuranceof theLoveofGod,we alfo grant. Butyet,fuppofing that beinga Reprobate,by a Metonymieof the eielf, may hereGgnify tobe damned, how doth this prove, that it was poffible in refpe&ofthe event, that he should be damned ? h becaufe he laboured that hemight not be fo; That is , no can meanes ofavoiding any thing, but he mufi be uncertaine, whether in the ufe ofthofe meanesit may be avoidedor no This looketh like begging the thing in queftion; Paullabouring and indeavouring in the wayes expreffed, evi- dentlymanifefteth fuch a labour and indeavour, in fuch a way, tobe the ap- pointed meanesofavoiding the Condition ofbeingád' i -. That there is an infallible connexion betwixt the ufeoffuch meanes, & thedeliverance from that fiate, isproved. But that Paul hadnot afl'uranceof the fufficiencyofthe GraceofGod with him, for his certaineufe ofthofemeanes, & certaine infal- lible deliverance from that end,nothing in the leaft is intimated in theText,or brought in from any place elfe by Mr Goodwin, to give colour thereunto. But ofthis Scriptureat large afterwards, 4.20. Suppofing himfelfe to have fairly quit himfelfe ofthe former plea, in the behalfeofour Do&rine, as by himfelfe propofed, he addeth another Pre- tenGoninthe behalfe ofthe fame plea formerly produced, which he attenip- teth alfo to take out ofthe way, having in fome meafure prepared it, in his pro-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=