Car. XVII. Who the Righteous man is that is fpoken of. 408 from apoffìbility inall, to anecety in fome to Apoftatize. 2. Had M.G. a little more attended to what here drops from him , viz, that the words are ufedfor the vindicationofthejufliceof the proceedingsofGod, (namely) in the particular cafe formerly opened and cleared , perhaps he would himfelfe have judged theedge of thisweapon , to be fo farre blunted; as to render it wholly ufeleffe to him,in the combat wherein he is engaged; I hope at leaft that by the light ofthis fparke, he may apprehend the Enphati- callneffe of all the expreffions ufed in this place , tobe pointed towards the particular cafe under confideration, andnot in the leaf} to beexpreffive ofthe poßibility he contends for; God knowes what befeemes hisown infinite wif- dome, and hath given us rules to judgethereof, . as farre as we are called thereto in his word; And from thence , whether M. Goodwin will pardon us or no, inour fo doing, we doubt not to evince , that it exceedingly becomes the infinite wifeGod, emphatically to exprefl'e that connexion, that is be- tweeen one thingand another-(finne and punifhment, believing and falvati- on) by his appointment, thoughfome never believeunto falvation, nor Tome finned to the a&uall infli&ing ofpunifhment on them; and as for M. Goodwin: commodiousfence ofthis place, we fee not any advantage in it , : for any but thofe, who are ingaged into an oppofition to the Covenant of the grace of God, and his faithfulneffe therein fo that oncemore upon thewhole matter, this Text is difcharged from farther attendance in the trials ofthe truth in hand. The feveralls of the Text come nextly underconGderation, and amongft them; F'irft, The fubje& fpoken of(that wemaytake the words in forne or- der, M.G. having roved up and downe, backwards and forwards , from one end ofthe Text to the other, without anyat all) and this is, a Righteous man, that is fuch an one as is defcribed, v. 5,6,7, 8,g, but ifa man &c. that is, fuch, an one that walkes up to the judgments , and ftatutes, and ordinances of God, fo farre as they were of him required in the Covenant of the Land of Canaan, and,according to the tenour ofit,,wherebythey held their poffeffion therein, whereby heavenly things were alfo fhadowed out : That this is the perfon intended, this his Righteoufneffé, and that the matter upon which he is here tryed, iscleare in the contexts, beyond all poffible contradi&ion. So that all farther inquiries into what Righteoufneffe is intended, isaltogether needlefl'e; what with anycolour ofprobability canbe pretended from hence, as to the matter in hand; arifesfrom the analogie of Gods dealings with. men in the teneur ofthe Covenant ofGrace, and the Covenant ofthe land of which yet are eminently diflinguifhed in the very foufidátion of them: The one beingbuilt upon thisbottome, thefoule that fi'nneth it fhall dyes the otherupon a difpenfation of another import, as has been declared: We do then plainelyfupererogate as to the caufe in hand, by the confutationofrhe Anfwers, which Mr Goodwin farther attempts to remove, and his endeavour therein whichyet fhall'not be declined. Se&. 8. one expofition by fomeinfifted on, ofthis terme a righteous man, is thus propofed byMr Goodwin : Notwithflanding fomeformerly (itfeemes )in favour of theDotirine, attempted an efcapefrom that(word o f Ezechiel lately drawn againfl it, bypretending that by the Righteous man mentionedin thepaffa- ges in hand, is not meant a perfon trulyand really righteous, but akind offormal/ Hypocrite, or out f deprofeffour ofRighteoufneffe. Thofe who infift on this interpretation of the place, tell you that in the commands ofGod, there is the meere end ofthem confiderable, and the manneroftheir performance, Which isas the life and formeofthe obedience to them which is acceptable to God. Farther that many perlons wrought upon
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