CeP. 1I4; 90,t1. Rom: It. 29, vindicated. 'fa 40. 27,28,29,30,31. 34 afcribing the primitivedifcriminating ofperfons as toSpiritual] Grace, unto felfe endeavours, caf}iug to the ground the free diftinguithinggood pleafirre ofGod, and that Gracioufneffe ofevery Gift ofhis, (I fpeake as to the fill} if- fue ofhis love in quickning, renewing, pardoning Grace) which eminently confif}s in this, that he is found of them that f eke him not, and hath Mercy on whom hemill, becaufe fo itfeemedgood to him, Not todigreffe farther(in the difcoveryof the unfatisfa&orinefìè of this pretence) from the purfuit of the Argument in hand; Becaufe Gods gifts are not repented of, therefore doe men continue, not in the condition where- in they find them,but wherein they place them: And all &nalifications in men whatever , that are in the leaf} acceptable to God , are fo farre from being flocks whereon God graftshis Gifts and Graces, that they are Plants them- felves, whichhe plants in whomfoever he pleafeth. Yea the Tree is made goodbefore it Beare anygoodfruit,and theBranch im- planted into theTrue Olive,before it receive thefap,or juyce,ofany onegood ,uali- fication. The fumme of Mr Goodwin: Anfwer amounts to this; let men be fiedfaf} in a good condition, andGods Gifts than f}edfaf}ly abide with them, ifthey change,they alfo íhal be revoked:which is direaly oppofiteto the plain intendment oftheplace, viz. That the ftedfaf}neffe of men,depends upon the írrevocableneffe ofGods Grace, and not é contra: there is not,inhis fenfe, the leaf} intimation in thefewords, of thepermanencyofany Gift or GraceofGod with any one, on whom it is bef}owed, for a Day, an Haare, or a Moments but notwithflanding this Tet}imony of the Holy Ghofi, theymay be given one home, and taken away the next, they may flourifh in a man in the morning, and in the evening be cot downe, driedup , and withered this is not to Anfwer the Arguings of men, but pofitively to deny what God affirms. To con- elude, God gives not his gifts tomen (I mean thofe mentioned) becaufe lerem.gi,32, theypleafe him, but becaufe it pleafeth himfo to doe: he does not take them a- way, becaufethey diJleaJi him, but gives them fo toabide with them, that they fhall never diffileafe him, to the height of fuch a provocation. Neither are the GiftsofGod otherwife tobe repented of, then by taking them from thePerforas, on whom they are bef}owed: But this heape being removed, we may proceede. §. to. Farthermore then,in fundry places doth the Lord propofethis for theConfo- lationofhis, and toaffure them, that there fhall never be aneverlaf}ing fepa- ration between him and them; which (hall be further cleared by particular inf}ances;Things or Truthes propofed for Confolation,are ofall othersmolt clearely exalted above exception: without which, they were no way futable (confidering the promptneffe ofcur unbelieving hearts to rife up againf} the workeofGods Grace and Mercy) to compaffe the end for which they are propofed. Ifaiah.4.o.27, 28, 29, 30, 3 I. why fayefl thou, O Pea) ,and f eakefl o Ifraell, my way is hidfrom the Lord andmy judgment is paffëdover frommy God? hall thou not knowen, haft thonnot heard; that the everlafling God, the Lord, thecre- ator ofthe ends ofthe earthfainteth not, neither is weary? there is no fearching ofhis'Dnderfanding. He givethpower to the faint,& to them that have nomight, he increafet ftrength.Even the youthslimnfaint and be weary, andthe young men fhall utterly fade, but they that wait upon the Lord,fhall renne their Jlrength, theyfhall mount up with wings as as Eagles, theyfballrenne and not beweary,they fhall uöalke andnot faint. V. 27, Jacob and ifrael make a double complaint, both parts ofit manifef}ing fome feare,or dread OfSeparation fromGod: for though in Generals it could not be fo, yet in particular, Believers under 2emptation,may quef}ion their owne condition, with their right unto,and íntereft
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