U fefulnefí-e of Pa- mires to further Perfeverance- C.XII. Now ifmen are affuredas thisDoéirine fuppofeth they may be, that they'hall at- O3 ttaine the endwhether they life the meaner or no, how can theypoffibly be incited by the Promifes to the life ofmeaner propofed for the ittjoyment ofthe end promi-. fed: That this is the fubftanceofhis Difcourfe, I prefume himfelfe will con fefle, and. it being the winding upof a tedious Argument, I fluff briefeiy ma- nifeft its ufefullneffe, and lay it alide. I fay then, Fir&, what is the True life of the Promifes ofGod, and what Influence theyhave into the Obedience andHolineile oftheSaints, bath been formerly declared. Neither is any thing there affertedoftheir genuine& naturali ten- dency to the ends expreffed, enervated in the leafi by any thing here inffted on, or intimatedby Mr Goodwin; fo that without more trouble I might re- ferre the Readerthither to evince the falfeneffeofMr Goodwin's Affertions, concerning the ufeleffneffe ofthe Promifes untoPerfeverance, upon a fuppofi- tion that there are Promifes ofPerfeverance: Secondly, Though we affirme that all true Saints Ihall Perfevere, yet we do not fay, that all that are fo, do know themfelves to be fo; and towards them at leafi the Promifes may have theirEfficacy in that way, whichMr Good- win bath by his Authority confined them toworke in. Thirdly, we fay that our Saviour was fully perfwaded , that in the iffueof his undertakings and fufferings,he fhould be Glorifaedwith his Father, accor- ding to hisPromife: and yet upon the account ofthat Glory which he was fo Heb. 12.2, affured of, being let before him, he addreflèd himfelfe to the fharpeft and difficultefl pottage to it,that ever any one entredon He indured theCroJfe, del piled thefhame, for the Gloriesfake, whereof he had affurance, Heb. I2. And why may not this be the ftale ofthem, towhom in his fo doing he was a Cap- taine ofSalvation s Whymay not the Glory and Reward let before them, though injoyed in a full Affurance of Faith, in the excellency of it when poffeffed, as promifed, litre them up to the meanes leading thereun- to. ç. The truth is,the more we are affuredwith the affuranceofFaith,(not of Prefumption) that we fhll certainly obtain& enjoy the end whereunto the meanes we ufe do lead (as isthe Affurance that arifeth from the Promifes of God,) the more eminently are we prefled in a Gofpell way, if we walke in the Spirit of the Gofpell, togive upour felves to Obedience to that God,and Father, who hath appointed fo pretiousand lovelymeaner, as are the pathes ofGrace, for the obtaining of fo Glorious an end as that Whereunto we are appointed. And thus I doubt not but that it is manifeft,by thefe Confide- rations of Mr Goodwin: Objeblionsto the contrary , that the Do&rine of the Perfeverance of the Saints, asby us taught and delivered, doth not only fall in a fweet Çompliance withall the meanesof Grace, efpeciti ally thofeappointed by God to eftablifh the Saints in Faith and Obedience, that is, toWorke Perfeverance in them, but alto to be eminently ufefüll to give Life, Vigour,Power and Efficacy in a peculiar Gofpell manner,to all Fx- hortations, 7hreatnings and Promifes appointed and applyed by God, to that endand purpofe. CA P.X111.
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