Dod. ofStsPerLno incouregemetit unto fit>ne- C.XII.4. enfuing Difcourfe which without doubt will adminiffer farther occa 269 fionfor the Illuffratihn or Confirmation ofthe Truth in hand; He proceeds then, The reafonofthe Minor is becaufe a certain knowledge andperfwafion, that. 4 r Godwill by an irrefflable handofpower, preferve a man, in the_gate ofGrace, how defperately carelefe, negligent or wicked fa ever he f all be, clearefy difolves the ufefulnefe, andnecefìtyofallother means whatfoever,in referenceto thisend. If7 know certainely that thecorne. which Ihave fowen in myfield willwhether I wale orfleepe grow andprofiler, would itnotbe a very impertinent addr.fè,for any man tocome to me,& admonifh me inaferiousi grave /aanner,te take heed, Ifleepe not, but keepe:rny Rife waking leaJ1 ßnÿ Bornefliorddndt.grow,orprofper, or that it may grow&profper; if my corngrowes,thrives,&j*ofpers, by the irre ifl able hand ofGod,by the courfe ofa Naturali & (landingproriidénce, my watt sfd neffe inorder to a procurement ofthefe things isabfolutely vaine&c. Anf. That this is not the Doc` rivewhich Mr Goodwiñ hath undertaken to oppofe, hath been more than once already declared; That he is not able with any colonrofReafon tooppofe it, unleffe he firff impofè his owne falfe& vaine inferences upon it,& them upon hisReaderfor theDo trine it fdfëfrom hisconftant courfe ofproceeding againft it, is alto evident; What advantage this is like in the ciofe,to prove to hiscaufe in the Judgment of confiderate men, the event will difcover: TheAffertion ofthe ftability of thePromifes ofGod in Jefus Chrift given to Believers concerning his effeetuall preferving them to the End, from fuch finnesas are Abfolutely inconfiftent withhis Grace and Favour accordingto the tenour ofthenew Covenant, or fuchcon- tinuance in any finne as is ofthe fame importance by his Spirit and Grace, in theufeofineanes, doth no way tend to the begetting in any, a certaine Knowledge, Affurance and perfwafion, that God , will continue them ina Rate ofGrace, how defperately carelefe or wicked foever they (hall be. What is intended by the frequent repetition of this grofFe sophiflry, or 4' 'S+ what fucceffe with the intelligent Chriftian ponderers of things he canhope for thereby, I amnot abletogueffe; Neither is any improvement in the leaff given to what the intendment ofthis Argument is, fo farre as theCommon DotirineofPerfeveranccis concerned thert'in, from the comparifon infixing inftitutedbetween thegrowthofCorne, and the walking ofBelievers inObe- dience beforeGod; For notwithftanding the Identity in refpedofthecorn- panifon of that exprelion [Irrefifiible]which indeedis proper to neither, there is awide differencebetweenethegrowing of carne in a meere natural! way, and themoral!aBeings ofan Intelligent, Rational! Creature; What ever operations ofGod areabout, and in the one, or theother, yet they are fuited to their Subejeas about which they are;God carryes on thegrowthofcorne by . a way ofNaturail and neceffary taufes, but his aéting ofRational] Agents is by fuch wayes and means, as may entirely prefervetheir Liberty: that is, preferving them in their being, and leavingthem tobe fuch Agents. As then- God caufeth the corne togrow by the fhining of hisfunne, and the f lle ofhis raine, fo he caufeth Believers to perfevere in Obedience, by Fxhortationr, Promifes, andThreatnings, and fuch waves and meanes,as are fuited to filch Agentsas they are. Thefallacy of this Difcourfe lyes inan inlinuation that God byhis Effe&uall(or as they are called irrefiffible) operations for thepre- fervation ofBelievers in Cofpell Obedience, (a thing he hath undertaken over and over, toperforme) dothchange their nature, and render themnot freeandintelligent Agents, fit to bewrought upon by the propofall offuita- ble and defirableObjefts to their underftandings, but meerebruit and natu- M m 3 tall
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