Regeneration no to be reiterated, C. XV. jeCtfuck, who by their wickedandabominable wages render themfeCves unworthy 355 of/rich a Relation. Anf. Believers hold not their Relation to Chrift , upon any worthineffe that is in themfelves for it, but upon the account meerely ofGrace, according to the tenour of the CovenantofMercy. That they may fall into filch wicked andabominablewales, asfhall render them altogether unit-wet for that Relati- on, according to the Lawofit, is that great Argument call'd petitioprincipii which Mr Goodwin hath ufed in this cafe an hundred times. But the compa- rifon inftituted in the firft words is admirable; Confeft it is, that 'tis no dif- honour to Jefus Chrift; yea, that 'tis his great honour, feeing he came to de- ffroythe workerof theDevi1G, t o bind theftrong man,tofpoyle his goods, to de- firoy him that had thepower of death and to deliver them who by reafon of death were in bondage all their dayes,to deliver his people from their fines, wafhing them in his blood, and to make them a peculiar people unto him- felfe , zealous of good worker; that 'tis no difhonour (I fay ) for him to tranflate them from thepowero f Sathan, intohis own ILingdome;making them meet forthe Inheritance oftheSaints in Light, by redeeming them from their vaine Converfation, todoaccording as he intended,and to takehis own,given himofhis Father, out ofthe hands of the Tyrant which held them under bondage . Therefore having undertaken to keep them and preferve them, having fo overcome Sathan in them, for them, by them,broken the headofthe Serpent, 'tis no difhonour for him, to lode ground given for his Inheritance; withhis fubje&s,members, brethren, children, boneof his bone, and flefh ofhis flefh, into the hand ofthe Devill againe; what fort is fo ftrong as to hold out againft fuch a battery ? .Ifit be no honour for Chrift tobind Sathan, and to fpoile hisgoods,then itsno difhonour for him tobe bound by Sathan and to havehis goods fpoiled. Anotherburthenupon the fhouldersofMr Goodwin's Do&rine,whereofhe c: 44. laboursto deliver it, is the great Abfurdity ofthe Repetition ofRegeneration, whereofthere is no mention at all in the Scripture, and which yet muff be Afferted by him,unleffe hewill affirme all that fall away at any time irrecove- rably to perifh; which howfoever he waves at prefent,were withmuch more probability according to his ovine principles,to be maintained, than what he ?nfifteth on. But this repetitionofRegeneration(faith he) is notunwárthÿ Cod, and for men a ble,/fédandhappyaccommodation; whether it be unworthy Godór no,the Scrip- ture,and the nature ofthe thingwill declare, The Accomodation that it feemes to afford unto men,beingaplaine incoutagement to finite at the higheft rate imaginable,will perhapsnot be found foHappy andBleffedunto them. With great noife and clarnour,hath acharge beenmanaged againft the Do&tine of the Saints Perfeverance,upon the account of its giving fupportment to the thoughtsofinen, in and under the wayes of finne; whether Truth and Righteoufneffehave been regarded in that charge, bath been confidered: Doubtleffe it were a matter ofnodifficulty, dearely to evince that this Do-' urine of the Repetitionof Regeneration, is ofthe very fame tendency and im= port, which is falfly and injurioufly charged upon that ofthe Perfeveranceof theSaints;The worft that a man thinks hecan do by anya& offin, is but to fin himfelfe quite out of the favour ofGod,intoa hateofdeath, and defert of wrath. Hecan no farther injure his foule, than to cart it into theconditionof men by na,tnre; Tell this man, now, whom you fuppofe to be under the temptation to finne,at leaft thathe hathin him that greatfoo1e theflefh which longs for Ble/fed Accommodations to its felfe,whileff it Makes provifion to ful- fill its lofts, that ifhe fhould fodo, this is an ordinary thing'for men to do, Z z 2 and
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