name in the great worke of Redemption And therefore he informes us Ioh. 17. 4. 6. that when the Comforter whom he procureth for us shall come he shall Glorify him and shall receive of his and shew it unto us Ioh. 16. 14. farther manifest his Glory in his bringing nothing with him but what is his or of his procurement so also instructing us clearly and plentifully to aske in his name that is for his sake which to doe plainly and openly is the great priviledge of the New Testament for so he tells his Disciples Ioh. 16. 24. hitherto have you asked nothing in my name who yet were Believers and had made many addresses unto God in and through him but darkely as they did under the Old Testament when they begged mercy for his sake Dan. 9. 17. But to plead with the Father clearly upon the account of the Mediation and Purchase of Christ That I say is the priviledge of the New Testament Now in this way he would have us aske the Holy Spirit at the hand of God Luke 11. 9 13. Aske him that is as to a clearer fuller Administration of him unto us for he is antecedently bestowed as to the working of Faith and Regeneration even unto this Application for without him we cannot once aske in the name of Christ for none can call Jesus Lord or doe any thing in his nane §. 22. but by the spirit of God This I say then He in whom we are blessed with all spirituall blessings Eph. 1. 4. hath procured the Holy Spirit for us and through his Intercession he is bestowed on us Now where the Spirit of God is 2 Cor. 3. 17. there is liberty from sinne peace and acceptance with God But it may be objected although this Spirit be thus bestowed on Believers yet may they not cast him off Rom. 8. 14. so that his abode with them may be but for a season and their Glory not be safegarded in the Issue but their condemnation increased by their receiving of him This being the only thing wherein this proofe of Believers abiding with God seemes lyable to exception I shall give a triple Testimony of the certainty of the continuance of the Holy Spirit with them on whom he is bestowed that in the mouth of two or three witnesses this Truth may be established and they are no meane ones neither but the three that beare witnesse in Heaven the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost The first you have Isa. §. 23. 59. 21. But as for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed nor out of the mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord hence forth and for ever That which the Lord declares here to the Church he calls his Covenāt Now whereas in a Covenant there are two things 1. What is stipulated on the part of him that makes the Covenant 2. What of them is required with whom it is made which in themselves are distinct though in the Covenant of Grace God hath promised that he will worke in us what he requires of us that here mentioned is clearely an Evidence of somewhat of the first kinde of that Goodnesse that God in the Covenant doth promise to bestow Though perhaps words of the future tense may sometimes have an Imperative Construction where the import of the residue of the words inforces such a sence yet because it may be so in some place therefore it is so in this place and that therefore these words are not a Promise that the Spirit shall not depart but an injunction to take care that it do not depart as Mr Goodwin will have it is a weake inference And the close of the words will by no meanes be wrested to speake significantly to any such purpose Saith the Lord henceforth even for ever which plainely make the words Promissory an ingagement of God himselfe to them to whom they are spoken So that the interpretation of these words this is my Covenant with them by Mr Goodwin Cap. 11. Sect 4. Pag. 227. That Covenant of perpetuall Grace and Mercy which I made with them requireth this of them in order to the performance of it on my part that they quench not my Spirit which I have put into them doth plainly invert the intendment of God in them and substitute what is tacitely required as our duty into the roome of what is expressly promised as his Grace Observe then Secondly that as no Promise of God given to Believers is either apt of it selfe to ingenerate or by them to be received under such an absurd notion of being made good what soever their deportment be it being the nature of all the Promises of God to frame and mould them to whom they are given into all Holinesse and purity 2 Cor. 7. 1. and this in especiall is a Promise of the principall Author and cause all Holinesse to be continued to them and is impossible to beapprehended under any such foolish supposall so also that this Promise is absolute not Conditionall can neither be colourably gainesaid nor the contrary probably confirmed so that the strength of Mr Goodwins two next Exceptions 1. That this cannot be a Promise of Perseverance unto true Believers whatsoever their deportment shall be And 2. That it must be Conditionall which cannot as he saith be reasonably gainesaid The first of them not looking towards our perswasion in this thing And the latter being not in the least put upon the proofe is but very weakenesse For what Condition I pray of this Promise can be imagined God promises his Spirit of Holinesse that sanctifyeth us and worketh all holinesse in us and therewith the holy Word of the Gospell which is also Sanctifying John 17. 7. that they shall abide with us for ever It is the continuance of the presence of God with us for our Holinesse that is here promised On what condition shall this be supposed to depend Is it in case we continue Holy Who seeth not the vanity of interserting any condition I will be with you by my Spirit and Word for ever to keep you Holy provided you continue Holy 3. Thirdly It is a hard taske to seeke to squeeze a condition out of those gracious words in the beginning of the verse As for mee which Iunius renders de me autem words wherein God graciously reveals himselfe as the sole Author of this great blessing promised it being a worke of his owne which he accomplisheth upon the account of his free Grace And therefore God signally placed that expression in the entrance of the Promise that we may know whom to look unto for the fulfilling thereof And it is yet a farther corruption to say that as for me is as much as for my part I will deale bountifully with them provided that they doe so
higher then outward dispensations when the words expressly mention the Spirit already received Evident it is that the whole Grace Love Kindnesse and Mercy of this eminent Promise and consequently the whole Covenant of Grace is enervated by this corrupting Glosse Doe men think indeed that all the mercy of the Covenant of Grace consists in such tenders and offers as here are intimated that it all lyes in outward endearements and such dealings with men as may seeme to be suited to win upon them and that as to the reall exhibition of it it is wholly suspended upon the unstable uncertaine fraile wills of men The Scripture seemes to hold out something farther of more efficacy Ezek. 11. 19. The designe of these exceptions Jere 31. 32. 32. 40. is indeed to exclude all the effectuall Grace of God promised in Jesus Christ upon the account that the things which he promiseth to work in us thereby are the duties which he requireth of us In summe these are the exceptions which are given into this Testimony of God concerning the abiding of the spirit with them on whom he is bestowed and for whom he is procured to whom he is sent by Jesus Christ. And this is the Interpretation of the words As for mee for my part or as much as in me lieth this is my Covenant I will deale bountifully and gratiously with them the whole Nation of the Jewes my spirit that is in thee that they ought to take care that they entertaine and retaine the Holy Spirit and not walk so extremely unworthily that he should depart frō them the residue of the words wherein the maine Emphasis of them doth lye is left untouched The import then of this Promise is the same with that of the Promises insisted on before with especiall reference to the Holy Spirit procured for us and given unto us by Christ. The stability and establishing Grace of the Covenant is here called the Covenant as sundry other particular mercies of it are also Of the Covenant of Grace in Christ the blessed Spirit to dwell in us and rest upon us is the maine and principall Promise This for our consolation is renewed againe and againe in the Old and New Testoment As a Spirit of sanctification he is given to men to make them believe and as a spirit of Adoplion upon their Believing In either sence God even the Father who takes us into Covenant in Jesus Christ affirmes here that he shall never depart from us which is our first Testimony in the case in hand With whom the Spirit abides and whilest he abides with them they cannot utterly forsake God nor be forsaken of him for they who have the spirit of God are the Children of God sonnes and Heyres But God hath promised that his Spirit shall abide with Believers for ever as hath been clearly evinced from the Text under consideration with a removall of all exceptions put in thereto The second witnesse we have of the constant abode and residence of this spirit bestowed on them §. 26. which Believe for ever is that of the Sonne who assures his Disciples of it Joh. 14. 16. I will saith he pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever As our Saviour gives a Rule of Interpretation expressely of his Prayers for Believers that he did in them intend not only the men of that present Generation but all that should believe to the end of the World Ioh. 17. 20. I pray not for these alone but for them also who shall believe on me through their word so is it a Rule equally infallible for the interpretation of the gracious Promises which he made to his Disciples that are not peculiarly appropriated to their season and worke in which yet as to the generall Love Faithfulnesse and Kindnesse manifested and revealed in them the concernements of the Saints in all succeeding ages does lye they are proper to all Believers as such For whom he did equally intercede to them he makes Promises alike They belong no lesse to us on whom in an especiall manner the ends of the World are fallen then to those who first followed him in the Regeneration Let us then attend to the Testimony in this place and as he shall be pleased to increase our Faith mix it therewithall that the Spirit he procureth for us and sends to us shall abide with us for ever and whilest the Spirit of the Lord is with us we are his Doubtlesse it is no easy taske to raise up any pretended plea against the evidence given in by this Witnesse the Amen the great and faithfull witnesse in Heaven He tells us that he will send the Spirit to abide with us for ever and therein speaks to the whole of the case in hand and Question under debate All we say is that the Spirit of God shall abide with Believers for ever Christ saies so too and in the issue what ever becomes of us he will appeare to be one against whom there is no rising up Against this Testimony it is objected by Mr Goodwin §. 27. Cap. 11. Sect. 14. Pag. 234. This Promise saith he concerning the abiding of this other Comforter for ever must be conceived to be made either to the Apostles personally considered or else to the whole body of the Church of which they were principall members If the first of these be admitted then it will not follow that because the Apostles had the perpetuall residence of the spirit with them and in them therefore every particular Believer hath the like no more then it will follow that because the Apostles were infallible in their judgments through the teachings of the spirit in them therefore every Believer is infallible upon the same account also If the latter be admitted neither will it follow that every Believer or every member of the Church must needs have the residence of the spirit with them for ever There are principall priviledges appropriated to Corporations which every particular member of them cannot claime the Church may have the residence of the spirit of God with her for ever and yet every present member thereof loose his interest and part in him yea the abiding of the spirit in the Apostles themselves was not absolutely promised Ioh. 15. 10. 1. The designe of this discourse is to prove Ans. that this Promise is not made to Believers in generall or those who through the word are brought to believe in Christ in all Generations to the end of the World and consequently that they have no Promise of the Spirits abiding with them for that is the thing opposed and this is part of the Doctrine that tends to their Consolation and improvement in Holinesse What thankes they will give to the Authors of such an eminent discovery when it shall be determined that they have deserved well of them and the Truths of God I know not especially when it shall be considered that not
is a weighty observation yet withall it is evident that he opposeth the abiding of the Spirit with them as a Comforter to his owne bodily presence with them for that end His was for a season the other to endure for ever And I desire to know how our Saviour Christ comes or enters into the soules or hearts of men but by his Spirit and how these things come here to be distinguished But 2. He saies By the abiding of the Comforter with them for ever he doth not meane his perpetuall abode in their hearts or the hearts of any particular man but his constant abiding in the world in and with the Gospell and the Children thereof in respect of which he saith of himselfe elswhere I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world as if he should have said This the purpose of my Father in sending me into the world requiers that I should make no long stay in it I am now upon my returne but when I come to my Father I will intercede for you and he will send you another Comforter upon better termes for staying and continuing with you then those on which I came for he shall be sent not to be taken out of the world by death but to make his residence with and among you my friends and faithfull ones for ever Now from such an abiding of the Holy Ghost with them as this cannot be inferd his perpetuall abiding with any one person or Believer determinately much lesse with every one Ans. 1. §. 29. It was evident before that this Promise was made to the Disciples of Christ as Believers to quicken and strengthen their failing drooping Faith in and under that great Tryall of loosing the presence of their Master which they were to undergoe and being made unto them as Believers though upon a particular occasion is made to all Believers for à quatenus ad omne valet argumentum 2. It is no lesse evident that according to the interpretatiō here without the least attempt of proofe importunately suggested the Promise is no way suited to give the least Incouragement or Consolation unto the Disciples in reference to the Condition upon the account whereof it is now so solemnly given thē It is alone as if our Saviour should have said you are sadly troubled indeed yea your hearts are filled with trouble fear because I have told you that I must leave you be not so dejected I have kept you whilst I have been with you in the world now I goe away and will send the Holy Spirit into the world that whatsoever becomes of you or any of you whether yee have any Consolation or no he shall abide in the world perhaps with some or other that is if any doe believe which it may be some will it may be not untill the end and consummation of it 3. Is this Promise of sending the Holy Spirit given to the Apostles or is it not If you say not assigne who it is given or made unto Christ spake it to them and doubtlesse they thought he intended them and it was wholly suited to their Condition If it were made unto them is it not in the letter of the Promise affirmed that the Spirit shall abide with them for ever to whom it was given If there be any subject of this Promise in receiving the Spirit he must of necessity keepe his residence and abode with it for ever The whole designe of this Section is to put the persons to whom this Promise is made into the darke that we may not see them yea to deny that it is made to any persons at all as the recipient subject of the Grace thereof He tells yee that he abides in the world how I pray Doubtlesse not as the uncleane Spirit that goes up and downe in dry places seeking rest and finding none Christ promiseth his Spirit to his Church not to the world to dwell in the hearts of his not to wander up and downe Nay he abides with the Apostles and their Spirituall posterity that is Believers in our Saviours interpretation John 17. 20. Are they then and their posterity that is Believers the persons to whom this Promise is made and who are concerned in it with whom as he is promised he is to abide This you can scarcely finde out an Answer to in the whole Discourse He tells you indeed the Holy Ghost was not to dye with such other rare notions but for any persons particularly intended in this Promise we are still in the Darke 4. He tells us That from such an abiding of the Holy Ghost with them as this cannot be inferred his perpetuall abiding with any one person determinately But 1. What kind of abiding it is that he intends is not easily apprehended 2. If on the account of this Promise he is given to any person on the same account he is to abide with the same person for ever 3. That which he seemes to intend is the presence of the Spirit in the Administration of the Word to make it effectuall unto them to whom it is delivered when the Promise is to give him as a Comforter to them on whom he is bestowed But he adds Sect. 14. 4. And lastly This particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes import the certainty of the thing spoken of by way of event no not when the speech is of God himselfe but oft times the intention only of the Agent so that the words that he may abide with you for ever doe not imply an absolute necessity of his abiding with them for ever but only that it should be the intent of him that should send him and that he would send him in such a way that if they were true to their own interest they might retain him and have his abode with them for ever Turne the words any way with any tolerable congruity either to the scope of the place manner of Scripture expression principles of Reason and the Doctrine of Perseverance will be found to have nothing in them Ans. 1. This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that when all Medicines will not heale must serve to skinne the wound given our Adversaries cause by the Sword of the Word The Promise is made unto Believers indeed but on such and such conditions as on the account whereof it may never be accomplisht towards them 2. This no way sutes Mr Goodwins interpretation of the place formerly mentioned and insisted on If it be as was said only a Promise of sending his Spirit into the World for the end by him insinuated doubtlesse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must denote the Event of the thing and not only an Intention that might faile of Accomplishment For let all or any individualls behave themselves how they will it is certaine as to the Accomplishment and event that the Spirit of God shall be continued in the World in the sence pleaded for But it is not what is congruous to his
own thoughts but what may oppose ours that is the plaine and obvious sence of the words that he is concerned to make use of It being not the sence of the place but an escaping our Argument from it that lies in his designe he cares not how many contrary and inconsistent Interpretations he gives of it haec non successit aliâ aggrediemur viâ The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes as is confessed the intention of Christ in sending the Spirit that is that he intends to send him to Believers so as that he should abide with them for ever Now besides the impossibility in generall that the intention of God or of the Lord Christ as God and man should be frustrate whence in particular should it come to passe he should faile in this his intention I will send ye the holy spirit to abide with you for ever that is I intend to send you the Holy Spirit that he may abide with you for ever what now should hinder this Why it is given them upon condition that they be true to their own interest and take care to retaine him what is that I pray Why that they continue in Faith Obedience Repentance and close walking with God but to what end is it that he is promised unto them Is it not to teach them to worke in them Faith Obedience Repentance and close walking with God to Sanctifie them throughout and preserve them blamelesse to the end making them meet for the inheritance with the Saints in Light In case they Obey Believe c. the Holy Ghost is promised unto them to abide with them to cause them to Obey Believe Repent c. 4. The Intention of Christ for the sending of the Spirit and his abiding for ever with them to whom he is sent is but one and the same And if any frustration of his intention do fall out it may most probably interpose as to his sending of the Spirit not as to the Spirits continuance with them to whom he is sent which is asserted absolutely upon the account of his sending him He sends him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his abode is the end of his sending which if he be sent shall be obtained Upon the whole doubtlesse it will be found that the Doctrine of Perseverance findes so much for its establishment in this place of Scripture and Promise of our Saviour that by no Art or cunning it will be prevailed withall to let goe its interest therein And though many attempts be made to turne and wrest this Testimony of our Saviour severall wayes and those contrary too and inconsistent with one another yet it abides to looke straight forwards to the proofe and confirmation of the Truth that lyes not only in the wombe and sence of it but in the very mouth and literall expression of it also I suppose it is evident to all that Mr Goodwin knowes not what to say to it nor what sence to fixe upon At first it is made to the Apostles not all Believers then when this will not serve the turne there being a Concession in that Interpretation destructive to his whole cause then it is made as a Priviledge to the Church not to any individuall Persons but yet for feare that this priviledge must be vested in some individualls it is denyed that it is made to any but only is a Promise of the Spirits abode in the world with the Word but perhaps some thoughts coming upon him that this will no way suit the scope of the place nor be suited to the intēdmēt of Christ it is lastly added that let it be made to whom it will it is conditionall though there be not the least intimation of any condition in the Text or Context and that by him assigned be coincident with the thing it selfe promised But hereof so farre And so our second Testimony the Testimony of the Sonne abides still by the Truth for the confirmation whereof it is produced and in the mouth of these two witnesses the abiding of the Spirit with Believers to the end is established Adde here unto thirdly the Testimony of the third that beares witnesse in Heaven §. 29. and who also comes neere and beares witnesse to this Truth in the hearts of Believers even of the Spirit it selfe and so I shall leave it sealed under the Testimony of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost As the other two gave in their Testimony in a word of Promise so the Spirit doth in a reall worke of Performance wherein as he beares a distinct Testimony of his owne the Saints having a peculiar Communion and fellowship with him therein so he is as the common seale of Father and Sonne set unto that Truth which by their Testimony they have confirmed There are indeed sundry things whereby he confirmes and establisheth the Saints in the Assurance of his abode with them for ever I shall at present mention that one eminent worke of his which being given unto them he doth accomplish to this very end and purpose and that is his Sealing of them to the day of Redemption A worke it is often in the Scripture mentioned and still upon the account of assuring the Salvation of Believers 2 Cor. 1. 22. by whom also ye are sealed Having mentioned the Certainty Unchangeablenesse and efficacy of all the Promises of God in Christ and the end to be accomplished and brought about by them namely the Glory of God in Believers v. 20. all the Promises of God are yea and Amen in him to the Glory of God by us the Apostle acquaints the Saints with one Foundation of the security of their interest in those Promises whereby the end mentioned the Glory of God by them should be accomplished This he ascribes to the efficacy of the Spirit bestowed on them in sundry workes of his Grace which he reckoneth v. 21 22. Among them this is one that he seales them As to the nature of this sealing and what that Act of the Spirit of Grace is that is so called I shall not now insist upon it The end and use of Sealing is more aimed at in this expression then the nature of it what it imports then wherein it consists Being a terme forensicall and translated from the use and practice of men in their Civill Transactions the use and end of it may easily from the originall rise thereof be demonstrated Sealing amongst men hath a two fold use First to give secrecy and security in things that are under present consideration to the things sealed And this is the First use of Sealing by a seale set upon the thing sealed Of this kind of sealing chiefely have we that long Discourse of Salmasius in the vindication of his Jus Atticum against the Animadversions of Heraldus And 2 ly to give an assurance or faith for what is by them that seale to be done In the first sence are things sealed up in Baggs and in Treasuries that they may be kept safe none daring to
such sinnes and unworthinesse as are inconsistent with the state of Acceptation with God which is the very thing he hath to prove 2. In supposing that if Believers are sealed up infallibly to Redemption the Exhortations to the avoidance of sinnes in themselves and to all that continue in them destructive to Salvation are in vaine which is a figment in a case somewhat alike as to the reason of it rejected by men that knew nothing of the nature of Gods Promises nor his commands nor the Accommodation of them both to the fulfilling in Believers all the good pleasure of his Goodnesse 2. The Assurance the Apostle gives of freedome from the wrath of God is inseparably associated with that Assurance that he gives that we shall not be left in or given up to such waies as wherein that wrath according to the tenure of the Covenant of Grace is not to be avoided From this latter Testimony this Argument also doth flow Those who are sealed of God to the day of Redemption shall certainly be preserved thereunto their preservation being the end and aime of God in his sealing of them Mr Goodwins Answer to this Proposition is that they shall be so preserved in case they fall not into abominable sinnes and practises and so Apostatize from the Faith that is in case they be preserved they shall be preserved but wherein their preservation should consist if not in their effectuall deliverance from such waies and courses is not declared That all Believers are so sealed and to that end as above is the plaine Testimony of the Scripture and therefore our Conclusion is undeniably evinced Thus have we through the Lords assistance freed the triple Testimony of Father Sonne and Spirit given to the Truth under Consideration from all Objections and exceptions put in thereunto so that we hope the mouth of iniquity may be stopt and that the cause of the Truth in hand is secured for ever It is a fearfull thing to contend with God Let God be true and all men lyars CAP. VIII 1. Entrance into the Digression concerning the Indwelling of the Spirit The manner of the ahode of the Spirit with them on whom he is bestowed Grounds of the Demonstratious of the Truth 2. The Indwelling of the Spirit proved from the Promises of it 3. Expresse affirmations of the same Truth Psal. 51. 11. Rom. 8. 9. opened v. 11 15. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Gal. 4. 6. opened 1 Tim. 3. 14. 4. The Spirit in his Indwelling distinguished from all his Graces Evasions removed Rom. 5. 5. Explained The Holy Ghost himselfe not the Grace of the Holy Ghost there intended Rom 8. 11. opened Gal 5. 22. 5. A Personality ascribed to the Spirit in his Indwellings 1 In personall Appellations 1 Ioh. 4. 5. Ioh. 14. 19 17. 2. Personall Operations Rom. 8. 11 15. explained 3. Personall circumstances The Spirit dwells in the Saints as in a Temple 1 Cor. 3. 16. Ch. 6. 9. 6. The Indwelling of the Spirit farther Demonstrated from the signall Effects ascribed in the Scripture to his so doing as 1 Union with Christ. 7. Union with Christ wherein it consisteth 8. Union with Christ by the Indwelling of the same Spirit in him and us 9. This proved from 1. Scripturall Declarations of it 2 Pet. 1. 4. How we are made partakers of the Divine Nature 10. Union expressed by caring the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ. Ioh. 6. 56. opened 11. The Prayer of our Saviour for the Union of his Disciples Iâ—h 17. 21. The Union of the Persons in the Trinity with themselves 12. 2 Scripturall illustrations for the manifestation of Union 13. The Union of Head and Members what it is and wherein it doth consist 14. Of the Union between Husband and Wife aud our Union with Christ represented thereby 15. Of a Tree and its branches 16. Life and quickning given by the Indwelling Spirit in Quickning Life and sutable operations 17. 2. Direction guidance given by the Indwelling Spirit Guidance or direction twosold 18. The severall waies whereby the Spirit gives guidance and Direction unto them in whom he dwells The first way by giving a new understanding or a new spirituall light upon the understanding 19. What light men may attaine without the particular guidance of the Spirit 20. Saving Embracements of particular Truths from the Spirit 1 Ioh 2. 20 21. 21. The way whereby the Spirit leads Believers into Truth 22. Consequences of the want of this guidance of the Spirit 23. The 3d thing received from the Indwelling Spirit Supportment 24. The way whereby the Spirit gives supportment 25. 1. By bringing to mind the things spoken by Christ for their Consolation Ioh. 14. 16 26. 26. 2. By renewing his Graces in them as to strength The benefits issuing and flowing from thence 27. Bestraint given by the Indwelling Spirit and how 28. The continuance of the Spirit with Believers for the Renewall of Grace proved Ioh. 4. 14. 29. That Promise of our Saviour at large opened 30. The Water there promised is the Spirit The state of them on whom he is bestowed Spirituall thirst twofold Ioh. 65. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 2. 31. The Reasons why men cannot thirst againe who have once dranke of the Spirit explained 32. Mr G's Exceptions considered and removed 33. The same work farther carried on as also 3â— 35 36. The Indwelling of the Spirit in Believers farther demonstrated by the Inferences made from thence 37. The first Our Persons Temples of the Holy Ghost To be disposed of in all waies of Holinesse 38. Wildome to try Spirits 39. The wayes means and helps whereby the Saints discerne between the voyce of Christ and the voyce of Sathan HAving shewed §. 1. that the Holy Spirit is purchased for us by the Oblation of Christ and bestowed on us through his Intercession to abide with us for Ever a Truth confirmed by the unquestionable Testimonies of the Father Sonne and Spirit I shall in the next place I hope to the advantage and satisfaction of the Christian Reader a little turne aside to consider how and in what manner he abideth with them on whom he is bestowed together with some Eminent Acts and Effects of his Grace which he putteth forth and exerteth in them with whom he abideth all tending to their preservation in the Love and Favour of God A Doctrine it is of no small use and importance in our walking with God as we shall find in our pursuit of it And therefore though not appearing so directly Argumentative and immediately subservient to the promotion of the Dispute in hand yet tending to the establishment guidance and consolation of them who doe receive it and to the cherishing increasing and strengthning of the Faith thereof I cannot but conceive it much conducing to the carrying on of the maine Intendment of this whole undertaking I say then upon the purchase made of all Good things for the Elect by Christ the Holy and Blessed Spirit of God is given to
that Believers receive the spirit of Adoption to cry Abba Father which being a worke within them cannot be wrought and effected by Adoption it selfe which is an extrinsicall Relation Neither can Adoption and the Spirit of Adoption be conceived to be the same He also farther affirmes it 1 Cor 2. 12. we have received the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God We have so received him as that he abides with us to teach us to acquaint our hearts with Gods dealing with us bearing witnesse with our spirits to the condition wherein we are in reference to our Favour from God and Acceptation with him and the same he most distinctly asserts Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father The distinct Oeconomy of the Father Sonne and Spirit in the work of Adoption is clearly discovered He is sent sent of God that is the Father That name is Personally to be appropriated when it is distinguished as here from Sonne and Spirit That is the Fathers work that work of his Love he sends him He hath sent him as the spirit of his Sonne procured by him for us promised by him to us proceeding from him as to his personall subsistence and sent by him as to his office of Adoption and Consolation Then whether the Father hath sent the spirit of his Sonne where he is to abide and make his residence is expressed it is into our Hearts saith the Apostle there he dwells and abides And lastly what there he doth is also manifested he setts them on worke in whom he is gives them priviledges for it Ability to it Incouragement in it causing them to cry Abba Father Once and againe to Timothy doth the same Apostle assert the same truth 1 Epist. 3. 14. the good thing committed unto thee keep by the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us The Lord knowing how much of our Life and Consolation depends on this Truth redoubles his Testimony of it that wee might receive it even wee who are dull and slow of heart to believe the things that are written 3. Whereas some may say §. 3. it cannot be denyed but that the Spirit dwels in Believers but yet this is not personally but only by his Grace though I might reply that this indeed and upon the matter is not to distinguish but to deny what is positively affirmed To say the Spirit dwells in us but not the Person of the Spirit is not to distinguish de modo but to deny the thing it selfe To say the Graces indeed of the Spirit are in us not dwell in us for an Accident is not properly said to dwell in its subject but the Spirit it selfe doth not dwell in us is expressly to cast downe what the word sets up If such distinctions ought to be of force to evade so many positive and plaine Texts of Scripture as have been produced it may well be questioned whether any Truth be capable of proofe from Scripture or no. Yet I say farther to obviate such Objections and to prevent all quarrellings for the future the Scripture it selfe as to this businesse of the Spirits indwelling plainely distinguisheth between the Spirit it selfe and his Graces He is I say distinguished from them and that in respect to his indwelling Rom. 5. 5. The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that is given to us The Holy Ghost is given to us to dwell in us as hath been abundantly declared and shall yet farther be demonstrated Here He is mentioned together with the Love of God and his shedding thereof abroad in our Hearts that is with his Graces is as clearely distinguished and differenced from them as Cause and effect Take the Love of God in either sence that is controverted about this place for our Love to God or a sence of his Love to us and it is an eminent Grace of the Holy Spirit If then by the Holy Ghost given unto us yee understand only the Grace of the Holy Ghost He being said to be given because that is given then this must be the sence of the place The Grace of the Holy Ghost is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Grace of the Holy Ghost that is given to us Farther if by the Holy Ghost be meant only his Grace I require what Grace it is hereby the expression intended Is it the same with that expressed the Love of God This were to confound the efficient cause with its effect Is it any other Grace that doth produce the great worke mentioned Let us know what that Grace is that hath this power energie in its hand of shedding abroad the Love of God in our Hearts So Rom. 8. 11. He shall quicken your mortall bodyes by the Spirit that dwelleth in you This quickning of our mortall bodies is generally confessed to be and the scope of the place inforceth that sence our Spirituall quickning in our mortall bodyes mention being made of our bodyes in Analogie to the body of Christ by his death we have life and quickning Donbtlesse then it is a Grace of the Spirit that is intended Yea the habitual principle of all Graces And this is wrought in us by the Spirit that dwelleth in us There is not any Grace of the Spirit whereby he may dwell in men antecedent to his Quickning of them Spirituall Graces have not their residence in dead soules So that this must be the Spirit himselfe dwelling in us that is here intended and that personally or the sence of the words must be The Grace of quickning our mortall bodyes is wrought in us by the Grace of Quickning our mortall bodyes that dwels in us which is plainely to confound the Cause and Effect Besides it is the same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead that is intended which doubtlesse was not any inherent Grace but the Spirit of God himselfe working by the exceding greatnesse of his Power Thus much is hence cleared Antecedent in order of nature to our Quickning there is a Spirit given to us to dwell in us Every efficient Cause hath at least the precedency of its effect No Grace of the Spirit is bestowed on us before our Quickning which is the preparation and fitting of the subject for the receiving of them the planting of the Roote that containes them vertually and brings them forth actually in their order Gal. 5. 22. All Graces whatsoever come under the name of the fruit of the Spirit that is which the Spirit in us brings forth as the Roote doth the fruit which in its sodoing is distinct therefrom Many oher instances might be given but these may suffice 4. There is a Personallity ascribed to the Holy Ghost in his dwelling in us and that in such a way §. 4. as cannot be ascribed to any Created Grace which is but a Quality in a subject and this the Scripture doth three wayes 1. In
Object or Truth revealed in the word This is common to all that are made partakers of the good Word of God that is to whom 't is Preached and delivered as it is to many whom it doth not profit being not mixt with Faith Heb 4. 2. 3. The way and meanes of Communicating the truth so revealed to their minds or understandings which is the Litterall Grammaticall Logicall delivery of the things contained in the Scriptures as held out to their Minds and Apprehensions in their meditation on them and this meanes of convayance of the sence of the Scripture is plaine obvious and cleare in all necessary Truths A Concurrence of these three will afford and yeild them that have it upon their diligence and enquiry a Disciplinary knowledge of the Litterall sence of Scripture as they have of other things By this meanes the Light shines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sends out some beames of light into their darke minds but the darknesse comprehends it not John 1. 5. receives not the Light in a spirituall manner there is notwithstanding all this still wanting the work of the Spirit before mentioned creating and implanting in and upon their understandings and minds that Light and power of discerning spirituall things which before we insisted on This the Scripture sometimes calls the opening of the understanding Luk 24. 45. sometimes the giving an understanding it selfe 2 Tim 2. 7. 1 John 5. 20 sometimes light in the Lord Ephes. 5. 8. Notwithstanding all the Advantages formerly spoken of without this men are still naturall men and darknesse not comprehending not receiving the things of God that is not spiritually for so the Apostle adds because they Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Receiving Spirituall things by meere naturall mediums they become foolishnesse unto them This is the first thing that the Spirit dwelling in us doth towards Guidance and Direction he gives a new Light and Understanding whereby in generall we are inabled to discerne comprehend and receive Spirituall things 2. In particular he Guides and leades men to the embracing particular Truthes and to the walking in and up §. 20. unto them Christ promised to give him to us for this end namely to lead us into all Truth John 16. 13. He will guide us into all Truth There is more required to the receiving entertaining embracing a particular Truth rejecting of what is cōtrary unto it then an habituall Illumination This also is the work of the Spirit that dwells in us he works this also in our minds hearts therefore the Apostle secures his little Children that they shall be lead into Truth preserved frō seduction on this account 1 John 2. 20. You have au Vnction from the holy one or ye have received the Spirit from the Lord Jesus and you shall know all things why so because it is his worke to Guide and Lead you into all the things whereof I am a speaking And more fully v 27. You have received an Vnction from him that abideth in you and you have no need that any teach you but as the Vnction teacheth you of all things and is true and is no lye and as he hath taught you abide in him It is received as promised it doth abide as the Spirit is said to do and it teacheth which is the proper worke of the Spirit in an eminent manner Now this Guidance of Believers by the Spirit §. 21. as to the particular Truthes and actings consists in his putting forth of a twofold Act of Light and Power First Of Light and that also is twofold 1. Of Beauty as to the things to be received or done he represents them to the soule as Excellent Comely Desirable and Glorious leading us on in the receiving of truth from Glory to Glory 2 Cor. 2. 18. He puts upon every Truth a new Glory making and rendring it desirable to the soule without which it cannot be closed withall as not discovering either suitablenesse or proportion unto the minds and hearts of men And 2. By some actuall elevation of the minde and understanding to goe forth unto and receive into it selfe the Truth as represented to it by both of them sending forth Light and Truth Psal. 43. 3. blowing of the Cloudes and raising up the day Starre that rises in our hearts Secondly 2 Pet. 2. 19. Of Power Isa. 35. 6. The breaking forth of Streames makes not only the blind to see but the lame to leape Strength comes as well as Light by the powring out of the Spirit on us Strength for the receiving and practice of all his Gracious discoveries to us He leades us not only in Generall implanting a saving Light in the minde whereby it is disposed and enabled to discerne Spirituall things in a Spirituall manner but also as to Particular Truths rendring them Glorious and Desirable opening the mind and Understanding by new beames of Light he leades the soule irresistably into the receiving of the truths revealed which is the second thing we have by him I shall only observe for a close of this §. 22. one or two Consequences of the weight of this twofold Operation of the indwelling of Christ. 1. From the want of the first or his creating a new light in the minds of men it is that so many Labour in the fire for an acquaintance with the things of God It is I say a consequence of it as darknesse is of absence of the Sunne Many we see after sundry years spent in considerable labours and diligence reading of many bookes with a contribution of assistance from other usefull Arts and Sciences Rom. 1. 21 22 in the issue of all their indeavours do wax vaine in their imaginations having their foolish hearts darkned professing themselves wise they become fooles being so farre from any Sappe and savour that they have not the leaves of ability in things Divine Others indeed make some progresse in a disciplinary knowledge of Doctrines of the Scriptures and can accurately reason and distinguish about them according to the formes wherein they have been exercised and that to a great height of conviction in their owne spirits and permanency in the profession they have taken up But yet all this while they abide without any effectuall power of the Truth Rom. 6. 17. conforming and framing their spirits unto the likenesse and mould thereof They doe but see men walking like trees some shines of the light breake in upon them which rather amaze then guides them they comprehend it not They see Spirituall things in a Naturall Light and presently forget what manner of things they were and in the species wherein they are retained 1 Cor. 2. 12 13 14. they are foolishnesse 2. From the want of the latter it is that we our selves are so slow in receiving some partes of Truth and do find it so difficult to convince others of some other parts of it which to us are written with the beames of the Sunne Unlesse the
performances And how comes that about saith the Psalmist it is by Gods satisfying my mouth with good things he satisfyed his mouth with good things or answered his prayers What these good things are which the Saints pray for and wherewith their mouthes are satisfied our Saviour tells us your Father saith he knoweth how to give good things to them that aske them of him which expressing in another place he saith your Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that aske him of him He is given us and he renewes our strength as the Eagles making our soules which were ready to languish prompt ready cheerefull strong in the wayes of God To this purpose is that Prayer of the Spouse Cant. 4. 6. Awake O North wind and come thou South and blow upon my Garden that the savour of my spices may flow out let my beloved come into his Garden that he may eate of the fruit of his precious things Shee is sensible of the withering of her Spices the decayes of her Graces and her disability thereupon to give any suitable entertainment unto Jesus Christ Hence is her earnestnesse for new breathings and operations of the Spirit of Grace to renew and revive and set on worke againe her Graces in her which without it could not be done All Graces are the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 25 26. The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Kindnesse Goodnesse Faith Gentlenesse Temperance if the Root doe not communicate fresh juyce and sappe continually the fruit will quickly wither were there not a continuall communication of new life and freshnesse unto our Graces from the Indwelling Spirit we should soone be poore withered Branches this our Saviour tells us Ioh. 15. 4 5. abide in mee and I in you as the branches cannot bring forth fruit of themselves unlesse they remaine in the Vine no more can yee unlesse ye abide in mee I am the Vine yee are the Branches he who abideth in mee and I in him he bringeth forth much fruit for separate from mee ye can doe nothing Our Abiding in Christ and his in us is as was declared by the Indwelling of the same Spirit in him and us Hence saith Christ have you all your fruit-bearing vertue and unlesse that be continued to us we shall wither and consume to nothing David in his spiritually declined condition intangled under the power and guilt of sinne cries out for the continuance of the Spirit and the restoring him as to those ends and purpose◠in reference whereunto he was departed from him Ps 51. 21 22. This the Apostle praies earnestly that the Ephesians may receive Ch. 3. 16 17. I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he will give unto you according to the riches of his Glory that ye may be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that yee being rooted and grounded in Love c. The inward Man is the same with the new Creature the new principle of Grace in the Heart This is apt to be sick to faint and decay the Apostle prayes that it might be strengthened how is this to be done how is it to be renewed increased enlivened It is saith he by the mighty power of the Spirit and then gives you particular instances in the Graces which flourish and spring up effectually upon that strengthening they receive by the might and power of the Spirit as of Faith Love Knowledge and Assurance the increasing and establishing of all which is ascribed there unto him He who bestowes these Graces on us and workes them in us doth also carry them on unto perfection Were it not for our inflowings from that spring our Cisternes would quickly be dry therefore our Saviour tells us that he the Spirit is unto Believers as Rivers of living water flowing out of their bowels Ioh 7. 38 39. A never failing fountaine that continually puts forth living waters of Grace in us This may a little farther be considered and insisted on being directly to our main purpose in hand It is true indeed it doth more properly belong unto that which I have assigned for the Second Part of this Treatise concerning the Ground or Principle of the Saints abiding with God for ever but falling in conveniently in this order I shall farther presse it from Ioh. 4. 14. whosoever saith our Saviour shall drink of the water which I shall give unto him shall not thirst for ever but the water which I shall give unto him shall be in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternall life The occasion of these words is known §. 29. they are part of our Saviours Colloquie with the poore Samaritan Harlot having told her that he could give her another manner of water and infinitely better then that which she drew out of Jacobs well for which the poore Creature did almost contemne him and askt him whence he had that water whereof he spake how he came by it or what he made of himselfe Did he think himselfe a better man then Iacob who dranke of that well which shee was drawing water out of to convince her of the Truth and reality of his Promise he compares the water that he would and could give with that which she drew out of the Well especially as to one eminent effect wherein the water of his Promise did infinitely surmount that which she so magnifyed for v. 13. he tells her for that water in the well though it allayed thirst for a season yet within a little while she would thirst againe and must come thither to draw but saith he whosoever drinketh of the Water I shall give him thirsts no more and this he proveth from the Condition of the Water he giveth it is a well of Water not a drought not a Pitcherfull as that thou carryest away but it is a Fountaine a Well yea perhaps in it selfe it is so a Fountaine or Well but he that drinkes of it he hath but one draught of that water Nay saith Christ it shall become a Well in him not a Well whereunto he may goe but a Well that he shall carry about in him He that hath a continuall spring of living water in him shall doubtlesse have no occasion of fainting for thirst any more This our Saviour amplifies and clears up unto her from the nature and energy of this Well of water it springeth up unto everlasting life in these last words instructing the poore sinfull Creature in the use of the Parable that he had used with her Having taken an occasion to speake to her of heavenly things from the nature of the employment that she was engaged in at present Two or three things may be observed from the words to give Light unto their tendency to the Confirmation of the Truth we have under consideration First §. 30. the Water here Promised by our Saviour is the Holy and Blessed Spirit this
Conscience doth however it tumultuate rebuke chide perswade trouble cry and the like whatever conviction of the guilt of sinne may shew into the judgement yet sinne hath the consent of the whole soule Every thing that hath a reall influence into operation consents thereto originally and radically how ever any principle may be dared by Conscience To take off any thing from full consent there must be something of a spirituall Repugnancy in the mind and will which when Lust is thus enthroned there is not Secondly That sinne reigneth in such persons Many have been the inquiries of Learned men about reigning of sinne As What sinnes may be said to reigne §. 8. and what not Whether sinnes of ignorance may raigne as well as sinnes against knowledge What little sinnes may be said to reigne as well as great Whether frequent relapses into any sinne prove that sinne to be reigning Whether sinne may reigne in a Regenerate person Or whether a Saint may fall into reigning sinne whereabout Divines of great note and name have differed all upon a false bottome and supposall The Scripture gives no ground for any such inquiries or disputes or Cases of Conscience as some men have raised hereupon And indeed I would this were the only instance of mens creating Cases of Conscience and answering them when indeed and in truth there are no such things so insnaring the Consciences of Men and intangling more by their Cases than they deliver by their Resolutions The truth is there is no mention of any reigning sinne or the Reigning of any sinne in the whole Book of God taking sinne for this or that particular sinne But of the Reigne of this Indwelling originall Lust or fountaine of all finne there is frequent mention Whilest that holds its power and universality in the soule and is not restrained nor straitned by the Indwelling spirit of grace with a new vitall principle of no lesse extent and of more power than it be the Actuall sinnes few or more knowne or unknowne little or great all is one sinne reignes and such a person is under the power and dominion of sinne so that in plain termes to have finne reigne is to be unconverted and to have sinne not to reigne is to be converted to have received a new principle of Life from above This is evident from the 5. and 6. Chapter of the Epist. to the Romans the seate of this Doctrine of reigning sinne The opposition insisted on by the Apostle is between the Reigne of Sinne and Grace and in pursuit thereof he manifests how true Believers are tanslated from the one to the other To have sinne reigne is to be in a state of sinne to have Grace reigne is to be in a state of Grace So Chapter 5. 21. % As sinne reigned unto death so Grace reignes through Righteousnesse unto eternall Life by Jesus Christ our Lord The sinne he speakes of is that whereof he treates in all that Chapter the sinne of Nature the Lust wherof we speake this by nature reigneth unto Death but when Grace comes by Jesus Christ the soule is delivered from the power thereof so in the whole 6. Chap. It is our change of state and Condition that the Apostle insists on in our delivery from the reigne of sinne and he tells us this is that that destroyes it our being under Grace v 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you because you are not under the Law but under Grace Plainely then there are two Lords and Rulers and these are Originall or Indwelling sinne and Grace or the Spirit of it The first Lord the Apostle discovers with his entrance upon his Rule and Dominion Chap. 5. and this all men by nature are under The second he describes Chap. 6. which sets out the Rule reigne of Grace in Believers by Jesus Christ. And then Thirdly the place that both these Lords have in this life in a Believer Cap. 7. This then is the only reigning sin in whomsoever it is in its power compas as it is in all unregenerate men in them in them only doth sin reigne every sin they commit is with full consent as was manifested before in exact willing Obedience to the soveraigne Lord that reignes in them Fourthly §. 9. observe that the Grace new Creature Principle or Spirituall Life that is Given to bestowed on and wrought in all and only Believers be it in the lowest and most remisse degree that can be imagined is yet no lesse universally spread over the whole soule than the contrary habit and principle of Lust and sinne whereof we have spoken In the Understanding it is Light in the Lord in the Will Life in the Affections Love Delight c. those being reconciled who were alienated by wicked workes Where ever there is any thing the least of grace there something of it is in every thing of the soule that is a capable seat for good or evill habits or dispositions He that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor 5. 17. not renewed in one or other particular he is a new Creature Fiftly that where ever true Grace is in what degree soever §. 10. there it bears Rule though sinne be in the same subject with it As sinne reignes before grace comes so Grace reignes when it doth once come And the reason is because sinne having the first Rule and Dominion in the heart abiding there there is neither Roome nor place for Grace but what is made by conquest Now who ever enters into a possession by right of Conquest what resistance soever be made if he prevaile to a Conquest he reignes In every regenerate man though Grace be never so weake and Corruption never so strong yet properly the Soveraignty belongs to Grace Having entered upon the soule and all the powers of it by Conquest so long as it abides there it doth reigne So that to say a Regenerate man may fall into reigning sinne as it is commonly exprest though as we have manifested no sinne reignes but the sinne of Nature as no good Act reigneth but the spirit and habit of Grace and yet continue Regenerate is all one as to say he may have and not have true Grace at the same time Now from these considerations §. 11. some farther inferences may be made First That in every regenerate person there are in a spirituall sence two Principles of all his actings Two Wills There is the Will of the Flesh and there is the Will of the Spirit a Regenerate man is spiritually and in Scripture expression two men a new man and an old an inward man and a body of Death and hath two Wills having two Natures not as Naturall faculties but as Morall principles of operation and this keepes all his actions as Morall from being perfect absolute or compleate in any kind He doth good with his whole heart upon the account of sincerity but he doth not good with his whole heart upon the account
Faith of others is to be obtained 23 What is meant by Perseverance How in Scripture it is expressed 24. The grounds of it pointed at 25 What is intended by falling away whether it be possible the Spirit of Grace may be lost or 26 27 28 The habit of it and how 29 30 The state of the Controversy as laid downe by Mr G. 31 The vanity thereof discovered 32 33 34 His judgement about Believers falling away examined what principles and meanes of Perseverance he grants to them 35 The enemies of our Perseverance Indwelling sin in particular considered 36 No possibility of preservation upon Mr G grounds demonstrated 37 38 39 40 41 42 The meanes and waies of the Saints preservation in Faith asserted by Mr G at large examined weighed found light 43 The Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance way of teaching it cleard from Isa 4 44 45 That Chapter opened 47 48 49 The 43 verse particularly insisted on and discussed 50 The whole state and Method of the Controversy thence educed THe Truth which I have proposed to handle §. 1. and whose defence I have undertaken in the insuing discourse Iud. 3. is commonly called the PERSEVERANCE OF SAINTS 2 Cor. 13. 8. A Doctrine Isai. 4. 5 6. whereof nothing ordinary Low or Common is spoken by any Ierem. 31. 31 32 33 34 35. that have ingaged into the consideration of it To some it is the very Salt of the Covenent of Grace Ier. 32. 39 40 the most distinguishing mercy communicated in the blood of Christ Isa. 59. 21. so enterwoven into Heb. 8. 10 11. and lying at the bottome of all that consolation which God is abundantly willing that all the Heires of the promise should receive That it is utterly impossible it should be safe guarded one moment 1 Cor. 1. 9. without a perswasion of this truth Phil. 1. 6. which seales up all the mercy and grace of the new Covenant Rom. 8. 32 33 34 35. with the unchangeableness and faithfulness of God To others it is no grace of God Pelag. Armin. Socin Papist Thomson de Intercis Justif Diatrib Bertius Apost Sanct. Remon-Coll Hag. Scripta Sinod no part of the purchase of Christ no doctrine of the Gospell no foundation of consolation but an invention of men a delusion of Satan an occasion of dishonour to God disconsolation and perplexity to believers a powerfull temptation unto sinne and wickednesse in all that doe receive it A Doctrine it is also whose right apprehension is on all hands confessed to be of great importance upon the accompt of that effectuall influence which it hath and will have §. 2. into our walking with God which say some is to Love Gen. 17. 1. Humility Thankefulness Feare Fruitfulness To Folly Stubborness Rebellion Psal. 23. 6. Dissolnteness Negligence say others The great confidence expressed by men concerning the evidence and certainty of their severall perswasions Phil. 2. 12 13. whether defending or opposing the Doctrine under consideration Heb. 10. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22. the one part professing the truth thereof to be of equall stability with the promises of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. and most plentifully delivered in the Scripture 2 Pet. 1. 3 4 5 6 7. c. others at least one who is thought to be pars magna of his Companions that if it be asserted in any place of the Scripture it were enough to make wise impartiall men to call the authority thereof into question must needs invite men to turne aside to see about what this earnest contest is quis is est tam potens who dares thus undertake to remove not only antient Landmarkes boundaries of doctrines among the Saints but mountains of brass the hils about Ierusalem which we hoped would stand fast for ever The concernement then of the Glory of God and the Honour of the Lord Iesus Christ with the interest of the soules of the Saints being so wrapt up and that confessedly on all hands in the Doctrine proposed I am not out of hope that the plaine discoursing of it from the word of truth may be as ae word in season like apples of gold in Pictures of silver Moreover §. 3. besides the generall importance of that doctrine in all times and seasons the wretched practizes of many in the daies wherein we live and the industrious attempts of others in their Teachings for the subverting and casting it downe from its excellency and that place which it hath long held in the Churches of Christ and hearts of all the Saints of God have rendred the consideration of it at this time necessary For the First these are daies wherein we have as sad and tremendious examples of Apostacy §. 4. back-sliding and falling from high and glorious pitches in profession as any Age can parallell As many starres cast from heaven As many trees pluckt up by the rootes Revel 12. 4. as many stately buildings by winde raine and storme Jud. 12. cast to the ground as many Sons of perdition discovered as many washed swine returning to their mire Math. 7. 26 27. as many Demases going after the present evill World 2 Thes. 2. 8. and men going out from the Church which were never truly and properly of it 2 Pet. 1. 20 21 22. as many Sonnes of the morning and Children of high illumination gifts setting in darkness 2 Tim. 4. 10. that of all sorts as ever in so short a space of time 1 Joh. 2. 19. since the name of Christ was known upon the Earth What through the deviating of some to the wayes of the World Heb. 6. 4 5. 6. and the Lusts of the flesh what of others to spirituall wickednesses and abominations it is seldome that we see a Professor to hold out in the Glory of his Profession to the end I shall not now discourse of the particular causes hereof with the temptations and advantages of Satan that seem to be peculiar to this season but only thus take notice of the thing it selfe as that which presseth for and rendreth the consideration of the doctrine proposed not only seasonable but necessary That this is a stumbling block in the way of them that seeke to walke with God §. 5. I suppose that none of them will deny It was so of old and it will so continue untill the end And therefore our Saviour predicting and discoursing of the like season Mathew 24. Foretelling that Many should be deceived ver 11. That Iniquity should abound and the love of many wax cold v. 12. that is visibly and scandalously to the contempt and seeming disadvantage of the Gospell adds as a preservative consolation to his own chosen select ones who might be shaken in their comforts confidence to see so many that walked in the House of God and took sweet counsell together with them to fall headlong to
assurance they have that those who are borne of God cannot shall not sinne unto deaths 1 Joh. 3. 9. seeing their own interest in that estate and condition may be clouded at least for a season and their consolation thereupon depending interrupted might occasion thoughts in them of very sad consideration but whilest besides all the beams raies that ever issued from a falling starre all the leaves and blossomes with abortive fruit that ever grew on an unrooted tree all the goodly turrets and ornaments of the fairest house that ever was built on the sand 1 Joh. 5. 7 8. there are moreover three that beare witness in Heaven the Father Sonne and Spirit and three that beare witness on Earth the Water Bloud and Spirit 1 Joh. 2. 20 21 whilst there is a teaching anoynting and assuring earnest a firme sealing to the day of redemption a knowledge that we are passed from death to life 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. the temptation arising from the Apostasie of Hypocrites is neither so potent nor unconquerable 2 Cor. 5. 5. but that by the grace of him through whom we can doe all things Ephes. 1. 14. it may be very well dealt withall Ephes. 4. 30. This I say Rom. 8. 16. supposing the ordinary presence and operation of the spirit of grace in the hearts of believers with such shines of Gods countenance upon them as they usually enjoy Let these be interrupted or turned aside and there is not the least blast or breath that proceeds from the mouth of the weakest enemy Psal 30. 6 7. they have to deale withall but is sufficient to cast them downe from the excellency of their joy and consolation The evidence of this truth is such § 8. that M. Goodwin is forced to say * Verè fidelit uti pro tempore praesenti de fidei conscientiae suae integritate certus esse potest ita de salute sui de salutiferâ Dei erga ipsum benevolentiâ pro illo tempore certus esse potest debet Farre be it from me to deny but that a man may very possibly attaine unto a very strong and potent assurance and that upon grounds every way sufficiently warrantable and good that his faith is sound and saving Cap 9. Sect 9. but unto this concession he puts in a double exception First That there is not one true believer of an hundred yea of many thousands who hath any such assurance of his Faith as is built upon solid and pregnant foundations I must by his leave enter my dissent hereunto and as we have the liberty of our respectiue apprehensions so neither the one nor the other prove any thing in the cause Setting aside causes of desertion great temptations and tryalls I hope through the riches of the grace and tenderness of the love of their father Act. Synod p. 182. decl sent Thes. 7. the condition is otherwise then is apprehended by M. Goodwin with the generality of the Family of God The reasons given by him of his thoughts to the contrary doe not sway me from my hopes or byas my former apprehensions in the least His reasons are First Because though the testimony of a mans heart and conscience touching his uprightness towards God or the soundness of any thing that is saving in him be comfortable and chearing yet seldome are these properties built upon such foundations which are sufficient to warrant them at least upon such whose sufficiency in that kind is duely apprehended For the testimony of the conscience of a man touching any thing which is spiritually and excellently good is of no such value unlesse it be first excellently inlightned with the knowledge nature proprieties and condition of that on which it testifieth and Secondly be in the actuall contemplation consideration or remembrance of what he knoweth in this kind Now very few believers in the World come up to this height and degree First Ans. 1. There is in this reason couched a supposition which if true would be farre more effectuall to shake the confidence and Resolution of beleevers then the most serious consideration of the Apostasies of all professors that ever fell from the glory of their profession from the beginning of the World and that is that there is no other pregnant foundation of Assurance but the testimony of a mans own heart and conscience touching his uprightness towards God and therefore before any can attaine that assurance upon abiding foundations they must be excellently inlightened in the nature properties and condition of that which their consciences testifie unto as true faith and uprightnesse of heart and be cleare in the disputes and Questions about them being in the actuall contemplation of them when they give their Testimony I no way doubt but many thousands of believers 1 Cor. 1. 26. whose apprehensions of the nature properties and conditions of things Jam. 2. 5. as they are in themselves are low weake and confused yet hauing received the Spirit of Adoption bearing witness with their spirits Rom. 8. 16. that they are the Children of God 1 Joh. 5. 10. and having the Testimony in themselves have been taken up into as high a degree of comforting and cheering assurance and that upon the most infallible foundation Imaginable 1 Joh. 5. 6. for the spirit witnesseth because the spirit is truth as ever the most seraphically illuminated person in the World attained unto Yea in the very graces themselves of Faith and uprightnesse of heart there is such a seale and stamp impressing the image of God upon the soule as without any reflex act or actuall contemplation of those graces themselves have an influence into the establishment of the soules of men in whom they are unto a quiet comfortable assured repose of themselves upon the love and faithfulnesse of God neither is the spirituall confidence of the Saints shaken Math. 7. 25. much lesse cast to the ground by their conflicting with feares Math. 16. 18. scruples and doubtfull apprehensions seeing in all these conflicts they have the pledge of the faithfulness of God Psal. 77. 10. that they shall be more then conquerours 1 Cor. 1. 9. Though they are exercised by them 1 Thes. 5. 23 24. they are not dejected with them 1 Cor. 10. 13. nor deprived of that comforting assurance and joy which they have in believing Rom. 8. 37. But yet suppose that this be the condition practically of many Saints of God that they never attaine to the state of the primitive Christians 1 Pet. 1. 8. to whose joy and consolation in believing the Holy Ghost so plentifully witnesseth nor doe live up to that full rate of plenty which their Father hath provided for them in his Family and sworne that he is abundantly willing they should enjoy and make use of Heb. 6. 17 18. what will hence follow as to the businesse in hand I professe
he knoweth it to be but positively to judge and conclude of it accordingly If then it be possible for men by any such fruits workes or expressions to know true Believers the persons we speake of may be known to have been such Though the words of our Saviour principally lye on the other side of the way giving a Rule for a condemnatory Judgment of men Ans. whose evill Fruits declare the Root to be no better wherein we cannot well be deceived the workes of the flesh being manifest and he that worketh wickednesse openly and brings forth the effects of sinne visibly Gal. 2. 19. in a course as a Tree doth its fruit may safely be cōcluded Rom. 6. 16. whatsoever pretence in words he makes to be a false corrupt Hypocrite yet by the way of Analogie and proportion it is a Rule also whereby our Saviour will have us make a Judgement of those Professors and Teachers with whom we have to do as to our Reception and Approbation of them He bids his Disciples tast try the Fruit that such persons beare and acording to that not any specious pretences they make or innocent Appearances which for a season they shew themselves in let their Estimation of them be Yea but sayes Mr Goodwin we doe not only stand bound by the Law of Charity but by the Law of a Righteous and strict Judgment it selfe to judge such persons Believers This distinction between the Law of Charity and the Law of a Righteous Judgment I understand not Though Charity be the principle exerted eminently in such dijudications of men yet doubtlesse it proceeds by the rules of Righteous Judgment When we speake of the Judgment of Charity we intend not a loose conjecture much lesse a Judgment contradistinct from that which is Righteous but a Righteous and strict Judgment according to the exactest rules whatsoever that we have to Judge by free from evill surmises and such like vices of the minde as are opposed to the grace of Love By saying it is of Charity we are not absolved frō the most exact procedure according to the Rules of judging given unto us but only bound up from indulging to any Fnvy Malice or such like works of the flesh which are opposite to Charity in the subject wherein it is Charity in this assertion denotes only a gracious qualification in the subject and not any condescension from the Rule and therefore I something wonder that Mr Goodwin should make a Judgment of Charity as afterwards a meere conjecture and allow beyond it a Righteous and strict Judgement which amounts to knowledg It is true our Saviour tells us §. 21. that by their fruits we shall know them But what knowledge is it that he intendeth is it a certain knowledge by demonstration of it or an infallible assurance by revelation I am confident M. Goodwin will not say it is either of these but only such a perswasion as is the result of our thoughts concerning them upon the profession they make the works they doe upon which we may according to the minde of Christ who bare with them whom he knew to be no Believers having taken on them the profession of the faith know how to demeane our selves towards them so farre we may know them by their fruits and judge of them other knowledge our Saviour intendeth not nor I believe does M. Goodwin pretend unto Now notwithstanding all this even on this account and by this rule it is very possible yea very easy and practically proved true in all places and at all times that we may judge yea so farre know men to be or not to be seducers by their fruits as to be able to order aright our demeanour towards them according to the will of Christ and yet be mistaken though not in the performance of our duty in walking regularly according to the lines drawne out for our paths in the persons concerning whom our judgement is the knowledge of them being neither by demonstration nor from revelation such as cui non potest subesse falsum we may be deceived The Saints then or believers §. 22. of whom alone our discourse is may be briefely delineated by these few considerable concernements of their Saintship 1. That whereas by nature they are children of wrath as well as others and dead in trespasses and sinnes Rom. 8. 28 29. that faith and holinesse which they are in due time invested withall whereby they are made Believers and Saints and distinguished from all others whatever is an effect and fruit of and flowes from God's eternall purpose concerning their salvation or election Act. 13. 4. Eph. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 2 3 4 5. their faith being as to the manner of its bestowing peculiarly of the operation of God and as to its distinction from every other gift that upon any account what ever is so called T it 1 1. in respect of its fountaine termed The faith of Gods elect 2. For the manner of their obtaining of this pretious faith it is by Gods giving to them that holy Spirit of his 2 Pet. 1. 1. Rom. 8. 11. whereby he raised Jesus from the dead to raise them from their death in sinne Eph. 1. 19 20. 2. 1 5 5 8 10. to quicken them unto newnesse of life endowing them with a new life with a Spirituall gracious supernaturall habit spreading it selfe upon their whole soules making them new creatures throughout in respect of parts investing them with an abiding principle Mat. 7. 17. 12. 33. being a naturall genuine fountaine of all those Spirituall acts Galat. 2. 20. 1 Ioh. 5. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 1 Thes. 5. 25. Gal. 5122 23. 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Eph. 2. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 22. Philip. 12. v. 13. workes and duties which he is pleased to worke in them and by them of his own good pleasure 3. That the holy and blessed Spirit which effectually and powerfully workes this change in them Ioh. 4 16 26. 15. 26. 16. 7 8 9. Rom. 8. 10 11. is bestowed upon them as a fruit of the purchase and intercession of Jesus Christ to dwell in them and abide in them for ever upon the account of which inhabitation of the Spirit of Christ in them they have union with him 1 Cor. 6. 19. Rom. 5. 5. 1 Ioh. 4. 4 13. i. e. one and the same spirit dwelling in him the Head and them the Members 2 Tim. 1. 14. 1 Cor. 6. 17. 12. 12 13. Ephes. 4. 4. 4. By all which as to their actuall state and condition they are really changed from a 1 Ioh. 3. 14. Eph. 2. 2. Col. 2. 13. Rom. 6. 11 13. 8. 2 8 9. death to life from b Act. 26. 18. Eph. 5. 8. 1 Thes. 5. 4. Col. 1. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 9. darknesse to light from c Ezek. 36. 25. Zach. 13. 1. Isa. 4. 3 4. Eph. 5. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Tit. 3.
5. Heb. 10. 22. universall habituall uncleannesse to holinesse from d Rom. 6. 10. Eph. 2. 12 13 14 15. Col. 1. 21. Heb. 12. 22. a state of enmity stubbornnesse rebellion c. into a state of love obedience delight c. and as to their relative condition whereas they were e Eph. 2. 3. Galat. 3. 13. 4. 4 5 6 7. Rom. 8. 1. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Col. 2. 10. Rom. 5. 1. 8. 32 33. 1 Ioh. 3. 1 2. Ephes. 3. 15. children of wrath under the curse and condemning power of the law they are upon the score of him who was made a curse for them and is made righteousnesse to them accepted justified adopted and admitted into that family of heaven and earth which is called after the name of God These alone are they of whom we treat of whose state and condition Perseverance is an inseparable adjunct wherein and in what particulars they are differenced from and advanced above the most glorious Professors whatever who are lyable and obnoxious to an utter and everlasting separation from God shall be afterwards at large insisted upon And though M. Goodwin hath thought good to affirme that that description which we have Heb 6 of such as is supposed may be Apostates is one of the highest and most eminent that is made of believers in the whole Scripture I shall not doubt but to make it evident that the Excellency of all the expressions there used being extracted and laid together doth yet come short of the meanest and lowest thing that is spoken of those concerning whom we treat as shall be manifest when through Gods assistance we arrive unto that part of this contest That the other terme to wit Perseverance may be more briefely explicated §. 23. I shall take the shortest path For Perseverance in generall he came neere the nature of it who said it was in ratione bene fundatâ stabilis ac perpetua permansio The words and termes whereby it is expressed in Scripture will afterwards fall in to be considered The Holy Ghost restraines not himselfe to any one expression in spirituall things of so great importance but using that variety which may be suited to the instruction supportment and consolation of Believers Rom. 15. 4. this grace as is that of Faith it selfe in an eminent manner is by him variously expressed 2 Sam. 7. 14 15. To walke in the name of the Lord for ever to walke with Christ as we have received to be confirmed or strengthened in the faith as we have been taught Psal. 1. 3. 23. 6. 37. 24. 52. 10. 89. 31. 125. 1 2. 3 128. 5. to keep the waies of Gods commandements to the end to runne stedfastly the race set before us to rule with God to be faithfull with the Saints to be faithfull to the death to be sound and stedfast in the precepts of God to abide or continue firme with Christ in Christ in the Lord in the word of Christ in the doctrine of Christ in the faith in the love and favour of God in what we have learned and received from the beginning Isa. 46. 4. 54. 10. to endure to persist in the Truth to be rooted in Christ Ierem. 31. 3. 32. 39 40. to retaine or keepe faith and a good conscience to hold fast our confidence and faith to the end Zech. 10. 12. to follow God fully to keep the word of Christs patience Math. 7. 24 25. 12. 20. 16. 18 24. 24. Luk. 8. 5. 22. 23. Ioh. 6. 35 39 56 57. 8. 12. 10. 27 28 29. 14. 16 17. 17. 20 18 28. Rom. 8. 1. 16. 29. 34. 36 37. 1 Cor. 3. 8 9 10 13. 15. 58. to be built upon and in Christ to keep our selves that the wicked one touch us not not to commit sinne to be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Ioh. 5. 17. 3. 9. to stand fast as mount Syon that can never be removed to stand by faith to stand fast in the faith to stand fast in the Lord to have the good work begun 1 Pet. 1. 5. Rom. 11. 20. 1 Cor. 16. 13. perfected to hold our profession that none take our crowne These I say and the like are some of those expressions whereby the holy Ghost holds forth that doctrine which we have in hand Phil. 4. 1. Phil. 1. 6. Ephes. 1. 13 14. which is usually called the Perseverance of Saints regarding principally their abiding with God through Christ in faith and obedience which yet is but one part of this truth The reasons causes investing this proposition 4. 39. that Saints such as we have described Gal. 2. 20. Phil. 1. 6. shall so Persevere with a necessity of consequence and on which the truth of it doth depend 1 Thes 5. 24. both negatively considered and positively with the limitation of Perseverance 2 Tim. 2. 12. what it directly asserts what not with what failing 1 Pet 1. 2 3 4. backsliding declensions on the one hand and other it is consistent and what is destructive of the nature and being of it 1 Joh. 2. 19 27. c. the difference of it as to being and apprehension in respect the subject in whom it is with the way and manner whereby the causes of this Perseverance have their operation on § 24. and effect in them that persevere not in the least prejudicing their liberty but establishing them in their voluntary obedience will afterwards be fully cleared And hereon depends much of the life and vigor of the Doctrine we have in hand it being oftner in the Scripture held forth in its fountaines and springs and causes then in the thing it selfe as will upon examination appeare As to what is on the other side affirmed §. 25. that Believers may fall totally finally away something may be added to cleare up what is intended thereby to enquire how it may come to passe We doe suppose which the scripture abundantly testifieth that such believers have a Ezek 36. 27. Isa 59. 21. Luk 11. 13. Psal. 51. 11. Rom. 8 9 11 15. 1 Cor 2. 12. Gal 4. 6. 1 Tim 1. 14 Rom 5. 5. Gal 5. 22. Ioh 14. 16 17. Ioh 16. 13. 1 Cor 3. 16. 1 Cor 6. 19. the holy Spirit dwelling in them by his implanting a b Math 12. 33. 2 Cor 5. 17. 2 Pet 1. 4 Gal 5. 22 23 Ephes. 4. 23 24. new holy habit of Grace the enquiry then is how believers may come utterly to loose this holy spirit to be made naked of the habit of Grace or new nature bestowed on them That and that only whereunto this effect is ascribed is sinne Now there are two wayes whereby sinne may be supposed to produce such effects in reference to the Soules of Believers 1. Efficiently by a reaction in the same subject as frequent acts of Vice will
debilitate and overthrow an acquired habit whereunto it is opposite 2. Meritoriously by provoking the Lord to take them away in a way of punishment for of all punishment sinne is the morally procuring cause Let us a little consider which of those wayes it may probably be supposed that sinne expelles the spirit and habit of grace from the soules of Believers 1. For the spirit of grace which dwells in them it cannot with the least colour of reason be supposed that sinne should have a naturall efficient reaction against the spirit which is a voluntary indweller in the hearts of his he is indeed grieved and provoked by it Ephes. 4. 30. Heb 3. 10 11. Isa. 63 10. but that is in a morall way in respect of its demerit but that it should have a naturall efficiency by the way of opposition against it as Intemperance against the Mediocrity which it opposeth is a madnesse to imagine The habit of Grace wherewith such believers are indued §. 26. is infused not acquired by a frequency of Acts in themselves the root is made good and then the fruit and the work of God It is a new Creation planted in them by the exceeding greatnesse of his Power as he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead which he also strengthens with all might and all power to the end Is it now supposed or can it rationally be so that vitious acts acts of sinne should have in the soule a naturall efficiency for the expelling of an infused habit Col. 2. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ephes. 1. 19. Col. 1. 11. and that implanted upon the soule by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God That it should be done by any one or two acts is impossible to suppose that a man in whom there is an habit set on by so mighty an impression as the Scripture mentions to act constantly contrary thereunto is to think what we will without troubling our selves to consider how it may be brought about Farther whilest this Principle life and habit of Grace is thus consuming doth their God and Father look on and suffer it to decay and their spirituall man to pine away day by day Eph. 1. 23. Col. 2. 19. giving them no new supplies nor increasing them with the increase of Gods hath he no pitty towards a dying child Eph 4. 16. 1 Thes 3. 12. or can he not help him doth he of whom it is said that he is faithfull and that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able Phil 1. 6. 1 Cor. 10. 13. but with the very temptation will make way for us to escape let loose such floodgates of Temptations upon them as he knows his grace will not be able to stand before but will be consumed and expelled by it what also shall we suppose are the thoughts of Iesus Christ towards a withering member Heb 2. 17 18. 3. 15. 7. 25. a dying brother a perishing child a wandring sheep where is his zeale and his tender mercies and the sounding of his bowells are they restrained Isa 40. 11. 63. 8. Will he not lay hold of his strength and stirre up his Righteousnesse to save a poore sinking creature Ezek 34. 4 12. Also He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world and will he suffer himselfe to be wrought out of his habitation and not stirre up his strength to keep possession of the dwelling place which he had chosen So that neither in the nature of the thing it selfe nor in respect of him with whom we have to doe doth this seem possible But secondly §. 27. Sinne procureth by the way of merit the taking away of the Spirit and removeall of the Habit graciously bestowed Believers deserve by sinne that God should take his Spirit from them and the Grace that he hath bestowed on them They doe so indeed it cannot be denied but will the Lord deale so with them Isa 48. 9. Will he judge his house with such fler and vengeance Is that the way of a Father with his Children untill he hath taken away his Spirit and grace although they are Rebellious Children yet they are his Children still and is this the way of a tender Father to cut the throats of his Children when it is in his power to mend them The casting of a wicked man into Hell is not a punishment to be compared to this the losse of Gods presence is the worst of Hell How infinitely must they needs be more sensible of it who have once enjoyed it Isa 49. 15 16 Isa 66. 13. then those who were strangers to it from their wombe Certainly the Lord bears another Testimony concerning his kindnesse to his Sonnes and Daughters Ierem 2. 14. Hos. 2. 14. c. then that we should entertaine such dismall thoughts of him He chastises his Children indeed but he doth not kill them he corrects them with rodds but his Kindnesse he takes not from them notwithstanding of the attempt made by the Remonstrants in their Synodalia I may say that I have not as yet met with any tolerable extrication of those difficulties more to this purpose will afterwards be insisted on 3. That which we intend when we mention the Perseverance of Saints is their continuance to the end in the condition of Saintship whereunto they are called Now in the state of Saintship there are two things concurring 1. That Holinesse which they receive from God and 2. That Favour which they have with God being justified freely by his grace through the blood of Christ and their continuance in this condition to the end of their lives both to their reall Holinesse and gracious Acceptance is the Perseverance whereof we must treat The one respecting the reall estate the other their relative of which more particularly afterwards And this is a briefe delineation of the Doctrine §. 28. which the Lord assisting shall be explained confirmed and vindicated in the insuing discourse which being first set forth as a meere Skeleton its Symetry and Complexion Its Beauty and Comelinesse Its Strength and Vigor Excellency and Vsefulnesse will in the description of the severall parts and branches of it be more fully manifested Now because Mr Goodwin §. 29. though he was not pleased to fixe any orderly state of the Question under debate a course he hath also thought good to take in handling those other Heads of the Doctrine of the Gospell wherein he hath chosen to walke for the maine with the Arminians in Paths of difference from the Reformed Churches yet having scatterd up and downe his Treatise what his conceptions are of the Doctrine he doth oppose as also what he asserts in the place roome thereof and Upon what Principles I shall briefly call what he hath so delivered both on the one hand on the other to an account to make the clearer way for the proofe of the Truth which
for the preservation of this excellency and glory of his People This Sunne though it may be for a while eclipsed yet shall never set nor give place to an evening that shall make long the shade thereof whom God once freely accepts in Christ he will never turne away his Love from them nor cast them Vtterly out of his Favour The other is within us and that is our Sanctification our Portion from God by the Spirit of Holinesse and the fruits thereof in our Faith Love and Obedience unto him And on this part of our Glory there is this Defence that this Spirit shall never Vtterly be dislodged from that Soule wherein he makes his residence nor resigne his habitation to the Spirit of the World that his fruit shall never so decay as that the Fruits of Sodome and the Grapes of Gomorra should grow in their roome nor they wherein they are Everlastingly Utterly and wickedly grow barren in departing from the Living God these two make up that Perseverance whereof we speake Whom God accepts in Christ he will continue to doe so for ever whom he quickens to walke with him they shall doe it to the end And these three things Acceptance with God Holinesse from God and a Defence upon them both unto the end all Free and in Christ are that threefold cord of the Covenant of Grace which cannot be broken In the handling then of the Doctrine proposed unto consideration § 50. I shall the Lord assisting shew First that the Love and Favour of God as to the free Acceptation of Believers with him in Christ is constant abiding and shall never be turned away handling at largethe Principles both of its being and manifestation Secondly that the Spirit and grace of Sanctification which they freely receive from him shall never utterly be extinguished in them but so remaine as that they shall abide with him for ever the Sophisticall separation of which two parts of our Doctrine is the greatest advantage our Adversaries have against the whole And demonstrate Thirdly the Reall and Causall influences which this Truth hath into the Obedience and Consolation of the Saints considered both absolutely and compared with the Doctrine which is set up in competition with it In the pursuit of which particulars I shall indeavour to Inforce and presse those places of Scripture wherein they are abundantly delivered and vindicate them from all the Exceptions put in to our inferences from them by M. Goodwin in his Redemption Redeemed as also Answer all the Arguments which he hath with much labour and industry collected and improved in opposition to the Truth in hand Take then only these few Previous observations and I shall insist fully upon the proofe and Demonstration of the first Position concerning the Vnchangeablenesse of the Love of God towards his to whom he gives Iesus Christ for Beauty and Glory and freely accepts them in him First §. 51. as to their Inherent Holinesse the Question is not concerning Acts either as to their vigour Revel 2. 5. 3. 2. which may be abated or as to their frequency which may be interrupted Isa. 57. 17. but only as to the Spirit Habit of it which shall never depart Hos. 14. 4. We doe not say they cannot sinne fall into many sinnes great sinnes which the Scripture plainely affirmes of all the Saints Isa. 59. 21. that went before and who of them living doth not this day labour under the Truth of it Ioh. 14. 16. But through the Presence of God with them 1 Ioh. 3. 9. upon such Grounds and Principles as shall afterwards be insisted on 1 Ioh. 1. 8. they cannot shall not sinne away the Spirit and Habit of Grace Iam. 3. 2. which without a miracle cannot be done away by any one Act 1 King 8. 38. and God will not worke Miracles for the destruction of his Children so as to fall into that state Isa. 64. 5 6. wherein they were before they were Regenerate and of the Children of God become Children of the Devill tasting of the second Death Rev. 20. 6. after they have been made Partakers of the first Resurrection Secondly the Question is not about the decay of any Grace but the losse of all not about sicknesse and weakenesses but about death it selfe which alone we say they shall be preserved from Neither doe we say that Believers are endowed with any such rich and plentifull Stock of Grace Psal. 23. 6. as that they may spend upon it without new supplyes all their dayes Isa. 35. 1 2. c. but grant that they stand in continuall need of the renued communication of that Grace Ioh. 15. 3 4 5 6. 7. which hath its abode and residence in their Soules Rom. 11. 18. and of that actuall Assistance whereby any thing that is truly and Spiritually good Ioh. 1. 16. is wrought in them Thirdly whereas there is a twofold Impossibility Col. 2. 19. First that which is absolutely and simply so in its own nature Luk. 17. 5. And Secondly that which is so only upon some suposition Phil. 2. 13. we say the totall falling away of the Saints is imppossible only in this latter sence The unchangeable Decree and Purpose of God his faithfull Promises and Oathes the Mediation of the Lord Jesus being in the Assertion supposed And Fourthly whereas we affirme they shall assuredly continue unto the end the Certainty and Assurance intimated is not mentis but entis Isa. 49. 14 15 16. not subjective but objective not alwayes in the person persevering but alwayes relating to the thing it selfe Isa. 5. 17. Fiftly that the three things formerly mentioned Cantt 5. 2 6. Acceptance with God Psal. 73. 26. Holinesse from God and the Defence upon them both unto the end are that threefold corde of the Covenant which cannot be broken This will appeare by compareing those two eminent places together which afterwards must more fully be insisted on Jerem. 31. 34 35. Cap. 32. 38 39 40. In generall God undertakes to be their God and that they shall be his People Cap. 31. 31. Cap. 32. 38. And this he manifests in three things First that he will Accept them freely give them to finde great Favour before him in the forgivenesse of their sinnes for which alone he hath any quarrell with them I will saith he forgive their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more cap 31. 34. As 't is againe repeated Heb. 8. 12. Secondly that they shall have sanctification and Holinesse from him I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts cap. 31. 33. I will put my feare in their Hearts v 40. with Ezek. 66. 67. calls the putting his Spirit in them who is the Author of that Grace and Holinesse which he doth bestow Thirdly that in both these there shall be a continuance for ever cap 32. 40. I will not turne away from
say hath Everlastingly Purposed to give and doth actually give his Holy Spirit to Believers to put forth such an exceeding greatnesse of Power as whereby in the use of meanes they shall certainely be preserved to Salvation This God can doe saies our Author This Concession being made by the Remonstrants in their Synodalia Mr Goodwin I presume thought it but duty to be as free as his Predecessors and therefore consented unto it also although it be an axe laid at the root of almost all the Arguments he sets up against the Truth as shall hereafter be farther manifested I draw now to a close of those places §. 55. which among many other omitted tender themselves unto the proofe of the stable unchangeable Purpose of God concerning the safe-garding and preservation of Believers in his Love and unto Salvation I shall mention one or two more and close this second Scripturall Demonstration of the Truth in hand The first is that eminent place of Ephes. 1. 3 4 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in Love having Predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will verse 3. the Apostle summarily blesseth God for all the spirituall mercies which in Jesus Christ he blesseth his Saints withall of all which v. 4. he discovereth the fountaine and spring which is his free choosing of them before the foundation of the World That an Eternall Act of the Will of God is hereby designed is beyond dispute and it is that foundation of God on which the whole of the building mentioned and pourtraid in the following verse is laid All the Grace and Favour of God towards his Saints in their Justification Adoption and Glory all the fruits of the Spirit which they enjoy in Faith and Sanctification flow from this one fountaine and these the Apostle describes at large in the verses following The ayme of God in this eternall and unchangeable Act of his Will he tells us is that we should be unblameable before him in Love Certainly cursed Apostats backsliders in Heart in whom his soule takes no pleasure are very farre from being unblameable before God in Love Those that are within the compasse of this Purpose of God must be preserved unto that State and Condition which God aimes to bring them unto by all the fruit and issues of that Purpose of his which was pointed at before A Scripture of the like importance unto that before named is 2 Thess. 2. 13 14. God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the Truth whereunto he calls you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord Jesus The same fountaine of all spirituall and eternall mercy with that mentioned in the other place is here also expressed and that is Gods choosing of us by an everlasting Act or Designing us to the end intended by a Free Eternall Unchangeable Purpose of his Will Secondly The end aimed at by the Lord in that Purpose is here more clearely set downe in a twofold Expression 1. Of Salvation v 13. He hath chosen us to Salvation that 's the thing which he aimed to accomplish for them and the End he intended to bring them to in his choosing of them and 2 ly v 14. The Glory of the Lord Jesus or the obtaining a portion in that Glory which Christ purchased and procured for them with their being with him to behold his Glory And 3 ly You have the meanes whereby God will certainly bring about and accomplish this his designe and Purpose whereof there are three most eminent Acts expressed 1. Vocation or their calling by the Gospel v 14. 2. Sanctification v 13. through the Sanctification of the Spirit And 3. Justification which they receive by beliefe of the Truth Thus much then is wrapt up in this Text God having in his Unchangeable Purpose fore-appointed his to Salvation and Glory certainly to be obtained through the effectuall working of the Spirit free justification in the Blood of Christ it cannot be but that they shall be preserved unto the enjoyment of what they are so designed unto To summe up what hath been spoken from these Purposes of God § 56. to the Establishment of the Truth we have in hand Those whom God hath purposed by effectuall meanes to preserve to the enjoyment of Eternall Life and Glory in his Favour and Acceptation can never so fall from his Love or be so cast out of his Grace as to come short of the end designed or ever be totally rejected of God The Truth of this proposition depends upon what hath been said and may farther be insisted on concerning the unchangeablenesse and Absolutenesse of the Eternall Purposes of God the Glory whereof men shall never be able Sacrilegiously to robbe him of Thence the Assumption is concerning all true Believers and truly sanctified persons are these Purposes of God that they shall be so preserved to such ends c. as hath been abundantly proved by an induction of particular instances and therefore it is impossible they should ever be so cast out of the Favour of God as not to be infallibly preserved to the End Which is our Second Demonstration of the Truth in hand CAP. IV. 1. An entrance into the Consideration of the Covenant of Grace and our Argument from thence for the Unchangeablenesse of the Love of God unto Believers 2. The intendment of the ensuing discourse 3. Gen. 17. 3. opened and explained with the confirmation of the Argument in hand from thence 4. That Argument vindicated and cleared of Objections 5. Confirmed by some observations 6. Ierem. 32. v. 38 39 40. compared with Cap. 31. v. 32 33. The Truth under consideration from thence clearely confirmed 7. The certainty immutability and infallible accomplishment of all the Promises of the New Covenant demonstrated 1. From the removall of all causes of Alteration 2. From the Mediator and his undertaking therein 3. From the Faithfulnesse of God 8. One instance from the former considerations 9. The indeavour of M. G. to Answer our Argument from this place 10. His observation on from the Text considered 1. This promise not made to the Jewes only 2. Nor to all the Nation of the Jewes proved from Rom. 11 3. not intending principally their deliverance from Babylon 11. His inferences from his former observations weighed 1. The Promise made to the body of the People of the Jewes Typically only 2. An Exposition borrowed of Socinus Rejected 3. The Promise not appropriated to the time of the Captivity and the disadvantage ensuing to M. G. cause upon such an Exposition 12. The place insisted on compared with Ezek. 11. 17 18 19
of this Promise expired with the conquest of Canaan and died with him to whom it was made To manifest the samenesse of Love that is in all the Promises with their Establishment in one Mediator and the generall concernment of Believers in every one of them how ever and on what occasion soever given to any this Promise to Ioshua is here applied to the condition of the weakest meanest and poorest of the Saints of God to all and every one of them be their state and condition what it will And doubtlesse Believers are not a little wanting to themselves and their own consolation that they doe no more particularly close with those words of Truth Grace Faithfulnesse which upon sundry occasions and at diverse times have been given out unto the Saints of old even Abraham Isaack Jacob David and the residue of them who walked with God in their Generations These things in an especiall manner are recorded for our consolation that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope Rom 15. 4. Now the Holy Ghost knowing the weaknesse of our Faith and how apt we are to be beaten from closing with the Promises and from mixing them with faith upon the least discouragement that may arise as indeed this is none of the least that the Promise is not made to us it was made to others and they may reape the sweetnesse of it God may be faithfull in it though we never enjoy the mercy intended in it I say in the next words he leads Believers by the hand to make the same conclusion with boldnesse and confidence from this and the like Promises as David did of old upon the many Gracious assurances that he had received of the presence of God with him v. 6. So that saith he upon the account of that Promise we may say boldly without staggering at it by unbeliefe that the Lord is our helper This is a conclusion of Faith Because God said to Ioshuah a Believer I will never leave thee nor forsake thee though upon a particular occasion and in reference to a particular employment every Believer may say with boldnesse He is my helper It is true § 2. the Application of the Promises here lookes immediately unto temporalls but yet being drawne out from the testimony of the continuance of the presence of God with his Saints doth much more powerfully conclude to spiritualls Yea the Promise it selfe is of Spirituall Favour and what concernes Temporalls is only from thence extracted Let us then weigh a little the importance of this Promise which the Apostle hath rescued from suffering under any private Interpretation and set at liberty to the use of all Believers To every one of them then God saith directly and plainly that he will never leave them nor forsake them If there should any Question arise wehther he should be taken at his word or no Gen 3. 1. it must be the Devill that must be entertained as an advocate against him Unbeliefe indeed hath many pleas and will have in the breasts of Saints against closing with the Faithfulnesse of God in this Promise and the Issue of confidence in him which from a due closing with it would certainely flow But shall our unbeliefe make the truth of God of none effect {reversed} He hath told us that he will never leave us nor forsake us The old Serpent some arguing from him herein are ready to say yea hath God indeed sayed so The truth of it shall not indeed be surely so it may be otherwise for God doth know that many cases may fall out that you may be utterly rejected by him and cast out of his presence you may have such oppositions rise against you in your walking with him as shall certainely overcome you and set you at Enmity with him or you may fully depart from him and many such like pleadings will Sathan furnish the unbeliefe of Believers withall If they are not sufficiently taught by experience what it is to give credit to Sathan indeavouring to impair and call in Question upon any pretence what ever the Faithfulnesse of God and his Truth when will they learne it Surely they have little need to joyne with their Adversaries for the weakning of their supportments or the impairing of their Consolations Whereas there is an endeavour to make men believe that the denying any absolute unchangeable Promise of God unto Believers makes much for their Comfort and Refreshment it shall afterwards be considered in common in reference also to those other Demonstrations of the Saints Perseverance that shall God willing be produced It will be excepted that God will not forsake them whilst they are Believers but if they forsake him and fall from him he is at liberty to renounce them also But that Gods not forsaking of any is no more but a meer non-rejection of them shall afterwards be disprooved Whom he doth not forsake as a God in Covenant to them doth he continue his Presence and towards them exerciseth his Power and Allsufficiency for their Good And if he can by his Spirit and the Power of his Grace keep them whom he doth not forsake in a state and Condition of not-forsaking him he doth forsake them before they forsake him yea before he is said to forsake them Gods not forsaking Believers is effectually preventive of that state and condition in them on the account whereof it is asserted that he may forsake them 1 Sam. 12. 22. The truth we have under consideration is confirmed by the Prophet in the name Authority of God himselfe §. 3. and the words wherein it is done have the force of a Promise being declarative of the good will of God unto his people in Christ For the Lord will not forsake his People for his great Name sake because it pleased the Lord to make them his People The expression is the same with that which the Lord gives his People of his good will in the Covenant of Grace Gen 17. 1. Ierem. 31. 38 39. of which I have spoken before Many may be their Calamityes and Afflictions many their Tryalls and Temptations many their Desertions and Darknesses but God will not forsake them he will not utterly cast them off for ever That his People are his People in Covenant his secret ones his Spirituall Church the remnant according to the Election Grace hath beene before declared in the handling of like places of Scripture It is to vindicate this and the like Promises from all surmises of failing and coming short of Accomplishment that the Apostle saith God hath not cast away his People which he did fore-know Rom. 11. 2. that is He hath made good this Promise to them even to them among the Jewes whom he did so fore-know as also to Predestinate them to be Conformed to the Image of his Sonne Rom. 9. 29. So out of all Israel Saving all Israel even the whole Israel of God That a discriminating Purpose of God is
which in and by themselves to a believing soule they cast upon it Now least any should think that there is the least tendency in such Promises as these as held out to Believers to turne them aside from close walking with God before I enter upon the consideration of any other this seeming of all others most exposed to Exceptions of that nature I shall give some few Observations that may a little direct Believers to whom I write and for whose sake this taske is undertaken into the right improvement of them The genuine influence which this §. 20. and the like Promises have upon the soules of the Saints is mightily to stirre them up unto and to assist them in answering what lieth in them that inexpressible Love and Kindnesse which their God and Father in Jesus Christ holdeth out unto their hearts in them This the Apostle inferreth from them 2 Cor 7. 1. Having these Promises that is those especially mentioned in the words preceding the conclusion and the inference the Apostle here maketh Ch. 6. v. 16 18. I will dwell in them and will be a Father unto them and they shall be my children therefore saith he let us cleanse our selves from all pollution of slesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of the Lord. Universall purity holinesse and close walking with God is that which these Promises doe presse unto and naturally promote in the hearts of Believers and in 2 Pet. 4. 5 6. that Apostle pursueth the same at large God hath called us to Glory and Vertue hath given us exceeding great and pretious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the World through lust Besides this giving all diligence c The exceeding great and pretious Promises which are given unto us in our calling are bestowed for this end that by them we may be made partakers of the Divine Nature they have no tendency to communicate to us the Nature of the Divell and to stirre us up to Rebellion Vncleannesse and hatred of the God of all that Love that is in them But lye indeed at the bottome the Root and foundation of the practice and exercise of all those Graces which he enumerates and from the receiving of those Promises exhorts us to in the following verse Some 〈◊〉 â—â—â—fesse doe or may turne the Grace of God into lasciviousnesse that is 〈◊〉 â—â—trine of grace and of pardon of sinne in the bloud of Jesus Christ and so the mercy mentioned in such Promises as these meerely as in them it is mentioned Grace and Mercy communicated cannot be turned into Wantonnesse but what are they that doe so Vngodly men men of old ordained to condemnation Jude 4. Paul rejecteth any such thoughts from the hearts of Believers Rom. 6. 1. Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid Nay suppose that that naturall corruption that flesh and bloud that is in Believers be apt to make such a conclusion as this Because God will certainly abide with us for ever therefore let us walke carelesly and doe him all the despight we can these Promises being not made for the use and exalting of the flesh but being given to be mixed with Faith which is carefully to watch against all abusing or corrupting of that Love and Mercy which is held out unto it flesh and bloud can have no advantage given unto it thereby as shall afterward be more fully and clearly demonstrated The Question is then what conclusion Faith doth will and ought to make of these Promises of God and not what abuse the flesh will make of them Let then the meanest and weakest Faith in all the World that is true and saving speake for it selfe whether there be any thing in the nature of it that is apt to make such conclusions as these My God and Father in Jesus Christ hath graciously promised in his infinite Love and Goodnesse to mee through him in whom he is well pleased that he will be my God and guide for ever that he will never forsake mee nor take his Kindnesse from mee to eternity And he hath done this although that he saw and knew that I would deale foolishly and treacherously that I would stand in need of all his Goodnesse Patience and Mercy to spare mee and heale mee promising also to keep me from such a wicked departure from him as should for ever alienate my soule from him therefore come on let mee continue in sinne let me doc him all the dishonour and despight that I can this is all the sence that I have of his infinite Love this is all the impression that it leaveth upon mee that I need not love him againe but study to be as vile and as abominable in his sight as can possibly be imagined certainly there is not any smoaking flax or any oruised reed there is not a soule in the World whom God in Christ hath once shined upon or dropped the least dramme of Grace into his heart but will look on such a conclusion as this as a blast of the bottomlesse pit a detestable dart of Satan which it is as proper for Faith to quench as any other Abomination whatever Let then Faith in reference unto these Promises have its perfect worke not abiding in a naked contemplation of them but mixing them with its selfe and there will be undoubtedly found the improvement before mentioned for the carrying on of Godlinesse and Gospell obedience in the hearts of Believers But this I shall have occasion to speake to more afterward Hosea 2. 19 20. §. 20. is pertinent also to the same purpose I will betroth thee unto mee for ever I will betroth thee unto mee in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies I will even betroth thee unto mee in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. The words themselves as they lye in the Text doe directly confirme our Assertion The Relation whereunto God here expresseth that he will and doth take his People is one of the most neer and eminent which he affordeth to them a conjugall Relation he is and will be their Husband which is as high an expression of the Covenant betwixt God and his Saints as any is or can be used Of all Covenants that are between sundry persons that which is between Man and Wife is the strongest and most inviolable So is this Covenant expressed Isai 54. 5. Thy maker is thine Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and this Relation he affirmeth shall continue for ever upon the Account of those Properties of his which are engaged in this his Gracious undertaking to take them to himselfe therein He doth it in Righteousnesse and in Judgement in Loving-kindnesse and in Mercies and in Faithfulnesse so that if there be not something in the Context or words adjoyning that shall with an high hand turne us aside from the first immediate open and full sence of these
Assertion is repeated that God will defend them in Heaven against all opposition Here where their oppositions are innumerable they may shift for themselves but when they come to Heaven where they shall be sure to meet with no opposition at all there the Lord hath engaged his Almighty power for their safety against all that shall arise up against them and this is as is said the naturall and cleare disposition of the Context in this place but Nobis non licet c. There are sundry other texts of Scripture which most clearely and evidently confirme the truth we have in hand which are all well worth our consideration for our consolation and establishment as also something of our labour and diligence to quit them from those glosses and interpretations which turne them aside from their proper intendment that are by some put upon them Amongst which 1 Cor. 1. 8 9. 1. Philip. 6. 1 Thess. 5. 24. Joh. 5. 24. ought to have place But because I will not insist long on any particulars of our Argument from the Promises of God here shall be an end CAP. VII 1. The Consideration of the Oath of God deferred 2. The method first proposed somewhat waved The influence of the mediation of Christ into God's free and unchangeable acceptance of Believers propoâ—ed Reasons of that proposall 3 4. Of the Oblation of Christ. Its influence into the Saints Perseverance All causes of separation between God and Believers taken away thereby Morall and efficient causes thereby removed 5. The guilt of sinne how taken away by the death of Christ Of the Nature of Redemption Conscience of sinne how abolished by the sacrifice of Christ Heb 10. 3 4 14. 6. Dan. 9. 24. opened Rom 2 34. 7. Deliverance from all sinne how by the death of Christ. The Law innovated in respect of the Elect. 8. The vindictive justice of God satisfied by the death of Christ How that is done Wherein satisfaction doth consist Absolute not conditionall 9. The Law how fulfilled in the Death of Christ. 10. The Truth of God thereby accomplished His distributive justice engaged 11. Observations for the clearing of the former assertions Whether any one for whom Christ died may dye in sinne The necessity of Faith and Obedience The Reasons thereof The end of Faith and Holinesse 12. The first Argument for the proofe of the former Assertions concerning the fruit and efficacy of the death of Christ Heb. 9. 14. The second The third The compact between the Father Son about the work of mediation 14. The Fourth Good things bestowed on them for whom Christ died antecedently to any thing spiritually good in them The Spirit so bestowed and Faith it selfe The close of those Arguments 14. Inferences from the foregoing discourse The Efficacy of the death of Christ and the necessity of Faith and Obedience reconciled Sundry considerations unto that end proposed All Spirituall mercies fruits of the death of Christ. 2. All the fruits of Christs death laid up in the hand of Gods Righteousnesse 3. The state of them for whom Christ died not actually changed by his death 4 On what account Believing is necessary 15. Christ secures the stability of the Saints abiding with God What is contrary thereunto how by him removed The World overcome by Christ as mannaged by Sathan in an enmity to the Saints 16. The compleat victory of Christ over the Devill The waies whereby he compleats his conquest The Rule of Sathan in respect of siâ—ners two fold 1. Over them 2. in them 17. The Title of Sathan to a rule over men judged and destroyed by Christ. The exercise of all power taken from him 18. The works of Sathan destroyed by Christ in and for his Elect. 19. The Holy Spirit procured by the death of Christ. 20. The giving of the spirit the great Promise of the New Covenant 21. This farther proved and confirmed 22. The perpetuall Residence of the Holy Spirit with Believers proved by the threefold testimony of Father Sonne and Spirit Isa 59. 21. The Testimony of the Father proposed and vindicated 23. Our Argument from hence farther cleared This Promise Absolute not Conditionall No condition rationally to â—e affixed to it The import of those words â—as for me â— To whom this Promise is made 24. That farther cleared not to all Israel according to the flesh 25. Mr G's Objections answered 26. The Testimony of the Sonne given to the perpetuall abiding of the Spirit with Believers Ioh 14. 16. opened The Promise in those words equally belonging to all Believers 27. Mr G's Objections answered No Promise of the Spirit abiding with Believers on his principle allowed The Promise given to the Apostles personally yet given also to the whole Church Promises made to the Church made to the individualls whereof it is constituted 28. The giving of this Promise to all Believers farther argued from the scope of the place And vindicated from Mr G's exceptions 29. The third Testimony of the Holy Spirit himselfe proposed to consideration His Testimony in sealing particularly considered 2 Cor 1. 22. Ephes 1. 13. 4. 30. Of the nature and use of Sealing amongst men The end aime and use of the sealing of the Holy Ghost 30. Mr G's Objections and Exceptions to our Argument from that sealing of the Spirit considered and removed 31. The â—ame farther carried on c THere remaines nothing for the confirmation of the first branch §. 1. or part of the Truth proposed but only the consideration of the Oath of God which because it ought certainly to be an end of all strife I shall reserve the handling of it to the close of the whole if God be pleased to carry us out thereunto that we may give The Oath of God its due Honour of being the last word in this Contest The order of our method first proposed would here call me to handle our Stedfastnesse with God and the Glory created upon our Grace of Sanctification But because some men may admire and aske whence it is that the Lord will abide so Stedfast in his Love towards Believers as hath been manifested upon severall accounts that he will besides what hath beene said before of his owne Goodnesse and Unchangeablenesse c. I shall now adde that outward consideration which lyes in the Mediation of Christ upon the account whereof he acts his owne Goodnesse and Kindnesse to us with the greatest advantage of Glory ad Honour to himselfe that can be thought upon Only I shall desire the Reader to observe that the Lord Jesus is an undertaker in this businesse of perfecting our Salvation and safegarding our Spirituall Glory not in one regard and respect only There is one part of his Ingagement therein which under the Oath of God is the close of the whole and that is his becoming a surety to us of his Fathers Faithfulnesse towards us and a suerty for us of our Faithfulnesse to him so that upon the whole matter the businesse on each side
sinne the body of it or the ruling of Originall sinne the old man and the full fruit of actuall sinne in the body of it is by the death of Christ crucified and destroyed and in that whole Chapter from our participation in the death of Christ he argues to such an abolition of the Law and Rule of sinne to such a breaking of the power and strength of it that it is impossible that it should any more rule in us or have dominion over us Of the way whereby virtue flowes out from the death of Christ for the killing of sinne I am not now to speake And this is the first way whereby the death of Christ hath an influence into the safegarding of Believers in their continuance of the Love and Favour of God He so takes away the guilt of sinne that it shall never be able utterly to turne the Love of God from them and so takes away the rule of Sathan and power of sinne destroying the one and killing the other that they shall never be able to turne them wholly from God Farther §. 19. to secure their continuance with God he procureth the Holy Spirit for them as was shewed before But because much weight lyes upon this part of our foundation I shall a little farther cleare it up That the Spirit of Grace and Adoption with all those Spirituall Mercyes and operations wherewith he is attended and accompanied is a Promise of the new Covenant doubtlesse is by its own evidence put out of question There is scarce any Promise thereof wherein he is not either clearly expressed or evidently included Yea and often times the whole Covenant is stated in that one Promise of the Spirit the actuall collation and bestowing of all the Mercy thereof being his proper worke and peculiar dispensation for the carrying on the great designe of the Salvation of sinners So Isa. 59. 20. As for me saith God this is my Covenant with them my Spirit that is upon thee and my word which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart from thee This is my Covenant saith God or what in my Covenant I do faithfully ingage to bestow upon you But of this Text and its vindication more afterwardes Many other places not only pregnant of proofe to the same purpose but expressly in termes affirming it might be insisted on Now that this Spirit §. 20. promised in the Covenant of Grace as to the bestowing of him on the elect of God or those for whom Christ dyed is of his purchasing and procurement in his Death is apparent 1. Because he is the Mediator of the Covenant by whose hands and for whose sake all the Mercyes of it are made out to them who are admitted into the bond thereof Gen. 17. 1. Though men are not compleatly stated in the Covenant before their owne Believing Ierem. 31. 32. 32. 38 39 40 which brings in what of their part is stipulated yet the Covenant and Grace of it layes hold of them before even to bestow Faith on them Ezek. 11. 19. 36. 25 26. or they would never Believe for Faith is not of our selves it is the Guift of God God certainely bestowes no such Guifts but from a Covenant Spirituall Graces are not administred soly in a providentiall dispensation Heb. 8. 9 10 11. Faith for the receiving the pardon of sinne is no guift nor product of the Covenant of workes Now as in generall the Mercies of the Covenant are procured by the Mediator of it so this whereof we speake in an especiall manner Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that by meanes of death they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternall Inheritance By his death they for whom he dyed and who thereupon are called Deut 27 29. being delivered from their sinnes which were against the Covenant of workes Gal. 3 12. receive the Promise Rom. 3. 21. or pledge of an Eternall Inheritance What this great Promise here intended is and wherein it doth consist the Holy Ghost declares Acts 2. 23. The Promise which Jesus Christ received of the Father upon his exaltation was that of the Holy Ghost having purchased and procured the bestowing of him by his Death upon his Exaltation the dispensation thereof is committed to him as being part of the Compacte and Covenant which was between his Father and himselfe The grand bottome of his satisfaction merit This is the great Originall radicall Promise of that Eternall Inheritance By the Promised Spirit are wee begotten a new into a hope thereof Rom. 8. 11. made meet for it Col. 1. 12. and sealed up unto it Ephes. 4. 30. Yea do but looke upon the Spirit as promised and yee may conclude him purchased for all the Promises of God are yea and a men in Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. They all have their Confirmation Establishment and Accomplishment in by and for Jesus Christ. And if it be granted that any designed appointed Mercy whatever that in Christ the Lord blesseth us withall be procured for us by him in the way of merit being given freely to us through him but reckoned to him of debt it will easily be manifested that the same is the condition of every Mercy whatever promised unto us and given us upon his Mediatory interposition 2. It appears from that peculiar promise § 21. that Christ makes of sending his Holy Spirit unto his owne He tels them indeed once and againe that the Father will send him Ioh. 14. 16 26. As he comes from that originall and Fountaine Love from which also himselfe was sent But withall he assures us that he himselfe will send him Ioh. 15. 26. When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth It is true that he is promised here only as a Comforter for the performance of that part of his Office But look upon what account he is sent for any one Act Ioh. 16. 7. or Worke of Grace on that he is sent for all I will send him then saith Christ and that as a fruit of his death as the procurement of his Mediation for that alone he promiseth to bestow on his And in particular he tells us that he receives the spirit from the Father for us upon his Intercession wherein as hath been elsewhere demonstrated he askes no more nor lesse Salus Electorum sanguis Iesu. then what by his death is obtained Iohn 14. 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive he tells us v. 13. that whatsoever we aske he will doe it But withall in these verses how he will doe it even by interceding with the Father for it as a fruit of his Bloodshedding and the Promise made to him upon his undertaking to Glorify his Fathers
only this but all other Promises uttered by Christ to his Apostles as we had thought not for their own behoofe alone but also for the use of the Church in all ages are tyed up in their tendency and use to the men of that Generation and to the employment to which they to whom he spoke were designed But let us see whether these things are so or no. I say 2. There is not any necessary cause of that disjunctive proposition The Promise of the perpetuall residence of the Spirit is made either to the Apostles personally or to the whole body of the Church By the Rule formerly given for the Interpretation of these Promises of Christ it appears that what in this kind was made to the one was also given to the other and how Mr Goodwin will inforce any necessary conclusion from this distinction framed by himselfe for his own purpose I know not The Promise was made both to these and those the Apostles and all other Believers because to the Apostles as Believers 3. The making of the Promise to the Apostles personally doth not argue that it was made to them as Apostles but only that it was made to their Persons or to them though under another qualification viz. of Believing 'T is given to them personally as Believers and so to all Believers whatever This also sets at liberty and plainly cashiers the comparison instituted between the Apostles Infallibility as Apostles and their sanctifying grace as Believers by the Spirit of Grace given for that end The Apostles Infallibility we confesse was from the Spirit for they as other Holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Spirit of God 2 Pet. 1. 21. but that this was a distinct guift bestowed on them as Apostles and not the teaching of the Spirit of Grace which is given to all Believers 1 Ioh. 2. 22. we need not contend to prove Besides to what end doth he contend that it was made to the Apostles in the sence urged and by us insisted on seeing he denies it in the close of this Section and chooseth rather to venture upon an opposition unto that common received perswasion that the Apostles of Christ the sonne of perdition only excepted had an absolute promise of Perseverance then to acknowledge that which would prove so prejudiciall and ruinous to his cause as he knowes the confession of such a Promise made to them would inevitably be He contends not I say about the sence of the Promise but would faine divert it from other Believers at the entrance of the Section by limiting it to the Apostles but considering afterward better of the matter and remembring that the concession of an absolute Promise of Perseverance to any one Saint whatever would evidently root up and cast to the ground the goodliest engine that he hath set up against the Truth he opposeth he suits it in the close of the Section to an evasion holding better Correspondency with its associates in this undertaking 4. I wonder what Chimericall Church he hath found out to which Promises are made and Priviledges granted otherwise then upon the account of the Persons whereof'tis constituted suppose I pray that Promises of the Residence of the Spirit for ever with it be made to the Church which is made up of so many members and that all these members every one should loose their interest in it what subject of that Promise would remaine What Vniversall is this that hath a reall existence of it selfe and by it selfe in abstraction from its particulars in which alone it hath its being Or what whole is that which is preserved in the destruction and dissolution of all its essentially constituent parts The Promises then that are made to the Church are of two sorts 1. Of such Grace and Mercies as whether inherent or relative have their residence in and respect unto particular persons as such of this sort are all the Promises of the Grace of Sanctification as also of Justification c. which are all things of mens personall spirituall interest The Promises made to the Church of this nature are made unto it meerely as consisting of so many and those Elected Redeemed persons whose right and interest as those individuall persons they are 2. Of all such good things as are the exurgency of the collected state of the Saints in reference to their spirituall invisible Communion or visible gathering into a Church constituted according to the mind of Christ and his Appointment in the Gospell and these also are all of them founded in the former and depend wholly upon them and are resolved into them All Promises then whatever made to the Church the Body of Christ doe not respect it primarily as a Corporation which is the second notion of it but as consisting of those particular Believers much lesse as a Chimericall universall having a subsistence in and by it selfe abstracted from its particulars This evasion then not withstanding this Promise of our Saviour doth still continue to presse its Testimony concerning the perpetuall residence of this Holy Spirit with Believers The scope of the place inforces that exception of these words §. 28. which we insist upon Our Blessed Saviour observing the trouble and disconsolation of his followers upon the apprehension of his departure from them stirres them up to a better hope and confidence by many Gracious Promises and ingagements of what would and should be the Issue of his being taken away v. 1. He bids them to free their hearts from trouble and in the next words tells them that the way whereby it was to be done was by acting Faith on the Promises of his Father and those which in his Fathers name he had made and was to make unto them Of these he mentions many in the following verses whereof the Fountaine Head and Spring is that of giving them the Comforter not to abide with them for a season as he had done with his bodily presence but to continue with them as a Comforter and consequently to the discharging of his whole dispensation towards Believers for ever He speakes to them as Believers as disconsolate dejected Believrs quickning their Faith by Exhortations and gives them this Promise as a solid Foundation of peace and composednesse of Sprit which he exhorted them unto And if our Saviour intendeth any thing but what the words import viz. that he will give his Holy Spirit as a Comforter to abide with them for ever the Promise hath not the least sutablenesse to relieve them in their distresse nor to accomplish the end for which it was given them But against this it is excepted Cap. 11. Sect. 13. Pag. 233 1. Evident it is that our Saviour doth not in this place oppose the abiding or remaining of the Holy Ghost to his owne departure from the hearts or soules of men into which he is framed or come but to his departure out of the world by death which was now at hand Ans. 1. This
them to dwell in them personally for the Accomplishment of all the ends and purposes of his Oeconomie towards them to make them meet for and to bring them unto the inheritance of the Saints in Light Personally I say in our Persons not by Assumption of our Natures giving us mysticall union with Christ not Personall Union with himselfe that is not one Personality with him which is impious and blasphemous to imagine by a Gracious inhabitation distinct from his Essentiall filling all things and his energeticall operation of all things as he will as shall afterwards be declared Now this being a Doctrine of pure Revelation our Demonstrations of it must be meerely Scriptuall and such as will instantly appeare we have provided in great plenty In the carrying on then of this undertaking I shall do these two things 1. Produce some of those many Texts of Scripture which are pregnant of this Truth 2. Shew what great things do issue from thence and are affirmed in reference thereunto being inferences of a supposall thereof all conducing to the preservation of Believers in the Love and Favour of God unto the end For the first I shall referre them to 4. heads unto 1. Promises that he should so dwell in us 2. Positive Affirmations that he doth so 3. Those Texts that hold out his being distinguished from all his Graces and Guifts in his so doing 4. Those that ascribe a Personality to him in his indwelling in us Of each sort one or two places may suffice 1. The indwelling of the Spirit is the great and solemne Promise of the Covenant of Grace The manner of it we shall afterwards evince Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my wayes In the verse foregoing he tels them He will give them a new heart and a new Spirit which because it may be interpreted of a renewed frame of Spirit though it rather seemes to be the renewing Spirit that is intended as also Cap. 11. 19. he expressly points out and differences the Spirit he will give them from all workes of Grace whatsoever in that Appellation of him my Spirit my Holy Spirit Him will I put with in you I will give him or place him in interiori vestro in your inmost part in your heart or in visceribus vestris in your bowels as the Soule is frequently signifyed by expressions of sensuall things within you In his giving us a new heart new Spirit by putting in us his Spirit certainly more is intended then a meere working of Gracious qualities in our Hearts by his Spirit which he may do yet be no more in us then in the greatest Blasphemers in the world And this in the carrying of it on to its accōplishment God calls his Covenant Isa. 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon thee shall not depart from thee upon thee in thee that dwels in thee as was promised And this Promise is evidently renewed by the Lord Christ to his Disciples clearely also interpreting what that Spirit is which is mentioned in the Promise of the Covenant Luk. 11. 13. Your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that aske him of him that is that pray to him for the Holy Spirit Our Saviour instructs his Disciples to aske the Holy Spirit of God upon the account of his being so promised as Acts 2. 23. All our supplications are to be regulated by the Promise And surely he who as shall afterwards appeare did so plentifully Rom. 8. 27. and richly Promise the bestowing of this Spirit on all those that believe on him did not instruct them to aske for any inferion Mèrcy and Grace under that name That Spirit which the Lord Christ instructs us to aske of the Father is the Spirit which he hath promised to bestow so on us as that he shall dwell in us That the Spirit which Christ instructs us to aske for and which himselfe promiseth to send unto us is the Holy Ghost himselfe the Holy Spirit of Promise by whom wee are Sealed to the day of Redemption I suppose will require no labour to prove what is needfull to this end shall be afterward insisted on 2. Positive affirmations that he doth so dwell in § 2. and remaine with the Saints are the second ground of the Truth we assert I shall name one or two Testimonies of that kind Psal. 51. 11. saith David take not thy Holy Spirit from me It is the Spirit and his presence as unto Sanctification not in respect of Prophesy or any other gift whatever that he is treating of with God All the Graces of the Spirit being almost dead and buried in him he cries aloud that He whose they are and who alone is able to revive and quicken them may not be taken from him With him in him he was or he could not be taken from him And though the Gifts or Graces of the Spirit only may be intended where mention is made of giving or bestowing of him sometimes yet when the Saints begge of God that he would continue his Spirit with them though they have grieved him and provoked him that no more is intended but some Gift or Grace is not so cleare I know men possessed with prejudice against this Truth will think easily to evade these Testimonies by the Distinction of the Person and Graces of the Spirit Wherefore for the manner how he is with them with whom he is the Apostle informes us Rom 8. 9. yee are in the spirit that is spirituall men opposed to being in the flesh that is carnall unregenerate unreconciled and enemies to God if so be the spirit of Christ dwell in you and if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Not only the thing it selfe is asserted but the weight of our Regeneration and Acceptation with God through Jesus Christ is laid upon it If the Spirit dwell in us we are spirituall and belong to Christ otherwise not wee are none of his This the Apostle farther confirmes v. 11. if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus dwell in you I know not how the Person of the Holy Ghost can be more clearely decyphered then here he is The spirit of him that raised Jesus from the dead Why that is mentioned shall afterwards be considered And this Spirit as he bears Testimony of himselfe dwells in Believers which is all we say and without farther curious enquiry desire to rest therein Doubtlesse it were better for men to captivate their understandings to the obedience of Faith then to invent Distinctions and Evasions to escape the power of so many plaine Texts of Scripture and those litterally and properly not Figuratively and Metaphorically expressing the Truth contained in then which though it may be done sometimes yet is not in a constant uniforme tenure of expression any where the manner of the Holy Ghost The Apostle also affirmes farther v. 15.
personall Appellations 2. In personall Operations 3. Personall Circumstances 1. First there are ascribed to the indwelling Spirit in his indwelling Personal Appellations He that is in you is greater then he that is in the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is in you is a personall Denomination which cannot be used of any Grace or gratious habit whatsoever so John 14 16 17. He shall abide with you he dwelleth with you shall be in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 16. 13. But when the Spirit of Truth is come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Person is as signally designed and expressed as in any place of Scripture to what intent or purpose soever mentioned Neither is it possible to apprehend that the Scripture would so often so expressly affirme the same thing in plaine proper words if they were not to be taken in the sence which they hold out The maine Emphasis of the Expression lyes upon the Termes that are of a personall designation and to evade the force of them by the fore mentioned distinction which they seeme signally to obviate and prevent is to say what we please so we may oppose what pleases us not 2. Personall Operations such acts and actings as are proper to a person only are ascribed to the Spirit in his indwelling That place mentioned before Rom. 8. 11. is cleare hereunto But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he who raised Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortall bodyes by his Spirit which dwélteh in you or by his indwelling Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To quicken our mortall bodyes is a Personall acting such as cannot be wrought but by an Almighty Agent And this is ascribed to the Spirit as inhabiting whch is in order of nature antecedent to his quickning of us as was manifested And the same is asserted v. 15. The Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God That Spirit that dwells in us beares witnesse in us a distinct Witnesse by himselfe distinguished from the Testimony of our owne spirit here mentioned is either an Act of our naturall Spirits or Gracious fruit of the Spirit of God in our hearts If the first what makes it in the things of God Is any Testimony of our naturall spirits of any value to assure us that we are the Children of God If the latter then is there here an immediate operation of the Spirit dwelling in our hearts in witnesse-bearing distinct from all the fruits of Grace whatever And on this account it is that whereas 1 Epistle of John 5. 7 8. the Father Sonne and Spirit are said to beare witnesse in Heaven the Spirit is moreover peculiarly said to beare witnesse in the Earth together with the Blood and Water 3. There are such Circumstances ascribed to him in his indwelling as are proper only to that which is a Person I will instance only in one his dwelling in the Saints as in a Temple 1 Cor. 3. 16. Yee are the Temple of God and his Spirit dwelleth in you that is as in a Temple so plainely chap. 6. 19. Your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God giving us both the distinction of the Person of the Spirit from the other Persons he is given us of God and his residence with us being so given he is in us as also the manner of his in-being as in a Temple Nothing can make a place a Temple but the Relation it hath unto a Deity Graces that are but Qualifications of and Qualities in a Subject cannot be said to dwell in a Temple This the Spirit doth and therefore as a voluntary Agent in an habitation not as a necessary or naturall principle in a subject and though every act of his be Omnipotent intensively being the act of an Omnipotent Agent yet he worketh not in the acts extensively to the utmost of his Omnipotency he exerteth and puts forth his Power and brings forth his Grace in the hearts of them with whom he dwells as he pleaseth to one he comunicates more Grace to another lesse yea he gives more strength to one and the same person at one time and in one condition 1 Cor. 12. then another dividing to every one as he will and if this peculiar manner of his personall presence with his Saints distinct from his Ubiquity or Omnipresence may not be believed because not well by reason conceived we shall lay a Foundation for the questioning principles of Faith which as yet we are not fallen out withall And this is our first manifestation of the Truth concerning the Indwelling of the Spirit in the Saints from the Scripture The second will be from the signall Issues and benefits which are asserted to arise from this indwelling of the Spirit in them of which I shall give sundry instances 1. The first signall Issue and Effect which is ascribed to this Indwelling of the Spirit §. 6. is Union not a Personall Union with himselfe which is impossible He doth not assume our natures and so prevent our Personality which would make us one Person with him but dwells in our Persons keeping his owne and leaving us our Personality infinitely distinct But it is a spirituall Union the great Union mentioned so often in the Gospell that is the sole fountain of our Blessednesse our Union with the Lord Christ which we have thereby Many thoughts of heart there have been about this Union §. 7. what it is wherein it doth consist the causes manner and Effects of it The Scripture expresses it to be very Eminent neere durable setting it out for the most part by similitudes and Metaphoricall Illustrations to lead poore weak Creatures into some usefull needfull acquaintance with that Mystery whose depths in this life they shall never fathome That many in the dayes wherein we live have miscarried in their conceptions of it is evident some to make out their Imaginary Union have destroyed the person of Christ and fancying a way of uniting man to God by him have left him to be neither God nor Man Others have destroyed the Person of Believers affirming that in their Union with Christ they loose their own Personality that is cease to be Men or at least these or these Individuall men I intend not now to handle it at large but only and that I hope without offence to give in my thoughts concerning it as farre as it receiveth light from and relateth unto what hath been before delivered concerning the Indwelling of the Spirit and that without the least contending about other wayes of Expression I say then §. 3. this is that which gives us Union with Christ and that wherein it consists even that the one and selfe-same Spirit dwells in him and us The first saving Elapse from God upon the Hearts of the Elect is the Holy Spirit Their quickning is every where ascribed to the Spirit that is
that is every Believer is Christ He is the Head of the Church and the Saviour of the Body Ephes. 5. 23. he is the Head of the Body the Church Col 1. 19. This relation of Head and Members I say between Christ and his holds out the Union that is between them which consists in their being so As the Head and the Members make one Body so Christ and his Members make one mysticall Christ Whence then is it that the Head and Members have this their Union whereby they become one Body Wherein doth it consist Is it that from the Head the Members do receive their influences of life sence and guidance as the Saints do from Christ Eph. 4. 15 16. They grow up unto him in all things who is the Head from whom the whole body fitly framed together and compact by the which every joynt supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part groweth up to an holy increase So also Col 2. 19. holding the Head from whom the whole body by bands and joynts knit together increaseth with the increase of God But evidently this is their Communion whereunto Union is supposed Our Union with Christ cannot consist in the Communcation of any thing to us as Members from him the Head but it must be in that which constitutes him us in the Relation of Head and Members He is our Head antecedently in order of nature to any communication of Grace from him as a Head and yet not antecedently to our Union with him Herein then consists the Union of Head and Members that though they are many and have many Offices Places and dependencies there is but one living quickning soule in Head and Members If a man could be imagined so big and tall as that his feet should stand upon the Earth and his head reach the starry Heavens yet having but one soule he is still but one man As then one living soule makes the naturall Head Members to be one one body so one quickning Spirit dwelling in Christ and his members gives them their Union makes them one Christ one body This is cleare from the 1 Cor. 12. 12. As the first man Adam was made a living Soul so the last man Adam is made a quickning Spirit Secondly §. 14. Of Husband and Wife The Union that is between them sets out the Union betwixt Christ and his Saints There is not any one more frequent Illustration of it in the Scripture the Holy Ghost pursuing the allusion in all the most considerable Concernements of it and holding it out as the most solemne Representation of the Union that is between Christ and his Church Ephes. 5. 31 32. For this cause shall a man forsake his Father and Mother and cleave to his Wife and they two shall be one flesh This is a great mystery but I speake concerning Christ and the Church The transition is eminent from the Conjugall Relation that is between man and wife unto Christ and his Church What the Apostle had spoken of the one he would have understood of the other Wherein consists then the Union between man and wife which is chosen by God himselfe to represent the Union between Christ and his Church The Holy Ghost informes us Gen. 2. 24. They shall be no more twaine but one flesh This is their union they shall be no more twaine but in all mutuall care respect tendernesse and love one flesh The Rise of this you have v. 23. Because of the bone flesh of Adam was Eve his helper made Hence are they said to be one flesh Wherein then in answer to this is the Union between Christ and his Church The same Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 6. 16 17. He saith he that is joyned to an harlot is one flesh and he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit as they are one flesh so these are one spirit and as they are one flesh because the one was made out of the other so these are one Spirit because the Spirit which is in Christ by dwelling in them makes them his Members which is their Union 3. Of a Tree §. 15. an Olive a Vine and its Boughs and Branches I am the Vine saith Christ yee are the Branches John 15. 5. Abide in me and I in you As Tree Branches they have an abiding Union one with another Wherein this consists the Apostle sets out under the example of an Olive and his Boughs Rom. 11. 16 17. It is in this that the Branches and Boughs being ingrafted into the Tree they partake of the very same juyce and fatnesse with the Root and Tree being nouâ—â—shed thereby There is the same fructifying fatning virtue in the one as the other only with this difference in the Root and Tree it is originally in the Boughs by way of Communication And this also is chosen to set out the Union of Christ and his Both he and they are partakers of the same fruit-bearing Spirit He that dwells in them dwells in him also only it is in him as to them originally in them by Communication from him Take a Cyon a graft a plant fix it to the Tree with all the art you can and bind it on as close as possible yet t is not united to the Tree untill the Sappe that is in the Tree be communicated to it which communication states the Union Let a man be bound to Christ by all the bonds of profession imaginable yet unlesse the Sappe that is in him the Holy and Blessed Spirit be also communicated to him thereis no Union between them And this is the first thing that doth issue and depend upon the indwelling of the Spirit in Believers even Union with Christ which is a Demonstration of it a posteriori 2. The Spirit as indwelling gives us Life and Quickning God Quickens our mortall bodyes or us in them by his Spirit that dwells in us Rom. 8. 11. by which Spirit Christ also was raised from the dead and therefore the Apostle mentioning in another place the beginning and carrying on of Faith in us he saith it is wrought according to the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes. 1. 8. Now in this Quickning there are two things 1. The Actus primus or the Life it selfe bestowed 2. The Operations of that Life in them on whom it is bestowed For the first I shall not positively determine what it is nor wherein it doth consist This is cleare that by nature we are dead in trespasses and sinnes That in our Quickning we have a new Spirituall life communicated to us and that from Christ in whom it is treasured up for that purpose But what this Life is it doth not fully appeare whilst we are here below All actuall Graces confessedly flow from it and are distinct from it as the Operations of it I say in this sence they flow from it confessedly as suitable
Truth it selfe be rendred a Glory to the understanding and the mind be actually inlightned as to the Truth represented it is not to be received in a spirituall manner Those who know at all what the Truth is as the Truth is in Jesus will not take it up upon any other more common account Somtimes in dealing with Godly Persons to convince them of a Truth we are ready to admire their Stupidity or perversenesse that they will not receive that which shines in with so broad a Light upon our spirits The truth is untill the Holy Spirit sends forth the Light and Power mentioned it is impossible that their minds and hearts should rest and acquiesce in any Truth whatever But 4. From this Indwelling of the Spirit §. 23. we have supportment our Hearts are very ready to sinke and faile under our tryalls indeed a little thing will cause us so to do flesh Psal. 73. 26. and heart and all that is within us are soone ready to faile Whence is it that we do not sinke into the deeps that we have so many and so sweet and gracious Recoveries when we are ready to be swallowed up The Spirit that dwells in us gives us supportment Thus it was with David Psal. 51. 22. He was ready to be overwhelmed under a sence of the Guilt of that great sinne which God then sorely charged upon his Conscience and cryes out like a man ready to sinke under water Oh uphold me with thy free Spirit if that do not support me I shall perish So Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit helpeth beares up that Infirmity which is ready to make us go double How often should we be overborne with our burthens did not the Spirit put under his Power to beare them and to support us Thus Paul assures himselfe that he shall be carried through all his tryalls by the helpe supplyed to him by the Spirit Phil. 1. 19. There are two speciall waies §. 25. whereby the Spirit communicates supportment unto the Saints when they are ready to sinke and that upon two accounts First of Consolation and then of Strength 1. The first he doth by bringing to mind the things that Jesus Christ hath left in store for their supportment Our Saviour Christ informing his Disciples how they should be upheld in their tribulations tells them that the Comforter which should dwell with them and was in them Ioh 14. 16 17. should bring to remembrance what he had told them v. 26. Christ had said many things things gracious and heavenly to his Disciples He had given them many rich and pretious Promises to uphold their hearts in their greatest perplexities But knowing full well how ready they were to forget and to let slip the things that were spoken Heb. 2. 1. and how coldly his Promises would come in to their assistance when retained only in their naturall faculties and made use of by their owne strength to obviate these evills tells them that this work he committeth to the charge of another who will doe it to the purpose When ye are ready to drive away the Comforter saith he who is in you he shall bring to Remembrance apply to your soules the things that I have spoken the Promises that I have made which will then be unto you as Life from the dead And this he doth every day How often when the Spirits of the Saints are ready to faint within them when straites and perplexities are round about them that they know not what to doe nor whether to apply themselves for helpe or supportment doth the Spirit that dwelleth in them bring to mind some seasonable suitable Promise of Christ that bears them up quite above their difficulties and distractions opening such a new spring of Life and Consolation to their soules as that they who but now stooped yea were almost bowed to the ground doe stand upright and feele no weight or burthen at all Often times they goe for Water to the well and are not able to draw or if it be powred out upon them it comes like raine on a stick that is fully dry They seeke to Promises for refreshment and find no more savour in them then in the white of an Egge but when the same Promises are brought to remembrance by the Spirit the Comforter who is with them and in them how full of Life and Power are they 2. As this he doth to support Believers §. 26. in respect of Consolation so as to the Communion of reall strength he stirres up those Graces in them that are strengthning and supporting The Graces of the Spirit are indeed all of them supporting and upholding If the Saints fall and sinke at any time in any duty under any tryall it is because their Graces are decayed and do draw back as to the exercise of them If thou faint in the day of Adversity it is not because thy Adversaries are great or strong but because thy strength is small Prov 24. 10. All our Fainting is from the weaknesse of our strength Faith Waiting Patience are small when Davids Faith and Patience began to sinke and draw back Psal. 116. 11. he cries All men are lyars I shall one day perish by the hand of mine Enemies When Faith is but little and Grace but weake we shall be forced if the Wind do but begin to blow to cry out save Lord or we sinke and perish let a Temptation a Lust a Corruption lay any Grace a sâ—eepe and the strongest Saint will quickly become like Sampson with his haire cut and the Philistims about him he may think to doe great matters but at the first tryall he is made a scorne to his enemies Peter thought it was the greatnesse of the Winds and waves that terrified him but our Saviour tells him it was the weaknesse of his Faith that betrayed him Mat. 14. 31. 32. For reliefe in this condition the Spirit that dwells in the Saints stirres up enlivens and actuates all his Graces in them that may support and strengthen them in their duties and under their Tribulations Rom 5. Paul runs up the influence of Grace into the Saints supportment unto this Fountain v. 3. We glory in Tribulation this is as high a pitch as can be attained to be patient under Tribulation is no small victory to Glory in it a most eminent Triumph a conformity to Christ who in his Crosse triumphed over all his opposers we are not only patient under tribulations and have strength to beare them but saith the Apostle we glory and rejoyce in them as things very welcome to us How comes this about Saith he Tribulation worketh patience that is it sets it a worke for Tribulation in it selfe will never worke or beget patience in us and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed It is from hence that these Graces Patience Hope Experience being set on worke doe beare up and support our soules and raise them to such an
needs no labour to demonstrate The Spirit himselfe so interprets it John 7. 38 39. He who believeth on me saith our Saviour as the Scripture saith rivers of living Water shall flow out of his belly But this he said of the Spirit which they should receive who believe on him that which in one place he calleth a Well of Water springing up to Life in us is in the other in equivalent termes called Rivers of living Water flowing out of our bellies And the Holy Ghost tells us that he himselfe the Blessed Spirit is signified by that expression Neither is there any thing bestowed on us that can be compared to a spring of water arising up increasing and flowing out abundantly upon its owne account but the Spirit only It is only the Spirit that is a fountaine of refreshment from whence all Grace doth abundantly flow It is I say the Spirit whereof we have been speaking who is procured for us and bestowed upon us by Jesus Christ which as an everlasting Fountaine continually supplies us with refreshing streames of Grace and fills us a new therewith when the Channells thereof in our soules are ready to become dry And Secondly the state and Condition of them on whom this living Water is bestowed in reference thereunto is described Saith our Saviour he that hath this Spirit of Grace this well of living Water shall never thirst It is most emphatically exprest by two Negatives and an Exegeticall additionall terme for weight and certainty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall never thirst to eternity or as it is exprssed John 6. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall never thirst at any time There is a two fold thirst 1. There is a thirst totalis indigentiae of a whole and intire want of that men thirst after and this is the thirst that returnes upon men in their naturall lives After they have allayed it once with naturall water they thirst againe and their want of water returnes as intire and full as if they had never dranke in their lives Such a spirituall Thirst doth God ascribe to wicked men Isa. 65. 13. My servants shall eat but you shall be hungry my servants shall drinke but ye shall be Thirsty Their hunger and thirst is the totall want of Grace not that they do desire it but that they have it not And this thirst of totall want of Grace is that that never shall nor can befall them who have received the Spirit of Grace as a Well of Water in them They can never so thirst as to be returned againe into the Condition wherein they were before they dranke of that Spirit 2. There is also a Thirst of desire and complacency of the good Things thirsted after In this sence they are pronounced Blessed who hunger and Thirst after Righteousnesse Math. 5. And Peter instructs us to grow in this Thirst more and more the 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that ye may grow thereby The enjoyment of the Spirit doth not take away this Thirst but begin it and increase it and by this Thirst as one meanes are we preserved from that totall want indigency which shall never againe befall us Thirdly §. 31. our Saviour gives the reason why and whence it is that they who drinke of this Water are made partakers of his Spirit shall thirst no more or never be brought to the Condition of totall want of Grace which they were in before they received him because the water which I shall give them saith he the Spirit which I shall bestow upon them dwelleth in them as we have shewed shall be a well of Water a fountaine of Grace springing up in them to everlasting Life continuing and perpetuating the Grace communicated unto the full fruition of God in Glory There are among others three eminent things in this Reason to confirme us in the faith of the former Assertion 1. The condition or nature of the Spirit in Believers He is a Well a Fountain a Spring that never can nor will be dry to Eternity 2. The constant supplyes of Grace that this Spirit affords them in whom he is He is Water alwaies springing up so that to say he will refresh Saints and Believâ—ers with his Grace provided that they turne not profligately wicked is openly to contradict our Saviour Christ with as direct opposition to the design in the words as can be imagined This springing up of Grace which from him is had and received which is his worke in us is that whereunto this profligate wickednesse is opposed and whilst that is this cannot be There is an everlasting inconsistency beâ—ween profligate wickednesse and a never failing spring of Grace 3. His Permanency in this worke and efficacy by it this living Water springs up to everlasting Life He ceases not untill our Spirituall Life be consummated in Eternity This then is the summe of this Promise of our Saviour He gives his holy Spirit to his who lives in them and gives them such continuall supplies of Grace that they shall never come to a totall want of it as they doe of Elementary Water who have once dranke thereof And from this spring doth this Argument flow They on whom the Spirit is bestowed to abide with them for ever and to whom he constantly yeildes such supplyes of Grace as that they shall never be reduced to a totall want for ever they shall certainely and infallibly persevere but that this is the Condition of all that come to Christ by Believing or that Christ hath promised that so it shall be with them is cleare from his owne Testimony now insisted on Ergo. Unto their Argument from the Promise of our Saviour §. 32. Mr Goodwin endeavours an Answer Ch. 11. Sect 10. 11. 12. pag. 232. 233. and in the Preface of it tells us that this Scripture doth but face if so much the businesse in hand To face it I suppose is to appeare at first view in its defence and this indeed cannot well or colourably be denied the words of it punctually expressing the very Truth we intend to prove thereby And this notwithstanding the allaying qualification if so much must needs somewhat prejudice the ensuing evasions But we are yet farther confident that upon the more diligent and strict examination it will be found to speake to the very heart and soule of the businesse in hand and the Considerations of his Reasons to the contrary doth seeme only to give us farther light herein and assurance hereof He saies then Here is no Promise made that they who once believe how unworthily soever they shall behave themselves shall still be preserved by the Spirit of God or the Spirit of God in Believing or that they shall be necessitated alwaies to Believe Ans. This is the old play still It is not at all our intendment to produce any Promise of safe-guarding men in the Love of God how vile soever they may prove but
his Sheepe that they know his voice heare him and follow him but a stranger they will not follow John 10. 25. Christ speakes by his Spirit in his guidance and direction is the voice of the Lord Jesus He that hath an eare to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches Rev. 2. 29. What Christ saith as to the Fountain of Revelation he being the great Prophet of the Church that the Spirit saith as to the Efficacy of the Revelation unto the Hearts of the Saints And as the Vnction teacheth them so do they abide in Christ 1 John 2. 27. The seducements of the Spirit of the world either immediatly by himselfe or mediately by others are the voice of strangers between these and the voice of the Spirit of Christ that dwells in them the Saints have a Spirit of discerning This the Apostle affirmes 1 Cor. 2. 15. He that is Spirituall judgeth all things He discerneth between things and judgeth aright of them He judgeth all things that is all things of that nature whereof he speakes that is the things which are freely given us of God v. 12. for the discerning knowledge whereof the Spirit is given them For the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God v. 11. They know also the suggestions of the Spirit of the world judge them 2 Cor. 2. 11. We are not ignorant of his devices There is a twofold knowledge of the depths and devices of Sathan one with Approbation to the imbracing and practice of them the other with Condemnation to their hatred and rejection The first ye have mentioned Rev. 2. 24. As many as have not knowne the depths of Sathan as they speake Their Doctrinall depths so they call them Of them our Saviour there speakes New Doctrines were broached by Sathan unintelligible notions some pretended to attaine an acquaintance with them and boasted it seemes in them as very great and high Attainements They called them depths such as poore ordinary Believers that contented themselves with their low formes could not reach unto Saith Christ they are depths as they speake indeed in themselves nothing at all things of no solidity weight nor Wisdome but as managed by Sathan they are depths indeed such as whereby he destroyes their soules And as some approve his Doctrinall depths so some close with his Practicall depths and imbrace them Men that study his wayes and paths becoming desperately wicked maliciously fcoffing at Religion and despising the profession of it But there is a knowledge also of the depths and devices of Sathan leading to judging condemning rejecting and watching against them The suggestions of Sathan in their infinite variety their Rise Progresse Efficacy and Advantages their various aimes and tendencyes unto sinne against Grace I do not now consider But this I say those who are lead by the Spirit of God who have directions from him and guidance they discerne between the voice of the Spirit which dwells in them and the voice of the Spirit which dwells in the world Now because this is not alwaies to be done §. 39. from the manner of their speaking the Serpent counterfeiting the voyce of the Dove and coming on not only with earnestnesse and continuance of impulse but with many faire and specious pretences making good his impressions labouring to win the understanding over to that wherewith he inticeth the Affections and Passions of men they use the helpe of such Considerations as these insuing to give them direction in attending to the voice of that Guide which leades them into the paths of Truth and to stoppe their eares to the songs of Sathan which would transforme them into Monsters of disobedience Thus they know 1. That all the motions of the holy Spirit whereby they are and ought to be lead are regular that he moves them to nothing but what is according to the mind of Christ delivered in the Word which he hath appointed for their Rule to walke by to no duty but what is acceptable to him and what he hath revealed so to be 1 John 4. 1. So that as Believers are to try the spirits of others by that standard whether they are of God or no so because of the subtilty of Sathan transforming himselfe into an Angell of Light yea into a spirit of duty what ever immediate motions and impressions fall upon their Spirits they try them by the Rule 'T is no dishonour to the Holy Spirit yea it is a great Honour to have his motions within us tryed by the Word that he hath given for a Rule without us Yea when any preached by immediate inspiration he commends those Acts 17. 10. who examined what they delivered by that which he had given out before He doth not now move in us to give a new Rule but a new Light and Power as was said before The motions of the Spirit of the World are for the most part unto things wherein though the persons with whom he deales may be in the darke or blind and darkened by him yet themselves are against the Rule or besides it in the whole or in part in respect of some such circumstances as vitiate the whole performance 2. They know that the Commands and motions of the Spirit which dwells in them 1 John 5. 1. are not grievous The commands of Christ for the matter of them Mal. 11. 30. are not grievous his burthen is light his yoake easy and the manner whereby we are carried out to the performance of them is not Grievous where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2. Cor. 3. 17. It carries out the soule to duty in a free sweet calme ingenuous manner The motions of the Spirit of the World even unto good things and duties for so for farther ends of his it often falls out that they are are troublesome vexatious perplexing grievous and tumultuating Sathan falls like lightning upon the Soule and comes upon the powers of it as a Tempest Hence acting in any thing upon his closing with and provoking our convictions is called a being under the Spirit of bondage Rom 8. 15. which is opposed to the Spirit of God the Spirit of Adoption of Liberty boldnesse power and a sound mind 3. They know that all motions of the Spirit whereby they are lead are orderly as is Gods Covenant with us ordered in all things so the Spirit of God carries us out unto every duty in its own order and season when as we see some poore soules to be in such bondage as to be hurried up and downe in the matter of duties at the pleasure of Satan They must runne from one to another and commonly neglect that which they should doe When they are at Prayer then they should be at the worke of their calling and when they are at their Calling they are tempted for not laying all aside and running to Prayer Believers know that this is not from the Spirit of God which makes every
thing beautifull in its season 4. They know that all the workings of the Spirit of God as they are good so also they tend unto a good end Doth that stirre them up to close walking with God It is that God may be glorified his Graces exercised in them their soules strengthened in obedience and their progresse in Sanctification furthered Doth it assure them of the love of God It is that they may be more humble thankefull watchfull When all the compliances and combinations of Sathan and mens corrupt hearts even when they compell to good duties are for false evill and corrupt ends Duty is prest to pacify Conscience Peace is given to make men secure Gifts are stirred up to tempt to Pride and indeed it may easily be observed that the Divell never doth any work but he will quickly come for his Wages By the help I say of these and such like Considerations the Saints of God in whom this Spirit doth dwell are inabled to discerne and know the voyce of their Leader and Guide from the neerest resemblance of it that the Spirit which is in the World doth or at any time can make shew of And this Indwelling of the Spirit yeelds a considerable contribution of strength toward the confirmation of the maine Theses undertaken to be proved Our Adversaries dispute about the removall of acquired habits but how infused habits may be cast out or expelled they have not any tolerable measure been able to declare If moreover it shall be evinced as it hath been by plentifull Testimonies of Scripture that the Holy Ghost himselfe dwelles in Believers what way can be fixed on for his Expulsion That he cannot be removed but by his own will the will of him that sends him I suppose will easily be granted Whilest he abides with them they are accepted with God and in Covenant with him That God whilest his Children are in such a state and condition doth take away his Spirit from them and give them up to the power of the Divell is incumbent on our Adversaries to prove But to returne at length from this digression Thus farre have wee proceeded in manifesting upholding and vindicating that influence which the Oblation of Christ hath into the preservation of the Saints in the Love and Favour of God unto the end His Intercession being Eminently effectuall also to the same end and purpose comes in the next place to be considered CAP. IX 1. The Intercession of Christ. 2. The nature of it It s ayme not only that Believers continuing so may be saved but that they may be preserved in Believing 3. This farther proved from the Typicall Intercession of the Judaicall High Priest 4. The Tenor of Christs Intercession as manifested loh 17. v. 11. opened and v. 12. 13. 14. 15. 5. The result of the Argument from thence The Saints Perseverance fully confirmed 6. Rom. 8. 33 34. at large explained 7. 8. M. G's Interpretation of the place in all the parts of it confuted Vaine supposalls groundlessely interserted into the Apostles discourse What Christ Intercedes for for Believers farther manifested The summe of what is assigned to the Intercession of Christ by M. G. How farre it is all from yeelding the least consolation to the Saints manifested 9. The Reasons of the foregoing Interpretation proposed and answered 10. The end assigned of the Intercession of Christ Answered God works persevere actually a supply of mercies that may not be effectuall not to be ascribed thereunto 11. Farther objections Answered Christ not the minister of sinne by this Doctrine 12. Supposalls and Instances upon the former Interpretation disproved and rejected 13. A briefe account of our Doctrine concerning the Intercession of Christ for Believers and of the true end of the Act of his Mediation 14. The close of the Argument and of the first Part of this Treatise OF the Intercession of Christ §. 1. both as to the nature of its typicall Representation by the high Priests entring into the Holy of Holyes every yeare with blood Heb. 9. 7. and its effectuall influence into the perfect compleate Salvation of Believers so much hath been spoken by others and the whole of the Doctrine delivered with so much clearnesse spirituallnesse and strength that I shall not need to adde any thing thereunto That Christ intercedes for the preservation of Believers in the Love and Favour of his Father to the end is that which I intend to manifest and which may as I suppose be very easily undeniably evinced Some few Considerations will make way for the demonstration of the Truth which is under Consideration or Confirmation of the Perseverance of Saints from the Intercession of Christ. First the Intercession of Christ being his Appearance for us in the presence of God Heb. 9. 24. He is gon into Heaven §. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a legall Appearance for our defence before the Judgment seat of God by being there is our Advocate I John 2 1. he is said to save us to the utmost Heb 7. 25. There is certainely some thing or other that he puts in for in the behalfe of them in whose Cause he appeares and sues that so he may save them to the utmost Now this must be either that being and continuing Believers they may be Saved or that they may believe and continue Believers unto Salvation That the first is not the sole import and aime of the Intercession of Christ may be manifested from this double Consideration 1. From the nature of the thing it selfe There is nothing but the establishment of the very Law of the Gospell He that believeth shall be Saved wrapt up in this interpretation of the Intercession of Christ. But this neither hath Christ any need to intercede for it being ratified confirmed and declared from the beginning neither is there or can there any Opposition be made against it to shake weaken or disturbe it in the least it depending solely on the Truth and Unchangeablenesse of God not being vested by any Condition whatsoever in any other subject nor would this be availing to his Militant Church whose preservation he aimes at and intends in his Intercession For the whole of his desires may be granted him to the uttermost and yet his whole Church at any time militant perish for ever Though not one soule should continue believing to the end though the gates of Hell should prevail against every one that names the name of Christ in the world yet that Truth He that believeth shall be Saved taken in the sence of our Adversaries for a Promise to Perseverance in believing and not a promise to actuall true Believers might stand firme for ever To say then that this is the whole Intercession of Christ for his Church is to say that in his whole Intercession he Interceded not at all for his Church Ioh. 11. 44. He is heard in his Intercession and he may be heard to the uttermost in this and yet his
new Obedience and there will be the work of that Faith in purifying the Heart and mortifying of the sinnes supposed Farther the way here prescribed and limited to the Lord Jesus how he shall intercede for his and for what viz. not for actuall Perseverance and continuance in the Faith to be wrought in them by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God but for meanes to inable them to preserve themselves we are perswaded he walkes not in And that much upon this account that the way whereby God begins and carries on Believers in the way of Faith and Obedience is not by such a supply of meanes as leaves them to themselves to work and effect the things for which they are so supplied but he himselfe workes in them to will and to doe of his own good pleasure fulfilling in them all the good pleasure of his Goodnesse and the worke of Faith with power giving them all their sufficiency and preserving them by his power through Faith unto salvation To make Faith and Perseverance therein to follow such a supply of meanes as leaves the production of them to the power of the wills of men so that after God hath done all that on his part is to be done or performed that is quickned them being dead giving them new Hearts Spirtis shone into their mindes to give them the knowledge of his Glory in the Face of his Sonne c. it is yet uncertaine whether â—ver Faith shall be wrought in their Soules or no or rather whether men so supplied with means will Believe and Persevere or no is an Assertion that will never be proved to Eternity nor whilest Truth is Truth it is capable of proofe The granting of such meanes and such a presence of his Spirit that men may be inabled to worke for themselves is an expression exceedingly unsuited to all the Promises of the new Covenant what ever either of the Spirit of Grace or the meanes of it is given out to Believers Christ intercedes that his Father would keepe them not that they should keepe themselves he was too well acquainted with our frame and our temptations to desire we might be our own keepers God forbid we should be left to our owne preservation to the hand of our owne counsell and power though compassed with all the supposed sufficient meanes that may be not eventually effectually God creates a defence upon our Glory and doth not leave it to our owne safegarding Our salvation is not in our own custody That the Father doth not keepe us or preserve us that the Sonne doth not Intercede that we may be so preserved that the Spirit doth not make us meete for and keepe us unto the Inheritance of the Saints in Light but that in the use of meanes we are as Adam was our own keepers are some of the Principles of that new way of administring consolation to Believers which Mr Goodwin hath found out This then is the utmost which Mr Goodwin will allow to be for disputation sake not that he really believes it granted that Christ intercedes for his Saints as to their continuance and preservation in that condition viz. That God would give them such meanes as they may use or not use at their liberty which may be effectuall or not effectuall as their own wils shall choose to make use of them which he also takes for granted to be common to all the World and not to be peculiar unto Believers But it is farther argued If Christ should simply and absolutely Intercede that no sinne or wickednesse whatsoever may destroy the Faith of any true Believer and consequently deprive him of Salvation should he not hereby become that which the Apostle rejects with indignation as altogether unworthy of him I meane a Minister of sinne Is therefore Christ the Minister of sinne God forbid or whereby or wherein can it lightly be imagined that Christ should become a minister of sinne rather then by interceding with his Father that such and such men how vile and abominable soever they shall become may yet be precious in his sight and receive a Crowne of Righteousnesse from his hand Or doth not such an Intercession as some men put upon him as they who make him to Intercede simply and absolutely for the Perseverance of Believers in their Faith amount to an Intercession of every whit as vile and unworthy Import as this Ans That this is the tenor of Christs Intercession with his Father for men let them become as vile as they will how vile and abominable soever yet that they may be still precious in his sight and that he would give them a Crowne of Righteousnesse M. Goodwin knoweth full well not to be the Doctrine of them he opposeth If he shall otherwise affirme it will be incumbent on him to produce some one Author that hath wrote about this Doctrine in what language soever and so stated it If he be ignorant that this is not their Doctrine he ought not to have ingaged into an opposition thereof if he argue that it is otherwise this procedure is unworthy of him That Christ Intercedes for his Saints that they may be kept from all such sinnes as would separate them from the Love and Favour of his Father for which there is no Remedy provided in the Covenant of Grace and that their Faith may not faile or perish under such sinnes as they may through Temptation fall into is the Doctrine which he opposeth or at least ought to oppose to make good his undertaking Now if this be so then saith he is Christ the minister of sinne why so He sees and foretells that Peter should deny him thrice yet he prayes that Peters Faith may not faile under that sinne and wickednesse is he therefore a minister of sinne because he Intercedes that his Saints may not be given up to the power of sinne nor every time they are assaulted lye conquered by sinne is he therefore a minister of sinne or rather a deliverer from sinne That very thing which M. Goodwin affirmes would make him a minister of sinne he affirmes himselfe to do in the case of Peter how he will free himselfe from this charge and imputation ipse viderit 2. What it is to Intercede simply and absolutely for Believers that they may continue believing we are not so cleare in Christ Intercedes that they may be preserved by the power of his Father in and through the use of those meanes which he graciously affords them and the Powerfull presence of the Spirit of God with them therein and that not on any such absurd and foolish conditions that they may be so preserved by his Father provided they preserve themselves and continue Believers on condition they continue to believe and if this be of a vile and unworthy import the Gospell is so too and one of the most eminent Graces that is inwrapped in the New Covenant is so too What there is farther in M. Goodwin Sect. 34. Pag. 249
included the transgression of the whole Law because the Authority of the Law giver both in the one and the other is despised James 2. 10 11. Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in any one point he is guilty of all For he that said Do not commit Adultery said also Do not kill And 2. I say it is only to the Command for in vaine do men worship him teaching for Doctrines the Traditions of men The most stupendious indeavours of men the most laborious drudgery of their soules in Duties not commanded are so far from Obedience that they are as high Rebellions against God as they can possibly ingage themselves into I might farther distinguish the matter or substance of this Obedience into the internall elicite Act of our soules in Faith Love and the like Acts of morall and everlasting Obedience which are naturally necessarily and indispensably required in us upon the account of the first Commandement and the naturall subjection wherein we stand unto God as his Creatures improved and inlarged by the new Obligation put upon us in being his Redeemed ones wherein indeed the maine of our Obedience doth consist And the outward instituted Duties of Religion which God hath appointed for those former Acts of Obedience to be exercised in and exerted by But the former description of it with the Intimation of its universality may suffice 2. §. 5. Secondly the Formality if I may so speake of this Obedience or that which makes the performance of Duties commanded to be Obedience consists in these three things 1. The Principle that begins it and sets it on worke immediately in us and that is Faith without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb 11. 6. Could a man doe all that is commanded yet if he did it not in Faith it would be of no value hence it is called the Obedience of Faith Rom. 1. 5. not for Obedience to the Faith but the Obedience of Faith which Faith bringeth forth Therefore are Believers called Obedient Children 1 Pet. 1. 14. we are said to purifie our soules in Obedience to the Truth v. 22. Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith and without him we can do nothing John 15. 5. All that we do is no better seeing we can no way draw neare unto God with a true heart but in full Assurance of Faith Heb. 10. 22. 2. The Manner of doing it which consists in a due Spirituall regard to the Will of God in those wayes whereby he calls men out to this Obedience namely in his Precepts and Promises There is no Obedience unto God but that which moves according to his direction it must in every motion eye his Command on the one hand and his Promise whether of Assistance for it or Acceptance in it on the other Saith David I have respect unto all thy Commandements Psal. 119. and saith the Apostle having received these Promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse both of flesh Spirit perfecting Holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 3. The principall End of it which is the Glory of God as a Rewarder for he that comes unto God must believe that he is and that he is the Rewarder of them that seeke him Heb 11. 6. The end of Legall Obedience was the Glory of God as a Rewarder according to Merit in strict justice the end of Gospell Obedience is the Glory of God as a Rewarder according to bounty free Grace and mercy under which consideration neither needs the Obedience rewardable to be commensurate to the Reward nor is the Reward procured by that Obedience If it were then it were of workes and not of Grace as the Apostle tells us Rom. 4. 4. So that the end of our Obedience is to exalt God as a Rewarder yet that being as a Rewarder of Grace and bounty the use of our Obedience is not to procure that Reward for that were to worke and to have a reward reckoned to us of Debt and not of Grace but only to make the Lord gracious and to exalt him in our present subjection and in his future guift of Grace in nature of a free bounteous reward This I say is that Gospell Obedience which by the Doctrine insisted on is promoted in the soules of Believers 2. Secondly §. 6. this being so as was said the Gospell Obedience whereof we speake it is evident what Principle it proceedeth from Whereas there are two contrary Principles in every regenerate man as shall more fully afterwards be declared called in the Scripture flesh and Spirit the Old and New man indwelling sinne and Grace which have both of them their Seats and Places in all and the same Faculties of the soule it is most evident that this Obedience flowes solely and meerely from the latter Principle the Spirit new or inner man the new Creature which is wrought in Believers The strengthning and heightning of this Principle the Holy Ghost layes at the bottome of the renewall and increase of Gospell Obedience Eph 3. 16. 17. 18. 19. I pray saith the Apostle that God would grant you according to the Riches of his Glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that yee being rooted grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length and depth height and to know◠the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled with all the fulnes of God Their strengthning with might by the Spirit in the inner man is the foundation of their acting of and increasing in Faith Love Knowledge and Assurance unto all the fulnesse of God It is the New man which after God is Created in Righteousnesse and Holinesse that carries men out unto all acceptable Obedience as c. 4. 23 24. of the same Epistle Look whatsoever influences the other Principle of the flesh hath into our Obedience so farre it is defiled for that which is from the flesh is flesh Ieh 3. 6. all the fruits of it are abominable Hence are all the pollutions that cleave to our Holy things Yea if at at any time poore and meere selfish considerations do put men upon dutyes of Obedience and abstaining from sinne as feare of vengeance and destruction and the like which is made almost the only motive to Obedience by the Doctrine of Saints Apostasie their Obedience in doing or abstaining is but as their feare of the Lord 2 Kings 17. 34. who were taught it by Lions abominable unto him This then being the nature of Gospell Obedience and this the Principle from whence it flowes it is evident 3. Thirdly what are those motives which are suited to the promotion and carrying of it on in the hearts of Believers and what Doctrines have an eminent and singular tendency thereunto §. 7. is also to be considered now these must all of them be such as
hath abounded that they may live in all filth and folly because God hath promised never to forsake them not turne away his Love from them they doe not looke upon it as an hellish abuse of the Love of God which they labour to crucifie no lesse then any other worke of the flesh whatsoever Presuppose indeed the Saints of God to be Dogges and swine wholly sensuall and unregenerate that is no Saints and our Doctrine to be such that God will Love them and save them continuing in that state wherein they are and you make a bed for Iniquity to stretch it selfe upon But suppose that we teach that the wrath of God will certainly come upon the Children of disobedience that he that Believeth not shall be damned and that God will keepe his owne by his power through Faith unto Salvation and that in and by the use of meanes they shall certainly be preserved to the end and the mouth of iniquity will be stopped 2. They say it takes away that strong curbe and bridle §. 14. which ought to be kept in the mouth of the flesh to keepe it from running headlong into sin and folly namely the feare of Hell and punishment which alone hath an influence upon it to bring it to subjection and under Obedience But now if there be nothing in the world that is of use for the mortification and crucifying of the flesh and the lusts thereof but it receives improvement by this Doctrine this crimination must of necessity vanish into nothing 1. Then it tells that the flesh and all the deeds thereof are to be crucifyed and slaine God having ordained good workes for us to walke in That for the workes of the flesh the wrath of God comes upon the Children of disobedience if any say let us continue in sinne because we are not under the Law or the condemning power of it for sinne but under Grace it cries out God for bid Rom. 6. 15 16. And saith this is Argument enough and Proofe snfficient that sinne shall not have dominion over us because we are not under the Law but under Grace It tells you also that there is a twofold feare of Hell and punishment of sinne First of Anxietie and doubtfullnesse in respect of the end Secondly Of Care and diligence that respecteth the meanes And for the first it saith that this is the portion of very many of the Saints of God of some all their dayes though they are so yet they know not that they are so and therefore are under anxious and doubtfull feares of Hell and Punishment notwithstanding that they are in the armes of their Father from whence indeed they shall not be cast downe as a man bound with chaines on the toppe of a tower he cannot but feare and yet he cannot fall He cannot fall because he is fast bound with strong chaines He cannot but feare because he cannot actually and clearely consider often times the meanes of his preservation And for the latter a feare of the wayes and meanes leading to punishment as such that continues upon all the Saints of God in this life neither is there any thing in this Doctrine that is suited to a removall thereof And this it saies is more much more of use for the mortification of the flesh then the former 2. It sayes that the great and Principall meanes of mortification of the flesh is not feare of Hell and Punishment but the Spirit of Christ as the Apostle tells us Rom. 8. 13. If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live It is the Spirit of Christ alone that is able to do this great Worke We know what bondage and Religious drudgery some have put themselves 〈◊〉 upon this account and yet could never in their lives attaine to the mortification of any one sinne It is the Spirit of Christ alone that hath soveraigne power in our soules of killing and making alive As no man quickneth his owne soule so no man upon any Consideration whatsoever or by the power of any threatnings of the Law can kill his own sinne There was never any one sinne truly mortified by the Law or the threatning of it All that the Law can do of it selfe is but to intangle sinne and thereby to irritate provoke it like a Bull in a net or a beast lead to the slaughter It is the Spirit of Christin the Gospell that cuts its throate destroyes it Now this Doctrine was never in the least charged with denying the Spirit of God to Believers which whilst it doth grant maintaine in a way of opposition to that late Opinion which advanceth it selfe against it it maintaines the mortification of the flesh and the lusts thereof upon the only true and unshaken foundations 3. It tells you that the great meanes whereby the Spirit of Christ worketh the mortification of the flesh and the Lusts thereof is the Application of the Crosse of Christ and his Death and Love therein unto the soule and saies that those vaine endeavours which some promote and encourage for the mortification of sinne consisting for the most part in slavish bodily exercises are to be bewayled with teares of bloud as abominations that seduce poore soules from the Crosse of Christ For it saies this work is truly and in an acceptable manner only performed when we are planted into the likenesse of the death of Christ having our old man crucified with him and the body of sinne destroyed Rom. 6. 5 6. and thereupon by Faith reckoning our selves dead unto sinne but alive unto God v. 11. It is done only by knowing the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ and being made conformable to his death Phil. 3. 10. by the Crosse of Christ is the world crucified unto us and we unto the world The Spirit brings home the power of the Crosse of Christ to the soule for the accomplishing of this work and without it it will not be done Moreover it saies that by the way of motive to this duty there is nothing comes with that efficacy upon the soule as the love of Christ in his death as the Apostle assures us 2 Cor. 5. 14. for the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe now it was never laid to the charge of this Doctrine that it took off from the vertue of the Death and Crosse of Christ but rather on the contrary though falsely that it ascribed too much thereunto so that these importune exceptions notwithstanding the Doctrine in hand doth not only maintaine its own innocency as to any tendency unto loosenesse but also manifestly declareth its own usefulnesse to all ends and purposes of Gospell Obedience whatsoever For 3. It stirres up §. 15. provokes and drawes out into action every
thereof We are not as yet of that minde And yet 2. We do not lay the only motive unto obedience tendered by the Doctrine we contest for on the certainty of reward which it asserteth which yet is such that without it all other must needs be of little purpose but it hath also other advantagious influences into the promotion of Holinesse which in part have been insisted on 3. It seemeth we say that God promiseth a Reward to them that shall not runne a Race because we maintaine that he promiseth it to none but those who do runne in a Race promising withall to give them strength power and will that they may do so to the end 2. For the close which amounteth to this That the certainty of reward when it is uncertaine for so it is made to be when it is suspended on Actions that are uncertain is more encouraging to Action then certainty of reward not so suspended I shall adde only because I know not indeed how this discourse hangeth on the businesse under Consideration that we neither suspend the certainty of Reward upon our Actions in the sence intimated neither do we say that it is assured to men whether they act or no but say that the Reward which is of Grace through the Unchangeable Love of God shall be given to them that act in Holinesse through the same Love shall all Believers be kept to such an acting of Holinesse as God thinketh good to carry them out unto for the fulfilling of all the good pleasure of his Goodnesse in them and making them meet for the inheritance of his Saints in Light We do not think mediums designed of God for the Accomplishment of any End are such that conditions of the End that it is suspended on them in uncertainty in respect of the Issue before its accomplishment Neither do we grant or can it be proved that God assigneth any medium for the accomplishment of a determinate End such as we have proved the Salvation of all Believres to be and leave it in such a Condition as that not only it shall be effected produced suitably to the nature of the immediate cause of which it is whether free necessary or contingent but also shall be so farre uncertaine as that it may or may not be wrought and accomplished The former part of this third Paragraph is but a Repetition of an Assertion §. 12. which upon the Credit of his own single Testimony we have had often tendered viz. That an Assurance given him that is Godly of the Love of God not depending on any thing in him which it is uncertain whether he will performe or no is no motive to men to continue in the wayes of Holinesse This as I said before I cannot close withall That that which is a motive to Faith and Love and eminently suited to the stirring of them up and setting them on worke is also a motive to the Obedience which is called Love and Obedience of Faith hath been declared If there be any thing of the new and Heavenly nature in the soule any Quality or disposition of a Child therein what can be more effectuall to promote or advance the Feare Honour and Reverence of God in it then an Assurance of his Spirit to continue and preserve them in those wayes which are well pleasing unto him It is confessed that in many Promises of Acceptation here and Reward hereafter the things and duties that are the meanes and wayes of enjoying the one and attaining the other are mentioned not as conditions of the Grace and Love of God to them to whom the Promises are made as though they should depend on any thing of their uncertaine accomplishment as hath been declared but only as the meanes and wayes which God hath appointed for men to use and walke in unto those ends and which he hath absolutely promised to worke in them and to continue to them 4. The close of this Paragraph in the fourth place §. 13. deserveth a little more cleare consideration it containing an Assertion which some would not believe when it was told them and hath stumbled not a few at the repetition of it Thus then he proceedeth Besides whether any such Assurance of the unchangeablenesse of the Love of God towards him that is godly as the Objection speaketh of can be effectually and upon sufficient grounds cleared and proved is very questionable yea I conceive there is more reason to judge otherwise then so Yea that which is more I verily believe that in case any such Assurance of the unchangeablenesse of Gods Love were to be found in or could regularly be deduced from the Scriptures it were a just ground to any intelligent and considering man to question their Authority and whether they were from God or no For that a God infinitely righteous and holy should irreversibly as sure the immortall undefiled inheritance of his Grace Favour unto any Creature whatsoever so that though this creature should prove never so abominable in his sight never so outragiously and desperately wicked and prohane he should not be at liberty to with-hold his inheritance from him is a saying doubtlesse too hard for any man who rightly understandeth and considereth the nature of God to beare Ans. §. 14. The Love mentioned in the foregoing Objection is that which God beareth to them that are godly in Jesus Christ exerting it selfe partly in his Gracious acceptation of their Persons in the Sonne of his Love partly in giving to them of his Holy Spirit and Grace so that they shall never depart utterly and wickedly from him and forsake him or reject him from being their God Whether an assurance of this Love may on good grounds be given to Believers hath been already considered and the Affirmative I hope in some good measure confirmed The farther Demonstration of it awaiting its proper season which the will of God shall give unto it This Mr Goodwin saith to him is questionable yea I suppose it is with him out of question that it cannot be else surely he would not have taken so much paines in labouring to disprove it And that this us his resolved judgement he manifesteth in the next words I verily believe that in case any such assurance were to be found in c. That is Si Deus homini non placuerit Deus non erit What more contemptible could the Pagans of old have spoken of their dunghill Deities with their Amphibolous Oracles were it not fitter language for the Indian Conjurers who beat and afflict their hellish Gods if they answer not according to their desires The whole Authority of God and of his Word in the Scriptures is here cast downe before the consideration of an intelligent man forsooth or a vaine man that would be wise but is like the wild Asses colt and this intelligent man it seemes may contend to reject the Word of God and yet be accounted most wise Of old the Prophet thought
we see all things unpartially weighed and debated to and fro that the Doctrine which supposeth a possibility of the Saints declining is the Doctrine which is according to Godlinesse and the corrivall of it an enemy thereto Ans. We have here an Assertion an Inference and a Conclusion The Assertion is that there is no such aptnesse and pronenesse to sinne in Believers as is intimated and that because there is such a strong propensity in them to Righteousnesse which that they have is proved from sundry places of Scripture That is because the Spirit is in Believers the flesh is not in them Because they have a new man in them they have not an old because they have a principle of Life they have not a body of death That is where the Spirit lusteth against the flesh the flesh lusteth not against the Spirit We thought the Doctrine of Paul Rom. 7. Gal. 5. and in innumerable other places with the experience off all the Saints in the World had laine against this piece of Sophistry It is true their propension unto Righteousnesse raigneth in them but it is as true their propension unto sinne rebelleth in them Though the Land be conquered for Christ yet the Canaanites will dwell in it if the Saints leave of but one day the worke of killing crucifying and mortifying they will quickly finde an actuall rebellion in them not easie to be suppressed They have indeed a propension to Holinesse ruling in them but also a propension unto sinne dwelling in them so that when they would do good â—vell is present with them and the good they would do they cannot But when Mr Goodwin can prove this consequence that Saints have strong inclinations to Righteousnesse therefore they have not so to sinne for my part I will forbeare for ever disputing with him If he can beat us not only from Scripture but all our Spirituall sence and experience doubtlesse it is to no purpose to contend any longer with him Hence then 2. He inferreth §. 24. that to abstaine from sinning that is sinning customarily against conscience so as to endanger the losse of the Favour of God is no such great mastery no such matter of difficulty to such men This abstaining from such sinnes on the one hand is the whole course of our Gospell Obedience which it seemeth however it be compared to running in a race striving for masteries called resisting unto blood wrestling with principallities and powers requiring for its carrying on the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God with suitable help in time of need from Jesus Christ who is sensible of the weight of it as no small matter knowing what it is to serve God in Temptations yet is it indeed but a trifling thing a matter of no great difficulty or mastery Doe men Watch Pray Contend Fight Wrestle with God and Satan doth the Lord put forth his Power and the Lord Jesus Christ continually intercede for the preservation of the Saints Ad quid perditio haec to what end is all this toile and labour about a thing of little or no weight Egregiam vero laudem We know indeed the Yoke of Christ is easy and his Commandement not grievous that we can doe all things through him that inableth us but to make Gospell obedience so slight a thing that it is no great mastery or matter of no great commendation to hold out in it to the end this we were to learn till now and are as yet slow of heart to receive it The Conclusion is Io §. 25. Pâ—an vicimus all things unpartially weighed the case is ours and Godlinesse exceedingly promoted by the Doctrine of the possibility of the Saints defection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the corrivall of it an enemy to it to prove which not one word in the Argument hath been spoken nor to free the other from a charge of a direct contrary importance one word to the purpose and of Mr Goodwins sixth Argument for his Doctrine of the Apostasy of Saints this is the end But this is not all he hath to say in this case §. 26. in hand Indeed the maine designe of his whole 13. Chap. consisting of 41. Sections and about so many pages in his Book and containing all which in an Argumentative way he insisteth on in the case in hand looketh this way and therefore having already pluckt away one of the maine propps of that discourse I shall apply my selfe to take away those which doe remaine that the whole may justly fall to the ground and therefore shall as briefely as I can consider the whole of that discourse containing nine Arguments against the Perseverance of Saints for the possibility of their totall and finall defection CAP. XII 1. M. G. entrance and preface to his Arguments from the Apostasy of the Saints considered 2. The weaknesse of his first Argument The import of it 3. Answer to that first Argument Doctrine may pretend to give God the glory of being no accepter of Persons and yet be false Justification by workes of that rank and order 4. Acceptation of Persons what and wherein it consisteth No place for it with God contrary to distributive Justice 5. The Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance charged with rendring God an accepter of Persons 6. Unjustly what it saies looking this way 7. The summe of the charge against it considered and removed 8. M. G. second Argument and the weight by him hanged thereon the originall of this Argument by whom somewhat insisted on 9. The Argument it selfe in his words proposed of the use and end of the Ministry whether weakned by the Doctrine of Perseverance 10. Entrance unto an Answer to that Argument The foundation laid of it false and when it falsely imposeth on the Doctrine of Perseverance sundry things by it disclaimed the first considered 11. The iniquiry of those impositions farther discovered 12. The true state of the difference as to this Argument declared 13. The Argument satisfied 14. The reinforcement of the Minor attempted and considered 15. The manner of Gods operations with and in naturall and voluntary Agents compared Efficacy of Grace and liberty in man consistent 16. An Objection to himselfe framed by M. G. that Objection rectified Perseverance how absolutely and simply necessary how not 17. The removall of the pretended Objection farther insisted on by M. G. 18. That discourse discussed and manifested to be weake and sophisticall The consistency of Exhortations and Promises farther cleared 19. The manner of the operation of Grace in and upon the wills of men considered 20. The inconsistency of exhortations with the efficacy of Grace disputed by M. G. 21. That discourse removed and the use of Exhortations farther cleared Obedience to them twofold Habituall Actuall of the Physicall operation of Grace and meanes of the word their compliance and use How the one and the other affect the will 22. Inclination to Persevere when wrought in Believers 23. Of the manner of Gods operation
it being laid upon the proofe of the Minor Proposition formerly denied here laid downe It will easily be granted that it was incumbent on him to make sure worke here and not to leave any thing liable to any just Exception An errour or a mistake in the foundation is not easily recoverable All that is afterwards heaped up beareth it selfe on a supposition of the Truth of what is here delivered If this faile in the least we may spare our Labour as to any farther consideration of what followeth Now the maine of the proofe here insisted on lieth in the Declaration of that which he calleth the Common Doctrine of Perseverance and concerning this he informeth his Reader 1. That it commandeth all Saints to he fully perswaded and that with the gseatest and most indubitable certainty of Faith that there is an absolute and utter impossibility either of a totall or finall defection of their Faith Ans. 1. What is the intendment of these Aggravating expressions of fully perswaded greatest and most indubitable certainty of Faith I know not Will it please you if it should require them to be perswaded but not fully perswaded Believe it but with little and dubitable cetainty of Faith or uncertainty rather Full perswasion greatest certainty without doubting or staggering are all of their perfections of Faith and of the Saints in believing which without doubt they are in all that they are to Believe to presse after so that all this is no more but that this Doctrine requireth men to believe what it affirmeth God to have promised It requireth men to mixe the Promises of God with Faith Crimen in auditum But though the manner of Believing which it requireth be not blameable yet the thing which it proposeth to be believed is false What is that That there is an Absolute or utter impossibility either of a totall or finall defection of the Faith of true Believers It s requiring this to be Believed is the bottome also corner stone of Mr Goodwin's insuing Argument if it doth not do this he hath nothing in this place to say to it Let him then produce any one that ever wrote in the defence of it that hath in Termes or by just consequence delivered any such thing and on Herbam there shall be an end of this dispute I presume Mr Goodwin knoweth what is meant by an absolute and utter impossibility An absolute Repugnancy unto being in the nature of the things themselves concerning which any Affirmation is and not any externall or forraigne consideration doth entitle any thing to an absolute utter Impossibility did ever any one affirme that in the nature of the thing it selfe the defection of the S t s is absolutely impossible Is it not by them that believe the Perseverance of the S t s constantly affirmed that in themselves they are apt yea prone to fall away and their Faith to decay and dye which in it selfe possibly may be done though Mr Goodw cannot tolerably shew how The whole cerrainty of their continuance in and of the preservation of their Faith depends meerely on supposition of something that is extrinsecall in respect of them and of their state which as to their Condition might or might not be Farther the Perseverance of the Saints is by the same persons constantly affirmed to be carryed on to be perfected in and by the use of meanes It is their keeping by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation And can then an absolute impossibility of their defection be asserted or only that which is so upon supposition viz. of the Purpose of God c. There was no Absolute Impossibility that the bones of Christ should not be broken they being in themselves as lyable to be broken as his flesh to be pierced yet in respect of the event it was impossible they should be so I cannot well imagine that Mr Grodwin is not fully perswaded with the greatest and most indubit able certainty that a Perswasion in things of this kind will admit that the Common Doctrine of Perseverance doth not require Saints to believe that there is an absolute impossibility of their defection but only that God hath promised to Preserve them from that which in themselves and in respect of any thing in them they are obnoxious unto in and by the use of meanes suited and appointed by him to the carrying on of that worke and compassing of the end proposed But yet it pleaseth him here to make shew of a contrary Apprehension and to shew his confidence therein he aggravates it with this annexed supposition and case It doth so saith he though they should fall into 10000 enormous and most abominable sinnes and lye wallowing in them like Swine in the mire yet that they shall remaine all the while in an estate of Grace Ans. Truly this is such an enormous and abominable Calumny §. 11. that I cannot but admire how any sober and Rationall man durst venture upon the owning of it The question now is what Faith the Doctrine insisted on ingenerates in particular persons that should enervate and make void the Exhortations c. of the Ministry Now though the Doctrine should teach this Indefinitely that though men did sinne so and so as is here exprest yet they should be kept in a state of Grace as is mentioned which yet is lowdly and palpably false as hath been declared yet that it doth require particular men to Believe for themselves and in reference to the Guidance of their owne Wayes that they may lye and wallow in their sinne like swine in the mire and yet continue in a state of Grace and Acceptation with God is so notoriously contrary to the whole tenour of the Doctrine the genius and nature of it with all the Arguments whereby it is asserted and maintained that if conscience had but in the least been advised with all in this contest this charge had been without doubt omitted All that is produced for the confirmation of this strange imposition on the perswasion under consideration is his owne Testimony that makes the charge that it is the knowne voice of the common Doctrine of Perseverance and that being said is laid as a Foundation of all that followes The whole Discourse still relating to a supposition that this is the Doctrine which it opposeth from the very next words to the end Nor is there the least farther attempt for the confirmation of this grand Assertion But is this the knowne voice of our Doctrine of Perseverance Who ever heard it but Mr G. and men of the like prejudicate Spirits aganist the Truth The worst that can be charged with looking this way is its asserting the promised efficacy of the Grace of God for the preserving of Believers by the use of meanes from such wallowing in abominable sinnes as is supposed that it affirmes they may be exposed unto In briefe it saies not First That all Believers are certaine of their Perseverance Nor Secondly That
Perseverance which are given to the Saints yet many there are who are not enabled all their dayes to mix them with Faith although their interest portion lyes in them no lesse than theirs who through Grace attaine the greatest Assurance and on that account do never all their dayes get free from some bondage by reason of the Feare of Death and destruction And in respect of such as these the Comminations and threatnings insisted on may have much of that End accomplished which by Mr Goodwin is assigned to them not that such a frame is directly aimed at in them Christ dying to deliver them who by reason of Death were in bondage all their dayes from that bondage which the Feare of Death for since doth keepe the soules of men in and under but that it followes and will follow upon their darkenesse and weaknesse of Faith Secondly that the Promises of Perseverance being of the effecting and accomplishment of it by and in the use of meanes do not nor will give deliverance to them to whom they are made from feare of death and Hell but only whilst they conscientiously use the meanes appointed for them to walke in so that upon their deflexion from the Rule which is attended with Mercy and Peace the threatnings of God to sinne and sinners to Apostacy and Apostates do lay hold on them in their full force and efficacy especially to the ingene rating in them a Terrour of the Lord as the Apostle speakes an abhorrency of their wayes a loathing of them as not good that would cause them to fall into the hands of the Living God So that all Mr Goodwin's Arguings not being levied against the certaintey of Perseverrance but mens Certainty that they shall Persevere which some never attaine unto some loose either in whole or in part oftentimes are not to the businesse in hand Thirdly that eternall death and destruction is not the only subject of God's Threatnings nor all the evill that they may have a feare of whom he deals withall by them Desertion Rejection Rebukes sharpe and keene arrowes blowes of Gods hand Temporall death it selfe with the like are also threatned yea and so often in an eminent and dreadfull manner have been inflicted that though they might be supposed to have alwayes some comfortable Assurance of Deliverance from the wrath that is to come yet the Threatnings of God may be suited to beget in them this feare of evill to such an heigth as may make their bowels to flow like water rottemesse to enter into their bones and all their joynts to tremble Fourthly that the end of the Threatnings of God being to discouer to men the connexion that is by his Appointment between the sinnes exagitated and the punishment threatend whence the Feare mentioned doth consequently insue they may obtaine their full primary effect though that Feare be not ingenerated If they be prevailed on by any other Considerations so that the sinne be avoided Fiftly that when The Saints do walke orderly regularly and closely with God in the use of meanes by him appointed and so doing from the Promises of Perseverance do receive a comfortable Assurance that they shall be kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation the begetting in them of Feares of Death and Hell is neither usefull in it selfe nor are they intended of God to be their portion But if at any time they turne aside from the holy Commandement and thereby faile of the perswasion of their Perseverance as their Faith will be by such meanes impaired though the certainty of the thing it selfe be no lesse infallible than formerly yet by the Threatnings of God to them it may be needfull to rouze them by the terrours of the Lord in them from the Condition whereinto they have cast themselves I doubt not but that from the light of these and the like Considerations which might farther be insisted on it will appeare that there may be and is an harmonious consistency between the Promises and Threatnings of the Scripture notwithstanding the mist that is raised in a long and tedious Discourse to interrput the evidence thereof In the 13 Section §. 57. under pretence of Answering an Objection a long Discourse is drawen forth farther to varnish over what was before spoken Nothing of importance to my best observation being added It may be reduced to these foure heads First an Assertion hat the Threats against Apostacy do not belong to Hypocrites that is to them that are not really Regenerate let their profession be what it will for Hypocrites ought not to Persevere in the way wherein they are to the end and therefore there is no danger of their falling away from it Which is a Ridiculous peice of Sophistry For though they may not be exhorted to continue in their Hypocrisy which corrupts and vitiates their profession yet they may in their profession which in it selfe is good And though there is no danger of leaving their Hypocrisy yet there is of their waxing worse and worse by falling from the beginnings of Grace which they have received the profession which they have made and the Regular Conversation which they have entred upon So that notwithstanding any thing sayd to the contrary the comminations under consideration may principally belong to some kind of professours who notwithstanding all their guifts and common Graces which they have received yet in a large sence may be termed Hypocrites as they are opposed to them who have received the Spirit with true and saving Grace Secondly he saies It is evident that they belong unto true Believers from Heb. 6. 4 5 6 and 9. and Heb. 10. 26 27 and 29. but if there were no better evidence of the concernment of true Believers in the threatnings made to Apostacy than what can be drawne from the places mentioned I dare undertake that Mr Goodwin shall never prove any such concernment of theirs therein whilst his eyes are open but about this I shall not at present contend Thirdly he tells us That the end and aime of God in these threatnings is the good of Believers Of which as farre as they are concerned in them I much lesse doubt than I do of the clearenesse of the proofe of this Assertion from Psal. 85. 8. I will heare what God the Lord will speake for he will speake peace to his people and to his S t s but let them not turne againe to folly A place that I presume was hooked in here violently for want of a fitter opportunity to wrest it with a by interpretation because it lookes so hardly on the Doctrine which our Author hath undertaken to defend But let this passe also His fourth Assertion which he pursues at large or rather with many words is That these Threatnings have no tendency to the good of Believers but only by begetting in them a feare of Hell and Destruction which that they ought to do is strongly proved from Luke 12. 4 5. Where we are
these Expressions whereunto it is necessitated and from which they cannot possibly decline as to their influence into this Argument ariseth clearely from their Ambiguity we deny any to be necessitated to Persevere or that our Doctrine affirmes any such thing taking that expression to hold out a power upon their wills in their operations inconsistent with the utmost liberty whereof in Spirituall things having received a Spirituall principle men are capable They are not so necessitated to Persevere as that all the Acts of their Obedience whereby they do Persevere should not be free but necessary indeed they are not at all nor in any sence necessitated to persevere There is no Necessity attends their Perseverance but only in respect of the event with reference to the Vnchangeable purpose and infallible Promise of God the like may be said of that other expression possibility of declining God leaves in them a possibility of declining as to their way and manner of walking with him though he leaves not to them a possibility of declining or falling totally from him as to the issue and event of the whole matter which doth not in the least necessitate them to or in any of their operations Secondly §. 8. the proposition must be cast into an other mould before it will be of any determinate signification in opposition to the Doct it opposeth tuned to an other mood before it will give a certaine sound to any battell against it this is that no Act of the Creature that is wrought in order to the obtaining of any end promised to be certainely attained thereby is rewardable of God though for Perseverance it is not any act of the Creature but only a modus of its Obedience and thus it lookes towards the concernement of this Doctrine yet before this proposition passe to omit sundry other things that would gladly rise to the destruction of it I desire one query may be assailed concerning the Obedience of Jesus Christ Whether it were not necessary that the end of his Obedience should follow and Whether it were not impossible he should decline from his Obedience And if it were whether it were impossible that God should give a Reward thereunto But thirdly §. 9. the intendment of this Proposition as farre as it concernes us and that indeed is with a respect to our Doctrine of the Efficacy of Grace and not this of Perseverance is this That which is wrought in us by the Effectuall Grace of God is not capable of Reward from God A Proposition which though capable of some plea and colour taking Reward in a pure Legall sence supposing the Persons seeking after it to do it by a service and dutyes proportioned unto it yet is so openly and directly contradictory to the tenour designe of God in the Covenant of Grace by Jesus Christ with the whole dispensation of the Spirit given to abide with Believers for all the ends and purposes as to their Obedience as I shall content my selfe to deny it expecting M. Goodwin's proofes of it When rivers runne backward heavy things ascend c. Fourthly for the flourish added to these Assertions by comparing the acts of the Saints Obedience upon a supposition of the Grace of God working them in them with their Naturall actions of eating drinking sleeping as to their tendency to exalt the Glory of God in rewarding it proceedes either from grosse ignorance of the Doctrine opposed or willfull prevaricating from that Light of it which he hath who ever taught that God's operations in and towards Believers as to their Perseverance in Faith and Obedience did consist in an outward constraint of an unwilling principle God gives a principle of Obedience to them he writes and implants his Law in their hearts and moves them effectually to act suitably to that inward principle they have so received which though Spirituall Supernaturall in respect of its rise manner of bestowing yet is connaturall to theÌ„ in respect of its being a Principle of Operation we are not then in the least beholding to our Author for his following concession That as a Prince may give great things to them that eat and drinke and breath but not as rewards so God may give Eternall Life to them that are so necessitated by him to Persevere though not as a reward For although we will not contend with God about Eternall Life that he give it us under the notion of a Reward and desire to be much affected with the Consideration of it as a free guift of Grace an eminent purchase of the Bloud of God and looke upon it meerely as a Reward of bounty so called as being the end whereunto our Obedience is suited and the rest of our Labours yet we say in an Evangelicall sence and acceptation it is properly so proposed to that Obedience and Perseverance therein which is wrought in us by the efficacy of the Grace of God as it lyes in a tendency unto that end which to be attained by those meanes he hath infallibly determined He proceeds therefore to inforce his Argument with a new Consideration §. 10. If we speake of Rewards Promised in order to the mooving or inclining of the wills of men towards such or such actions and wayes of which kind also the Rewards mentioned in the Scriptures as yet remaining to be conferred by God upon men are the case is yet more cleare viz. That they are appropriate unto such actions aud wayes unto the Election and choice whereof men are not necessitated in one kinde or other especially â—ot by any Physicall or forreigne power For to what purpose should a Reward be Promised unto me to Perswade or make me willing to ingage in such or such a course or to performe such such a service in case I be nessitated to the same ingagement or performance otherwayes Or what place is there left for a Morall inducement where a Physicall necessity hath done the executionâ— or if the Morall inducement hath done the execution sufficiently raised ingaged the will to the action with what congruity of Reason yea or common sence can a Physicall necessity be superinduced Ans. What there is more in this than what went before unlesse Sophystry and Falsity I see not For first though I conceive that Eternall Life is proposed in the Scripture as our Reward rather upon the account of supporting chearing our Spirits in the deficiency's Temptations and intanglements attending our Obedience than directly to ingage into Obedience though consequently it doth that also whereunto we have so many other unconquerable ingagements and inducements yet the consideration there of in that sence also as it moves the wills of men to Actions suitable to the attainement of it is very well consistent with the Doctrine in hand That old Calumny an hundred times repeated and insisted on in this contest of our wills being necessitated and deprived of their choise and Election unlesse it could be tolerably
of perfection and when he doth evill there is still a non-submitting an unconsenting principle this the Apostle complains of and declares Rom. 7. 19. 20. The good that I would I doe not but the evill which I would not that doe I now if I doe that I would not it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelles in mee I find then a Law that when I would doe good evill is present with mee For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man There is an I and an I at opposition a will and not willing a doing and not doing a delighting and not delighting all in the same person so that there is this difference at the entrance between what sinne soever of Regenerate persons and others though the principle of sinning be the same for the kind and nature of it in them and others all sinne every mans sinnes be who he will be believer or unbeliever being tempted by his own Lust yet that Lust possesseth the whole soule and takes in the vertuall consent of the whole man notwithstanding the controwle and checks of conscience the light of the judgement in him that is unregenerate but in every Regenerate person there is an unconsenting principle which is as truly the man himselfe that doth not concurre in sinne that doth expressely dissent from it as the other is from whence it flowes Secondly §. 12. That sinne neither can doth nor ever shall reigne in Regenerate Persons The reason of this I acquainted you with before and the Apostle thinks this a sufficient proofe of this assertion because they are under grace Rom. 7. 14. Whilest the principle of Grace abides in them which reignes where ever it be or the free acceptance of God in the Gospell is towards them it is impossible upon the account of any actuall sinne whatever whereinto they may fall that sinne should reigne in them nothing gives Sinne a Reigne and dominion but a totall defect of all true grace whatever not only as to the exerting it selfe but as to any habituall relicts of it It may be overwhelmed sometimes with Temptations and corruptions but it is Grace still as the least sparke of fire is fire though it should be covered with never so great an heape of ashes and it reignes then Thirdly That Regenerate persons sinne not with their whole and full consent §. 13. Consent may be taken two wayes First Morally for approbation of the thing done so the Apostle saies that in the inward man he did consent to the Law that it was good Rom. 7. 16. that is he did approve it as such like it delight in it as good and thus a Regenerate man never consents to sinne no nor unregenerate persons neither unlesse they are such as being past feeling are given up to work lasciviousnesse with greedinesse a Regenerate person is so farre from thus consenting to sinne that before it in it after it he utterly condemnes disallowes hates it as in himselfe and by himselfe committed Secondly Consent may be taken in a Physicall sence for the concurrence of the commanding and acting principles of the soule unto its operations and in this sence an unregenerate man sinnes with his full consent and his whole will a Regenerate man doth not cannot doe so For though there is not in that consent to sinne which his will inclined by the remaining disposition of sinne in it doth give an actuall sensible Reaction of the other principle yet there is an expresse not consenting and by the power that it hath in the soule for habits have power in and over the Subjects wherein the are it preserves it from being wholly ingaged into sinne and this is the great intendment of the Apostle Rom. 7. 19 20. 21. 22. From what hath been spoken will easily appeare what Answer may be given to the former Argument to wit That notwithstanding any sinnes that either the Scripture or the experience of men do evince that the Saints may fall into yet that they never sinne or perpetrate sinne with their full and whole consent whereby they should be lookt upon in and under their sinnes in the same state and condition with unregenerate persons in whom sinne reigneth committing the same sinne and how insufficient any thing produced by Mr Goodwin in defence of the argument layd downe at the entrance of this Chapter is to remove the Answer given unto it from Believers not sining with their whole consent may easily be demonstrated This he thus proposeth Some to mainetaine this position That all the sinnes of true Believers are sinnes of infirmity lay hold on this shield such men they say never sinne with their whole wills or with full consent therefore they never sinne but through infirmity that they never sinne with full consent they conceive they prove sufficiently from that of the Apostle for the good that I would I do not but the evil that I would not that I do Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me I Answer first that the Saints cannot sinne but with their whole wills or full consents is undeniably proved by this consideration viz. Because otherwise there should be not only a plurality or diversity but also a contrariety of wills in the same persō at one the same instant of time viz. when the supposed act of evill is produced now it is an impossibility of the first evidence that there should be a plurality of acts these contrary one to the other in the same subject or agent at one or the same iustant of time it is true between the first movings of the flesh in a man towards the committing of the sinne and the compleating of the sinne by an Actuall and Externall patration of it there may be successively in him not only a plurality but even a contrariety of Volitions or Motions of the will according to what the Scripture speaketh concerning the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh But when the flesh having prevailed in the combate bringeth forth her desire into act the Spirit ceaseth from his act of Lusting otherwise it would follow that the flesh is greater aud stronger in her lusting than the Spirit of God in his and that when the flesh lusteth after the perpetration of such or such a sinne the Spirit as to the hindering of it lusteth but in vaine which is contrary to that of the Apostle greater is he that is in you speaking as t is cleare of the Spirit of God unto true Believers than he that is in the world meaning Sathan and all his Auxiliaries Sinne Flesh Corruption Ans. What we intend by the Saints not sinning with their whole wills hath been declared §. 16. that there is not a consistency in the explanation we have given Mr Goodwin asserts because it would inferre a plurality yea a contrariety of wills in the same person at the same time
principles the Flesh and Spirit are as those contrary qualityes of the same subject and the inclinations yea and the elicite acts of the will are of the same nature with them so that in the same act they may both be working though not with equall efficacy Notwithstanding any thing then said to the contrary it appeares that in the sinnes which the Saints fall into they do not sinne with their whole wills and full consent which of it selfe is a sufficient Answer to the foregoing Argument Sect. 25. containes a discourse §. 17. too long to be imposed upon the Reader by a transcription There are three parts of it the first rendring a Reason whence it is that if the Spirit be stronger than the flesh yet the flesh doth often prevaile in its lustings The second The way of the Spirits returne to act in us after its motions have been rejected The third endeavours a proofe of the Proposition denied That the Saints sinne with their full and whole consent by the example of David For the first he tells you That the spirit acts not to the utmost efficacy of its vigour and strength but only when his preventing motions are entertained and Seconded with a suitable concurrence in the hearts and wills of men through a deficiency and neglect whereof he is said to be grieved and quenched i. e. to cease from other actings or movings in men This Truth is the ground of such and such sayings in the sayings of Paul for if you live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit doe mortify the deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sonnes of God c. Ans. The Spirit here intended by M. Goodwin is the Holy and Blessed spirit of Grace What his actings to the just efficacy of his vigour and strength are M. Goodwin doth not explaine nor indeed notwithstanding the seeming significacy of that expression is able It must be to act either as much as he can or as much as he will That the Holy Spirit in opposing sinne acts to the utmost extent of his Omnipotency in any I suppose will not be affirmed If it be as much as he will then the sence is he will not in such cases act as much as he will what that signifies we want some other expressive phrase to declare To let this passe let us see in the next place what his actings to this just efficacy are suspended upon it is them in cafe his first preventing motions be received and seconded But then secondly What are these first preventing motions of the spirit §. 18. And what is it to entertaine them with a suitable concurrence of the Will For the First M. Goodwin tells us in this Section they are motions of a coole and soft inspiration such clowdy expressions in a thing of this moment are we forced to embrace preventing motions of the spirit are either Internall Physicall Acts in with and upon the Wills of men working in them to will and to doe called preventing from the actings of the wills themselves or they are Morall insinuations and perswasions to good according to the Analogy of the Doctrine M. Goodwin hath espoused it is the latter only that are here intended The preventing motions of the spirit are his Morall perswasions of the Will to the good proposed to its consideration See then in the next place what it is to second entertane these motions with a sutable concurrence in the heart and Will Now this must be either to yeeld Obedience to these motions and to doe the good perswaded unto or something else if any thing else we desire to know of M. Goodwin what it is and wherein it consists if it be to doe the good perswaded too then what becomes I pray you of those subsequent Helps which are suspended upon this obedience when the thing it selfe is already performed which their help and assistance is required unto They may well be called subsequent motions which are never used nor applyed but when the things whereunto they move and provoke are before hand accomplished and performed yea they are suspended on that condition Farther wherein do these subsequent helps as it is expressed which move at a more high and glorious rate consist We have had it sufficiently argued already to a thorough conviction of what is Mr Goodwins judgment in this matter viz. That he acknowledgeth no operations in or upon the wills of men but what are Morall by the way of perswasion contending to the utmost efficacy of his vigour and strength in disputing that there is an inconsistency between Physicall internall operations in or upon the Will of men and Morall exhortations or perswasions as to the production of the same effect This then is the frame of this fine Discourse If upon the Spirits first perswasion to good men yeild Obedience and do it accordingly the Spirit will then with more power and vigour move them when they have done it and perswade them to doe it That this discourse of his doth readily administer occasion and advantage to retort upon him his third Argument formerly considered of imposing incoherent and inconsistent reasonings and actings upon God in his dealings with men the intelligent Reader will quickly find out and it were an easy thing to erect a Theater and upon Mr Goodwins principles to personate the Almighty with an incongruous and incoherent discourse but we feare God Thirdly That the Spirit is grieved with the sinnes of Believers and their walking unworthily of or not answerable to the grace they have received is cleare Ephesians 4. 31. The Apostle admonisheth Believers to abstaine from the sinnes he there enumerates and consequently others of the like import having put on and learned Christ unto sanctification that they doe not grieve the Spirit from whom they have received that great mercy and priviledge of being sealed to the day of Redemption But that therefore the subsequent and more effectuall motions of the spirit are not free as the first but supended on our performance of that which he first moves unto and so consequently that there is neither first our second motion of the Spirit but may be rendred uselesse and fruitlesse or be for ever prevented is an Argument not unlike that of the Papists Peter feed my sheep therefore the Pope is head of the Church The ensuing discourse also is not to be passed without a little Animadversion §. 20. thus then he proceeds Believers saith he doe then mortify the deeds of the body by the spirit when they joyne their Wills unto his in his preventing motions of grace and so draw and obtaine farther strength and assistance from him in order to the great and difficult work of mortification in respect of which concurrence also with the spirit in his first and more gentle applications of himselfe to them they are said to be led by the Spirit as in
their comportments with him in his higher and farther application they become filled with the spirit according to the expression of the Apostle Be ye filled with the spirit i.e. follow the spirit close in his present motions and suggestions within you and you shall be filled with him i.e. ye shall find him moving and assisting you upon all occasions at a higher and more glorious rate Ans. First what this joyning of our Wills of the spirit is was in part manifested before The Will of the spirit is that we be mortified His motions hereunto are his perswasions that we be so To joyne our Wills to his is in our Will to answer the Will of the spirit that is upon the spirits motions we mortify our selves By this also he tells us we draw or obtaine farther strength or assistance from the spirit for that worke which we have done already but how so why he tells you afterward that this is the Law of the Spirit It seems then that by doing one thing we obtaine or procure the assistance of the spirit for another and that by a Law I aske by what Law by the Law of workes by that Law the Apostle tells you that we doe not at all receive the spirit therefore by a parity of Reason we obtaine not any farther supplies from him by that Law By the Law of Faith or Grace that Law knows nothing of such termes as that we should by any acting of ours procure the Holy Spirit of God which he freely bestowes according to the maine tenour of that Law Farther How is this second grace obtained and what is the Law of the Spirit therein is it obtained ex congruo or ex condigno produce the Rule of Gods proceeding with his Saints or any of the sonnes of men in the matter of any gratious behovement of his and you will out-doe what ever your Predecessors whether Pelagians Papists Arminians or Socinians could yet attaine unto Our Lord hath told us that without him we can doe nothing yea all our sufficiency is of God and without him we cannot think a good thought that he workes in us to will and to doe not only beginning but perfecting every good worke fulfilling in us all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the work of Faith with power ascribing the whole of the great work of Salvation to Himselfe and his Holy Spirit working freely and gratiously as he wills and pleaseth Of this order of his dealing with men that his first or preventing Grace should be free but his subsequent Grace procured by us and bestowed on us according to our working and cooperation with his first grace invented by Pelagius Iulianus and Celastinus and here introduced a new by M. Goodwin he informes us nothing at all In briefe this whole discourse is the meere Pelagian figment wrapt up in generall clowdy expressions with allusions to some Scripture Phrases which prophane as well as erring spirits are prone to concerning the bestowing of the Grace of God according to the differing deportments and deservings of men differencing themselves from others and in comparison of them holding out what they have not received But Secondly §. 21. to Answer the first and gentle motions of the spirit is to be led by him and then we shall be filled by the spirit But how doth M. Goodwin prove that to be led by the spirit is to answer his first gentle motions and thereby to obtaine his farther and more glorious actings and perswasions Is it safe thus to make bold with the word of God or is not this to wrest it as ignorant and unstable men doe unto perdition Saints being led by the spirit of God and walking after the spirit are in Rom 8. expressions of that Effectuall sanctification exerting it selfe in their conversation and walking with God which the spirit of God worketh in them and which is their duty to come up unto in opposition to living or walking after the flesh If this now be attained and the Saints come up unto it antecedently to the subsequent Grace of the Spirit what is that subsequent grace which is so gloriously expressed and wherein doth it consist Neither doth that expression of led by the Spirit hold out the concurrence or comportment of their Wills as it is phrased with the gentle motion of the spirit but the powerfull and effectuall Operation of the spirit as to their Holinesse and walking with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not they comport or concurre with the Spirit in his motions but by the spirit they are acted and carried out to the things of God Neither hath this any relation to or coherence with that of the Ephesians 5. 18. % Be filled with the spirit neither is there any such intendment in the expression as is here intimated of a promise of receiving more of the spirit on condition of that compliance concurrence and comportance with his motions as is intimated That the spirit is sometimes taken for his Graces sometimes for his Gifts habitually sometimes for his actuall operations is known The Apostle in that place disswading the Ephesians from turning aside to such carnall sinfull Refreshments as men of the world went out unto bids them not be drunke with Wine wherein is excesse but to be filled with the Spirit to take their refreshment in the joyes of the spirit speaking to themselves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs v. 20. Could I once imagine that M. Goodwin had the least thought that indeed there was any thing in the Scripture looking towards his intendment in the producing of it I should farther manifest the mistake thereof To play thus with the word of God is a liberty we dare not make use of yet Thirdly he concludes That the reason why Believers are overcome by the Lustings of the flesh is not because the Spirit is not stronger than the flesh but because men have more will to harken to the Lusts of the Flesh than to the Spirit Fortunam Priami cantabo nobile bellum This is the issue of all the former swelling Discourse mens sinnes are from their owne willes and not because the Spirit is not stronger than the flesh And who ever doubted it the Conclusion you were to prove is That Believers sinne with their whole will and full consent of their wills and that the new principle that is in them doth not cause their wills to decline from acting in sinne to the just efficacy of all their strength and vigour But of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the insinuation in that expression of the Will hearkening to the lusts of the flesh and not the lusting of the Spirit in a sovereigne indifferency to both and a liberty for the performance of either in a way exclusive of good or vicious habituall Principles of operation in the will it selfe I shall not now divert to the consideration of What else remaines in this Section §. 22. either doth not concerne the businesse
in hand as the fine notions of the Spirits returne to move Believers when his motions have been rejected with the manner whereof according to his conception must be afterwards considered apart as the fall of David into Adultery and Murther if there be need to go forth to the consideration of his examples and instances and therefore I shall not longer insist upon it only the close of it consisting of an inference made from some words of Peter Martyr deserves consideration Vpon Davids sinne saith he Peter Martyr makes this observation That the Saints themselves being once fallen into sinne would alwayes remaine in the pollution of it did not God by his mighty Word bring them out of it which saying of Martyr clearely also implyes that the Saints many times sinne with their whole wills and full consents because were any part of their wills bent against the commiting of the sinne at the time when it is committed they would questionlesse returne to themselves and repent immediately after the beat and violence of the Lust being over by reason of the satisfaction that hath been given thereunto Ans. The close insinuation in Peter Martyr's words of the Saints sinning with their whole wills and the Logicke of Mr Goodwin's inference from them I believe is very much hidden from the Reader To the Theology of it I say that the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do immediately returne to God by Repentance as Peter did upon their surprisalls into sinne nor have they any rest in a condition of the Eclipse of the countenance of God from them as upon sinne it is alwayes more or lesse of Davids particular case mention may afterwards be made But the proofe that they sinne with their whole wills and full consent because they would continue in sinne did not the Lord relieve and deliver them by his word and Grace is admirable I would adventure to cast this Argument into as many shapes as it is tolerably capable of had I the least hope to cause it to appeare any way Argumentatives we deny then that Believers have any such power habitually residing in them as whereby without any new supplyes of the Spirit or concurrence of actuall Grace they can effectually and eventually recover themselves from any sinne whatever Which supplyes of the Spirit and Grace we say and have proved are freely promised to them in the covenant of Graces But what will here follow to the supportment of Mr Goodwin's Hypothesis that therefore in all their sinnes or in any of their sinnes they sinne with the full and whole consent of their wills I suppose he alone knowes Sect. §. 23 26. He endeavoures to take off that of the Apostle Rom. 7. 19 20. from appearing against him in this cause of the Saints finning with their whole wills and consents not not-willing the things they do to this end he tells us That when the Apostle saith the evill which I would not that I do his meaning is not that he did that which at the same time that he did it he was not willing either in whole or in part to do but that he sometimes did that upon a surprisall by temptation or through incogitancy which he was not habitually willing or disposed in the inward man to do But this no wayes implyes but that at the time when he did the evill he speakes of he did it with the full and entire consent of his will Ans. 1. It is probable the Apostle knew his owne meaning and also how to expresse it having so good a teacher to that end and purpose as he had now he assures us in the person of a Regenerate man that as what He would He did not so what He did He would not He hated it v. 15 16. And againe he did that which he would not and therein consented to the Law by his not willing of that he did that it was good which whether it expresse not a Renitency of the will to that which was done in part and so farre as to make the Action it selfe remisse and not to enwrappe the whole consent of the will he farther declares v. 17. telling us that there is a perfect unconsenting I or internall principle in the very doing of evill Is is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me 2. The Apostle doth not say what he was not habitually willing to but what he was habitually unwilling to that is what the bent of his will lay habitually against having actuall inclinations and elicite acts alwayes to the contrary though sometimes overcome Neither in his discoursing of it doth he mention at all the surprisall of sin upon incogitancy inadvertency but the constant frame temper of a regenerate man upon the powerfull acting striving of the principle of lust and sin dwelling in him and remaining with him which saith the Apostle doth often carry them out to do those things which are contrary to the principle of the inward man which habitually condemnes and actually wills not or rather nills the things that are so done even in their doing And this doth manifest sufficiently that when he did the evil he speakes of he did it not with the full and entire consent of his will as men do in whom there is no such principle opposite to sinne and sinning as is in him that is Regenerate there being very much taken off by the habituall principle of Grace that is in them and its constant inclinations to the contrary But he farther argues §. 24. If we shall affirme that the contrary bent or motions of his will at other times is a sufficient proofe that when he did the evill we speake of he did it not with his whole will or fulnesse of consent in such a sence is a distinguishing Character betwixt men Regenerate and unregenerate we shall bring Herod and Pilate and probably Judas himselfe into the list of men Regenerate with a thousand more whom the Scripture knowes not under any such name or relation viz. all those whose Judgments and consciences stand against the evill of the wayes and practises wherein they walke And this he proves at large to the end of the Section in the instance of Herod and Pilate proceeding against their owne Judgements and Consciences in the killing of John and of our Saviour Ans. First we do not only assert a contrary bent and inclination in the Wills of Believers at other times but also that in and under the prevalency of indwelling sinne there is in them an I that doth it not and a not-willing it from a Principle though by reason of the present prevalency of the other its actings and stirrings are not so sensibly perceived So that though they prevaile not to the totall prevention of the will from exerting the Act of sinne yet they prevaile to the impairing weakening and making remisse its consent thereunto Secondly The residue of this Paragraph is intolerably Sophisticall confounding the Renitencie of the inward
man the principle of grace that is in the wills of Believers with the Convictions of the judgements and consciences of unregenerate persons and their striving against sinne on that account The judgements and consciences of wicked men tell them what they ought to do and what they ought not to doe without respect to the principle in their wills that is predominant But the Apostle mentions the actings of the will it selfe from its owne regenerate principle We wholly deny that any unregenerate man hath any vitall principle in his will not consenting to sinne what ever the dictates of his judgement and conscience may be or how effectuall soever to prevaile unto an abstinence from sinne To discover the differences that are between the contest that is between the wills in unregenerate men wholly set upon sinne on the one hand and their judgements and Consciences enlightned to an apprehension and approving of better things on the other and the contest that is between the Flesh and Spirit lusting to contrary things in the same will as it is in regenerate men is a common place that I shall not goe forth unto We grant then that in unregenerate men there may be there is and was in some degree perhaps in Herod in Pilate a conviction of conscience and judgement that the things they doe are evill but say withall that all this being forraigne to their wills it hinders not but that they sinne with the full uncontrouled consent of their wills which are at perfect Liberty or rather in perfect bondage unto sinne That the Spirit should lust against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit both in the same will as it appears they doe Gal. 5. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. for the fruits that they both bring forth are acts of the will in any unregenerate man we deny and this is that and not the former which abates and takes off from the wills consent to sinne He concludes the whole § 25. And to the passage of the Apostle mentioned Rom. 7. I answer farther that when he saith the evill which I would not that doe I he doth not speake of what he alwaies and in all cases did much lesse of what was possible for him to doe but of what he did ordinarily and frequently or of what was very incident unto him through the infirmity of the flesh viz. through inconsideratenesse and anticipation by temptations to doe such things which when he was in a watchfull and considerate posture and from under the malignant influence of a temptation he was altogether averse unto now what a man doth ordinarily is one thing and what he doth sometimes and in some particular cases especially what it is possible for him to doe is another that true believers whilest such ordinarily sinne not upon worse termes then those mentioned by the Apostle concerning his sinning I easily grant but it no waies followeth from hence that therefore they never sinne upon other termes much lesse that it is impossible that they should sinne upon others and thus we see all things throughly and impartially argued and debated to and fro that even true Believers themselves as well as others may do those works of the flesh which exclude from the Kingdome of God and that inrespect thereof they are subject to this exclusion as well as other men The summe of this part of the Reply is that what Paul speaks is true of the ordinary course of Believers but not of extraordinary surprisals this seems I say to be the tendency of it though the direct sence of the whole is not so obvious to mee by that expression the evill that I would not that I doe you intend either the expression of he would not or that he did if the latter then you say he did not sinne ordinarily and frequently but only upon surprisalls which is freely granted but is not at all to your purpose but rather much against it If you attend that part of it which holds out his Renitency against the evill he did in the expression of I would not then you say it was not ordinary with the Apostle to nill the evill that he did but in case of surprisall to sinne which I believe is not intended for is it credible that any one should think that in the ordinary course of a mans walking there should be no opposition made to sinne the falling whereinto men are liable but upon surprizalls and anticipations by temptation as it is phrased there should Nor is it on the other side that he intends the things that he did ordinarily but was surprized by temptation then it might be otherwise But first is a Saint to be supposed to sinne ordinarily to sinne not prevailed on by temptation is not all sinne from temptation doe they sinne actually but upon the surprisall of temptation to impose this upon the Apostle that he should say truly for the most part or in my ordinary walking I doe not sinne but withall I will it not but when I am surprized with temptations then it is otherwise with mee there is no Renitency in my will to sinne is doubtlesse to wrong him He doth not limit his not willing of the evill he did to any consideration whatever but speakes it generally as the constant state and condition of things with him Secondly in the beginning of this Section the nilling of sinne was antecedent to the sinne here it is something that may be allowed in ordinary cases but not at all in extraordinary so that these two expositions put together amount to thus muh Ordinarily the Apostle antecedent to any sinning before the lusting of the spirit ceased did not will the thing that he did which was evill but in case of temptation it was not so that is antecedently to his acting of that which was evill he had no opposition in the inward man unto it nor lusting of the spirit against it which how it can be made good against him whose heart is upright and who hates every evill way I know not Thirdly it is confessed that ordinarily Believers sinne at no worse a rate than that expressed by the Apostle But what doth that containe If would not be referred to their doing of sinnes then you grant that which all this while you have endeavoured to oppose and are reconciled to your owne contradiction in the first evidence sinne cannot ordinarily or extraordinarily be committed but by an act of the will and yet ordinarily there is a dissent of the will also thereunto If you adhere to your other former interpretation that the willing against sin committed is antecedent to the commitment of it layd a sleepe before the perpetration of any sinne then this also is imposed on you that there are sinnes whereunto they may be surprised by temptations that antecedently to the commitment of them they do not not-will that as to them the Spirit lusteth not against the flesh which is notoriosly false for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit
having proceeded thus with M. Goodwin that a foundation may be the better laid for the removall of what he farther adds proceed to consider the progresse of sinne and to remarke from thence the difference that is betweene Regenerate and Vnregenerate men in their sinning The second thing proposed in the Apostles discourse of the Rise and progresse of sinne is the generall way that Lust proceedeth in for the bringing of it forth and that is Temptation every one is tempted of his own Lust This is the generall way that Lust proceeds in for the production of actuall sinne It tempts and he in whom it is is tempted There is a Temptation unto sin only and a Temptation unto sin by sin The first is no sinne in him that is so tempted our Saviour was so tempted he was tempted of the Divell Math. 4. 1. % He was in all points tempted like as we are without sin That his temptations were unto sin is apparent from the story of them but the Prince of this world coming had nothing in him John 14. 30. Found nothing in him to Answer and close with his Temptations and therefore though he was tempted yet was he without sin Now though this sort of temptations from Sathan are not Originally our sinnes but his yet there being tinder in our soules that kindles more or lesse in and upon every injection of his fiery darts there being something in us to meet many if not all of his Temptations they prove in some measure in the issue to be ours Indeed Sathan sometimes ventures upon us in things wherein he hath doubtlesse small hope of any concurrence and so seemes rather to aime at our disquiet than our sinnes as in those whom he perplexes with hard and blasphemous thoughts of God a thing so contradictory to the very principles not of Grace only but of that whereby we are men that it is utterly impossible there should be any assent of the soule thereunto to think of God as God is to think of him every thing that is Good Pure Great Excellent incomprehensible in all perfection Now at the same time to have any Apprehensions of a direct contradictory importance the mind of man is not capable Were it not for the unbeliefe causelesse feares and discontentments that in many do insue upon Temptations of this nature which are consequents and not effects of it Sathan might keepe this dart in his owne forge for any mischeife he is like to doe with it The Apostle speakes here of Temptations by sinne as well as unto sinne and these are mens sinnes as well as their Temptations they are Temptations as tending to farther evill they are sinnes as being irregular and devious from the rule Now this tempting of Lust compriseth two things First §. 33. The generall active inclination of the Heart unto sinne though not fixed as unto any particular act or way of sinne the motus primò primi of this you have that Testimony of God concerning man in the state of nature Gen. 6. 5. % Every figment of the thought of his heart is only evill every day the figment or imagination of the thoughts is the very roote of them their generall moulding or active preparing of the mind for the exerting of them so 1 Chrou 28. 9. % God understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts The figment of them The next disposition of the soule unto them and 2 Cron. 29. 19. Keepe this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of their hearts or keep their hearts in a continuall framing posture and condition of such good thoughts This I say is she first way of Lusts Temptation it makes a mint of the heart to frame readily all manner of evill desires and thoughts that they may as our Saviour speakes proceed out of the heart Mat. 15. 19. Their actuall fixing on any object is their proceeding antecedent whereunto they are framed and formed in the heart Lust actually disposeth inclines bends the heart to things suitable to it selfe or the corrupt habituall principle which hath its residence in us Secondly The actuall tumultuating of Lust and working with all its power and policy in stirring up provoking to and drawing out thoughts and contrivances of sin with delight and complacency in inconeiveable variety the severall degrees of its progresse herein being afterwards described In the first of these there is no small difference between Regenerate Vnregenerate persons §. 34. and that in these two things First In its universality In Unregenerate men every figment of their heart is only evill and that every day there is an universality of actings exprest positively exclusively to any actings of another kind every figment of their heart is only evill and of time every day whatever good they seeme to do or do whatever dutyes they performe that in them all which is the proper figment of their heart is only evill On this account take any duty they do any worke they performe and weigh it in the ballance and t' will be found in respect of principles and circumstances or aimes to be wholly evill That indeed there is nothing in it that is acceptable to God their hearts are casting minting and coyning sinne all the day long With Believers 't is not so there is also a good treasure in their hearts from whence they bring out good things there is a good Root in them that beares good fruit though they are or may be overtaken with many sins yea with great sins yet lust doth not tempt thē as it doth unregenerate men with a perpetuall continuall active inclination unto evill even some way or other in all the good they do The Spirit is in them will and doth in what state so ever they are dispose their hearts to Faith Love Meekenesse and actuates those Graces at least in the elicite acts of the will for a good tree will bring forth good fruit never any Believer is or was so deserted of God or did so forsake God as that every figment of his heart should be evill only and that continually That no one act of sinne can possibly expell his habit of Grace hath been formerly shewed neither is he ever cast into such a condition but from the good principle that is in him There is a panting after God longing for his Salvation with more or lesse efficacy the sparke is warme and glowing though under ashes Secondly In respect of power Lust tempts in unregenerate men out an absolute uncontrouleable dominion and that with a morally irresistible efficacy All its dominion as hath been shewed and very much of its strength is lost in Believers this is the intendment of the Apostles discourse Rom. 6. concerning the crucifying of sinne by the death of Christ. The power strength vigour and efficacy of it is so far abated weakned mortified that it cannot so effectually impell unto sin as it doth when 't is in perfect life and strength But you 'l say then
§ 35. If Lust be thus weakned in Believers more than in others how comes it to passe that they do at any time fall into such great and hainous sinnes as sometimes they doe and have done Will not this argue them to be even worse than unregenerate persons seeing they fall into sinne upon easier termes and with lesse violence of impulse from Indwelling sinne than they Ans. First The examples of Believers falling into great sinnes are rare and such as by no meanes are to be accommodated to their state in their ordinary walking with God 't is true there are examples of such falls recorded in the Scripture that they might lye as bwoys to all generations to caution men of their danger when the waves of Temptation arise to shew what is in man in the best of men to keepe all the Saints of God humble selfe-empty and in a continuall dependance on him in whom are all their springs from whom are all their supplies but as they are mostly all Old-Testament examples before grace for grace was given out by Jesus Christ so they are by no meanes farther to be urged nor are but only to shew that it is possible that God can keep alive the root when the tree is cut downe to the ground and cause it to budde againe by the sent of the water of his Spirit flowing towards it Secondly That Believers fall not into great sinnes at any time by the meere strength of Indwelling sinne unlesse it be in conjunction with some violent outward Temptation exceedingly surprizing them either by weakning all wayes and meanes whereby the principle of Grace should exert it selfe as in the case of Peter or by sudden heightning of their corruption by some over-powring objects attended with all circumstances of Prevalency not without Gods with-holding his speciall grace in an eminent manner for ends best known to himselfe as in the case of David Hence t is that even in such sins we say they sinne out of infirmity that is not out of propense deliberation as to sinne not out of malice not out of Love to or delight in sinne but meerely through want of strength when overborne by the power of Temptations This Mr Goodwin frames as an Objection to himselfe §. 36. in the pursuit of the vindication of the Argument under consideration Sect. 23. Others plead that there 's no reason to conceive that true Believers though they perpetrate the workes of the flesh should be excluded from the Kingdome of heaven upon this account because when they sinne in this kind they sinne out of Infirmity and not out of malice Ans. I was not to choose what Objections M. Goodwin should answer nor had the framing of them which he chose to deale withall and therefore must be contented with them as he is pleased to afford them to us Only if I may be allowed to speake in this case and I know I have the consent of many concern'd in it I should somewhat otherwise frame this Objection or Answer being partly perswaded that M. Goodwin did not find it but framed it himselfe into the shape wherein it here appears I say then that the Saints of God sin out of Infirmity only not malitiously nor dedita opera in coole bloud nor with their whole hearts but purely upon the account of the weakenesse of their graces being overpowred by the strength of Temptation and therefore cannot so perpetrate the workes of the flesh and in such a way as must according to the tenour of the Covenant wherein they walke with God not only deserve rejection and damnation but also be Absolutely and Indispensably exclusive of them from the Kingdome of God What Mr Goodwin hath drawne forth to take off in any measure the Truth of this Assertion shall be considered He sayes then To say that true Believers or any other men do perpetrate the workes of the flesh out of infirmity involves a contradiction For to do the workes of the flesh implyes the dominion of the Flesh in the doers of them which in sinnes of infirmity hath no place the Apostle clearely insinuates the nature of sins of infirmity in that to the Galatians Beloved if any man be overtaken with a fault 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be prevented or taken at unawares when a mans foot is taken in the snare of a temptation only through a defect of that spirituall watchfulnes over himselfe his wayes which he ought to keepe constantly and so sinneth contrary to the habituall standing frame of his heart this man sinneth out of iufirmity but he that thus sinneth cannot in Scripture phrase be said either to walke or to live according to the Flesh or to do the workes of the Flesh or to do the Lusts or desires of the Flesh because none of these are any where ascribed unto or charged upon true Believers but only upon such persons who are enemies unto God and Children of death Ans. This being the substance of all that is spoken to the businesse in hand I have transcribed it at large that with its Answer it may at once lye under the Readers view I say then First we give this reason that Believers cannot perpetrate the workes of the flesh in the sence contended about because they sinne out of insirmity and do not say that they so perpetrate the workes of the flesh out of infirmity But if by perpetrating the workes of the flesh you intend only the bringing forth at any time or under any Temptation whatsoever any fruits of the flesh such as every sinne is that this may not be done out of infirmity or that it involves a contradiction to say so is indeed not to know what you say to contradict your selfe and to deny that there be any sinnes of infirmity at all which that there are you granted in the words foregoing and describe the nature of it in the words following They doubtlesse in whom the Flesh alwayes lusteth against the Spirit are sometimes lead a way and inticed by their owne Lusts so as to bring forth the fruits of it Secondly If to do the workes of the flesh imports with you as indeed in it selfe it doth the predominancy and dominion of the flesh in them that doe the workes thereof we wholly deny that Believers can so do the workes of the flesh as upon other Reasons so partly because they sinne out of infirmity which sufficiently argues that the Flesh hath not the dominion in them for then they should not through Infirmity be captivated to it but should willingly yeild up their members as instruments of unrighteousnesse unto sinne Thirdly The description you give of a sinne of infirmity from Gal 6. 1. Is that alone which we acknowledge may befall Believers though it hath sometimes befallen them in greater sinnes It is evident from hence that a sinne becometh asinne of infirmity not from the nature of it but from the manner of mens falling into it The greatest actuall sinne may be a
sinne of infirmity and the least a sinne of Presumption It is possible a Believer may be overtaken or rather surprised with any sinne so he be overtaken or surprised A surprisall into sinne through the power of Temptation subtilty of Sathan strength of indewlling sinne contrary to the habituall standing frame of the heart not alwayes neither through a defect of watchfullnesse is all that we grant a Believer may be lyable to and fo upon Mr Goodwins confession he sins only out of infirmity such sins being not exclusive of the Love and Favour of God And therefore Fourthly we say that true Believers cannot be said to walke according to the flesh to do the workes of the flesh to do the Lusts and desires of the flesh which the Holy Ghost so cautions them against which as Mr Goodwin observes are none of them charged upon true Believers but only such persons as are enemyes of God and Children of wrath so that those expressions hold out to Believers only what they ought to avoid in the use of the meanes which God graciously affords them and do not discover any thing of the will of God that he will suffer them contrary to his many Faithfull Promises to fall into them And so the close of this Discourse is contrary to the beginning M. Goodwin granting that true Believers cannot fall into these sinnes but only such as are enemies to God and yet he hath no way to prove that true Believers may cease to be so but because they may fall into these sinnes which that they may do he here eminently denyes Wherefore he adds If by sinning out of malice they meane sinning with deliberation with plotting §. 37. and contriving the methods and meanes of their sinning sinning against Judgement against the dictates of conscience and what they should meane by sining out of malice but sinning upon such tearmes as these I understand not certaine it is that true Believers may so sinne out of malice or at least such as were true Believers before such sining and this our Adversaries them selves confesse Ans. All this falles heavy on the shoulders as it is supposed of poore David and yet we think it evident that God tooke not his holy Spirit from him but that his Covenant continued with him ordered in all things and sure and that sinne had not dominion over him The reasons of this perswasion of ours concerning him shall farther be insisted on when we come to the consideration of his case in particular in the meane time I confesse the dreadfnll falls of some of the Saints of God are rather to be bewailed than aggravated and the riches of Gods Grace in their recovery to be admired than searcht into yet we say First That no one Believer whatever in the world upon any temptation whatever did fall into any sinne of malice that is accompayned with any hatred of God or despite of his Grace or whole delight of his will in the sin whereunto he was by temptation for a season captivated though they may fall into sin against their judgements dictates of their consciences as every sin whatever that they have or may possibly have knowledge of or acquaintance with in their owne hearts and wayes is Yet this doth not make them to sinne out of malice for that would leave no distinction between sinnes of infirmity whereinto men are surprised by Temptation and of Malice Even sinnes of infirmity being in generall and particular directly contrary to the dictates of their inlightned sanctifyed judgements consciences Secondly for sinning with deliberation plotting and contriving the methods and meanes of sinning the proofe whereof that so they may do will ly as was before obseved on the instance of David I say it being the will of God for ends and purposes knowne to his infinite Wisdome to give us as to his fall his darke side and his sinne to the full with the Temptations wherewith he was at first surprised and afterward violently hurryed upon carnall reasonings and considerations of the state whereinto he had cast himselfe having lost his old friend and counsellour as to any shines of his countenance for a season not acquainting us at all with the frame and working and striving of his Spirit in and under that fall I shall not dare to draw his case into a Rule that what he then did a Believer now may do judgeing of his frame in doing of it only by what is exprest That Believers may have morosam cogitationem or deliberation upon some sinnes whereunto they are tempted upon the strength of indwelling sinne which may possibly so over come and prevaile against the workings of Grace for a season as to set the flesh at liberty to make contrivances to fulfill the lusts thereof I say many have granted and I shall not for the sake of poore returning soules whose backslidings God hath promised to heale deny but yet I say all their actings in this kinde are but like the desperate actings of a man in a feaver who may have some kind of contrivance with himselfe to do mischiefe as I have known some my selfe and aime at opportunityes for the accomplishment of it all the facultyes of their foules being discomposed and rendered unserviceable to them through their distemper Through the violence of temptation the tumultuating of lusts the whole new man may be for a season so shattered his parts laid out of the way as to such a due Answering to another that the whole may be serviceable to the worke of Faith as a disordered army wherein is all its fundamentall strength as well as when it is rallied in battalia is altogether unserviceable 'till it be reduced to order that sinne taking the opportunity to fill their corrupt part as farre as it is corrupt with its pleasure and desireablenesse and so to set the thoughts of it on worke to continue meanes for its accomplishment Now as through the goodnesse of their Father and supplyes of Grace which through the Covenant thereof they do receive this distemper seiseth not Believers but rarely extraordinarily so it doth no way prove them to sinne with malice or without hatred of and opposition secret opposition which may be as secret as some inclinations to sinne are not known to our selves to the things they do in and under that condition That which followes in this Section being suited to the apprehension of some particular men though of great name and esteeme according to their worth and desert in the Church of God as Vrsin Paraeus and the rest about reigning sinne wherein as I have declared my thoughts fall not in with them I shall not need to insist any longer upon it Paraeus after all his aggravations of the sinnes of Believers yet adds that they sinne not nor did David ex contemptu Dei but through a preoccupation or surprisall of sinne which I believe to be the perswasion of far the greatest number of Saints in the world
condition They are no lesse obnoxious to that death from whence our Regeneration is a delivery by the bestowing of a new Spirituall life than a sinner of an hundred yeares old A returning to this condition it seemes is Regeneration Quantum est in rebus inane Thirdly The qualifications of Infants not Regenerated are meerely negative and that in respect of the acts of sinne not the habituall seed and root of them for in them dwells no good that in respect of these qualifications of Innocency that are in them by nature Antecedent to any Regeneration all which are resolved into a Naturall impotency of perpetrating sinne they are accepted in Grace and favour with God had been another new notion had not Pelagius and Socinus before you fallen upon it without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And his wrath abides on them that Believe not Iohn 3. 36. That Infants have or may have Faith and not be regenerated will scarcely be granted by them who believe the Spirit of Christ to cause Regeneration where he is bestowed Tit. 3. 5. And all Faith to be the Fruit of that Spirit Gal 5. 26 27. Farther for the qualifications of Infants by Nature how are they brought cleane from that which is uncleane Are they not conceived in sinne and brought forth in iniquity Or was that Davids hard case alone If they are borne of the flesh and are flesh if they are uncleane how come they to be in that estate upon the account of their Qualifications accepted in the Love and favour of him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity If this be the Doctrine of Regeneration that M. G. preaches I desire the Lord to blesse them that belong unto him in a deliverance from attending thereunto Of the Effects of the death of Christ in respect of all children I shall not now treat That they should be saved by Christ not washed in his Bloud not sanctifyed by his Spirit which to be is to be Regenerate is another new notion of the new Gospell The Countenance which Mr Goodwin would begge to his Doctrine from that of our Saviour to his Disciples Except ye be turned and become as little Children ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of God reproving their ambition and worldly thoughts from which they were to be weaned that they might befit for that Gospell state imployment whereunto he called them wherein they were to serve him does no more advantage him nor the cause he hath undertaken than that other caution of our Saviour to the same persons to be wise asserpents innocent as Doves would do him that should undertake to prove that Christians ought to become pigeons or snakes Thus much then we have learned of the mind of M. G. by this digression 1. That no children are Regenerate 2. That they are all accepted with God through Christ upon the account of the good Qualifications that are in them 3. That Regeneration is a mans returing to the state wherein he is borne And having taken out this Lesson which we shall never learne by heart whilst we live we may now proceed I shall only adde to the maine of the businesse in hand §. 49. that so long as a man is a child of God he cannot he need not to repeat his Regeneration But that one who hath been the child of God should cease to be the child of God is somewhat strange How can that be done amongst men that he should cease to be such a mans sonne who was his sonne Those things that stand in Relation upon any thing that is past and therefore irrevocable cannot have their beings continued and their Relation dissolved it is impossible but that cause and effect must be related one to another such is the relation between Father and Sonne The foundation of it is an act past and irrevocable and therefore the Relation it selfe is indissoluble Is it not so with God and his Children when they once stand in that Relation it cannot be dissolved But of these things hitherto To proceed with that place of Scripture which I laid as the foundation of this discourse §. 50. The generall way of Lusts dealing with the soule the bringing forth of sinne whereof there are two acts expressed v. 14. the one of drawing away the other inticing is to be insisted on Upon the first the person tempted is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drawn off or drawne away and upon the second he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inticed or intangled The First stirring of sinne is to draw away the soule from what it ought to be fixed upon by its rising up irregularly to some delightfull object For a man to be drawne away by his lust is to have his Lust drawne out to some object suited to it wherein it delighteth Now this drawing away denoteth two things 1. The turning of the soule from the actuall rectitude of its frame towards God Though the soule cannot alwayes be in actuall Exercise of Grace towards God yet it ought alwayes to be in an immediate readinesse to any Spirituall duty upon the account whereof when occasion is administred it doth as naturally goe forth to God as a vessell full of water floweth forth when vent is given unto it Hence we are commanded to pray alwayes Our Saviour giveth a Parable to instruct his Disciples that they ought to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 18. 1. And we are commanded to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without ceasing or intermission 1 â—hess 5. 17. Which the same Apostle in an other place calleth praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every place namely as occasion is administred It is not the perpetuall exercise of this duty as the Iewes some of them have ridiculously interpreted the first Psalme of reading the Law day and night which would shut out and cut off all other dutyes not only of mens Callings and Employments as to this Life but all other dutyes of the wayes worship of God whatever But it is only the readinesse and promptitude of the heart in its constant frame to that necessary duty that is required Now he who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by lust is drawne off from this frame that is he is interrupted in it by his lust diverting unto some sinfull object And as to this particular there is a great difference betwixt the sinning of Believers and those who arise not beyond that height which the power of Conviction beareth them oftentimes up unto For 1. The maine of a true Believers watching in his whole life § 51. and in the course of his walking with God is directed against this off-drawing from that habituall frame of his heart by lust and sinne His great businesse is as the Apostle telleth us to take the whole armour of God to him that sinne if it be possible may make no approach to his soule Eph. 6. 13. It is to keepe up their spirits to a hate of
import any such thing as is aimed at from the Text nor the word abide but to the whole proposition the seed of God abideth in him as produced to confirme the former assertion of the not sinning of the Persons spoken of there is nothing spoken at all I shall therefore briefely confirme the Argument in hand by the strength here communicated unto it by the Holy Ghost and then consider what is answered to any part of it or objected to the interpretation insisted on That he that sinneth not neither can sinne in the sence explained shall never fall away totally or finally from God is granted That Believers sinne not nor can sinne so or in the manner mentioned besides the Testimony of the Holy Ghost worthy of all acceptation in the cleare assertion of it we have the Reason thereof manifested in the discovery of the causes of its truth The first Reason is Because the seed of God abideth in them A tacite grant seemeth to be made that fruit sometimes may not visibly appeare upon them as the case is with a Tree in winter when it casts its leaves but its seed remaineth Grace may abide in the habit in and under a winter of Temptation though it doth not exert its selfe in bearing any such actuall fruit as may be ordinarily visible The Word of God is sometimes called seed incorruptible seed causatively as being an instrument in the hand of God whereby he planteth the seed of Life and holinesse in the heart That it is not the outward word but that which is produced and effected by it through the efficacy of the Spirit of God that is by seed intended is evident from the use and nature of it And it is abiding in the Person in whom it is Whatever it is it is called seed not in respect of that from whence it cometh as is the cause and Reason of that appellation of other seed but in respect of that which it produceth which ariseth and insueth upon it and it is called the seed of God because God useth it for the Regeneration of his Being from God being the principle of the Regeneration of them in whom it is abiding in them even when it hath brought forth fruit and continuing so to doe it can be no other but the New Creature New Nature inward Man new principle of Life or habit of Grace that is bestowed upon all Believers whence they are Regenerate quickned or borne againe of which we have spoken before This seed saith the Holy Ghost abideth §. 67. or remaineth in him Whatever falling or withering He may seeme to have or hath this seed the seed of God remaineth in him The principle of his new life abideth some exceptions are made as we shall see afterwards to the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaineth and instances given where it signifyeth for to be and denoteth the essence of a thing not its duration That to abide or remaine is the proper signification of the word I suppose will not be questioned That it may in some place be used in another sence is not dispuited All that lyeth under consideration here is whether the word in this place be used properly according to its genuine and first signification or no It supposeth indeed to be also but properly signifieth only to abide or remaine Now if nothing can be advanced from the Text ot context from the matter treated on or the paralell significancy of some expression that is in conjunction with it that should inforce us to carry it from its proper use and signification the instancing of other places if any such be wherein it is restrained to denote being and not duration is altogether impertinent to the businesse in hand When an Argument is urged from any place of Scripture to pick out any word in the Text and to manifest that it hath been used improperly in some other place and therefore must be so in that is a procedure so farre from an ingenious Answer that it will scarce passe for a tolerable shift or evasion To remaine then or to abide is the proper signification of this word nothing is in the least offered to manifest that it must necessarily in this place be diverted from its proper use According to the import of the word the seed of God remaineth in Believers now that remaining of the seed is the cause of their not sinning that sinne or in that manner as the Apostle here denyeth them to be liable to sinne For that is the Reason he giveth why they cannot sinne even because the seed of God remaineth in them Mr Goodwin granteth that this seed remaineth in Believers alwayes unlesse they sinne by a totall defection from God Of not sinning the sinne of totall deâ—ection from God the remaining or abiding of this seed is the cause Whilst that abideth they cannot sinne that sin for it is an unquestionable cause uncontrouleable of their not so doing This seed therefore must be utterly lost and taken away before any such sinne can be committed Now if the seed cannot be lost without the commission of the sinne which cannot be committed till it be lost neither can the seed be lost nor the sin becommited The same thing cannot be before and after its selfe He that cannot go sucha journey unlesse he have such a horse cannot have such a horse unlesse he go such a journey is like to stay at home In what sence the words cannot sin are to be taken was before declared That there are sins innumerable whereinto men may fall notwithstanding this seed is confessed Under them all this seed abideth so it would not do under that which we cannot sin because it abideth but because it abideth that sin cannot be committed The latter part of the Reason of the Apostles assertion §. 68. is for he is borne of God which is indeed a driving on the former to its head and fountaine What it is to be borne of God we need not dispute It was sufficiently discovered in the mention that was made before of the seed of God God by his Holy Spirit bestowing on us a new Spirituall Life which by nature we have not and in respect of whose want we are said to be dead is frequently said to beget us James 1. 14. And we are said to be borne of God He is the Soveraigne disposer dispenser and supreme fountaine of that Life which is so bestowed on us which we are begotten againe unto and are borne with and by And Jesus Christ the Mediatour is also said to have this Life in himselfe Joh 5. because he hath received the spirit of the father to give to his for their quickning who taketh of his and thereby begeteth them a new And this Life which Believers thus receive and whereby indeed radically they become Believers is every where in Scripture noted as Permanent and abiding In respect of the originall of it it is said to be from above
use of Admonitions and Exhortations to them in that condition hath been already declared for the present I shall only adde That let their finall Apostasy in respect of the Event be never so impossible yet in the state and condition wherein they are and from the things which they are exercised about with the Principles on which they proceed and the wayes whereby they are led on considerations enough may be raised to set forth those Exhortations Admonitions and Encouragements appointed by the Holy Ghost to be used and insisted on in the Administration of the Word in the Beauty and splendor of infinite Wisdome Love and Kindnesse The glory of God being so eminently concerned as it is in the Obedience and fruitfulnesse of the Saints the honour of the Lord Jesus in this World with the advancement and propagation of the Gospell in like manner relating there unto Their own peace lying so much as it doth upon their close walking with God the spirit being so grieved by their falling into sinne as he is God so dishonoured and themselves exposed to such fearfull desertions darknesse trouble sorrow and disquietments as they are upon their being overcome by the temptations of Satan and prevailed upon to turne aside into waies and sinnes short of totall Apostasy and it being the purpose of the Lord to lead them on in obedience in wayes suitable to that nature he created them withall and that New nature wherewith he hath endued them both apt to be wrought upon by Motives Exhortations and Perswasions without any such supposall as that of finall Apostasy There is a sufficient bottome and foundation of exalting the motives and admonitions insisted on to the possession of that Glory of Wisdome and Goodnesse which is their due But M. Goodwin having borrowed another Pageant from the Remonstrants had a great mind to shew it to the World in its English dresse and therefore introduces the Holy Ghost thus speaking in the Admonitions above pointed at Suppose we then the Holy-Ghost should speake thus unto the Saints §. 8. Oh yee that truly Believe who by vertue of the promises of that God that cannot lye are fully perswaded and possest that ye shall be kept by God by his irresistible Grace in true Faith untill Death so that though Satan should set all his witts on worke and by all his stratagems snares and cunning devices seek to destroy you yea though he should entice you away from God by the allurements of the World and entangle you with them againe yea and should cause you to runne and rush headlong against the Light of your own Consciences into all manner of horrid sinnes yet shall all his attempts and assaults upon you in every kind be in vain you shall be in never the more danger or possibility of perishing Vnto you I say attend and consider how sore and dangerous a contest you are like to be ingaged in for you are to wrestle not against Flesh and Bloud but against Principalities and Powers the governors of this World and spirituall wickednesses against that old Serpent the Divell the great red Dragon who was a murtherer from the beginning and who still goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure Who will set himselfe with all his might to thrust you headlong into all manner of sinnes and so to separate 'tweene you and your God for ever And truly I am afraid least as the Serpent by his subtilty deceived Eve so your minds should be corrupted from the Simplicity which is in Jesus Christ least the tempter should any way tempt you and my labour about you be in vaine Therefore Watch Pray Resist him stedfast in the Faith Take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist in an evill day and having done all things stand fast Stand having your loines girt with the girdle of truth and the brestplate of Righteousnesse upon you Would such an Oration or speech as this be any way worthy the Infinite wisedome of the Holy Ghost Or is it not the part of a very weake and simple person to admonish a man and that in a most serious and solemne manner of a danger threatning him or hanging over his head and withall to instruct him with great variety of direction and caution how to escape this danger when as both himselfe knows and the person admonished knowes likewise that it is a thing altogether impossible that ever the danger should befall him or the evill against which he is so solemnely cautioned come upon him Therefore those who make the Holy Ghost to have part and fellowship in such weaknesse as this are most insufferably injurious unto him Ans. To support the Stage for to act this part of the pageant in hand upon §. 9. there are many supposalls fixed by our Author that are to beare up the weight of the whole which upon tryall will appeare to arrant false pretences painted anticks that have not the least strength or efficacy for the end and purpose whereunto they are applied First §. 10. 'T is supposed that the end of all these admonitions is meerely and solely to prevent the Saints from finall Apostasy and that they are to beware of the wiles and assaults of Satan only least he prevaile over them to cause them to depart utterly from God That this is supposed in this discourse is evident because upon the granting of a promise that they shall not be so prevailed against they are judged all uselesse and ridiculous Now who knows not but that Satan may winnow and in some measure prevaile against the Saints to the Dishonour of God the Reproach of the Gospell Grieving of the Spirit and Scandall of the Church although they fall not totally and finally from God And that many of those Admonitions tend to the preservation of Believers from such falls and failings is more evident than to need any Demonstration by consideration of the particular instances Secondly §. 11. It supposeth as is exprest that Believers may fall into all manner of horrid sinnes and Abominations which is the thing in Question and by us punctually denied What ever their surprizalls may be yet there are sinnes which they cannot fall into and the great abomination of every sinne that 't is committed with the whole heart and with full consent they are not at all exposed or liable unto as hath been proved Thirdly § 12. That there is an inconsistency between Promises and Precepts in reference to the same Object that God should promise to worke any thing effectually in us and yet require it of us is thought ridiculous and on this account the great folly here imputed to the discourse framed for the Holy Ghost is proposed to consist in this that God should exhort us to watch against the assaults of the Divell and yet promise that by his Grace he will effectually work in us for us the very same thing A supposall destructive to
the whole nature of the New-Covenant easily disproved by innumerable instances Fourthly §. 13. That Believers are to be wrought upon to obedience alwaies whatever the frame of their spirits be by the same waies and meanes Thence 't is that promises promises of highest and greatest assurance are in this discourse coupled with cautions of the deepest charge as though they must at the same time operate the same way to Believers or else the Holy-Ghost be liable to be traduced as inconsistent with himselfe When the great variety that is in their spirituall frame and temper the manifold Temptations wherewith they are assaulted the Light and Darke places they walke through c. give occasion sufficient to the exercising towards them all the piping and mourning that is provided for them Fiftly §. 14. That all Believers are assured of their Perseverance that to such a degree as not to feare any Apostasy or to care what becomes of them that is assured to presumption not Believing therefore are those Cautions and Admonitions of the Holy Ghost on that Account tending to stirre up in them any Godly care or feare rendred frustrate when M. Goodwin himselfe thinks that very few of them doe upon any good and abiding foundation know themselves to be Believers And we never once supposed that all of them have Assurance of their Perseverance nor any of them upon the termes here proposed all the strength of what is here insinuated lyes in this that God gives Assurance to men of the stedfastnesse and constancy of his Love under supposall of their falling into all manner of abominable sinnes Which supposall alone renders an inconsistency between the sence of the Promises we embrace and that of the Admonitions that are given to the Saints charging them to walke heedfully and to watch diligently against the attempts and assaults of Sathan Now this supposall is in it selfe false and ridiculous Neither ever did the Lord nor do we ever say he did tender men Assurance of his Love on such termes Neither is it possible for any one for ever to have a true perswasion of his owne Perseverance under such notions Sixtly § 15. That there is an inconsistency betwixt Faithfull Promises of attaining an end by the use of meanes and Exhortation with Admonitions to make use of those meanes so that if it be supposed that God promiseth that Sathan shall not in the issue prevaile over us prescribing to us the meanes whereby we shall be preserved from his prevalency 't is in vaine to deale with us for the application of our selves unto the use of those meanes Seaventhly §. 16. 'T is also supposed that an Assurance of the Love of God and the continuance of it to the Saints unto the end so that they shall be never utterly rejected by him is an effectuall way meanes to induce them to carnall loose walking and a negligence in those things which are a provocation to the eyes of his Glory and therefore if he Promise Faithfully never to leave us nor forsake us it is an inducement for us to conclude let the Divell now take his swing do with us what he pleaseth To exhort us to take care for the avoidance of his subtiltyes and opposition is a thing altogether ridiculous The vanity of this supposall hath been sufficiently before discovered and it selfe disproved Upon such Hypotheses as these I say upon such painted posts §. 17. is the whole pageant erected which we are here ingaged withall and these being easily cast down the whole rushes to the ground in the roome whereof according to our principles this following Discourse may be supplyed You that are true Believers §. 18. called Justifyed Sanctifyed by the Spirit and Bloud of Christ adopted into my family ingrafted in united unto the Son of my Love I know your weakenesse insufficiency disability darkenesse how that without my Sonne and continuall supply of his Spirit you can do nothing the power of your Indwelling sinne is not hid from me how with violence it leads you captive to the Law thereof and though ye do believe yet I know you have yet also some unheal'd unbeliefe and on that account are often overwhelmed with Feares Sorrowes Disconsolations and Troubles and are ready often to thinke that your way is passed over form me and your Judgment hidden from your God And in this Condition I know the Assaults Temptations and Oppositions of Sathan that you are exposed to how he goes up and downe like a roaring Lion seeking to destroy you his wayes Methods wiles and baits that he layes for you and whereby he seekes to destroy you are many he acts against you as a Serpent subtilly and wisely as a Lyon dreadfully and fearefully and with snares not of you by your selves to be resisted you have Principallityes and Powers to wrestle withall and the darts of the wicked one to defend your selves against Wherefore beware of him be not ignorant of his devices stand fast in the Faith take to you the whole armour of God resist him overcome him cast him out by prayer and the bloud of the Lambe watch night and day that you be not surprised nor seduced as Eve was by him that he turne you not out of the way into pathes leading to destruction and thrust you headlong into such sinnes as will be a dishonour to me a griefe to my Spirit a scaudall to the Church and bitternesse to your owne soules And as for me who know your disability of your selves to do any of these things and so to hold to the end because it pleased me to love you set my heart upon you having chosen you before the Foundation of the world that you should be holy and unblameable before me in Love having given my only Sonne unto you who is your peace through whom you have received the Attonement with whom I will not deny you or withhold from you any thing that may safeguard your abiding with me unto Salvation I will through the riches of my Grace worke all your workes for you fulfilling in you all the good pleasure of my Goodnesse the worke of Faith with power I will tread down Sathan this cruell proud Malicious bloudy enemy of your Soules under your feet and though at any time he soile you yet ye shall not be cast down for I will take you up and will certainly preserve you by my power to the end of your hope the Salvation of your soules whatever betide you or befall you I will never leave you nor forsake you the mountaines may depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall never be removed from you comfort ye be of good courage and runne with joy the race that is set before you This I say is the language which according to the tenour of the Doctrine whose maintenance we are ingaged in God speakes to his Saints and Believers and if there be folly and
Believers hath been formerly beyond contradiction manifested and maintained That expression then they went out from us is not an Answer by concession to an Objection but a description of seducers by their Apostacy Which words also in their regard to the Persons as before by him described do manifest their utter declining and forsaking the Communion of the Saints they so going from them as also going into an opposition to the Doctrine of the Gospell Thirdly That the Apostle here insinuates an advantage these Antichrists had to seduce from their former communion with him a thing not in the least suggested as was observed in the occasion of the words as laid downe by Mr Goodwin himselfe is proved from the use of the words they went out from us Acts 15. 24. Whence this undenyable Argument may be educed Some who went out from the Apostle had repute and authority in their preaching thereby these Antichrists went out from the Apostle therefore they had repute and authorety thereby younger men than either Mr Goodwin or my selfe know well enough what to make of this Argument Besides though there be an agreement in that one Expression all the neighbouring parts of the Description manifest that in the things themselves there and here pointed at there is no affinity Those in the Acts pretended to abide still in the communion and Faith of the Apostles these here expressively departed both from the one and the other to an opposition of them both The former seemed to have pretended a commission from the Apostles these according to Mr Goodwin himselfe did so farre declare against them that it was a scandall to some fearing that all had not been well among the Apostles Fourthly That which is called an Answer by way of Exception as in it lye the expression of it so used upon the matter is as much as we urge from these words The import of them is said to be they were not of us though they were with us yet they were not such as we are didnot walke in that uprightnesse of heart as we do they were not men of the same principles and spirit with us that is they were not true thorough sincere and sound Believers at all no not while they converst with the Apostles Now evident 't is that in those words as is manifest by the assuming of them againe for the use of an inference insuing for if they had been of us they would have continued with us the Apostle yeilds a Reason and Account how they came to Apostatize and fall to the opposition of the Gospell from the profession wherein they walked 't was because they were not men of thorough and sound principles true Belivers and consequently he supposeth and implyeth that if they had been so they would not they could not have so Apostatized for if they might there had been no weight in the account given of the Reason of their revolt In what followes §. 44. that these words but they were not of us do not necessarily imply they were Believers formerly but perhaps they had been so and were before fallen away being choaked by the cares of the world an observation is insinuated directly opposite to the Apostles designe and such as makes his whole Discourse ridiculous An account he gives of mens falling away from the Faith and tells them 't is because though they have been professors yet they were never true Believers yea but perhaps they were true Believers and then fell away after that fell away that is they fell from the Faith and then fell from the Faith for that is plainely intimated in is the sence of this doubty Observation But to proceed with his exposition §. 45. he sayes It followes for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us in these words the Apostle gives a reason of his Exception telling them to whom he writes that this was a signe and Argument that those Antichristian teachers were not of them in the sence declared viz. That they did not continue with them that is they quitted their former intimacy and converse with the Apostles refused to steere the same course to walke by the same principles any longer with them which saith he doubtlesse they would not have done had they been as sincerely affected towards Jesus Christ the Gospell as we by which Assertion John plainely vindicated himselfe and the Christian Churches of his communion from giving any just occasion of offence unto those men whereby they should be any wayes induced to forsake them and resolves their unworthy departure of this kind into their own carnall and corrupt hearts which lusted after some fleshly accommodations and contentments that were not to be obtained or enjoyed in a sincere profession of the Gospell with the Apostles and those who were perfect of heart with them Ans. First That no aspersion was cast on Iohn or the Churches of his Communion by the Apostasy of the Antichrists of whom he speakes from which he should need to vindicate himselfe and them was before declared There was not indeed nor possibly could be the least occasion for any surmize of evill concerning them from whom men departed in turning ungodly opposers of Christ For any thing that is here offered 't is but an obscureing of the Light that breaks forth from the words for the discerning of the Truth in hand 't is granted that the Apostle manifests that they were not of them that is true upright sound believers that walked with a right foot in the Doctrine of the Gospell because they forsooke the communion of the Saints to fall into the condition of Antichristianisme wherein they were now engaged Now if this be an Argument that a man was never a true believer in the highest profession that he makes because he falls from it and forsakes it certainly those that are true believers cannot so fall from their stedfastnesse or the Argument will be of no Evidence or conviction at all Neither is any thing here offered by M. Goodwin but what upon a through consideration doth confirme the inferences we insist upon and make to the worke in hand Truth will at one time or other lead captive those who are most skilfull in their Rebellion against it What is added Sect. 24. concerning the Righteous Judgement of God §. 46. and the gracious tendency of his dispensations to his Churches use in suffering these wretches so to discover themselves and be manifested what they were I oppose not The discovery that was made was of what they had been before that is not true Believers not what now they were yea by what they now shewed themselves to be was made manifest what before they were Words of the like import you have 1 Cor. 11. 19. % For there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you as here those who fall away are manifested to be corrupt so there are those who
is so great and so much variety therein that it can scarce be cast into one course and current and if the generall scope aime and tendency of the Scripture may passe for the course of it there is not any one thing that lyes so evident and cleare therein as the decrying of all that Ability and strength and power to doe good in men which M. Goodwin so much pleads for and Asserts to be in them with an Exaltation of that rich and free Grace in the efficacy and the power of it which he so much opposeth The experiment all knowledge he hath of his own heart §. 8. the workings and reasonings thereof a thing common to him with others and what advantages he hath thereby I shall not consider Only this I shall dare to say that I would not for all the World have no experience in my heart of the truth of many things which M. Goodwin in this Treatise opposeth or that my weake experience of the Grace of God should not rise above that frame of heart and spirit which the teachings of it seem to discover I doubt a person under the Covenant of workes heightned with convictions and a low or common worke of the Spirit induced thereby to some Regular walking before God may reach the utmost of what in this Treatise is required to render a man a Saint truly gracious regenerate and a Believer And in this also I doubt not lyes the deceit of what is thirdly insisted on viz. His observation of the wayes and spirits of men their firstings and lastings in Religion A sort of men there are in the world who escape the outward pollution of it and are cleane in their owne eyes though they are never wash't from their iniquityes who having been under strong convictions by the power of the Law and broken thereby from the course of their sinne attending to the Word of the Gospell with a temporary Faith do go forth unto a profession of Religion and walking with God so far as to have all the lineaments of true Believers as Mr Goodwin somewhere speakes drawne in their faces hearing the Word gladly as did Herod receiving it with joy as did the stony ground attending to it with delight as they did in Ezech. 33. 31. Repenting of former sinnes as did Ahab and Judas untill they are reckoned among true Believers as was Judas those John 2. 23. who yet were never united unto Jesus Christ of whose wayes and walking Mr Goodwin seemes to have made observation and found many of them to end in visible Apostacy But that this observation of them should cause him to judg them when Apostatized to have been true Believers or that he is thereby advantaged to determine concerning the truth of severall Opinions pretending to his acceptance I cannot grant nor doth he go about to prove For what he mentions in the last place of the light of reason and understanding §. 9. which he hath I do not only grant him to have it in common as he saith with other men for the kind of it but also as to the degrees of it to be much advanced therein above the generality of men yet I must needs tell him in the close that all these helps and advantages seeming to be drawne forth and advanced in opposition to that one great assistance which we enjoy by promise from Christ of his Spirit leading us into all truth and teaching us from God by his owne anointing are to me hay and stubble yea losse and dung of no value nor esteeme Had we not other wayes meanes helps and advantages to come to the knowledge of the Truth than these here unfolded and spread by Mr Goodwin actum esset we should never perceive the things that are of God The Fox was acquainted with many wiles and devices the Cat knew unum magnum wherein she found safety Attendance to the Word according to the direction of the usuall knowne Rules and helpes agreed on for the interpretation of it with humble dependance on God waiting for the guidance of his Spirit according to the Promise of his deare Sonne asking him of him continually that he may dwell with us anoint and lead us into all truth with an utter abrenunciation of all our skill abilityes wisdome and any resting on them knowing that it is God alone that gives us understanding is the course that hitherto hath been used in our enquiry after the mind of God in the Doctrine under consideration and which the Lord assisting shall be heeded and kept close unto in that discussion of the Texts of Scripture wrested by Mr Goodwin as by others before him to give countenance to his opposition to the Truth hitherto uttered confirmed and vindicated from his contradictions thereunto The place of Scripture first insisted on §. 10. and on the account whereof he triumphs with the greatest confidence of successe is that of Ezech. 18. 24 25. Unwhich words he subjoynes a Triumphant Exulting Exclamation What more saith he can the understanding judgement soule and conscience of a man reasonably desire for the establishment in any truth whatsoever than is delivered by God himselfe in this passage to evince the possibility of a righteous mans declining from his righteousnesse and that unto death The councell given of old to the King may not be unseasonable to Mr Goodwin in that dominion which he exerciseth in his owne thoughts in this worke of his let not him that putteth on this armour boast like him that puteth it off You have but newly entered the lists and that with all pressed Souldiers unwilling so much as once to appeare in that service they are forced to If you will but suspend your triumph untill we have made a little tryall of your forces and your skill in managing of them to the battle perhaps you may be a little taken off from this confidence of successe notwithstanding the facing of this Scripture upon the Truth being cut off and taken away from that coherence and connexion and station wherein it is placed of God which is not at the least enquired into it will be found in that issue to beare it no ill will at all As will also be manifested by the light of the ensuing consideration 1. The matter under enquiry into a disquisition of whose state we have hitherto been engaged in the condition of the Saints of God and his dealing with them in and under the Covenant of Grace in Generall For our guidance and direction herein a Text of Scripture evincing the Righteousnesse of Gods dealings with a number of persons in a peculiar case which was under debate is produced and by the tenour of this and according to the tenour of the reasonings therein must all the Promises of God in the Covenant of Grace mape and ratifyed by the Bloud of Christ be regulated and interpreted We have been told by as Learned a man as Mr Goodwin that Promises made to the people of
forbearance of the allowance of temporall things from them to whom he Preached which was due to him by all right whereby any claime in any kind whatever may be pursued together with the expresse institution of the Lord Jesus Christ by him before laid downe In this course he behaved himselfe with wisdome zeale and diligence having many glorious aimes in his eye as also being full of a sence of the duty incumbent on him v. 6. to whose performance he was constrained by the Law of Jesus Christ as he also here expresses Among other things that provoked him to and supported him in his hard labour and travaile was the Love he bare to the Gospell and that he might have with others fellowship in the propagation and declaration of the glorious message thereof This is his intendment v. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For the Gospells sake or the love he bare to it he desired with others to be partaker of it that is of the excellent worke of preaching of it for of the benefit of the Gospell he might have bin partaker with other Believers though he had never bin set a part to its promulgation In his whole Discourse he still speaks accommodately to his businesse in hand for the describing of his worke of Apostleship in preaching the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ and as to the end of this worke he acquaints us that there was proposed before him the incorruptible Crown of his Masters approbation upon his lawfull running and striving in the way of the ministry whereto he was called the peculiar Glory of them whom he is pleased to imploy in this service and though the cause of his fighting at that rate as he did was not wholly the feare of non approbation in that worke a necessity of duty being incumbent on him which he was to discharge yet he that knowes how to value the crowne of approbation from Christ the holy Angels and the Church of having Faithfully discharged the office of a Steward in dispensing the things of God will think it sufficiently effectuall to stirre up any one to the utmost expence of Love paines and diligence that he may not come short of it And of Mr Goodwins proofe this is the issue His next is from Heb. 6. 4 5 6 7. with Chap. 10. 26 27. which he brings in attended with the ensuing Discourse §. 26. Sect. 18. The next passage we shall insist npon to evince the possibility of a finall defection in the Saints openeth it selfe in these words For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly guift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them againe nnto repentance seeing they crucify to themselves the sonne of God afresh and put him to an open shame For the earth which drinketh in the raine that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbes meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth thornes and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Answerable hereunto is another in the same Epistle For if wee sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sinnes but a certaine fearefull looking for of Judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaryes He that despised Moses Law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Bloud of the Covenant where with he was Sanctifyed an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace Evident it is that in these two passages the Holy Ghost after a serious manner with a very pathetique moving straine of Speech and discourse scarce the like to be found in all the Scriptures admonisheth those who are at present true Believers to take heed of relapsing into the wayes of their former ignorance impiety This caveat or admonition he presseth by an argument of this import that in case they shall thus relapse there will be very little or no hope at all of their recovery or returne to the Estate of Faith and Grace wherein now they stand Before the faces of such sayings and passages as these rightly understood and duely considered there is no standing for that Doctrine which denies a possibility either of a totall or finall defection of the Saints But this light also is darkened in the Heavens by the interposition of the vailes of these two exceptions 1. That the Apostle in the said passages affirmes nothing positively concerning the falling away of those he speakes of but only conditionally and upon supposition 2. That he doth not speake of true and sound Believers but of Hypocrites and such who had Faith only in shew not in substance The former of these exceptions hath been already nonsuited and that by some of the ablest Patrons themselves of the cause of Perseverance where we were taught from a pen of that Learning that such conditionall sayings upon which Admonitions Promises or Threatnings are built doe at least suppose something impossible however by vertue of their Tenor and forme they suppose nothing in being But 2. As to the places in hand there is not any Hypotheticall signe or conditionall Particle to be found in either of them as they come from the Holy Ghost and are carried in the Originall Those two Iffs appearing in the English Translation the one in the former place the other in the latter shew it may be the Translators inclination to the cause but not their faithfulnesse in their engagement an infirmiâ—y whereunto they were very subject as we shall have occasion to take notice of the second time ere long in another instance of the like partiality But the Tenor of both the passages in hand is so ordered by the Apostle that he plainly declares how great and fearfull the danger is or will be when Believers doe or shall fall away not if or in case they shall fall away Ans. Of the two Answers which as himselfe signifyeth are usually given to the objections from these places of Scripture that Mr Goodwin doth not fairely acquit his hands of either will quickly appeare 1. To the first that the forme of speech used by the Apostle in both places is conditionall whence there is no arguing to the event without begging the thing in question or supposall that the condition in all respects may be fulfilled where it requires only to the coÌ„stitution of it as a condition in the place of arguing wherein it is used that it be possible in some only he opposeth That some of them who have wrote for the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance have disclaimed the use of it as to its application to the place in Ezechiel
now described and not the Believers or Saints concerning whom alone our contest is Mr Goodwin replyes Sect. 19. Pag. 183. To the latter exception which pretends to find only Hypocrites and not true Believers staged in both passages we likewise answer that it glosseth no whit better than the former if not much worse considering that the persons presented in the said passages are described by such characters and signall excellencies which the Scriptures are wont to appropriate unto Saints and true Believers and that when they intend to shew them iu the best and greatest of their glory what we say herein will I suppose be made above all gainesaying by instancing particulars Ans That this is most remote from truth and that there is not here any one discriminating Character of true Believers so farre are the expressions from setting them out in any signall eminency will appeare from these ensuing considerations 1. There is no mention of Faith or Believing either in expresse termes or in termes of an equivalent significancy in either of the places mentioned Therefore true Believers are not the persons intended to be described in these places Did the Holy Ghost intend to describe Believers it is very strange that he should not call them so nor make mention of any one of those principles in them from whence and whereby they are such Wherefore I say 2. There is not any thing ascribed here to the persons spoken of which belongs peculiarly to true Believers as such or that constitutes them to be such and which yet are things plainely and positively asserted and described in innumerable other places of Scripture that the Persons described are called according to the purpose of God quickened borne againe or regenerated Justifyed united to Christ Sanctifyed by the Spirit adopted made sonnes of God and the like which are the usuall expressions of Believers pointing out their discriminating forme as such is not in the least intimated in the Text Context or any concernement of it That they are elected of God Redeemed of Christ Sanctifyed by the Spirit that they are made Holy is not at all affirmed 3. The persons intended are v. 8. ch 6. compared to the ground upon which the raine falls aud beareth thornes and briers True Believers whilst they are so are not such as do bring forth nothing but thornes and briers Faith it selfe being an Herbe meet for him by whom they are dressed 4. Things that accompany Salvation are better things than any in the persons mentioned were to be found This the Apostle asserts v. 9. we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation Now neither of these either better things or things that accompany Salvation were upon them whose Apostacy the Apostle supposeth The exceptive particle at the entrance with the Apologeticall designe of the whole verse ascribes such things to the Saints to whom the Apostle speakes as they were not partakers of concerning whom he had immediately before discoursed The Faith of Gods Elect whereby we are Justifyed is doubtlesse of the things that accompany Salvation 5. The persons intended by the Apostle were such as had need to be taught againe the first principles of the Oracles of God Chap. 5. v. 12. that were unskillfull in a word of Righteousnesse v. 15. that had not their sences exercised to discerne good and evill v. 14. and are plainely distinguished from them to whom the Promise made to Abraham doth properly belong Chap. 6. 9 10 11 12 13 14 c. 6. True Believers are opposed in the Discourse of the Apostle Chap. 6. unto these persons lying under a possibility of Apostacy so farre as they are cast under it by the conditionall Discourse of it upon sundry accounts As 1. Of their workes and labour of Love shew'd to the name of God v. 10 of their preservation from the Righteousnes or Faithfulnes of God in his Promises v. 11. Of the mutability of the counsels of God and his Oath for the preservation of them v 13 17 18. Of their sure and steedfast anchor of hope v. 19. c. Upon all which Considerations it is abundantly evident that they are not Believers the Children of God Justifyed Sanctifyed Adopted Saints of whom the Apostle treates in the passages insisted on Sect. §. 29. 28. M. Goodwin urges sundry reasons to prove that they are not Hypocrites or outside professors only but true Believers that are described If by Hypocrites and outside Professors he intends those who are grossely so pretending to be what they are not and what they know themselves not to be we contend not about it if by those expressions he compriseth also those whom we characterized in the entrance of this Discourse who unto their profession of the Faith have also added those guifts and endowments with the like which we mentioned notwithstanding all their Advancement in light conviction joy usefulnesse conversation do yet come short of union with Christ I shall joyne issue with him in the consideration of his reasons offered to be pregnant of proofe for the confirmation of his Assertion He tells you Sect. 28. Pag. 288. 1. There is no Clause Phrase or Word in either of the places any waies characteristicall or Descriptive of Hypocrisy or Hypocrites there are none of those colours to be seen which are wont to be used in drawing or limning the Portraitures or shapes of those Beasts as distinguished from creatures of a better kind All the lineaments of the Persons presented in these tables before the mention of their falling away become the best and fairest faces of the Saints as hath been proved and are not to be found in any other Yea the greatest and most intelligent Believer under heaven hath no reason but to desire part and fellowship with the Hypocrites here described in all those characters and properties which are attributed unto them before their falling away or sinning wilfully Ans. 1. The designe of the Apostle is not to discover or give any characters of Hypocrites to manifest them to be such but to declare the excellencies that are or may be found in them from the enjoyment of all which they may decline and sinne against the mercy and grace of them to the aggravation of their condemnation Neither had any lines used to particularise those beasts in their shape wherein they differ from Believers been at all usefull to the Apostles purpose his ayme being only to draw those wherein they are like them and conformeable to them Neither 2. Is it questioned whether these things here mentioned may be found in true Believers and become them very well rendering their faces beautifull but whether there be not something else then what is here mentioned that should give them being as such and life without which these things are little better than painting Nor 3. Is it at all to the purpose that Believers may desire a participation in these characters with the persons described but whether they who have no other
is sufficiently convinced by that of our Saviour John 17. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expressing his dedicating and separating himselfe to his objection and more instances may be had if we stood in any need of them Thirdly that many are said to be sanctifyed and holy in the latter sence as it signifyeth spirituall purity in respect of their profession of themselves so to be and some mens esteem of them who yet were never wholly and truly purged from their sinne nor ever had received the holy Spirit of Promise who alone is able to purge their hearts doth not now want its demonstration that work hath been some whiles since performed So that Mr G. makes not any progresse at all in the proofe of what he has undertaken viz. that they are true Believers in the sence of that denomination which we assert who in these places are described For a close 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is far more properly referred to Christ than to the persons spoken of and that sence the Remonstrants themselves do not oppose That they are said Cap. 6. 4. §. 33. to have tasted the heavenly guift is urged in the next place Sect. 22. to prove them true Believers both the object and the act are here in question what is meant by the Heavenly guift and what by tasting of it I shall not looke into the Text beyond the peculiar concernement of the cause in hand somewhat might be offered for the farther clearing of the one and other At present it sufficeth that be the Heavenly guift what it will the persons of our contest are said only to tast of it which though absolutely and in it selfe it is not an extenuating expression but denotes a matter of high aggravation of the sinne of Apostacy in that they were admitted to some tast and relish of the excellency and sweetnesse of the Heavenly guift yet comparatively to their feeding on it digesting it growing thereby it clearely denotes their coming short of such a participation of it who do but tast of it That to tast doth not in the first genuine signification in things naturall signify to eat and digest meat so as to grow by it I suppose needes no proof that in that sence it is used in the Scriptures Ioh. 2. 9 Mat. 27. 34. is by Mr Goodwin confessed This he tells you is only when the tast or relish of things is desired to be known but that our Saviour tasted of the gall and vineger out of a desire to know the relish of it he will hardly perswade those who are accustomed to give never so easie a beliefe to his assertions By the Heavenly guift M. G. in the first place intends Jesus Christ now if by tasting eating and drinking of Christ be intended as is here pleaded Christ himselfe will determine this strife telling us that whosoever eateth his flesh shall be saved John 6. 35 49 50 51 54 55 56 57. So that either to tast is not to eate or they that tast cannot perish Three things are urged by Mr Goodwin to give proofe of his interpretation of these words of the Holy Ghost saith he 1. Whatsoever is meant by this Heavenly guift certain is it that by tasting is not meant any light or superficiall impression made upon the hearts or soules of men through the sence or apprehension of it but an emphaticall inward and effectuous relish and sence of the excellent and Heavenly sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of it opposed to a bare speculation or naked apprehension thereof The reason hereof is because the tasting of this Heavenly guift here spoken of is not mentioned by the Apostle in a way of easing or extenuating the sinne of those that should fall away from Christ but by way of aggravation and exaggeration of the beinousnesse and unreasonablenesse thereof and withall more fully to declare and assert the equitablenesse of that severity in God which is here denounced against those that shall sinne the great sinne of Apostacy here spoken of It must needs be much more unworthy and provoking in the sight of God for a man to turne his backe upon and renounce those wayes that profession wherein God hath come home to him and answered the joy of his heart abundently then it would be in case he had only heard of great matters and had his head filled but had really found and felt nothing with his heart and soule truly excellent and Glorious 2. And bestdes the very word it selfe to tast ordinarily in Scripture importes a reall communion with or participation and enjoyment if the thing be good of that which was said to be tasted Oh tast see saith David that the Lord is good a Psal. 34. 8. His intent doubtlesse was not to invite men to a slight or superficiall tast of the goodnesse of God but to a reall cordiall and thorough experiment and satisfactory enjoyment of it So when he that made the great invitation in the parable expressed himselfe thus to his servants For I say unto you that none of those who were bidden shall tast of my Supper b Luk. 14. 24. His meaning clearely was that they should not partake of the Sweetnesse and benefit thereof with those who should accept of his invitation and come unto it In like manner when Peter speaketh thus to his Christian Jewes If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracius c 1 Pet. 2. 3. his meaning questionlesse is not to presse his exhortation directed unto them in the former verse upon a consideration of any light or vanishing tast such as hypocrites false-hearted Christians may have of the graciousnesse of the Lord but of such a tast wherein they had had a reall inward and sensible experiment thereof 3. And besides according to the sence of our adversaries in the present debate if the tast of the heavenly gift we speake of should imply no more but only a faint or weake perception of the sweetnesse and glorious excellency of it yet even this may be sufficient to evince truth of grace and Faith in men For their opinion is that a man may be a true Believer with a graine of Mustard-seed only i.e. with a very slender rellish and tast of spirituall things yea their sence is that in some cases of desertion and under the guilt of some enormous courses they may have little or no tast of them at all Ans. 1. To the first discourse considering what hath been already delivered I shall only adde that although it be no aggravation of the sinne of Apostacy that they who fall into it have but tasted of the Heavenly guift yet it is that they have tasted of it that tast of its relish preciousnes sweetnes which they haue obtained whereby they are distinguished from thē whose blindnes hardnes keeps them up to a totall disrelish and contempt of it is abundantly enough to render their sinne heinous and abominable When men by the preaching of the Word
mix the promises of it with Faith or of the powers of the world to come as to receive them in power in their hearts by believing so that farther contest about these words seemes to be altogether needlesse How farre men may proceed in the wayes of God §. 36. what progresse they may make in amendment of life what gifts and common graces they may receive what light and knowledge they may be indued withall what kind of Faith Joy Repentance Sorrow Delight Love they may have in and about spirituall things what desire of mercy and heaven what usefull gifts for the Churches edification they may receive how farre they may perswade their own soules and upon what grounds that their condition Godward is good and saving and beget an opinion in others that they are true Believers and yet come short of union with Christ building their houses on the sand c. is the daily taske of the Preachers of the Gospell to manisest in their pressing that exhortation of the Apostle unto their hearers to examine and try themselves in the middest of their profession whether Christ be in them of a truth or no. I shall not now enter upon that labour the Reader knowes where to find enough in the writings of holy and learned men of this Nation to evince that men may arrive at the utmost height of what is in this place of the Apostle by the Holy Ghost ascribed to the persons of whom he speakes and yet come short of the state of true Believers M.G. indeed tells us Sect. 27. The Premises relating to the two passages yet under debate considered §. 37. I am so farre from questioning whether the Apostle speakes of true and sound Believers in them that I verily judge that he purposely sought out severall of the most emphaticall and signall characters of Believers yea such which are hardly or rather not at all to be found in the ordinary sort of true Believers but only in those that are most eminent amongst them that so he and such who though sound yet were weake in the Faith might fall away and perish but that even such also who were lifted up nearer unto Heaven than their fellowes might through carelesnesse and carnallsecurity dash themselves in pieces against the same stone make shipwracke of their soules as well as they Ans. The House built on the sand may oftentimes be built higher have more faire perapets and battlements windowes and ornaments than that which is built upon the Rock yet all guifts and priviledges equall not one Grace in respect of light knowledge guifts and many manifestations of the Spirit such who never come up to that Faith which gives reall union and communion with Jesus Christ may farre outgoe those that do 2. That there is any thing mentioned or any characters given of Believers much lesse such as are singular and not common to all M. G hath not in any measure been able to evince There is not the meanest Believer in the world but he is a Child of God heir of the Promises brother of the LordChrist hath union with him hath his living in him is Quickned Justifyed Sanctifyed hath Christ made to him Wisedome c. hath his Righteousnesse in God and his Life hid in him in Christ is passed from death to Life brings forth fruit and is deare to God as the apple of his eye accepted with him approved of him as his temple wherein he delighteth to dwell That any thing in this place mentioned and insisted on any characters we have given of the persons whom we have considered doe excell or equall or denote any thing in the same kind with these and the like excellencyes of the meanest Believers will never be proved if we may judge of future successes from the issue of all former attempts for that end and purpose And this is the issue of Mr Goodwin's third Testimony produced to confirme the Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy but hypothetically and under such a forme of expression as may not be argued from nor of Saints and true Believers at all His 4. followeth His fourth Testimony he produceth §. 38. and indeavours to mannage for the Advantage of his cause Sect. 31. in these words The next Scripture Testimony we shall produce briefely urge in the cause now under maintainance is in the same Epistle with the former and speaketh these words Now the Just shall live by Faith But if any man draw back my soule shall have no pleasure in him Our English translators out of good will doubtlesse to a bad cause have almost defaced this Testimony by substituting any man for the just man for whereas they translate but if any man draw back the Originall readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. if or but if he i.e. the just man who should live by his Faith viz. if he continues in it shall draw back Beza himselfe likewise before thē had stayned the honour of his faithfulnesse with the same blot in his Translation But the mind of the Holy Ghost in the words is plaine and without Parable viz. that if the just man who lives i. e. who at present enjoyes the favour of God and thereby is supported in all his tryalls and should live allwayes by his Faith if he continues in it as Pareus well glosseth shall draw back or shall be withdrawn viz. through feare or sloth as the word properly signifyeth See Acts 20. 27. from his believing my soule shall have no pleasure in him i.e. according to the import of the Hebraisme my soule shall hate or abhorre him to death as it is also expounded in the words immediately following But we are not of those who draw back to perdition but c. From hence then evident it is that such a man who is a just or Righteous man and under promise of living for ever by his Faith and therefore also a true and sound Believer may draw back or be withdrawne to the contracting of the hatred of God and to destruction in the end The forlornehope of evading because the sentence is Hypotheticall or conditionall not positive hath been routed over and over yea and is abandoned by some of the great Masters themselves of that cause unto the defence whereof it pretendeth And however in this place it would be most preposterous For if it should be supposed that the just man who is in a way under a Promise of living by his Faith were in no danger or possibility of drawing backe and that to the losse of the favour of God and ruine of his soule God must be conceived to speake here at no better rate of wisdome or understanding than thus The Just shall live by his Faith but if he shall do that which is simply and utterly impossible for him to do my soule shall have no pleasure in him What savour of wisdome yea or of commonsence is there in admonishing or cautioning men against such evills which there
Believers Againe if true Believers shall live and continue to the saving of their soules in opposition to them that fall away to perdition then they shall certainly persevere in their Faith for these two are but one the same but that true Believers shall live believe to the saving of their soules in opposition to them that draw back or subduct themselves to perdition is the assertion of the Holy Ghost Ergo I presume by this time Mr Goodwin is plainly convinced that indeed he had as good yea and much better for the Advantage of his cause in hand have let his witnesse have abode in quietnesse and not entreated him so severely to denounce judgment against that Doctrine which he seekes by him to confirme Sect. 32. §. 41. the parable of the stony ground Mat. 13. 20 21. comes next to consideration the words chosen to be insisted on are in the verses mentioned but he that received the seed into stony places is he that heareth the Word anon with joy receiveth it yet hath be not root in himselfe but dureth for a while c. That by the stony ground is meant true Believers is that which Mr Goodwin undertakes to prove but how in his whole Discourse I professe I perceive not I must take leave to professe that I cannot finde any thing looking like a prâ—â—fe or Argument to evince it from the beginning to the end of this Discourse though something be offered to take off the arguments that are used to prove it to be otherwise doth Mr Goodwin think that men will easily Believe that Faith which hath neither root fruit nor continuance to be true and saving Faith doubtlesse they might have very low apprehensions of saving faith union with Christ justification sanctification adoption c. wherewith it is attended who can once entertaine any such imagination that which is tendered to induce us to such a perswasion may briefly be considered Saith he Sect. 32. §. 42. Now those signified by the stony ground he expressely calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Persons who continue for a time or a season i.e. as Luke explaineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who believe for a season so that those who only for a time believe and afterward make defection from Christ and from the Gospell are neverthelesse numbred and ranked by him amongst Believers The words in Luke are very particular They on the Rock are they which when they heare receive the word with joy and those have no root which for a while Believe and in time of temptation fall away From whence it appeares that the hearers here described are not compared to the Rock or stony ground for the hardnesse of their hearts for as much as they are said to receive the word with joy which argues an ingenuity and teachablenesse of spirit in them and is elsewhere viz. Acts 2. 41. taken knowledge of by the Holy Ghost as an Index or signe of a true Believer but for such a Property Disposition or Temper as this viz. not to give or afford the word so received a radication in their hearts and soules so intimous serious and solid which should be sufficient to maintaine their beliefe of it and good affections to it against all such occurrences in the World which may oppose or attempt either the one or the other Ans. 1. The first Reason intimated is that they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a terme given them plainly to distinguish them from true Believers men that make a profession for a season expressly opposed to them who receive the word in good and honest hearts if the word had denoted any excellency any thing that was good in them then there had been some pretence to have insisted on it to prove them true Believers But to demonstrate the truth of their Faith from their Hypocrisy and their excellencies from that which expressely denotes their unworthinesse is a strange way of arguing They are persons saith our Saviour that make profession for a little while and then decay not like them who receive the Word in good and honest soules therefore saith M.G. they are true believers but 2. In Luke they are said to Believe for a season Mr Goodwin is not now to learne how often in the Scripture they are said to believe who only professe the Faith of the Gospell though the root of the matter be not in them that of John 2. 23 24 25. may suffice for undenyable instance or John 6. 64. may farther expound it their believing for a season is but the lifelesse worthlesse fruitlesse profession for a season as their destruction from the good ground doth manifest But 3. They are said to receive the word with joy which argues ingenuity and tractablenesse of spirit in them No more than in Herod who heard the Word gladly or in the Jewes when the preaching of Ezechiel was pleasant or desirable to them or those described Isai. 58. 2. % who sought God dayly and delighted to know his wayes in the middest of the abominable practices From the similitude it selfe He yet farther attempts this uncouth Assertion But as the blade which springs from one and the same kind of seed as suppose from Wheat or any other graine though sown in different yea or contrary soyles is yet of the same species or kind the nature of the soyle not changing the specified nature of the seed that is sowne in it and God giving to every seed it s owne body of what temper so ever the ground is where it is sown in like manner that Faith which springs from the same seed of the Gospell must needs be of one and the same nature and kind though this seed be sowne in the hearts of never so differing a constitution and frame the temper of the heart be it what it will be not being able specifically to alter either the Gospell or the naturall fruit issuing from it And as a blade or eare of Wheate though it be blasted before the Harvest is not hereby proved not to have been a true blade or eare of wheate before it was blasted in like manner the withering or decay of any mans faith by what meanes or occasion soever before his death doth not prove it to have been a false counterfeit or Hypocriticall Faith or a Faith of any other kind than that which is true reall and permanent unto the end Ans. 1. It hath been formerly observed that sâ—militudes are not argumentative beyond the extent of that particular wherein their nature as such doth consist The intendment of Christ in this Parable is to manifest that many heare the word in vaine and bring forth no fruit of it at all of these one sort is compared to stony ground that brings forth a blade but no fruit no fruit is no spirit though there be a blade or no blade the difference between the ones receiving of seed and the others manifested by our Saviour in this Parable is