Certainty of Prom. confiftent with theMe 3r endofThreatnings. CXII. Thirdly, that eternall death and deftruetion is not the only fubjed of dod's`.hreatnings,nor all the evil that they may have a feare of,whom he ealswithal! by them; Defertion, Rejection, Rebukes, tharpe and keenear- rowes,blowes of Gods hand, Temporali death it felfe, with the like, arealfa threatned;yea and fooften in an eminent and dreadful! manner, have been inflicted, that though they might be fuppofed tohave alwayes Tomecomfor- tableAflùrance ofDeliverancefrom the wrath that is to come, yet the Threat- magi ofGod may be fuited to beget in them this feare ofevill to Inchan heighth,asmay make their bowels toflow liketwater,rottenneffe toenter into their bones and alltheirjoynts to tremble. Fourthly, that the endofthe ThreatningsofGod, being todifcouer to men the connexion that isby his Appointment, between thefinnes exagitated and thepunifhment threatned, whence the,Feare mentioned doth confequently infue, they mayobtaine their full & primary effëft,though that Feare be not ingenerated, Ifthey be prevailed on,by any other Confìderations, fo that the finnebe avoided. Fiftly, that when TheSaintsdo walke orderly, regularly,and clofelywith God, in theufeofineanes by him 'appointed,and fodoing, from the Promifes ofPerfeverance do receivea comfortable Affurance that they than be kept by thepowerofGod through Faith unto salvation, the begetting in them of Feares ofDeath andHell, is neither ufefull in it felfe,nor are they intendedof God tobe their portion.But ifiat any time they turnafidefrom the holy Com- mandement, and thereby faile ofthe perfwafionof their Perfeverance (as their Faith will beby fuch meanes impaired) though the certainty of the thing itfelfebeno leffe infallible than formerly, yet by the Threatnings of God to them it may be needful], to rouze them (by the terroursof the Lord in them)" from the Condition whereinto they havecaft themfelves. I doubt not but that from the light of there and the like Confederations which might farther be infifted on, it will appeare that there may be, and is an harmonious continency between the Promifes and Threatnings of the Scripture, notwithftanding the mitt that is raifed in a long and tedious Dif courfe, to interrupt theevidence thereof: In the 13 SeEtion, under pretenceofAnfwering an Objedìon, a longDif- 4.57 eourfe is drawen forth farther to varnifh over what was before fpoken, No- thing ofirnportance tomy benobfervation being added; It maybe reduced to there foure heads. Firft anAffertion, -hat the Threats againfi Apofìary do nothelonl. to Hypo- crites; thatis, to t hens that are not really Regenerate, let their profeffion be what it will ; for Hypocrites ought not to Perfevere in the way wherein theyare to the end, andtherefore there isno danger oftheirfalling away- from it: Which is a Ridiculous peiceofSophiflry; For though they may not be exhorted to con- tinue in their Hypocrify which corrupts and Vitiates their profeffìon, yet they may ih theirprofefon,which in it felfe is good. And though there is no dan - ger ofleaving their Hypocrifÿj yet there is of their waxing worfe andworfe by falling from the beginningsOf Gracewhich"they have received,the profef- ffon which they have made, and the Regular Converfation which they have entred"upon ; So that norwithftanding any thing fayd to the contrary, the comminations underconfiderationmay principally belong to foure kind of profeflours, who notwithftandingall their guifts and common Graces which they have received, yet in a large fencemay be termed hypocrites, as they are oppofed to them who have received the Spirit, with true and rating Grace. Secondly he faies it is evident that they' belong unto true Believers fromHeb. 6.4, 5,6, and 9. and Heb. to. 26,27, and 29. but iftherewere nobetter evi- dence 295
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