(..onfiffency ofProm: ofPerf.3efrxhortationstó theLife öfineanes. di&ion thereupon, upon the account of the undertaking wherein againft al- 2$5 moft all the World,he was then ingaged, & thecaute for which hewas coin- mitted to their company and cuftody, was foriherly declared. Notwithftan- ding this, heafterwards exhorts them, & dire&s to theufeofall meanes ima- ginable, that were fuitable for thefialfilling ofthe Promife he had, & the Pre- diction hehad made. Evident it is then, that there is noleconfiflency, nor any thing unbecoming any perfe&ion inGod, in that complianceof PromWes, & Exhortations which wemfift upon: He having directed Paid , towalk in that very way and path. God (we lay) in the Covenant of Graée; bath promifed that his Saintsßiall never leave him norfarfake hint 5 that he will abide inun- changeable conftancy to be their God thathe will preferve them , and keep them inhis handunto theKingdome ofhis Sonne in glory, faxing his Redee- med ones, with an everlafting Salvation to the accoinplifhment of the End Promifed , whichhe will upon the account, of his Truth and Faithfulnef e bring about,by Meanesfuitable unto , and inftituted byhim for that end. In the compafiing and effectingofthis great work, God dealethwith men under a twofold confideration. Firft,As Rationallcreatures 5 So hé difcovers to them the end promifed, with its Excellency, Lovelinefïe, andSatisfaction. therebyflirting up in them delires after it, as that eminent, &proportioned good which they in the ut- moft iffue oftheir thoughts and delires aimeat Farther on the forementio- ned account, that theyareRational! Creatures, endued with a rational! Ap- petiteor Will, for the choofing ofthatwhich is good, andan Vnderflanding,to judge ofit, &ofthe meanesfor the attainmentofthe end, God reveales to . themthe meanes conducing to the end, propofing them to them to becho- fenand embraced, andclofed withall for thecompaffing of the end propo- fed5 And that they may be yet dealt withall agreeably to theirNature , and thofe principles in them , which they are created withal! , that God might have gloryby their acting fuìtably to fuch aNature,& fuch principles,He ex- horts, and provokes them tochoofe thofewaies & meanes, which he hath fo allotted, (as before mentioned) for theend aimedat 5 And that they fhould be thus dealt withal], their veryNaturall conditionof being free intelleCfuall Agentsdoth require. Secondly, As sinners, or Agents difenabled in themfelves for the:work pre- fcribed to them,and required ofthem, for the attainingofthe end they aime at, namely, in Spiritual] things:. And on that account , he puts forth towards them, and in them the Efficacyofhis Power for the immediateand fpeciall working ofthole things in them, and by them, andwhich as Rational!Crea- tures, boundunto an orderly obedience, they are Preffedand Exhortedun- to. Tomanifeft the inconfiftencyoffuch aprocedure, and the unanfwerable- nefl'eofit, to the infiniteWifdome of God ( though the Scripture exprefly deliver it in innumerable places, as bath been fhewen) is that which by Mr Goodwin is in this difcourfe attempted; Hisparticular endeavour in the place under£onfideration is, tomanifeft that, when God promifeth tobring about &effect any thing infallibly (by theufe of meanes) 'tis in vaine altogether, that any Exhortation fhould be urgedon them, whoare to ufe the meanesfo. appointed, for theaccomplifhment of it. And to the inftance above mentio- ned, concerning Paul he replies Ch. r3. Se&:S. Firfi, It is thegenerally received opinionofDivines, that Promifes ofTemporali 4.43. good things, areffill Eonditionall, and not Abfolute5 which opinion they maintain upon grounds not eafilyßiaken; Now evident iris, that the Promife under Que(li- on, was a Promife o f this NatureandKind,relátingonly to the prefervation ofthe Temporal!LivesofMen, 003 Anf
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