C,XVI. Feare ofHell not the moll Effettuall motive to Obedience. 378 been caft out ofcovenant from whence though perhaps Tome few have been recovered, yet for.the greateft part ofthem, have perifhed everlafiingly (as is the ftate in reference untomany m everyGeneration,)only fuch may do well to confider what a fearefull &defperate iffue,their Apofiacy will have,ifthey Mould fo fall, and what an eminent reward, with what Glory is .propofed to them ifthey perfevere. That I fay the inftru&ion of theSaints, in this Do- &rine, is a fingular meanes ofpromoting theirConfolation and efiablifhing their peace, is that which (doubtleffe with undervaluing thoughts ofall with whom he hath to do) he bath undertaken to prove. I doubt not but that Mr Goodwin thought fometimes of the good old Rule, fomite materiamvefiria qui reribitis.equam viribus & verfate diu quidferre recufent,quidveleant hurnori. Selfe- confidence is hereby fetled and fixed with confederations: & though M. G. in the doleofthis Sehion, tels us, ThatfundryGodly andferiouflyReligious perlons, when they heard this Doéfrine publilhed which he nowafferts, with their avbole hearts bleffed Godfor it: Yet truly I cannot but quefiion whether, yea I muff pofitively deny that ever any Saint ofGod received Confolation by the dottrine ofthe Saints Apofiacy,a lyeexceedingly unfuited to the produ&ion of any fuch effett, any furtherthan that all Errour whatfoever is apt tei defile and cauterife the Confcience, fo deceiving it with fenceleffeneffe forpeace; Perhaps fomeofMr Goodwin's hearers who either were fo ignorant, or fo neg ligent,as not tobe acquainted with thisDo&rine before,in the attempts made for that the propagationof it, by the latter broode of Prelats and Arminians among us, upon his deliveryofit with inticingwords of humanewifedome, helped onby the venerableefteeme they have of his tranfcendent parts and abilityes , through the cunning ofSathan, improving the itching after new Do&rines, which is fallen upon the minds and fpirits ofrnany profeffours in this age, have rejoyced under the fhadow of this bramble, fet up to rule in their Congregation And (according as is the confront 'manner ofall, in our dayes that are infnaredwith anyerrour be it never fopernitious)have blefled God for it, profefling they never found refs nor peace before; yet I no way quefüon for fuch as feare the Lord, and are yet bowed downe under the weight, and carryed away with the ftrength pfMrGoodwin's Rethoricke for a feafon, will quickly findea fire proceeding out of that newly enthroned Doarine,preyingUponandconfirming all their Joy, Peace, and Confolation, or (which I rather hope) a fire proceeding out oftheirFaith, (theFaith once delivered to the Saints) to the utterconfufion &confumptionofthis bramble fcratchingerrour in the meanetime ifthe eminent appearanceofmany thou- fands of the Saints ofGod, in this Nation (whereof many arefallen afleepe, and many continue to this day) teftifying and bearing witneffe to theJoy &Confolation they havefound,& that upon Spirituali dernonftrative grounds in being cafe into the mouldof the Dottrine of theSaints Perfeverance for many dayes, be of no weight with Mr Goodwin, I know not whyhis tingle Teftimony (which yet as to thematter of fa& I no way queflion) concerning fonie few Perlons byhimfelfe feduced, into a perfwafion of their Apòfiacy, bleffïng God forthe difcovery made to them(theconfiant Pra&ife ofall per- lons in theirfirft intanglement, in the fouleft and groflefi errours whatever) Ihould fway us much to any good liking ofit. S. 3. The influence ofthe loo&rine ofthe Saints Perfeverance, into their confo- lation, hathbeen fufficientlyalready evinced, when we manifefied, the fup- portoftheirFaith and Love, the conquefi oftheir feare and troubles there- by; fo that I (hall not need, farther to infifi thereon. It was in my thoughts indeed,to havehandled the natureof Gofpell Confolation, that which Godis foabundantly willing the heires ofpromifefbogld receive, at large, bothas to the nature
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