Continency of Prom: of Peri Exhortations to the ufe ofmeanes. C.XII. danger orpotfblityoffalling ;away, and tend diret7ly to prevent or extin¢uifball 271 feare inmen ofanyloch danger; therefore fuck Exhortations are in theirNature andgenuine import, contrary to flick Frómifes in theirs, and confequently canbe no meanes ofbringing them to paffe. 4nf. i. Exhortations are not fo properly the measles wherebythe Promifes are accomplifhed, as the meanes whereby the things mentioned in the Promifes are wrought; God by, and through them, ftirringup, thole Graces, which he promifes to work; continue, and to increafe in his Saints. 2. Exhortations divine, mutt be fo apprehended as to be fubfervientto an End , in refpe& ofGod, fore knowne and determined; 'Tis true, we Exhort men (or may) to thofe things of whole Event we are wholly tin- certaines but to God this cannot be afcribed: He doth fore -know, and bath fore-determined the End and Iffue that every one of his Exhorta- tions fhall have; and therefore fuch a nature and no other is to be afcribed to them, as is confiftent with, and fubfervient to, a determined end. 3. To theconfirmation of his Minor Propofition, the Anfwer is eafie, from the confideration; firft of the end ofthe Exhortations infifted on unto Perfeverance; And thenof the Promifes ofPerfeverance, themfelves; which are no way incontinent therewith: Forthe firft, (I fay) thofe Exhortations take heed leafs there be inyou an evill heart of unbeliefe, and the like, are not given to ingenerate a feareoffalling away, (which is a thing in it felfeevill andoppofite unto that fledfatneffe of Faith, and full Affürance, which we fhould preffe unto, fo farreis it from any At of Faithful! Obedience, that God fhould aimeto worke in the hearts ofhis, and apply meanes thereunto) but only to beget anholy Care and Diligence in them to whom they are made orgiven for the tiling.ofthemeanesappointed ofGod,for the avoiding ofthe evill`threatned tofollow upon a negleft ofthem; whichdirely falls in and fweetly confpires withthe End, and Vfe ofthe Promifes of Perfeveranceby us urged and infiftedupon. Nothing is imported by them, but only the con- nexion that is between the things mentioned in them: as unbeliefe, and re= jec`tion from God. This God aimes at in thofe Exhortations, in their parti., cular refped untoBelievers, that bythem, they may be furred up to the ufe of thofe meanes, which he hath appointedfor them, to beby them preferved in theGrace, and Mercy which he bath infallibly promifed to continue to them. And .q.. The endofthe Promifes of Perfeveranceon which we havein- fitted, being their mixing with Faith to eftablifh the foules of the Saints, in believing the kindneffe and Faithfulneffe ofGod in his Covenant in Jefus Chrift, they do not takeaway, nor prevent all danger ofperilhing, and fo confequently notthat feare in any meafure whichnines them up fo to the ufeof meanes that they maynot perifh, but only are effeftuall for their deli- veranceout of thofe dangers which are apt and ableof themfelvestode, ftroy them: As ourSaviour himfelfe praies for them john17, 15. I pray not that thoufhoulde .11 take themout ofthe world(wherewhilft they are theywill be fure tomeet with dangers and perplexityes enough) but that thostAmide.fl keepe them from theevil, wherewith theymutt reckon-tobe exercifed..There is not thenthe leaft contrariety, or diverteAfpett, between the Atffùrance of Faith about theend, which the Promifes tend unto, and thecare andGodly feare about the meones inftituted and appointed with refpe& to the end, which Exhortations do beget , and will notwithftanding thofe Promi- fes. 5. The
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