C.X11.Confiftency OfProm. of PerC& Exhortations to the ufe ofineanes. 284 what bath beenalready tendered, and given into confederation over, and over IfGod caufe the Saints effe&ually to' perfevere (his teatimes ofirrefifli- .bly and Neceffztating,.have been long fincedifcharged fromany farther atten- danceor fervice inthis warfare) by Exhortations,thenareall his Promifes of Perfeverance in vaine; But why. fo ? May not God injoynethe ufe of means, andpromife by them the attainement ofthe End? May he not Promife that taus, which he will worke himfelfe effeetually in us If God effe&ually worke inus, togiveus bywhat meanes fo ever a newheart, may henot pro- mife togivens a newheart?Tea but amongfl men this would be incongruous,yeà ridiculous that a FatherfhouldPromife hisfonne an inheritance & thenperfwade him to take heedthat he may obtaine it. But Firft, If thisbe Incongruous, yea ridiculous amongft men in their dea- lingswithone another, doth it therefore follow, that itmutt: be foas toGods dealings with men ? Are histhoughts as our thoughts, & his wayes as our wayes? Is not thewifdome ofGod foolifhneffe with men, and theirs much more fo with him ? Are men bound in their dealingswithothersto confider them not only in their Naturall and Civili relations, but as impotent and corrupted men, as God in his dealings with them doth Secondly, Neither is this courfe fo Rid iculous ainongft men, as Mr Good- win imagineth; that aFather having promifed his fonne an inheritance, and infrared it on him, or allured it tohim, fhould exhort & perfwade him to be have himfelfe worthy ofhis kìndneffe,& to take heed thathe come to the in- joyment of the Inheritancewhich he bath provided for him,by the meanes that hebath appointed, (for the prefcriptionofmeans for the injoyment of the Inheritance muff be fuppofed togo along with thepromife & affurance) is farre from beingacourle fo ridiculousas is pretended. Neither Thirdly, is this fimilitude Analogous with that which it is produ- ced to illuftrate. For a. Aman mayknow how, and when, and on what account an Inheri- tanceis fetled onhim by his Father; Ofwhat God promifeth we haveFaith only not Knowledge, properly fo called; nor alwaies the Affiarance ofFaith as to the injoyment ofthe thing promifed,but the Adherenceof Faith, as to the Truth and Faithfulneffe ofthe Promïfer. Nor 2. Cana Father worke in his Sonne that Obedience which he requireth ofhim, asHi can do whoCreatesa new heart in us and writes his Law end Feme therein. 3. This Abfolute ingagement to bellow an Inheritance, whether the manesofobtaining it beufed, and Wilted on or no, is a thing mot}remote from what we afcribe to the Lord inhis Promifes ofPerfeverance, which are Only thatBelieversfhallPerfevere by the ufe ofmeanes,wdhmeanes he exhorts them toufe,& yet dealingwith thetas inaCovenant ofGrace&Mercy,entered into upon account oftheirutter infufficiency in theinfelves to dothe things that are wellpleafing tohim, whereunto they are fo exhorted, Hehimfelfe effe&ually and Gracioufly,accordingto the.tenour ofthat Covenantworkes in themwhathe requiresofthem, bearing them forth, in the power ofhis Grace, to theufeofthemeanes appointed. 42- HisSellions 8,&9,containe an endeavour for the takingoff,an Inttance ufu- ally givenofpreffing to the ufe ofmeanes, where the end is infallibly promifed . tobeaccomplithed andbrought aboùr, inand by the ufe ofthofemeancs. And thisis in thepall'age ofPaul Alls 27. whereof fomething formerly hath ben fpoken;Paul receivesa Promife from GodThatnone ofthe liver oftheper- fòns with him in theffiipfhouldperifh; this hedeclares to his company and how deeplyhe wasconcerned in the accomplifhment ofthe Promife, and his pre- diction
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