C F, li.ß. ,t 14441:;,6. vindicated: OfGods Unchangeablenell'e. 42 tohis owneirmerly,defcribed. Ifit be takenin the firft fence,as apparantly itis intended; and fomade out from the inftance of Gods dealing with the Lewes inoutwardBleflings, and Punifhments, Mr Goodwin , doth playnely (t.,E.m imp ;AM A/0 fall into a thing quiteofanother nature,infteedofthat, which was firft propofed. (Amphora cum c spit Inflitui cur urceus exit?) There is a wide differencebetweene outwardProvidentiall ,Difpenfationc, and Eter- nallPurpofes and a&s ofGrace and Goodwill; To deale in the inftancein- tifted on by Mr Goodwin: therebeing frequent mention in the Scripture (as afterwards (hall be fully declared)ofa difference & diftin&ion in, and ofthat Ron 9.:g,5 Pèople,(for they are not allifrael,that areof ifrael)thewhole lump & body of them being the People- of God, in refpe& of feparation from the reft ofthe world,&dedication tohis Worfhip& externall profeflion,yet aRemnant on- ly,ahiddenRemnant,beinghis People upon the account of Eternall deejgna. tion, and a&uall Acceptation into Love and Favour in Jefus Chrift: there muft needsbe alfoa twofoldDifpenfationof God, andhis will, in reference to that People: The Firft common & Generall,.towards the whole body of them inoutward Ordinances and Providentiall Exercifes of Goodnefie or Juftice: In this there wasGreat variety, as to the Latter part,comprehending only externall Effeas, .or products of the Power of God; in which regard be can pull downe what hebath fet up, andfet up what hébath pulleddown; without the leaft fhadow of turning: Thefe various Difpenfations working Uniformely towards the accomplifhment of his Unchangeable Purpofe5 And this is all that Mr Goodwins Exceptions reach too : Even a change in the outward difpenfation of Providence,which none ever denied, being that whichmay, nayis done for the bringing about añilaccomplifhment (in a way futable to the advancement ofhis Glory) ofhis unchangeable Purpofe. What proportion there is tobe arguedfrom,betweene the generali effe&s of various Difpenfations, and that peculiar Love, and Graceof the Covenant thereof, wherein God affures his Saints oftheir Stability upon the account ofhis own Unchangeablenes I know not:l$ecaufe he may remove hisCandle- ftick from a fruitleffe, Faithleffe People, and give them up to defolation, may he therfore take hisholy Spirit from them that Believe? For whilft that continues the root of the matter-isin them.So that (Secondly) there is ape- culiar Difpenfation of Grace,exerted towards thofe peculiar ones,whom he owneth and receivethas above mentioned;wherein there are fuch ingage- ments ofthe Purpofe, Decrees and Will of God, as that theftreameof them cannot be forced back,without as GreatanAlteration& change inGod,as the thoughtsofthe heart ofthemeaneft worme in the world, are lyable unto; And on this the Lord afferts the ftedfaftneffe ofhis Love to them, in the miditofthe changes of outward. Difpenfations towards the body of that People,wherein alto their Externall concernments were wrapt up, rsam. ra. 22.Butthiswill afterwardsbe more fully cleared. TheSubftance ofthis Ex- ception amounts onlyto thus much;thereare changeswrought in the workes which outwardly areof God,as to generali and common adminiftrations; therefore alfoarehis Eternall purpofes ofSpirituall Grace lyable to the like Alterations. Whereas Mr Godwin (ayes that this will not import anyalterati- on inGod, at leaft any fuch alteration asis incompetent to him;I know not ofany fhadowofalteration, that may be afcribed to him,without thegrea- teft and molt fubftantiall derogation from his Glory, that you can ingage into. 0.18. And this farther clears, what is farther excepted, to theendofthe SeEl.4o. in thefe words; Thereforeneither the Vnchangeablenefé, nor Changeablenefe of God are to beeflimated, or meafured, eitherby any variety, or uniformityof di- fpenfation
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