The Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance

It being incumbent in this case on his Holy Majesty, upon the account of his engaged Faithfulness to save them, he will yet have them subservient to his Promise in their endeavors for their own safety. Means may be assigned for an End, as to their ordinary subserviency thereunto, without any suspending of the Event on them, as a condition of an uncertain issue and Accomplishment. And therefore that this solemn Promise made unto Paul, whose Event and Accomplishment, up on the account of his believing God, he absolutely believed, & whose performance he foretold without the least intimation of any Condition whatever, (only he bids them not throw away the means of their Preservation) should depend, as to its fulfilling, on such a Condition, as in respect of the event might not have been, (God who made the Promise not making any infallible provision for the Condition) and so have been actually frustrate, is an Assertion, not only not grounded on these words of Paul, setting out the suitable means of the providence of God for the accomplishment of an appointed end, but also derogatory in the highest to the Glory of the Truth and Faithfulness of God himself. But

3. That Promise, (saith he) of our Savior to his Disciples. Mat. 19. 28. That they who followed him in the Regeneration, should sit upon twelve thrones Judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Judas being yet one of them, was not fulfilled, and in case the rest had declined, they also with him might have come short of the Promise made unto them.

Ans. Christ knew what was in man, and had no need of any to tell him, he knew from the beginning who it was that should betray him, and plainly pronounced him to be a Devil; He knew he was so, that he Believed not; that he would continue so, he would betray him, that his end would be desperate; be pronounced a curse upon him, as being cursed by David: Ps. 109. so many Generations before his coming into the world; and is it probable now that he promised this man a Throne for his following him in the Regeneration? which is most certain (take it in what sense you will) he did never follow him in, but only as he gave him his bodily attandance, in his going up and down. He was never admitted to be witness of his Resurrection, the time being not yet come, wherein a discovery was to be made of the hypocrisy of Judas, that he might have space to carry on the work which he had to do, and the number of those, who in a peculiar manner were to bear witness to the completing of the whole work of Regeneration in the Resurrection of Christ, being twelve, he who was afterwards admitted into that number being one that now followed him, our blessed Savior telleth them indefinitely to their consolation, what will be the Glorious Issue of their following him, and bearing witness to him, in this work. That which is promissory in the words, is made to them, who forsook all and followed him in the work mentioned, which assuredly he, who was always a thief, a Devil, a covetous person, that followed not in the main of the work it self, was none of; that Promise being afterwards fulfilled to another then present with Christ. It is granted, if the rest of the twelve had fallen away, you may suppose of them what you please: that they might fall away, is to beg that, which you cannot prove, nor will ever be granted you, though you should resolve to starve your self, if you get it not: But this is

4. Confirmed out of Peter Martyr, whose Doctrine it is, that the Promises of God are wont to be made with a respect unto the present estate and condition of things, with men: that is, they shall be performed unto men abiding under the Qualifications, unto which they are made; as for example. What Promises soever God maketh to Believers, with respect had to their Faith, or as they are Believers, are not to be looked on as performeable, or obliging the maker of them unto them, in case they shall relapse into their former unbelief.

Ans. It is too well known, how, and to what end, our Author cites Peter Martyr, and men of the same judgment with him, in this Controversy, & to how little Advantage to his Cause with discerning men, he hath done it. In the same place, from whence these words are taken, the Author distinguisheth of the Promises of God, and telleth you, that some of them are conditional, which are (saith he) of a Legal nature, which only show the connection between the Condition, or Qualification they require, and the thing they promise thereunto: and such are those whereof he speaks: but others he tells you, are Absolute and Evangelical, not depending on any Condition in us at all; and so he tells us, out of Chrysostom, that this of our Savior Mat. 19. 28. is of the former sort; and the Accomplishment of such like Promises as these; He informs us to consist not in the actual fulfilling of what is conditionally affirmed, but in the certain truth of the axiom, wherein the condition, and the Event as such, are knit together.

2. To the Example urged, I shall only ask what Mr Goodwin's judgment is of the Promises, that God hath made to Believers, that they shall never relapse into their former state of unbelief, and on what condition they are made? Whether his Promise of his Love unto, and Acceptance of Believers, wherein he will abide forever, do not infer their Preservation in the Condition, wherein they are ( i e. Believers), will in the next place fall under our Consideration. Your Conclusion is, in the sense explained you admit the Proposition; whatsoever God promiseth is certain, that is, it shall certainly be fulfilled, or it shall not.

There is moreover no small contribution of strength, as to our establishment in the Faith of it, given to our Proposition, by the signal engagement of the Faithfullnesse of God, for the Accomplishment of the Promises, which he makes unto us; as it is manifest in those words of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 1. 9. God is faithful, by whom you are called to the fellowship of his Son: in the foregoing verse he telleth them that God will confirm them to the end, that they may be blameless in the day of the Lord Christ; of which confident Assertion, he gives them this account, Gof is faithful to make good his Promises made unto them, he changeth not. When a Promise is once passed, that which first presents it self to the consideration of them to whom it is made, and whose concernment it is, that it be fulfilled, is, the Faithfulness of him that hath made the Promise. This property of God's nature doth the Apostle therefore mind the Saints of, to lead them to a full Assurance of their preservation. His Promise being passed, fear not his faithfulness for its Accomplishment. Might there in this case a supposal be allowed of any such interveniences, as might intercept them in the way of enjoying what God truly promised, and cause them to come short thereof, what assurance could arise to them from the consideration of the Faithfulness of God, who made those Promises unto them? The Faithfulness of God then is engaged for the Accomplishment of the thing promised, which also shall be done, in case that fail not. So also the 1 Thes: 5. 23, 24. The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God, your spirits, and souls, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it. He assures them of their preservation in, and unto the enjoyment of the things which he prayed for, and that upon the account of his Faithfulness who had promised them: and, saith he, he will do it: viz. because he is Faithful. Let the oppositions to it be never so many, the difficulties never so great, the interveniences what they will; He is faithful, and he will do it: as it is affirmed 2 Thes: 3. 3. But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil: as also in the 1 Cor: 10. 13. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. The same Faithfulness of God is held out as that upon the account whereof no temptation shall befall Believers, so as to separate them from him. The Promise here peculiarly confirmed by it, and established on it, is such as no condition can tolerably be fixed unto. I will not suffer Believers to be overcome with Temptations, in case they be not overcome with Temptations, is a Promise not to be ascribed to the Infinite Wisdom of God, with which we have to do, and yet no other can with the least color be proposed. All sin, all falling from God is upon temptation. Though Satan and the World should have no hand in drawing man aside from God, yet what they do from their own Lusts, they do from Temptation. I am. 1. 14, 15. If God in his Faithfulness will not suffer any Temptation to prevail against Believers, unless they neglect their duty and fall from him, and they can no otherwise neglect their duty, nor depart from him, but upon the prevalency of Temptation, their abiding with him, their final unconquerablenesse hath a certainty answerable to the faithfulness of God.

This part of our strength Mr Goodwin attempts to deprive us of. Cap. 11. Sect: 18. p. 236. in these words. Whereas the Apostle mentioneth the Faithfulness of God, as that Divine principle in him, or Attribute, out of which he is moved to establish, and confirm Believers unto the end, and so to keep them from evil; by Faithfulness he doth not necessarily mean that Property or Attribute of his, that renders him true, and just, or Constant in the performance of his Promises, as if the Apostle in these, or any like places, supposed such a promise, one or more made by him, by which he stands obliged to establish and confirm his Saints unto the end by a strong and irresistible hand.

Ans. The sum of this Answer is, that the Apostle by saying God is Faithful, doth not understand God's Faithfulness. What other virtue is intended in God by his Faithfulness, but that whereby his Truth and his Constancy in Words and Promises is signified, I know not. Let the places from the beginning of the Scriptures to the end, wherein there is mention made of the Faith, or Faithfulness of God, of his being Faithful, with the Application thereof, the Scope, and intendment of the place, be perused, and see if they will give the least allowance to turn aside from eying the Property and Perfection of God before mentioned, as that which they peculiarly intend. Deut: 7. 9. Ps: 36. 5. Ps: 89. 1, 2, 5. Ps: 143. 1. Isai: 49 7. Hos: 2. 20. Rom. 3. 3. 2 Tim: 2. 13. Heb: 10. 23. 1 John 1. 9. are some of them. Why we should wring out another sense of the expression in this place, I know not.

2. The Faithfulness of God is not mentioned as that Divine principle, out of which he is moved to establish and confirm Believers to the end, but only to confirm them in the faith of his Unchangeableness and Constancy, in the accomplishing the work of his free Grace, which he had begun in them, and promised to confirm to the end. The work flows from the Principle of his free Grace in Jesus Christ, whence alone, he gives them great, free, and precious Promises. His stability and Constancy in those Promises, as to their performance, is intended by his Faithfulness and Truth in them. What are the Promises of God improperly so called, and not exhibited in words, which you intimate, I know not.

3. The Apostle doth not only suppose, but in the name, and Authority of God, gives actually in the places under consideration, Promises of the certain and infallible preservation of Believers to the end, asserting the immutability of God's engagement in them from his Faithfulness. In brief: not to darken counsel and understanding with a multitude of words; by the Promises of God, we intend in a peculiar manner, those expressed in the Texts under consideration. viz. That God will establish Believers to the end, keep them from evil, and all Temptations, that would overthrow them: and by the Faithfulness of God, from whence Believers have their Assurance of the accomplishment of these promises, that which the Scripture holds out, and all the World of Believers have hither to taken to be, the Faithfulness of God, as was before described. But it seems the word is here used otherwise. For (saith he.)

It is such a kind of Faithfulness, or disposition in him, as that meant by Peter, when he styleth him a faithful Creator: Now God is, and may properly be termed a faithful Creator, because he constantly per • ormes unto his Creature, whatsoever the Relation of a Creator promiseth in an equitable and rational way unto it, which is a great care and tenderness for the preservation and well-being of it: in like manner he may, yea it is most likely that he is, called faithful in his calling of men, as he is a spiritual Father or Creator, a giver of a new being unto men, because he never faileth to perform unto those new creatures of his, whatsoever such a being as this regularly interpreted, promiseth unto him, who receiveth it from him who is the donor of it: (that is) convement and sufficient means for the preservation, and well-being of it. So that the Faithfulness of God in the Scriptures in hand, supposes no such Promise made by God, as our opposers imagine. viz. Whereby he should in terms, or words stand engaged to establish, confirm, or keep Believers from evil, his new creatures, his regenerated ones, after any such a manner, but that they, if they be careless or negligent for themselves, may be shaken and decline, and commit evil notwithstanding.

Ans. That by God's Faithfulness mentioned in that place of Peter, such a disposition as you afterwards describe, is intended, you had better say, then undertake to prove. It is evident the scope of the Apostle is to exhort the Saints of God in all their trials and afflictions, to commit themselves and their ways, with patience & quietness unto God, upon the account of his power to preserve them, as he is the Creator of all, and his constancy in receiving of them, being present with them, abiding with them, as he is Faithful in his word and Promises. Yea and the interpretation, our Author would have fixed on the expression here used, is not only remote from the intendment of the place, turning that into a general good disposition towards all his creatures, which is intimated for the peculiar support of Believers, and that in their distress, but also is in it self, a false, fond, and loose Assertion. There is no Law, nor Relation of Creation, that lays hold on God so far, as to oblige him to the Communication of one drop of his Goodness to any of the creatures, beyond what is given them by their Creation, or to continue that unto them for one moment; All the dispensation of himself unto his creatures flowing from his sovereign good pleasure, doing what he will with his own.

2. He doth very faintly, when he hath made the farthest step in confident asserting that he dares venture upon, ( it may be, and it is most likely ) suppose that the Faithfulness of God in these places under consideration, may be taken in such a sense as that before described. But,

1. This is no sense at all of the Faithfulness of God, neither is the word ever used in Scripture to signify any such thing in God, or man, nor can with any tolerable sense be applied to any such thing; neither would there be any Analogy between that which in God we call Faithfulness, and that virtue in man, which is so termed: nor is the Faithfulness of God here mentioned upon any such account, as will endure this description, being insisted on only to assure the Saints of the steadfastness, and unalterablenesse of God in the performance of his Promises made to them: neither is the obligation of God, to continue his Love and Favor, with Grace, and means of it to Believers, founded upon such a disposition as is imagined; but in the free purpose of his will, which he purposed in Jesus Christ before the world was: so that there is not the least appearance of truth, or soundness of Reason, or anything that is desirable, in this attempt to corrupt the Word of God.

2. Then, the Faithfulness of God in the Scriptures in hand bespeaks his truth and stability in the performance of his Promises, made of establishing Believers to the end, keeping them from evil, not suffering any temptation to befall them, but making withal a way to escape: in all which God assures them he will prevent all such carelessness, and negligence in them, as is inconsistent with their Establishment, which he will certainly accomplish. And thus is our Major Proposition with its supplies of light, and strength, freed from such exceptions, as M. Goodwin supposes it liable unto.

For the Assumption, I shall not much trouble myself with that ridiculous sense (called a sober and Orthodox explication) which Mr Goodwin is pleased to put upon it, to allow it to pass currant. In this sense (saith he) it is most true, that God hath promised that all Believers shall Persevere, i.e. that all true Believers formally considered, i.e. as such, and abiding such, shall persevere: viz. in his Grace and Favor; But this he presumes is not our sense. Ch: 11. Sect: 2. pag. 226. And well he may presume it: for what ever his greatest skill may enable him unto, we can make no sense of it, but this: God hath promised Believers shall Persevere, in case they Persevere: which is to us upon the matter no sense at all. To Persevere in God's Grace and Favor, is to continue in Faith and Obedience, which if men do, God hath solemnly promised, and sworn that they shall so do. Certainly there is an Orthodox sense in God's Promises, that is not non-sense Be it granted then, that this is not our sense, not so much because not ours, as because not sense, what is our meaning in this Proposition? It is (saith Mr Goodwin) that God will so preserve Believers, that none of them shall make shipwreck of their Faith, upon what quick-sands of lust and sensuality soever they shall strike, against what rock of obduration and impenitency soever they dash. But I beseech you, who told you that this was our sense of this Proposition • being indeed no more sense then that which you give in for your own: By striking on the quick-sands of Lust, and dashing upon Rocks of sensuality, impenitency, and obduration, you have in other places sufficiently explained yourself to intend their falling under the power of Sin. And is this asserted by us to be the tenor of God's Promises to Believers? Or is it not? or do you not know that it is not so? did ever any say that God preserveth men in believing under obduration & impenitency? that is, under unbelief? for no man can be obdurately impenitent but unbelievers: do not you know that we maintain that the Grace faithfully engaged to be bestowed on them, is given them to this end, to preserve them from the power of sin, from obduration and impenitency, and shall certainly be effectual for that purpose? Prima est haec ultio, quod se Judice, nemo nocens absolvitur.

CAP. VI.

H Aving cleared the Truth of the one, and Meaning of the other Proposition mentioned in the Argument last proposed, I proceed to confirm the Latter, by an induction of particular Promises. The first, that I shall fixe upon, is that of Joshua 1. 5. I will be with thee, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. This Promise (it is true) in this original Copy of it is a grant to one single person, entering upon a peculiar employment: but the Holy Ghost hath eminently taught the Saints of God to plead, and improve it in all Generations for their own Advantage, and that not only upon the account of the general rule, of the establishment of all Promises in Jesus Christ, to the glory of God by us; but also by the application which himself makes of it unto them, and all their occasions, wherein they stand in need of the Faithfulness of God therein. Heb: 13. 5. Let your conversation be without Covetousness, and be content with such things as you have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. The Apostle layeth down an Exhortation in the beginning of the verse, against the inordinate desire of the things of this World, that are labored after upon the account of this present life: To give power and efficacy to his Exhortation, he manifesteth all such desires to be altogether needless, upon consideration of his All-sufficiency, who hath promised never to forsake them, which he manifests by an instance in this Promise given to Joshua, giving us withal a Rule for the Application of all the Promises of the Old Testament, which were made to the Church and People of God. Some labor much to rob Believers of the consolation intended them in the Evangelical Promises of the Old Testament, though made in general to the Church, upon this account, that they were made to the Jews: and being to them peculiar, their concernment now lieth not in them. If this plea might be admitted, I know not any one Promise that would more evidently fall under the power of it, then this we have now in consideration. It was made to a peculiar person, and that upon a peculiar occasion, made to a General, or Captain of Armies, with respect to the great Wars he had to undertake, upon the special command of God. May not a poor hungry Believer, say, what is this to me? I am not a General of an Army, have no Wars to make upon God's command, the virtue doubtless of this Promise expired with the conquest of Canaan, and died with him, to whom it was made. To manifest the sameness of Love, that is in all the Promises, with their Establishment in one Mediator, and the general concernment of Believers in everyone of them, how ever, and on what occasion soever given to any, this Promise to Joshua is here applied to the condition of the weakest, meanest, and poorest of the Saints of God; to all, and everyone of them, be their state and condition what it will. And doubtless Believers are not a little wanting to themselves, and their own consolation, that they do no more particularly close with those words of Truth, Grace, & Faithfulness, which upon sundry occasions and at diverse times have been given out unto the Saints of old, even Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and the residue of them, who walked with God in their Generations: These things in an especial 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 weakness 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 reap the sweetness of it, God may be faithful 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 boldness 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 unbelief) that the Lord is our helper; This is a conclusion of Faith: Because God said to Joshua 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 boldness, He is my helper.

It is true, the Application of the Promises here looks immediately unto temporals: but yet being drawn out from the testimony of the continuance of the presence of God with his Saints, doth much more powerfully conclude to spirituals. Yea the Promise it self is of Spiritual Favor, and what concerns 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 everyone 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, it must be the Devil 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 Faithfulness of God in this Promise, and the Issue of confidence in him, which from a due closing with it, would certainly flow. But shall our unbelief 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 said 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 certainly overcome you and set you at Enmity with him; or you may fully depart from him: and many such like pleadings will Satan furnish the unbelief of Believers withal. If they are not sufficiently taught by experience, what it is to give credit to Satan, endeavoring to impair, and call in Question (upon any pretence what ever) the Faithfulness of God and his Truth, when will they learn it? Surely they have little need to join with their Adversaries for the weakening of their supportments, or the impairing of their Consolations; Whereas there is an endeavor 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 God's not forsaking of any, is no more but a mere 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 All-sufficiency 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. God's 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 himself, 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, of which I have spoken before. Many may be their Calamityes, and Afflictions, many their Trials and Temptations, many their Desertions, and Darknesses, but God will not forsake them, he will not utterly cast them off forever. That his People are his People in Covenant, his secret ones, his Spiritual Church, the remnant according to the Election Grace, hath been 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 Jews, whom he did so fore-know; as also to Predestinate them to be Conformed to the Image of his Son, Rom. 9. 29. So out of all Israel Saving all Israel, even the whole Israel of God. That a discriminating Purpose of God is intended in that expression, hath been already declared, and shall (the Lord assisting) be farther manifested.

The Promise, as here mentioned, hath a double use.

1. It is held out as an Inducement to Obedience, to that whole People, in reference whereunto he telleth them, that if they did wickedly, they should be destroyed, both they and their king, v. 25. In the dreadful threatenings that God denounceth against wicked and impenitent ones, he hath an end to accomplish in reference to his Saints, unto his own: even to make them know his terror, and to be acquainted with the Abomination of sin. And in his Promises intended directly to them, he hath designs to accomplish upon the most wicked, and ungodly: even to discover his Approbation of that which is Good, that they may be left inexcusable

2. It was a Testimony of his good will unto his secret ones; his Remnant, his Residue, his brand out of the fire, unto his People called according to his Eternal purpose, in the midst of his people by external profession, and of his presence with them, under the accomplishment of the threatening mentioned upon the generality of that Nation. He did not forsake them, when the people in general, and their King were destroyed. What ever outward dispensation he bringeth upon the whole, the Love and Grace of the Promise shall cerainly be reserved for them, as, Isa. 4. v: 2, 3, 4. the remnant, the escaping of Israel, those that were written unto life, shall obtain, when the rest are destroyed, or hardened. So Ps: 89. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37: If his children forsake my Law, and walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes, and keep not my Commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes; nevertheless my Loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail: my Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips: once have I sworn by my Holiness, that I will not lie unto David; His seed shall endure forever, and his Throne as the Sun before me, it shall be established forever, as the Moon, and as the faithful witness in Heaven. Selah.

A supposal is made of such ways and walkings in the spiritual seed and offspring of the Lord Christ, (which in the Psalm is typed out by David ) that the Lord will be as it were compelled to deal sharply with them, for their iniquities and transgressions: yet his kindness, that shall abide with Christ, in reference to the preservation of his seed; his Faithfulness, that shall not fail, his Covenant, and his Oath shall be made good to the uttermost.

It is supposed, which is the worst that can be supposed, that in some degree, at least for some season, they may forsake the Law, not keep the Commandments, and profane the Statutes of God, which continues the burden of poor Believers to this day: yet the worst that the Lord threatens them on this account, when they might have expected, that he would have utterly cast off such unthankful, unfruitful backsliders, poor creatures, is but this, I will visit them with a rod, and with stripes; they shall have what ever comes within the compass of correction or affliction: Rod and Stripes shall be on them, and that whether outward correction, or inward desertion. but will the Lord proceed no farther • Will he not forever cast them off, and ease himself of such a provoking Generation? No, saith the Lord: there lie five things in the way, upon whose account I cannot so deal with them. All regard the same persons, as is evident from the Antithesis that is in the discourse.

1. There is my Loving-kindness (saith God) which is eternal, and unchangeable: for I love them with an everlasting Love Ier. 31. 3. this I cannot utterly take away, though it may be hid and eclipsed, as to the appearance and influences of it, yet utterly it shall not be taken away as to the reality of it. Though I chasten and correct them, yet my loving kindness shall be continued to them. And then, (saith he)

2. There is my Faithfulness, which I have engaged to them, which, whatever they do▪ (that is, that I will suffer them to do, or that they may do upon supposition of the Grace of the Covenant, wherewith they are supplied) though they behave themselves very foolishly, and frowardly, yet that I must take care of, that must not fail. 2 Tim. 2. 13. He abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself: And this Faithfulness (saith God) I have engaged in three things.

1. First, In my Covenant, that I have made with them to be their God, and wherein I have promised that they shall be my People: wherein also I have made plentiful provision of Mercy, and Grace for all their failings: and this must not be broken, my Faithfulness is in it, and it must abide. My Covenant of Peace that I make with them, is an everlasting Covenant: it is an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure. 2. Sam: 22.5. Ezek: 37. 26. it is a Covenant of Peace an everlasting Covenant.

2. Secondly, In the thing that is come out of my lips, or the Grace and Love I have spoken of in the Promise, herein also will I be Faithful, and that shall not be altered: all my Promises are yea and amen in Jesus Christ. 2 Cor: 1. 20. And,

3. Lastly, All this I have confirmed by an Oath, I have sworn it by my Holiness, and I will not lie: so that in all these immutable things, wherein it is impossible for God to deceive, he hath treasured up strong consolation for them that do believe. Though then the seed of Christ, which he is to see, upon the account of his suffering for them ( Isa: 53. 10.) do sin and transgress, yet God hath put all these Gracious obligations upon himself, to reduce them by Correction and Affliction, but never to proceed to final sentence of utter Rejection.

To this purpose I say are the words in the place of Samuel now mentioned.

1. First, the matter of the Promise, or what he promiseth the People, is, he will not forsake them. God's not forsaking them, is not a bare not casting them off, but an active continuance with them in love and mercy. He exercises not a pure negative Act of his Will towards anything, or person. Whom he hates not, he loves: so Heb. 13. 5. these words, I will not forsake thee, hold out a continual supply of all those wants, whereunto in ourselves we are exposed, and what from his presence we do receive. I will not forsake them, is, I will continue my presence with them, a God in Covenant. so he expresleth his presence with them. Isa. 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it, I do water it every moment, least any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. He abideth with his vineyard, so as to keep it, and to preserve it from being destroyed. But may it not at one time or other be surprised into desolation? No, saith he, I will keep it night and day: but what if this vineyard prove barren, what will he then do? Nay but he will so deal with it, that it shall never be so barren, as to cause him to cast it up. He is not with it for naught, his presence is attended with Grace, and Kindnesse. I water it, (saith he) and that not now and then, but, every moment. He pours out fresh supplies of his Spirit upon it, to make it fruitful. Thence it becomes a vineyard of red wine, v. 2. the best wine, the most delicious, the most precious, to cheare the heart of God himself, as Zep: 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will Save thee, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his Love, he will joy over thee with singing. He causes them thereby that come of Jacob to take root, he makes Israel blossom and bud, to fill the face of the World with fruit. This is that which God promiseth his people; he will not forsake them, he will always give them his presence, in the kindness and supplies of a God in Covenant, to protect them from others, to make them fruitful to himself: This is his not forsaking them: He will preserve them from others, who shall take them out of his hand? he will make them fruitful to himself; he will work, and who shall let him?

2. The Reason why the Lord will not forsake his People, why he will continue doing them good, is expressed in these words for his own name sake, and in this Assertion two things are considerable.

1. A tacit exclusion of anything in themselves, for which, or upon Consideration whereof God will constantly abide with them. It is not for their sakes, for anything in them, or what they have done, may, or can do, it is not upon the account of any Condition, or qualification whatever, that may, or may not be found on them, but merely for his name sake; which in the like case he expresseth fully Ezek. 36. 32. Not for your sakes do I this; saith the Lord, be it known unto you, be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, oh House of Israel! The truth is, they may prove such, as on all accounts whatever shall deserve to be rejected, that nothing in appearance, or in their own sense, as well as others, though the root of the matter be in them, may be found upon them, when God takes delight in them. Like those you have described at large. Isai. 43. 22, 23, 24, 25. But thou hast not called upon me Oh Jacob, but thou hast been weary of me Oh Israel, thou hast not brought me the small Cattle of thy burnt offerings, neither hast thou honored me with thy Sacrifices, I have not caused thee to serve with an Offering, nor wearied thee with Incense, thou hast brought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices, but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities: I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins anymore. Weary of God they are, neglecting his worship, making his Patience and Forbearance to serve with their iniquities. It seems to be impossible almost for any Creature to apprehend, that God will not give them up to everlasting confusion. Yea perhaps they may be forward in their follies, and contend with God when he goes to heal them. Isai. 57. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness, was I wroth and smote him, I hid me and was wroth and he went on forwardly in the way of his heart. Iniquity is upon them, a vile iniquity, the iniquity of Covetousness. God is wroth with them, and smites, and hides him, and they go on frowardly: and yet for all this he forsakes not forever, he abides to be their God, and that because his so doing is not bottomed on any consideration of what they are, have been, or will be, but he doth it for his Names sake, and with regard unto that, which thereupon he will do for them. And upon this account, this Promise of God's abiding and continuing with his, let Grace be never so weak, corruption never so strong, temptations never so violent, may be pleaded, and the Lord rejoices to be put in remembrance of it by the weakest, frailest, sinfullest Saint, or Believer in the World.

2. The Cause or reason is positively expressed, why God will not forsake them, it is, for his Great Name sake. His Great name is all that he consults withal, about his continuance with his people: this he calls himself Isa. 43. 25. I blot out thy sins for my own sake: that is for no other cause in world that may by found in thee, or upon thee. The Name of God is all that whereby to us he is known; all his Attributes, his whole will, all his Glory. When God is said to do anything for his name, it is either the Cause and End of what he doth, or the Principle from whence, with the motive wherefore he doth it, that is by him intended. In the first sense, to do a thing for his Name sake, is to do it for the manifestation of his Glory, that he may be known to be a God, in the Excellency of those Perfections, whereby he reveals himself to his, with (most frequently) a special regard to his Faithfulness and Grace: it is in those properties to make himself known, and to be exalted in the hearts of his. So all his dispensations in Jesus Christ are for the praise of his glorious Grace. Eph. 1. 6. That he may be exalted, lifted up, made known, believed, and received as a God pardoning iniquity, in the Son of his Love. And in this sense may the Lord be said to abide with his people for his Name sake; for the exalting of his Glory; that he may be known to be a God faithful in Covenant, and unchangeable in his Love, who will not cast off forever, those whom he hath once received into favor. It will not enter into the hearts of Believers sometimes, why the Lord should so deal with them as he doth, and not cast them off; their souls may go to rest as to this thing: he himself is glorious herein; he is exalted and doth it on that account 2 ^lie . If by his name you understand the principle from whence he worketh, and his motive thereunto, as it comprehends the whole longsuffering, gracious, tender, unchangeable nature of God, according as he hath revealed himself in Jesus Christ, in whom his name is, Ex. 23. 21. and which he hath committed to him to be manifested. John: 17. 6. so evidently two things in God are engaged, when he promiseth to work for his Names sake, or according to his great Name.

1. His Power or sufficiency: Upon the engagement of the Name of God on his people's behalf, Moses carefully pleads this latter, or part thereof. Num: 14. 17, 18, 19. God hath given his Name unto his people: and this is wrapped up in that mercy, that he will lay out his Power to pardon, heal, and do them good in his preserving of them, and abiding with them: Let thy Power be great, according as thou hast spoken, the Lord is long suffering: and as when he works for his name, the way whereby he will do it, is according to the greatness of his Power; so the fountain and rise, from whence he will do it, is,

2. His Goodness, Kindnesse, Love, Patience, Mercy, Grace, Faithfulness in Jesus Christ. And thus under the title of his Name, doth he call poor afflicted, dark, hopeless, helpless Creatures, (upon any other account in the World) persons ready to be swallowed up in disconsolation and sorrow, to rest upon him. Isa: 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of his Servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. When all other holds are gone, when flesh fails, and heart fails, then doth God call poor souls to rest upon this Name of his. So the Psalmist Psal: 73. 26. My flesh, and my heart faileth, (all strength, natural and spiritual, faileth and is gone) but God is the strength of my heart (saith he) and my portion forever. Now this is the sole motive also of God's continuance with his: He will do it, because he himself is good, gracious, merciful, loving, tender: and he will lay out these Properties to the utmost in their behalf, that it may be well with them, lifting up, exalting, and making himself Gracious in so doing. This the Lord emphatically expresseth five times in one verse, Isa. 46. 4. • ven to your old age I am he, even to hoary hairs, will I carry you, I have made, and I will bear, I will carry and will deliver you: this then I say is the reason, and only ground: This the principal aim and End, upon the account whereof the Lord will not forsake his People.

3. The Rise of all this Goodness, Kindnesse, Faithfulness of God to his People, as to the exercise of it, is also expressed: and that is, his own good pleasure, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his People. This is the spring, and fountain of all the goodness mentioned. God is essentially in himself of a good, gracious, and loving nature, but he acts all these properties, as to works that outwardly are of him, according to the Counsel of his Will, Eph: 1. 11. according to the Purpose which he purposeth in himself, and his Purposes all of them have no other rise, or cause, but his own good pleasure. Why did the Lord make us his People, towards whom he might act according to the Gracious Properties of his nature, yea and lay them forth and exercise them to the utmost on our behalf? Was it because we were better then others? did his Will? walked with him? Did he declare we should be his People upon condition we did so and so? Not on any of these, or the like grounds of proceeding doth he do this, but merely because it pleaseth him to make us his People. Mat: 11. 26. and shall we think that he who took us to be his People, notwithstanding our universal alienation from him, on the account of his own good pleasure, which caused him to make us his People, (that is obedient, believing, separated from the World) will, upon any account, being himself Unchangeable, not perserve us in, but reject us from that Condition? Thus is God's Mercy in not forsaking his People, resolved into its original principle, viz. his own good-pleasure in choosing of them, carried on by the Goodness & Unchangeableness of his own Nature to the appointed Issue. This then is the sum of this Argument. What work or Design the Lord entereth upon merely from his own good pleasure, or solely in answer to the Purpose, which he purposeth in himself, and engageth to continue in Mercy for his Name sake, thereby taking upon him to remove, or prevent what ever might hinder the accomplishment of that Purpose, Work, or Design of his, that he will abide in unchangeable to the end. But this is the state of the Lord's undertaking to abide with his People, as hath been manifested at large.

Let us add in the next place that of the Psalmist, Ps. 23. 4, 6. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear none evil, for thou art with me; thy rod & thy staff doth comfort me: Surely Goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. The Psalmist expresseth an exceeding confidence in the midst of most inexpressible troubles and pressures. He supposes himself walking through the valley of the shadow of death, as death is the worst of evils and comprehensive of them all, so the shadow of death is the most dismal and dark Representation of those evils to the Soul, and the valley of that shadow the most dreadful bottom and depth of that Representation. This then the Prophet supposed, that he may be brought into a condition, wherein he may be overwhelmed with sad apprehensions of the coming of a confluence of all manner of evils upon him, and that not for a short season, but he may be necessitated to walk in them, which denotes a state of some continuance, a conflicting with most dismal evils and in their own nature tending to death, is in the supposal. What then would he do if he should be brought into this estate? Saith he, even in that condition, in such distress, wherein I am to my own, and the eyes of others, hopeless, helpless, gone and lost, I will fear none evil. A noble resolution, if there be a sufficient bottom & foundation for it, that it may not be accounted rashness & groundless confidence, but true Spiritual courage, and holy Resolution. Saith he, it is because the Lord is with me: But alas! what if the Lord should now forsake thee in this Condition, and give thee up to the power of thine enemies, and suffer thee by the strength of thy Temptations, wherewith thou art beset, to fall utterly from him? Surely then thou wouldest be swallowed up forever; the waters would go over thy Soul, and thou must forever lie down in the shades of death. Yea but (saith he,) I have an assurance of the contrary, Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

But this is (say some) a very desperate persuasion. If thou art sure that Goodness, & Mercy shall follow thee all the days of thy life, then live as thou pleasest, as loosely as flesh can desire, as wickedly as Satan can prompt thee to: Certainly this perwasion is fit only to ingenerate in thee an high contempt of humble and close walking with God. What other conclution can' st thou possibly make of that presumption, but only that, I may then do what I please, what I will; let the flesh take its swing in all abominations, it matters not, Goodness and Mercy shall • ollow me. Alas! saith the Psalmist, these thoughts never come in my heart: I find this persuasion through the Grace of him, in whom it is, effectual to ingenerate contrary Resolutions. This is that which I am upon the account thereof, determined on, I will dwell in the house of God forever: seeing Goodness and Mercy shall follow me, I will dwell in his house; and seeing they shall follow me all the days of my life, I will dwell in his House for ever.

There are then these two things in this last verse, pregnant to the purpose in hand.

1. The Psalmist's assurance of the presence of God with him forever, and that in kindness and pardoning Mercy, upon the account of his Promise unto him; Goodness or benignity (saith he) shall follow me, into every Condition, to assist me, & extricate my Soul, even out of the valley of the shadow of death. A conclusion like that of Paul. 2 Tim. 4. 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil wor • , and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom. Having ( v. 17.) given testimony of the Presence of God with him in his great trial, when he was brought before that devouring monster Nero, giving him deliverance, he manifesteth in the 18. v. that the Presence of God with him was not only effectual for one or another deliverance, but that it will keep him from every evil work, not only from the rashness, cruelty, and oppression of others, but also from any such way or works of his own, which should lay a bar against his enjoyments of, and complete preservation unto that Heavenly Kingdom, whereunto he was appointed.

What reason now can be imagined, why other Saints of God, who have the same Promise with David and Paul established unto them in the hand of the same Mediator, being equally taken into the same Covenant of Mercy and Peace with them, may not make the same conclusion of Mercy with them; viz. That the Mercy, & Goodness of God will follow them all the days of their lives that they shall be delivered from every evil work, and preserved to God's Heavenly kingdom. To fly here to immediate Revelation as though God had particularly, and immediately assured some persous of their Perseverance, which begat in them a confidence, wherein others may not share with them, besides that it is destructive of all the vigor and strength of sundry, if not all the Arguments, produced against the Saints Perseverance, it is not in this place of any weight, or at all relative to the business in hand. For evident it is, that one of them even David, is thus confident upon the common account of God's Relation unto all his Saints, as he is their Shepherd: one that takes care of them, and will see, not only whilst they abide with him, that they shall have Pasture and refreshment, but also will find them out in their wanderings and will not suffer any of them to be utterly lost. And he is a Shepherd equally in care and love to everyone of his Saints, as he was to David. He gives them all the sure Mercies of David, even the Mercy contained & wrapped up in the Promise that was given to them, and what by virtue thereof, he did enjoy, with what he received from God in that Covenant-Relation wherein he stood. And for Paul, it is most evident that he grounded his Confidence and Consolation, merely upon the general Promise of the Presence of God with his, that he will never leave them nor forsake them, but be their God, and guide even unto death. Neither is there the least intimation of any other bottom of his Consolation herein. Now these being things wherein every Believer, even the weakest in the world, hath an equal share and interest with Paul, David, or any of the Saints in their generations, what should lie in their way, but that they also may grow up to this assurance, being called thereunto. I say they may grow up unto it: I do not say that every believer can with equal assurance of mind thus make their boasts in the Lord, and the continuance of his kindness to them. The Lord knows we are oftentimes weak, and dark, & at no small loss even as to the main of our interest in the Promises of God: But there being an equal certainty in the things themselves, of which we speak, it being as certain that the Goodness and Mercy of God shall follow them all their days, as it did David, and as certain that God will deliver them from every evil work, and preserve them to his Heavenly kingdom as he did Panl, they also may grow up unto, and ought to press after the like Assurance and Consolation With them, whom Goodness and Mercy shall follow all their days, and who shall be of God preserved from every evil work, they can never fall totally and finally out of the Favor of God: That this is the state and Condition of Believers is manifested from the Instances given of David, and Paul, testifying their full persuasion and assurance concerning that Condition, on Grounds common to them with all Believers.

2. The conclusion and inference thar the Psalmist makes, from the Assurance which he had of the Continuance of the Goodness, and Kindness of God unto him, followeth in the words insisted on, All the days of his life, he would dwell in his House. He would forever give up himself unto his Worship and service, seeing this is the case of my Soul that God will never forsake me, let me answer this Loye of God in my constant obedience. Now this conclusion follows from the former principle upon a twofold account.

1. As it is a motive unto it. The Continuance of the Goodness, and Kindnesse of God unto a Soul is a constreining motive unto that Soul to continue with him in Love, Service and Obedience: It works powerfully upon a heart any way ennobled with the ingenuity of Grace, to make a suitable return, as far as possible it can, to such eminent Mercy and Goodness. I profess, I know not what those men think the Saints of God to be, who suppose them apt to make conclusions of wantonness and rebellion, upon the account of the Stedfastnesse of the Love and Kindnesse of God to them. I shall not judge any, as to their state and Condition: yet I cannot but think, that such men's prejudices, and fullness of their own persuasions do exceedingly interpose in their Spirits, from receiving that impression of this Grace of God, which in its own nature it is apt to give; or it would be impossible they should once imagine, that of it self it is apt to draw the Spirits of men into a neglect and contempt of God.

2. As the end of God intended in giving that assurance, to the effecting whereof it is exceedingly operative and effectual; so you have it Luke 1. 74, 75. This is the intendment of God in confirming his Oath and Promise unto us, that he may grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in righteousness and holiness all the days of our lives. Now though these forementioned, with many other Texts of Scripture, are plain, evident, and full to the business we have in hand; yet the Adversaries of this truth having theirhands so full with them that are commonly urged, that they cannot attend unto them, I shall not need to spend time in their vindication from exceptions, which none, that I know, have as yet brought in against them (though, upon their principles, they might possibly be invented) but shall leave them to be mixed with faith, according as God by his Spirit shall set them home upon the souls of them, who do consider them.

The whole 125. Ps. might in the next place be brought in, to give Testimony to the truth in hand. I shall only take a Proof from the first verses of it. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed; as the mountains round about Jerusalem, so is the Lord round about his people from henceforth even forever. whereunto answereth that of Ps: 37. 28. The Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his Saints, they are preserved forever. as also Deut. 33. 3. Yea he loveth his people, all his Saints are in thy hand. In the verses named, I shall a little fixe upon two things conducing to our purpose, which are evidently contained in them.

1. A Promise of God's everlasting presence with his Saints, Believers, them that trust in him; and their steadfastness thereupon, they shall be as mount Zion that can never be removed, and that, because the Lord is round about them, and that forever.

2. An allusive comparison of both these, both their stability, and God's presence with them, given for the encouragement of weak Believers, with special regard to the days wherein the Promise was first made, which actually also belongs to them, on whom the ends of the World are fallen. The Psalmist bids them (as it were) lift up their eyes, and look upon mount Zion, and the hills that were round about Jerusalem, and tells them that God will as certainly, and assuredly continue with them, and give them establishment, as those hills and mountains which they beheld round about, abide in their places: so that it shall be as impossible for all the powers of Hell to remove them out of the Favor of God, as for a man to pluck up mount Zion by the roots, or to overturn the foundations of the Mountains, that stand round about Jerusalem. It is true, the Holy Ghost hath special regard to the oppositions and Temptations that they were to undergo from men, but bears also an equal regard to all other means of separating them from their God; It would be a matter of small consolation unto them, that men should not prevail over them forever, if in the mean time there be other more close and powerful Adversaries, who may cast them down with a perpetual destruction. Some few considerations of the intendment of the place, will serve for the enforcing of our Argument from this portion of Scripture.

1. That which is here promised the Saints, is a perpetual preservation of them in that condition wherein they are, both on the part of God, he is round about them, even henceforth & forever, and on their parts, they shall not be removed; that is, from the state and conditon of acceptation with him, wherein they are supposed to be, but abide forever and continue therein immovable unto the end. It is (I say) a plain Promise of their continuance in that condition, wherein they are, with their safety from thence, and not a Promise of some other good thing, provided that they continue in that condition. Their being compared to Mountains, and their Stability, which consists in their being and Continuing so, will admit no other sense. As Mount Zion abides in its condition, so shall they: and as the Mountains about Jerusalem continue, so doth the Lord his presence unto them.

2. That expression which is used v. 2. is weighty and full to this purpose, The Lord is round about his People henceforth and forever. What can be spoken more fully, more pathetically? Can any expression of men so set forth the truth which we have in hand? The Lord is round about them, not to save them from this or that incursion, but from all: not from one or two evils, but from everyone, whereby they are, or may be assaulted. He is with them and round about them, on every side, that no evil shall come nigh them. It is a most full expression of universal preservation, or of God's keeping his Saints in his Love and Favor, upon all accounts whatsoever. And that not only for a season, but it is, henceforth from his giving this Promise unto their Souls in particular, and their receiving of it in all Generations, according to their appointed times, even forever.

Some few exceptions, with a great surplusage of words and phrases, to make them seem some other things, then what have been formerly insisted on again and again, are advanced by Mr Goodwin, to overturn this Zion, and to cast down the mountains that are about Jerusalem. Ch. 11. Sect. 9. pag: 230, 231, 232. The sum of our Argument from hence, as of the intendment of this place, is this: Those whom the Lord will certainly preserve for ever in the state and conditon of trusting in him, they shall never be forsaken of him, nor separated from him. The latter clause of this Proposition is that which we contend for, the whole of that whose proof is incumbent on us: of this, the former part is a sufficient basis and foundation: being comprehensive of all that is, or can be required to the unquestionable establishment thereof: from the Letter of the Text we assume; But God will certainly preserve for ever all his Saints that put their Trust in him, in their so doing, that they shall not be altered, or cast down from that state and conditon: Change but the figurative expressions in the Text, and the Allusions used for the accommodation of their Faith in particular, to whom this Promise was first given, into other terms of a direct and proper significancy, and the Text and the Assumption of our Argument will appear to be the same; whence the conclusion intended will undeniably follow: unto this clear deduction of the Truth contended for, from this place of Scripture, the Discourse ensuing in the place mentioned, is opposed.

1. The Promise only assures them that trust in the Lord, that they shall be preserved, but not at all that they that trust in him, shall be necessitated to do so still, or that so they shall do. So Paul saith, it was in my heart to live and die with the Corinthians: but doubtless with this proviso, that they always continued such as they then were, or as he apprehended them to be, when he so wrote to them.

Ans. I must be forced to smite this evasion once and again, before we arrive at the close of this contest, it being so frequently made use of by our Adversary, who without it, knows himself not able to stand against the evidence of any one Promise usually insisted on. This is the substance of all that, which with exceeding delightful variety of expressions, is an hundred times made use of. The Promise is conditional, and made to those that trust in the Lord, and is to be made good only upon the account of their continuing so to do: but that they shall so do, that they shall continue to trust in the Lord, that is wholly left to themselves, and not in the least undertaken in the Promise; and this is called a discharging or dismissing of places of Scripture, from the service whereunto (contrary to their proper sense & meaning) they are pressed, a delivering them from the bearing the cross of this warfare, with such like Imperial terms and expressions. To speak in the singleness of our spirits, we cannot see any one of the discharged Soldiers, returning from the Campe, wherein they have long served for the safety and consolation of them that do believe. Particularly this Scripture detests the gloss with violence imposed on it, and tells you, that the end for which the God of truth sent it into this service, wherein it abides, is to assure them that trust in the Lord, that they shall be preserved in that condition to the end. That in the condition of trusting and depending on God, they shall be as Zion, and the Favor of God unto them as immovable mountains, he will forever be with them and about them: And that all this shall certainly come to pass, Christ does not say, that they shall be as established mountains, if they continue to trust in the Lord, but they shall be so in their trusting, abiding forever therein, through the safegarding presence of God. For their being necessitated to continue trusting in the Lord, there is not anything in Text, or in our Argument from thence, or in the doctrine we maintain, that requires or will admit of any such proceeding of God, as by that expression is properly signified. Indeed there is a contradiction in terms, if they are used to the same pupose: to Trust in the Lord, is the voluntary free act of the creature: to be necessitated unto this Act, and in the performance of it, so that it should be done necessarily as to the manner of its doing, is wholly destructive to the nature and being of it. That God can effectually, and infallibly as to the event, cause his Saints to continue trusting in him, without the least abridgement of their liberty, yea that he doth so eminently by heightening and advancing their spiritual liberty, shall be afterwards declared: if by necessitated to continue trusting, not the manner of God's operation with, and in them, for the compassing of the end poposed, and the efficacy of his Grace, whereby he doth it (commonly decried under those terms) be intended; but only the certainty of the issue, rejecting the impropriety of the expression, the thing it self we affirm to be here promised of God. But is urged,

2. That this Promise is not made unto the Persons of any, but merely unto their Qualifications: like that, he that believeth shall be saved, it is made to the Grace of Trusting, Obedience, and walking with God, for threatenings are made to the evil Qualifications of men.

Ans. This it seems then we are come unto, and what farther progress may be made the Lord knows. The Gratious Promises of God, made to his Church, his People; in the blood of Jesus, on which they have rolled themselves with safety and security in their several generations, are nothing but bare declarations of the will of God; what he allows, and what he rejects: with the firm concatenation that is between Faith and salvation, Obedience and reward. And this it seems is the only use of them: which if it be so, I dare boldly say, that all the Saints of God from the foundations of the World, have most horribly abused his Promises, and forced them to other ends, then ever God intended them for. Doubtless all those blessed souls, who are fallen a sleep in the Faith of Jesus Christ, having drawn refreshment from these breasts of Consolation, could they be summoned to give in their experience of what they have found in this kind, they would with one mouth profess that they found far more in them, then mere conditional declarations of the will of God: Yea that they received them in Faith, as the engagement of his heart and good will towards them, & that he never failed in the accomplishment and performance of all the good mentioned in them: neither will that emphatical expression in the close of the second verse, (which being somewhat too rough for our Author to handle, he left it quite out) bear any such sense. That the Promises of the Covenant are made originally to Persons, and not to Qualifications, hath been in part already proved, and shall be farther evinced, (God assisting) as occasion shall be offered in the ensuing discourse: The Promises are to Abraham and his seed: and some of them (as hath been declared) are the springs of all Qualifications whatever, that are acceptable unto God: what be the Qualifications of Promises of opening blind eyes, taking away stony hearts, &c. hath not as yet been declared. But it is farther argued.

3. That this and the like Promises are to be interpreted according to the rule which God hath given for the interpretation and understanding of his threatenings unto Nations about temporal things, and his Promises that are of the same import; which we have Jer. 18. 7, 8. Plainly affirming that all their accomplishment dependeth on some conditions in the Persons, or Nations, against whom they are denounced.

Ans. God forbid! shall those Promises which are branches of the everlasting Covenant of Grace, called better Promises then those of the old Covenant upon the account of their infallible accomplishment, ratified in the blood of Christ, made yea and amen in him the witness of the Faithfulness of God to his Church, and grand Supporter of our Faith, exceeding great and precious; shall they be thought to be of no other sense and interpretation, to make no other Revelation of the Father unto us, but in that kind, which is common to threatenings of Judgments (expressly conditional) for the deterring men from their impious and destructive courses? I say, God forbid. To put it then to an issue. God here promiseth that they who here trust in him shall never be removed. What (I pray) is the Conditiō, on which this Promise doth depend? It is say they who oppose us in this, if they continue trusting in him: that is, if they be not removed; for to trust in him, is, not to be removed; if then they be not removed, they shall not be removed; and is this the mind of the Holy Ghost? Notwithstanding all the Rhetoric in the world, this Promise will stand for the consolation of them that believe, as the Mountains about Jerusalem that shall never be removed.

In some it is said to be a Promise of abiding in Happiness, not in Faith: but it plainly appears to be a Promise of abiding in trusting the Lord; which comprehends both our Faith and Happiness

Ob. It is not promised, that they who once trust in the Lord, shall abide happy, though they cease to trust in him.

Ans. It is a Promise that they shall not cease to trust in him:

Ob. It is not that they shall be necessitated to abide trusting in him.

Ans. No, but it is that they shall be so far assisted and effectually wrought upon, as certainly to do it.

Ob. It is no more then the Apostle says to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 2. 3. which frame towards them he would not continue, should they be changed and turned into Idolaters and Blasphemers.

Ans. First, the Promises of God, and the affections of men are but ill compared. 2. Paul loved the Corinthians, whilst they were such as he mentioned; God promiseth his Grace to Believers, that they may continue such as he loves.

Ob. All the Promises are made to Qualifications, not to Persons.

Ans. Prove that, and 1. Take the case in hand; and 2. Cast down the Church to the ground, it having no one Promise on that account made unto it, as consisting of Abraham's Seed: and so this witness also is freed from all exceptions put in against it, and appears with confidence to give in its Testimony to the Vnchangeablenesse of God unto Believers.

I shall in the next place adjoine another portion of Scripture of the same import with those foregoing, wherein the truth in hand is no less clearly, & somewhat more pathetically, & convincingly expressed thē in that last mentioned. It is Isa. 54. 7, 8, 9, 10. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great Mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have Mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the Waters of Noah shall no more cover the Earth, so have I sworn that I will not be wrath with thee, nor rebuke thee: for the Mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my Loving-kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee. The place I have mentioned before, but only as to one special inference from one passage in the words, I shall now use the whole for the confirmation of the general Truth we plead for; the words are full, plain, suited to the business in hand. No expressions of our finding out, can so fully reach the Truth we assert, much less so pathetically work upon the Affections of Believers, or so effectually prevail on their understandings to receive the Truth contained in them, as these words of God himself, given us for those ends, are suited to do. Go to men, whose minds in any measure are free from prejudice, not forestalled with a contrary persuasion, and furnished with evasions for the defense of their opinions, and ask whether God doth not in these words directly and positively promise to those, to whom he speaketh, that he will always continue his kindness to them, to the end: and that for the days of eternity his Love shall be fixed on them: and I no way doubt but they will readily answer, It is so indeed, it cannot be denied. But seeing we have to deal, as with our own unbelieving hearts, so with men who have turned every stone to prejudge this Testimony of God, the words must a little more narrowly be considered, and the mind of the Holy Ghost inquired into.

V. 5. mention is made of the desertion of the Church, by the eclipsing of the beams of God's countenance, and the inflicting of some great affliction for a season: in opposition unto which momentary desertions, in that, and in the beginning of the 8. v. he giveth in Consolation from the Assurance of the great Mercies, and Everlasting Kindnesse, wherein he abideth to do them good; with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, I will pardon, pity, and heal thee, with that mercy which floweth from Love, which never had beginning, that never shall have ending, that cannot be cut off, Everlasting Kindnesse. Bear with patience your present desertion, your present trials, whatever they are that befall you, they are but for a season, but for a moment, and these also consistent with that Mercy & Kindnesse, which is everlasting, and turneth not away; If this Mercy and Kindnesse dependeth on any thing in us, and is resolved lastly thereunto, which may alter and change every moment, as our walking with God in its self considered, not relating to the Unchangeableness of his Purpose, & the efficacy of his promised Grace, is apt to do; what opposition can there be betwixt that desertion wherewith they are exercised, and the kindness wherewith they are embraced, as to their continuance? As that is said to be for a little while, for a moment, so this also may be of no longer abode: It may possibly be as Jonah's Gourd, that grew up in the morning, and before night was withered; what then shall become of the foundation of that consolation, wherewith God here refresheth the souls of his people, consisting in the continuance of his kindness, in an Antithesis to the moment arinesse of their desertion.

Least that any should call this into Question, (as our unbelieving hearts are very apt, and skillful in putting in pleas against the truth of the Promises of God, and their accomplishment towards us) v. 9. the Lord farther confirmeth the Assurance formerly given, and removeth those objections, to which through the Sophistry of Satan, and the Sottishnesse of our own hearts, it may seem to be liable. This is (saith he) as the waters of Noah: God's dealing with thē in that mercy, which floweth from his everlasting kindness, is like his dealing with the World in the matter of the waters of Noah, or the flood wherewith it was drowned and destroyed, when he, with his, were saved in the Ark. He calleth upon his Children to consider his dealings with the World in respect of the flood, I have sworn, (saith he) (that is, I have entered into a covenant to that end, which was wont to be confirmed with an Oath, and God being absolutely faithful in his covenant, is said to swear thereunto, though there be no express mention of any such oath,) that the World should no more be so drowned as then it was: now (saith God) see my Faithfulness herein, it hath never been drowned since, nor ever shall be; with equal Faithfulness have I engaged (even in Covenant) that that kindness, which I mentioned to thee, shall always be continued, so that I will not be wroth to rebuke thee, (that is) so as utterly to cast thee off, as the World was when it was drowned. But some may say, before the flood the Earth was filled with violence, and sin: and should it be so again, would it not bring another flood upon it? Hath he said he will not drown it, notwithstanding any interposall of sin, wickedness, or rebellion whatever? Yea, saith he, such is my Covenant; I took notice in my first engagement therein, that the Imagination of man's heart would be evil from his youth. Gen: 8. 21. and yet I entered into that solemn Covenant; so that this exemption of the World from an universal deluge is not an Appendix to the obedience of the World, which hath been upon some accounts more wicked since, then before; (as in the crucifying of Christ the Lord of Glory, and in rejecting of him being preached unto them) but it solely leaneth upon my Faithfulness in keeping Covenant, and my Truth in the accomplishment of the Oath, that I have solemnly entered into: So is my kindness to you; I have made express provision for your sins and failings therein; such I will preserve you from, as are inconsistent with my kindness to you, and such will I pardon, as you are overtaken withal. When you see an universal deluge covering the face of the Earth, (that is, God unfaithful to his Oath and Covenant) then, and not till then, suppose that his kindness can be turned from Believers.

Something is excepted against this Testimony, Ch: 11. Sect: 4 Pag: 227. but of so little importance, that it is scarce worth while to turn aside to the consideration of it. The sum is, that this place speaketh only of God's Faithfulness in his Covenant; but that this should be the Tenor of the Covenant, that they who once truly believed, should by God infallibly, and by a strong hand, against all interposalls of sin, wickedness, or rebellion, be preserved in such a Faith, is not by any word, syllable, or Iota intimated.

Ans. This is that which is repeated usque ad nauseam; and were it not for variety of expressions, wherewith some men do abound, to adorn it, it would appear extreme beggarly and over-worn; but a sorry shift (as they say) is better then none, or doubtless in this place it had not been made use of. For,

1. This Testimony is not called forth to speak immediately, to the continuance of Believers in their Faith, but to the continuance and unchangeableness of the Love of God to them; and consequentially only to their preservation in Faith upon that account.

2. It is not only assumed at a cheap, and very low rate or price, but clearly gratis supposed, that Believers may make such interposalls of Sin, Wickedness, and Rebellion in their walking with God, as should be inconsistent with the continuance of his Favor and Kindnesse to them, according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace. His Kindnesse and Favor being to us things extrinsical, our sins are not opposed unto them really and directly, as though they might effectually infringe an Act of the Will of God, but only meritoriously; now when God saith, that he will continue his kindness to us forever, notwithstanding the demerit of Sin, as is plainly intimated in that Allusion to the Waters of Noah, for any one to say that they may fall into such Sins and Rebellions, as that He cannot but turn his Kindnesse from them, is a bold attempt for the violation of his Goodness and Faithfulness, and a plain begging of the thing in Question. Certainly it is not a pious labor to thrust with violence such supposalls into the Promises of God, as will stop those breasts from giving out any consolation, when no place or room for them doth at all appear: there being not one word, syllable, Iota, or tittle of any such supposalls in them.

3. The Exposition and Gloss, that is given of these words, namely, that upon conditon of their Faithfulness and Obedience, which, notwithstanding any thing in this or any other Promise, they may turn away from, he will engage himself to be a God to them, is such, as no Saint of God, without the help of Satan and his own unbelief, could affix to the place, neither will that at all assist: which

4. Is affirmed, namely, that in all Covenants (and his Promise holdeth out a Covenant) there must be a condition on both sides; For we willingly grant that in this Covenant of Grace, God doth promise something to us, and requireth something of us; and that these two have mutual dependence one upon another. But we also affirm that in the very Covenant it self, God hath graciously promised to work effectually in us those things, which he requireth of us; and that therein it mainly differeth from the Covenant of Works, which he hath abolished. But such a Covenant, as wherein God should Promise to be a God unto us, upon a condition by us, and in our own strength to be fulfilled, and on the same account continued in unto the end, we acknowledge not, nor can whilst our hearts have any sense of the Love of the Father, the Blood of the Son, of the Grace of the Holy Spirit, the fountains thereof. Notwithstanding then anything that hath been drawn forth in opposition to it, Faith may triumph from the Love of God in Christ, held out in this Promise to the full assurance of an everlasting Acceptance with him; for God also willing yet more abundantly to give in consolation in this place, to the heirs of the Promis, assureth the stability of his Love and kindness to them by another allusion. v. 10. The Mountains (saith he) shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. He biddeth them consider the mountains and hills, and suppose that they may be removed, and depart; suppose that the most unlikely things in the World shall come to pass, whose accomplishment none can judge possible, while the World endureth, yet my kindness to thee is such, as shall not fall within those supposalls, which concern things of such an impossibility. I am exceeding conscious, that all Paraphrasing, or Exposition of the words that may be used for their Accommodation to the Truth we plead for, doth but darken and Eclipse the Light and Glory, which in and by themselves, to a believing soul, 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 turn 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 task is undertaken, into the right improvement of them.

The genuine influence which this, and the like Promises have upon the souls of the Saints, is, mightily to stir 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 ourselves from all pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Universal purity, holiness, and close walking with God, is that which these Promises do press 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 Virtue, hath given us exceeding great and precious 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 precious 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 Devil, and to stir us up to Rebellion, Uncleanness, and hatred of the God of all that Love that is in them; But lie indeed, at the bottom, 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 〈◊〉 ••• fesse do, or may turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness; that is 〈◊〉 •• trine of grace, and of pardon of sin in the blood of Jesus Christ; and so the mercy mentioned in such Promises as these, (merely as in them it is mentioned) Grace and Mercy communicated, cannot be turned into Wantonness; but what are they that do so? Ungodly 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 natural corruption, that flesh and blood that is in Believers, be apt to make such a conclusion as this; Because God will certainly abide with us forever, therefore let us walk carelessly, and do him all the despite 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 blood 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, speak for it self, whether there be anything 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 Goodness to me, through him in whom he is well pleased, that he will be my God, and guide forever, that he will never forsake me, nor take his Kindnesse from me to eternity: And he hath done this, although that he saw and knew, that I would deal foolishly, and treacherously, that I would stand in need of all his Goodness, Patience, and Mercy to spare me, and heal me, promising also to keep me from such a wicked departure from him, as should forever alienate my soul from him; therefore come on, let me continue in sin, let me doc him all the dishonor and despite that I can: this is all the sense that I have of his infinite Love, this is all the impression that it leaveth upon me, that I need not love him again, but study to be as vile and as abominable in his sight, as can possibly be imagined: certainly there is not any smoking flax, or any oruised reed, there is not a soul in the World, whom God in Christ hath once shined upon or dropped the least dram of Grace into his heart, but will look on such a conclusion as this, as a blast of the bottomless 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 work, not abiding in a naked contemplation of them, but mixing them with its self, and there will be undoubtedly found the improvement before mentioned, for the carrying on of Godliness, and Gospel obedience in the hearts of Believers; But this I shall have occasion to speak to more afterward.

Hosea 2. 19, 20. is pertinent also to the same purpose, I will betroth thee unto me forever, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies: I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord. The words themselves as they lie in the Text, do directly confirm our Assertion. The Relation, whereunto God here expresseth that he will, and doth take his People, is one of the most near and eminent, which he affordeth to them; a conjugal 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 forever, upon the Account of those Properties of his, which are engaged, in this his Gracious undertaking to take them to himself therein. He doth it in Righteousness and in Judgment, in Loving-kindness and in Mercies, and in Faithfulness; so that if there be not something in the Context, or words adjoining, that shall with an high hand turn us aside from the first, immediate, open, and full sense of these words, the case is undoubtedly concluded in them. This then we shall consider, and therefore must look a little back into the general design of the whole Chapter; for the evasion of Qualifications will not here serve: God betrotheth Persons, not Qualifications.

There are two parts of the Ch:1. That from the beginning to v. 4. containeth a most fearful, and dreadful commination, and threatening of the Judgments of the Lord, against the whole Church, and Common-wealth of the Jews, for their Apostasy, Idolatry, and Rebellion against him; It is not an affliction, or a trial, or some lesser desolation, that God here threateneth them withal, but utter destruction and rejection, as to all Church and Political State; He will leave them neither substance, nor ornament, State, nor Worship; describing the condition which came upon them, at their Rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ; left they must be, as in the day that God first looked on them poor, naked, in their blood, unpittied, formed neither into Church State, nor Commonwealth: so will I make them saith the Lord; And this dispensation of God the Prophet expresseth with great dread, and terror, to the end of the 13. verse.

2. The second part of the Chapter is taken up and spent, from the 14. verse to the end, in heavenly and gracious Promises, of the conversion of the true Israelites, the seed according to the Promise of God, of the Renovation of the Covenant with them, and blessing them with all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ, unto the end. And hereof, there are these four parts.

1. An heavenly Promise of their Conversion, by the Gospel, which he demonstrateth and setteth out, by comparing the Spiritual deliverance therein, to the deliverance, which they had by an high hand from Egypt: v. 14. and 15.

2. The delivery of them so converted, from Idolatry, False-worship, and all those ways whereby God was provoked to cast off their Fore-fathers; attended by their obedience, in close walking with God forever.

3. The quietness and peace, which they shall enjoy being called, and purged from their sins before mentioned; which the Lord expresseth by his making a Covenant, with the whole Creation, in their behalf. v. 18.

4. A discovery of the fountain of the mercies before mentioned, with those also, which afterwards are insisted on, (to wit) the Everlasting Covenant of Grace, through which, God will with all Faithfulness, and Mercy take them to himself: v. 19, 20. to the end.

Before we farther open these particulars, some Objections must be removed, that are laid to prevent the inference intended from these words. Ch: 11. Sect: 8. pag. 229. It is first objected.

1. The Promise of the Betrothing here specified, is made unto the entire body and Nation of the Jews, as well unbelievers, as Believers, as appeareth by the carriage of the Chapter throughout.

Ans. The carriage of the Chapter throughout, is a weak proof of this Assertion; & (no doubt) fixed on, for want of particular instances, to give any light unto it: neither doth the carriage of the Chapter throughout, intimate any such thing in the least, but expressly manifesteth the contrary. It is universal desolation and utter Rejection, that is assigned as the portion of unbelievers as such, all along this Chapter. This Promise is made to them, whom God allureth into the Wilderness, and there speaketh comfortably to them: which what it doth import, shall be afterwards considered. Yea and which is more, the words of v. 23. which run on in the same tenor with the Promises particularly insisted on, and beyond all exception are spoken to, and of the same persons, are applied by the Apostle Paul, not to the whole Nation of the Jews, Idolaters and Unbelievers, but to them that were brought in unto the Lord Christ, and obtained the Righteousness of Faith, when the rest were hardened. Rom. 9. 26. From v. 24. to the 30. the Apostle by sundry instances from the Scripture of the Old Testament, manifesteth, that it was a Remnant of Israel according to the election of Grace, to whom the Promise was made; To us whom God hath called, not to the Jews only, but also to the Gentiles. For so (saith he) it is in Hosea, (instancing in the passage we insist on) I will call them my people, which were not my people, and her beloved which was not beloved, and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, You are not my people, there shall they be called the Children of the Living God. Which he farther confirmeth firmeth by a Testimony out of Isaiah 10. 22, 23. manifesting, that it is but a Remnant, that are intended. Wherefore it is objected:

2. That the Promise is conditional and the performance of it, & of the Mrceies mentioned in it, suspended upon the repentance of that people, especially of their Idolatry, to the true, and pure worship of God, as appeareth v. 14, 16, 17. which plainly showeth, that it was made as well, nay rather to those that were wicked, and Idolatrous amongst this People then unto others, as being held forth unto them, chiefly for this end, to woo them away from their Idols unto God.

Ans. I hope the people of God will more steadfastly abide by their interest in the sweetness, usefulness, and consolation of this Promise, then to throw it away, upon such slight, and Atheologicall flourishes. For,

1. Is there any title, Iota, or word in the whole Text to intimate that this Promise is conditional, and dependeth on the people's forsaking their Idolatry, The 14, 16, 17. verses are urged for proof thereof; God indeed in those verses doth graciously promise that from the Riches of the same Grace whence he freely saith, that he will Betroth them to himself, that he will convert them, and turn them away from their Idolatry, and all their sins; but that that should be required of them, as a condition whereon God will enter into Covenant with them, there is nothing in the whole Context, from v. 14. and downwards, that intimateth it in the least, or will endure to be wrested to any such sense; it holding out several distinct Acts, of the same free Grace, of his unto his People.

2. That this is a Promise of entering into Covenant with them; cannot be denied. Now that God should require their Repentance, as an antecedaneous, previous qualification to his receiving them into Covenant, and yet in the Covenant, undertake to give them that Repentance, as he doth, in promising them to take away their hearts of stone, and give them new hearts of flesh, is a direct Contradiction, sit only for a part of that Divinity, which is in the whole▪ an express contradiction to the Word, and mind of God.

3. Neither can it be supposed as a conditional Promise, held out to them as a motive to work them from their Idolatry, when antecedentaly thereunto, God hath expressly promised to do that for them (v. 16, 17.) with as high an hand and efficacy of Grace, as can well be expressed; wherefore these being exceptions expressly against the scope of the whole: It is objected.

3. That it cannot be proved that this promise properly, or directly intendeth the collation of Spiritual or heavenly good things unto them, so as of Temporal: yea the situation of it betwixt Temporal Promises, immediately both behind and before it, persuadeth the contrary: Read the Context from v. 8. to the end of the Chapter.

Ans. The other forts being demolished, this last is very faintly defended. That it cannot be proved, that it doth so properly or directly; but if it doth intend spirituals properly and directly, though not so properly or directly, the case is clear: And that it doth properly intend Spiritualls, and but secondarily and indirectly Temporalls, as to sundry limitations, is most evident For,

1. The very Conjugall Expression of the Love of God here used, manifesteth it beyond all contradiction, to be a Promise of the Covenant: I will Betroth thee unto me, I will take thee unto me in a Wedlock covenant. What! in Temporal mercies? Is that the tenor of the Covenant of God? God forbid!

2. The Foundations of these Mercies, and the principles from whence they flow, are Loving-kindnesses, and Mercy, and Fathfulnesse in God, which are fixed upon them, and engaged unto them, whom he thus taketh into Covenant; and surely they are Spiritual Mercies.

3. The Mercies mentioned are such, as never had a literal accomplishment to the Jews in Temporalls, nor can have; and when things promised exceed all accomplishment as to the outward and temporal part, it is the spiritual, that is principally and mainly intended; And such are these, v. 18. I will break the bow, and the sword, and the battle out of the earth, and make you to lie down in safety: How I pray was this fulfilled towards them, whilst they lived under the power of the Persian, Graecian, and Roman Empires, to their utter desolation? and v. 23. he telleth them that he will sow them unto himself in the Earth, and have mercy on them: which, as I said before, Paul himself interpreteth, and applieth to the special Mercies of Faith, and Justification in the blood of Christ; So that both the verses going before, and those that follow after, to the consideration whereof we are sent, contain directly, and properly spiritual Mercies, though expressed in words, and terms of things of a temporal importance. Thus notwithstanding any Exception to the contrary, the Context is clear, as it was at first proposed; Let us then in the next place, consider the intendment of God in this Promise, with that influence of Demonstration, which it hath upon the Truth we are in the consideration of, and then free the words from that corrupting Gloss, which is endeavored to be put upon them.

In the first I shall consider.

• 1. The Persons to whom this Promise is made.
• 2. The Nature of the Promise it self.
• 3. The great undertaking and engagement of the Properties of God, for the accomplishment of his Promise.

1. The Persons here intimated are such as are under the power, and enjoyment of the Grace and kindness mentioned in v. 14, 16, 17, 18. Now because a right understanding, of the Grace of those Promises, addeth much, to the Apprehension of the Kindnesse of these particulars insisted on, the opening of those words may be thought necessary.

1. V. 14. they are those, whom God allureth into the Wilderness, and speaketh comfortably unto them: He allureth, and persuadeth them; there is an allusion in the words, to the great original Promise of the conversion of the Gentiles, and the way whereby it shall be done. Gen: 9. 27. God persuades Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem. Their alluring is by the powerful and sweet persuasion of the Gospel, which here is so termed, to begin the Allegory of Betrothing and Marriage, which is afterwards pursued. It is God's beginning to Wooe the Soul by his Ambassadors: God persuadeth them into the Wilderness: persuadeth them, but yet with mighty power, as he carried them of old out of Egypt, for thereunto he evidently alludeth, as in the next verse is more fully expressed. Now the Wilderness condition, whereunto they are allured, or persuaded by the Gospel, compriseth two things.

• 1. Separation.
• 2. Intanglement.

1. Separation; as the Israelites in the Wilderness were separated from the residue of the World, and the pleasures thereof, the people dwelling alone, being not reckoned with the Nations, having nothing to do with them. So God separateth them to the love of the Gospel, from their carnal contentments, and all the satisfactions which before they received in their Lusts, until they say to them, Get you hence, what have we to do with you anymore? They are separated from the practice of them, and made willing to bid them everlastingly farewell. They see their Egyptian Lusts • ye slain, or dead, or at least dying by the cross of Christ, and desire to see them no more.

2. Intanglement; as the Israelites were in the Wilderness, they knew not what to do, nor which way to take one step, but only as God went before them: as he took them by the hand, and taught them to go; God bringeth them into a lost condition: they know not what to do, nor which way to take, nor what course to pitch upon: and yet in this Wilderness state, God doth commonly stir up such gracious dispositions of soul in them, as himself is exceedingly delighted withal: hence he doth peculiarly call this time, a Time of Love, which he remembereth with much delight. All the time of the Saints walking with him, he taketh not greater delight in a soul, when it cometh to its highest peace and fullest assurance, then when it is seeking after him in its Wilderness Intanglement. So he expresseth it Ierem: 2. 2. Thus saith the Lord, I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the Love of thine Espousals, when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness, in a land that was not sown. And what he here affirmeth, holds proportion therewithal. The Time of their being in the Wilderness, was the Time of their Espousals; and so it is here, the Time of the Lord's Betrothing the Soul to himself: the Wooing words whereby he doth it, being intimated in the next verse. For,

1. He speaketh comfortably to them; speaketh to their hearts: good words that may satisfy their spirits, and give them Rest, and deliverance out of that condition. What it is that God speaketh, when he speaketh comfortably to the very hearts of poor souls, he telleth you, Isai: 40. 1. Comfort you, comfort you my People, saith your God, speak you comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; It is the pardon of iniquity that enwrappeth all the Consolation, that a poor Wilderness soul separated and entangled is capable of, or doth desire. And this is the first description of the Persons, to whom this Promise is given. They are such as God hath humbled and pardoned; such as he hath converted, and justified; whom hehath allured into the Wilderness, & there spoken comfortably to them.

2. Verse 15, the Lord promiseth to this called and justified People, plenty of Spiritual Gospel Mercies, which he shaddoweth out with typical Expressions of Temporal enjoyments, and that with Allusion to their deliverance of old, from Egypt, in three particulars.

1. In general; He will give them Vineyards from thence (that is, from the Wilderness) as he did to them in Canaan, when he brought them out of the Wilderness. This God often mindeth them of, that he gave them Vineyards which they planted not. Deut. 6. 11. And here setteth out the plenty of Gospel Grace, which they never labored for, which he had provided for them, under that notion. He giveth them of the Wine of the Gospel, his holy Spirit.

2. In particular: He compares his dealings with them, to his dealings in the valley of Achor; a most pleasant and fruitful valley, that was near Jericho, being the first the Israelites entered into, when they came out of the Wilderness; which is mentioned as a fruitful place. Isa. 65. 10. And therefore this is said to be to them a door of hope, or an entrance into that, which they hoped for; it being the first fat, fruitful, and fertile place that the Israelites came into, in the Land of Canaan, and so an entrance into the good land which they hoped for, answering their Expectation to the uttermost. In the Promise of the abundance of Spiritual Mercies & Grace, which God hath prepared for his, here calleth into their minds, the consideration of the refreshment, which the Israelites after so long an abode in the wast and howling Wilderness, had, and took in the fruitful plenteous valley of Achor. Such is the spiritual provision, that God hath made for the entertainment of poor souls, whom he hath allured into the Wilderness, and there spoken comfortably to them; being called and pardoned, he leadeth them to sweet and pleasant pastures, treasures of Grace and Mercies, which he hath laid up for them in Jesus Christ. He giveth them of the first fruits of Heaven, which is a door of hope unto the full possession. Rom. 8. 23.

3. To the Songs, and Rejoycings, which the Church had, when they sung one to another, upon the destruction of the Egyptians, at their delivery out of the bondage of Egypt. As then they sung for joy, Exod. 15, upon the sense of that great and wonderful deliverance, which God had wrought for them, so shall their hearts be affected with Gospel Mercies, pardoning, healing, purging, and comforting Grace, which in Jesus Christ he will give in unto them. These then are the three things, which are promised to them that come out of the Wilderness. 1. Gospel refreshment, in pouring out of the Spirit upon them. 2. The first fruits of Heaven, a door of Hope. 3. Spiritual joy, in the destruction and conquest of sin.

This then is the sum, of this second part of that description, which we have of those persons, to whom the Promise under consideration is given; They are such as being Called, and Pardoned, are admitted to that portion in the wonderful marvelous provision of Gospel Mercies, and Grace, which in Jesus Christ he hath provided for them, with that joy and Consolation which thereon doth ensue. In the following verses you have a fuller description of these Persons, upon a twofold account.

1. By their delivery from Idolarty and false-worship, v: 16, 17. which is particularly and peculiarly insisted on, because that eminently was the sin, for which, those mentioned in the beginning of the Chapter, were utterly rejected: God will preserve these, as from the sin of Idolatry, so from any other, that should procure their utter Rejection and desolation, as that of Idolatry had formerly done, in respect of the only carnal Jews.

2. By their protection against their enemies, v: 18. and these are the Persons to whom this Promise is made; converted, justified, sanctified, and purified Persons.

2 ^lie We may take a little view of the Nature of the Promise it self, I will (saith the Lord) betroth thee unto me forever; There is in this Promise a twofold opposition to that Rejection, that God had before denounced unto the carnal and rebellious Jews. 1. In the Nature of the thing it self, unto the divorce, that God gave them v. 2. She is not my Wife, neither am I her Husband: but to these (saith God) I will betroth them unto myself, they shall become a Wife to me, and I will be a Husband unto them: and this also manifesteth that they are not the same persons, to whom that threatening was given, that are principally intended in this Promise; For if God did only take them again, whom he had once put away, there would have been no need of any betrothing of them anew; New Sponsalia are not required for such an Action.

2. In the continuance of the Rejection of the first, and the establishment of the Reception of the latter, at least in respect of his abiding with these, and those; with those for a season: but unto these (he saith) I will Betroth them unto me FOR EVER. God's betrothing of Believers is his actual taking them into a Marriage covenant with himself, to deal with them in the tenderness, faithfulness, and protection of a Husband. So is he often pleased to call himself in reference to his Church; I shall not go forth to the consideration of this Relation, that God is pleased to take the souls of Saints into with himself. The eminent and precious usefulness and consolation, that floweth from it, is ready to draw me out thereunto, but I must attend that which I principally aim at; namely, to evince, that God hath undertaken, the He and Believers, will, and shall abide in this Relation to the end; that he will forever be a Husband to them, and that in opposition to his dealing with the carnal Church of the Jews, to whom he was betrothed as to Ordinances, but rejected them, and said he was not their Husband, as to peculiar grace. To whom God continueth to be a Husband, to them he continueth the loving-kindness, goodwill and protection of a Husband, the most intense, useful, fruitful, that can be imagined: This then will he do to Believers, and that for Ever. Now because sundry Objections may be levied against the Accomplishment of this Engagement of God, upon the account of our instability, and backsliding, the Lord addeth the manner of his entering into this engagement with us, obviating and preventing, or removing all such Objections whatever, which is the third thing proposed to consideration, namely, the Engagement of the Properties of God, for the accomplishment of this Promise.

Five Properties doth the Lord here mention, to assure us of his constancy in this undertaking of his Grace, and the steadfastness of the Covenant he hath taken his People into: and they are Righteousness, Judgment, Loving-kindness, and Mercies, and Faithfulness; whose efficacy also in reference unto their abiding with him, whom he doth betroth to himself, he mentioneth in the close of v: 20. thou (saith he) shalt know the Lord. I shall not insist on the particular importance of the several Expressions, whereby the Lord hath set forth himself, and his goodness here unto us: It is plain, that they are all mentioned to the same end and purpose, namely to give Assurance unto us of the Unchangeableness of this work of his Grace, and to prevent the objections, which the fears of our unbelieving hearts, from the consideration of our weakness, ways, and walkings, temptations, trials and troubles, would raise upon it. The Lord, when he betroths us to himself, sees and knows what we are, what we will be, and how we will provoke the eyes of his Glory. He sees, that if we should be left unto ourselves, we would utterly cast off all knowledge of him, and obedience unto him; Wherefore (saith he) I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and Judgment, allowing full measure for all thy weaknesses, that they shall not dissolve that union I intend. As if a Prince should go to take to him in Marriage a poor deformed Beggar, who being amazed with his kindness, and fearing much least he should be mistaken, and account her otherwise then indeed she is, which, when it is discovered, will be her ruin, she plainly telleth him, she is poor, deformed, and hath nothing in the World, that may answer his expectation, and therefore she cannot but fear, that when he knoweth her thoroughly indeed, he will utterly cast her off: But he thereupon replieth, Fear no such thing, what I do, I do in Righteousness, and Judgment, knowingly of thee, and thy Condition, and so as that, I will abide by it. Perhaps (as some think) by this betrothing us in Righteousness, the Lord may intimate his bestowing upon us Righteousness, yea his becoming in Jesus Christ our Righteousness, to supply that utter want, which is in us of that which is acceptable unto him. Now because we are not only unmeet, to be at first accepted into any such terms of alliance with the Lord, but also shall certainly in the carrying of it on, behave ourselves foolishly and frowardly, unanswerable to his loving-kindness, so that he may justly cast us off forever, he telleth us farther, that he betroths us to himself in Lovingkindnesse and Mercies, knowing that in entering into this alliance with us, he maketh work for his tenderest bowels of Compassion, his pity, and pardoning mercy. In his continuance in this Relation, whatever his Kindnesse, Patience, and Pardoning mercy can be extended unto, that he will accomplish and bring about. But will not the Lord, when he pardons once, and again, at length be waried by our innumerable provocations, so as to cast us off for ever? No (saith he) this will I do in Faithfulness. He doubleth the expression of his Grace, and addeth a Property of his nature, that will carry him out to abide by his first Love to the utmost; I will (saith he) even betroth thee unto myself in Faithfulness. His firmness, constancy, and truth, in all his ways and promises will he use in this work of his Grace, Deut: 32. 4. But perhaps notwithstanding all this, the heart is not yet quiet: yet it feareth it self, and its own treachery, least it should utterly fall off from this gracious Husband; wherefore in the close of all, God undertaketh for them also, that no scruple may remain, why our souls should not be satisfied, with the sincere milk that floweth from this breast of Consolation; Thou shalt (saith he) know the Lord; This indeed is required, that under the Accomplishment of this gracious Promise, you know the Lord, (that is) believe, and trust, and obey the Lord: and (saith he) thou shalt do it. I will by my Grace keep alive in thy heart (as a fruit of that Love, wherewith I have betrothed thee to myself) that Knowledge, Faith, and Obedience, which I require of thee

This then is some part of that, which in this Promise, the Lord holdeth out unto us, and assureth us of: notwithstanding his Rejection of the carnal Jews, yet for his elect, both the Jews and Gentiles, he will so take them into a Marriage Covenant with himself, that he will continue forever a Husband unto them: undertaking also, that they shall continue in Faith, and Obedience, knowing him all their days: and of all this, he effectually assureth them, upon the account of his Righteousness, Judgment, Loving-kindness, Mercy, and Faithfulness.

I cannot but add, that, if there were no other place of Scripture in the whole Book of God, to confirm the Truth we have in hand, but only this: I should not doubt (the Lord assisting) to close with it upon the signal Testimony given unto it thereby, notwithstanding all the specious Oppositions that are made thereunto.

For the Close, I shall a little consider that lean and hungry Exposition of these words, which is given in the place before metioned Ch. 11. Sect: 8. pag. 229. I will betroth them unto me in Righteousness, and in Judgment, and in Loving-kindness, and Mercy: so the words are expressed in a different Character, as the very words of the Promise in the Text. 1. ( Thee ) that is, the Church, is changed into ( Them ) that is, the Jews, and their Children or carnal seed, as a little before was expressed: and then that emphatical expression ( forever ) is quite thrust out of the Text, as a stubborn word, not to be dealt withal upon any fair terms. Let us see then, how that which remaineth is treated and turned off. ( I will betroth thee) that is, I will engage and attempt to insure both them, and their affections to me, by all variety of ways, and means, that are proper and likely to bring such a thing to pass: But who knoweth not that this is wooing, and not betrothing? we need not go far to find out men learned in the Law, to inform us, that to try, and attempt to get and assure the affections of any one, is not a Betrothment. This then is the first part of this Exposition: ( I will betroth ) that is, I will woo and essay, attempt and endeavor to get their affections: which besides the forementioned absurdity, is attended with another sore oversight, (to wit) that God promiseth to do this very thing in the last words of v. 20. which is affirmed, that he doth but attempt to do.

To proceed: (he saith) I will do this, 1. By showing myself Just and Righteous unto them, in keeping my Promise concerning their deliverance out of captivity, at the end of 70 years. So then, in this new Paraphrase, I will Betroth thee, (that is, the Election of Jews and Gentiles) to myself forever in Righteousness, is, I will essay to get their affections, by showing myself Righteous in the Promise of bringing the Jews out of captivity. That this Promise is not made to the body of the Jews, returning out of Captivity, was before demonstrated; The Righteousness here mentioned, is that, which God will, and doth exercise in this very Act of Betrothing, and not any other act of it, which he will make use of to that purpose. God engageth to betroth them to himself in Righteousness, using and exercising his Righteousness in that very Act of his Love, and Grace to them: and this is now given, in an alluring them to love him by appearing Righteous, in bringing them out of Captivity.

The like interpretation is given of the other expressions following, ( Judgment: ) It is (saith he) by punishing and judging their enemies, and destroying them that led them into captivity, and held them in bondage and subjection, and (Loving-kindness) is his giving them corn, wine, oil, peace and plenty, and (Mercy) in pardoning of daily sins, and insirmities, and (Faithfulness) is, he knoweth not what. This is made the sum of all; God by doing them good, with outward mercies, and pardoing some sins and infirmities, will morally try to get their affections to himself. Virgula Pictoris. 1. It is not an Expression of God's attempting to get their Love, but of the establishing and confirming of his own. 2. That God should morally try and essay to do, and effect, or bring about anything, which yet he doth not, will not, or cannot compass and effect, is not to be ascribed to him, without casting the greatest reproach of Impotency, Ignorance, Changeablenesse, upon him imaginable. 3. God promising to Betroth us to himself, fixing his love on us, that we shall know him, so fixing our hearts on him; to say, that this holdeth out only the use of some outward means unto us, enervateth the whole Covenant of his Grace, wrapped up in these Expressions; so that all things considered, it is not a little strange to me, that any sober learned man, should ever be tempted so to wrest, and corrupt, by wrested and forced Gsosses, the plain words of Scripture: wherein whatever is pretended, he cannot have the least countenance of any Expositor of note, that went before him: Although we are not to be pressed with the name of Tarnovius a Lutheran, a professed Adversary in this cause; yet let his Exposition of that place under consideration be consulted with, and it will plainly appear, that it abideth not in any compliance with that, which is here by our Author imposed on us.

The Promises we have under consideration, looking immediately and directly only to one part of that Doctrine, whose defense we have undertaken, (to wit) the Constancy and Unchangeableness of the Grace of Justification, or God's abiding with his Saints, as to his free acceptance of them and love unto them unto the end, I shall not insist on many more particulars.

The 10. John 27, 28, 29. closeth this Discourse My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and I give unto them Eternal Life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand; my Father, which gave me them, is greater then all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand.

In the verse foregoing, our Savior renders a reason why the Pharisees notwithstanding all his Preaching to them, and the Miracles he wrought among them, yet believed not, when sundry others, to whom the same dispensation of outward means was afforded, did hear his voice and did yield obedience thereunto; and this he telleth us was, because they were not of his sheep: such as were given him of his Father, and for whom as the good Shepherd he laid down his life, v. 14, 15. upon the close of this discourse, he describeth the present Condition of his Sheep, & their Preservation in that Condition from the power of himself, and his Father engagedthere unto. He layeth their abiding him as his Sheep, upon the Omnipotence of God, which upon account of the constancy of his Love towards them, he will exercise and exert as need shall be, in their behalf. There are many emphatical expressions both of their continuance in the Obedience of Faith, and of his undertaking for their Preservation therein. The latter I at present only intend. (Saith he) 1. I know them. 2. I give them Eternal Life. 3. They shall never perish. 4. No man shall pluck them out of my hand. 5. My Father is Omnipotent: and hath a Sovereignty over all, and he taketh care of them, and none shall take them out of his hand. It is not easy to cast these words into any other form of arguing, then that wherein they lie, without loosing much of that convincing Evidence that is in them: this you may take for the sum of their influence into the Truth in hand. Those whom Christ so owneth, as to take upon him to give them Eternal Life, and by his Power, and the Power of his Father, to preserve them thereunto, which power shall not, nor possibly can be prevailed against, so that the end aimed at to be accomplished therein, should not be brought about, those shall certainly be kept forever in the Favor and Love of God, they shall never be turned from him. Such is the case of all Believers: for they are all the Sheep of Christ, they all hear his voice and follow him.

Some few things to wrest this Gracious assurance given Believers, of the everlasting good will of God & Christ unto them, by Mr Goodwin Cap. 10. Sect. 37. Page. 203. are attempted.

1. He granteth, that there is an engagement of the mighty power of God for the safegarding of the Saints, as such, or remaining such, against all adverse power what ever: But nowhere for the compelling or necessitating of them to persevere, and continue such, is there anything in the Scripture.

Ans. The sum is, if they will continue Saints, God will take care that notwithstanding all opposition, they shall be Saints still. Very well! if they will be so, they shall be so: But that they shall continue to be so, that is not promised. The terms of Compelling, or Necessitating, are cast in, merely to throe dirt upon the Truth, least the beauty shining forth too brightly, there might have been danger, that the very Exceptor himself could not have born it. We say not that God by his Power compelleth men to persevere, (that is) maketh them do it, whether they will or no. Perseverance being an habitual Grace in their wills, it is a gross contradiction once to imagine that men should be compelled thereunto. But this we say, that by the Almighty Power of his Spirit, and Grace, he confirmeth his Saints, in a voluntary abiding, with him all their days. Having made them a willing People in the day of the Power of Christ towards them, he preserveth them unto the end. Neither are they wrapped up by the power of God into such a necessity of Perseverance, as should obstruct the liberty of their Obedience; The necessity that regardeth them in that Condition, respecting only the issue and end of things, and not their manner of support in their abiding with God. And it is not easy to conjecture why our Author, should so studiously avoid the grant of a Promise of final Perseverance, in these words, who in his next observation upon them, affirmeth, that they respect the state of the Saints in Heaven, and not at all those that are on Earth; I mean that part of those words, which expresseth their preservation and safegarding by the Power of God. So that this is fancied perhaps, even to be the condition of the Saints in Heaven, that God will there preserve them whilst they continue Saints, but that they shall so do, there is not any Assurance given, or to be had. It is marvelous if this be so, that in so large and vast a space of time, we yet never heard of any of those holy ones, that were cast out of his Inheritance, or that forfeited his enjoyment. But let us hear what is farther asserted. He addeth by way of Answer,

1. The security, for which our Savior engageth the Greatness of his Fathers power unto his sheep, is promised unto them, not in order to the effecting or procuring their final Perseverance, but rather by way of reward to it.

Ans. But what Tittle is there (I pray you) in the whole Context to intimate any such thing? What insinuation of any such Condition? They hear my voice, and they follow me, (that is) they believe in me, and bring forth the fruits of their Believing in suitable obedience, as these words of hearing and following do imply. (Saith our Savior,) these shall not perish; the Power of my Father shall preserve them; (that is) saith our Author, in case they persevere to the end, then God will preserve them: clearly our Savior undertaketh, that Believers shall not perish, and that his Power and his Fathers are engaged for that end, which is all we assert, or have need to do.

2. That this Promise of safety, made to his Sheep by Christ, doth not relate to their state or condition in this present world, but that of the world to come. My Sheep hear my voice and follow me, in which words of hearing and following him, he intimateth or includeth their Perseverance, as appeareth by the words immediately following. And I give them Eternal Life.

Ans. This I confess is to the purpose if it be true: but being so contrary to what hath been (I had almost said Universally ) received, concerning the mind of Christ in this place, we had need of evident concluding Reasons, to enforce the truth of this gloss or interpretation. For the present I shall give you some few inducements or persuasions, why it seemeth altogether unsuitable to the mind of our Blessed Savior, that this engagement of his Fathers Power, and his own, should be shut out from taking any place in the Kingdom of Grace.

1. Observe that there is a great opposition to be made against the Saints, in that condition, wherein they are promised to be preserved. This is supposed in the words themselves. There is none shall take them out of my hands: my Father is great, and none shall be able to take them out of his hands. As if he should have said, It is true, many Enemies they have, great opposition will there be, and arise against them on all hands, but preserved they shall be in the midst of them all; But now what Enemies, what opposition will there be, and arise against the Saints in Heaven? The Holy Ghost telleth us, the last • nemy is Death, and that at the Resurrection, that shall be utterly swallowed up into Victory, that it shall never lift up the head; There they rest from their labors who die in the Lord. Yea, it is exceeding ridiculous to suppose, that the Saints need Assurance of the engagement of the Omnipotency of God, for their safeguarding in heaven, against all opposition, when they are assured of nothing more, then that there they shall not be liable to the least opposition, or obstruction, in their enjoyment of God, unto all eternity.

2. Our Savior here describeth the present condition of his sheep, in a way of opposition to them that are not his sheep: His hear his voice, the others do not, and his shall be preserved, when the others perish: The Pharisees believed not, and, as he told them, they died in their sins; his sheep heard him, and were preserved in their obedience. It is then evidently the deportment of Christ towards, and his care of his sheep in this World, in a contra-distinction to them, who are not his sheep, among whom they live, that is here set forth.

3. The very Context of the words enforceth this sense: They follow me, and I give them eternal life, I do it, that's the work I have in hand. Take eternal Life in the most comprehensive sense, for that which is to be enjoyed in heaven, (though doubtless it compriseth also the Life of Grace, which here we enjoy. John: 17. 3:) What is that which our Savior undertaketh to give 〈◊〉 they may be sure, that they shall be preserved to the enjoy 〈◊〉 telleth them they shall not perish, Is that not pe rishing, 〈◊〉 of Heaven, when they come thither? Not to be deprived of 〈◊〉 after they have entered into the fullness of it? Or rather that 〈◊〉 , or come short of it, and so perish? And this is that which 〈◊〉 Father, and Son, is engaged to accomplish; namely, that 〈◊〉 not by coming short of that • ternall Life, which is the business 〈◊〉 give unto them. If any one Reason of weight or importance, that hath the least pregnancy with Truth, be offered to the contrary▪ we shall 〈◊〉 and • ache off the power of the former Reasons, which we have 〈◊〉 on, though without offering the greatest violence imaginable to Truth it self, it cannot be done. It is said, that by these words, They hear my voice, 〈◊〉 Christ doth intimate, or include their Perseverance: to say a thing 〈◊〉 or included, is of small power against so many express Reasons, as we have induced to the contrary; but will this be granted, that where ever the Saints are said to hear the voice of Christ, Perseverance is included? We shall quickly have a fresh supply of Scripture proofs, for the demonstration of the Truth in hand: but what attempt is made for the proof hereof? It is so, because the words immediately following are, I give to them eternal Life, which presuppose their final Perseverance; and this must be so, because it is so said; I will give to them Eternal Life, is either an intimation of what he doth for the present, by giving them a spiritual Life in himself, or a Promise he will do so, with respect to eternal Life consummated in heaven; which Promise is everywhere made upon Believing: and it is a Promise of Perseverance, not given upon Perseverance. Neither is there anything added in the words following, to confirm this uncouth wresting of the mind of our Savior, but only the 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 natural, and clear disposition of the Context in this place, but, Nobis non licet &c.

There are sundry other texts of Scripture, which most clearly and evidently confirm the truth we have in hand, which are all well worth our consideration, for our consolation and establishment: as also something of our labor and diligence to quit them from those glosses and interpretations, (which turn 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.

T Here remains nothing for the confirmation of the first branch, 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 Honor, 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 ask, whence it is, that the Lord will abide so Stedfast in his Love towards Believers, as hath been manifested upon several accounts, that he will, besides what hath been said before of his own Goodness and Unchangeableness &c. I shall now add that outward consideration, which lies in the Mediation of Christ, upon the account whereof, he acts his own Goodness, and Kindnesse to us, with the greatest advantage of Glory ad Honor to himself, that can be thought upon. Only I shall desire the Reader to observe, that the Lord Jesus is an undertaker in this business of perfecting our Salvation, and safegarding our Spiritual 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 Faithfulness towards us; and a surety for us, of our Faithfulness to him; so that upon the whole matter, the business on each side, as to security, will be found knit up in him, and there we shall do well to leave it, though the handling of that suretyship of his be not of our present consideration; Men will scarce dispute him out of his Faithfulness; Henceforth he dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him, he sits at the right hand of God, expecting to have his enemies made his footstool: This then I will do if God permit. And for the steadfastness of his Saints, in their abiding with God, I shall (I fear) no otherwise insist peculiarly upon it, but as occasion shall be ministered by dealing with our Advesary, as we pass on.

That which I shall now do, is, to consider the influence of the Priesthood of Christ in those two Grand Acts thereof, his Oblation & Intercession, into the Perseverance of Saints, according to that of the Apostle Heb. 5. 27. Wherefore he is able also to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him, seeing he liveth ever to make intercession for them. And I will do it the more carefully, because though it be one of the greatest strengths of our Cause, yet I shall walk in a path, wherein none shall meet me, for the most part of the way, to make any opposition.

My entrance into the consideration of the procurement of our Glory by Christ, shall be with that, whereby he came into his own, viz. his Oblation, which hath a twofold influence into the Perseverance of the Saints, or into the Safeguarding of their Salvation to the utmost.

1. By removing and taking out of the way all causes of separation between God, and those that come unto God by him: that is, all Believers. Now these are of two sorts:

1. That which is moral, & procuring such separation or distance, which is the Guilt of Sin.

2. That which is Efficient, & working as the power of Satan & of sin. The first of these, being that alone, for which it may be supposed that God will turn from Believers; and the latter, that alone, whereby they may possibly be turned from him. Now that both these are so taken out of the way by the Oblation of Christ, that they shall never actually & eventually work, or cause any total, or final separation between God & Believers, shall be demonstrated.

1. He hath so taken away the Guilt of Sin from Believers, from them that come to God by him, that it shall not prevail with the Lord to turn from them: He hath obtained for us Eternal Redemption Heb. 9. 12. Eternal and Compleat; nor so far and so far, but Eternal Redemption hath he obtained; Redemption that shall be completed, notwithstanding any interveniences imaginable what ever: This Redemption, which he hath obtained for us, and which by him we obtain, the Apostle tells us what it is, and wherein it doth consist Ephes. 1. 2. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood, even the forgiveness of sins. He hath obtained for us everlasting forgiveness of Sins; as to the complete efficiency of the procuring cause thereof, absolutely perfect and complete in its own kind, not depending on any Condition in any other whatsoever, for the producing the utmost effect intended in it; There shall be no after reckoning or account for sin, between God and them, for whom he so obtains Redemption. And the Apostle in the 10 ^th Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, disputes at large this difference, between the Typical Sacrifices, & the Sacrifice of the blood of Christ; He tells you, those were offered year by year, and could never make the comers to God by them perfect: (or acquit them from sin) for then they could have had no more Conscience of sin being once purged; but now (saith he) there was a remembrance again of sin renewed every year, v. 3, 4. If sin had been taken away, there would have been no more Conscience of it: that is, no such Conscience, as upon the Account whereof, they came for help unto, or healing by those Sacrifices: no more Conscience condemning for sin; Conscience judges according to the Obligation unto punishment; which it apprehends upon it. Conscience of sin; that is, a tenderness to sin, and a condemnation of sin, still continues after the taking of the guilt of it away; but Conscience disquieting, judging, condemning the Person for sin, that vanisheth together with the guilt of it; And this is done, when the Sacrifice for sin is perfect and complete, and really attains the end for which it was instituted; And if any Sacrifice for sin what ever, do not completely take away that sin for which the Oblation is made, and the Atonement thereby, so that no after charge might come upon the sinner, it is of necessity, that, that Sacrifice be renewed again, and again. The reason the Apostle gives of the repetition of the Legal Sacrifices, is, that they made not the comers to them perfect: that is, as to the taking away of their sins and giving them entire and complete peace thereupon; All this the Apostle informs us, was don in the Sacrifice of Christ, v. 14. with one offering he hath forever perfected (or made perfect that work for them as to this business of Conscience for sin) them that are Sanctified; His one Offering perfectly put an end to this business; even the difference between God and us, upon the account of sin; which if he had not done, it would have been necessary, that he should have been often offered, his Sacrifice having not obtained the complete end thereof; That the efficacy of this Sacrifice of his, cannot depend on anything foreign unto it, shall be declared afterwards. Also that the necessity of our Faith and Obedience, in their proper place, is not in the least hereby impaired, shall be manifested. That they may have a proper place, efficacy, and usefulness, and not be conditions whereon the effects of the death of Christ are suspended, as to their Communication unto us, is by some denied: how weakly, how falsely, will then also appear. Now this Christ doth for all that are Sanctified, or dedicated, or consecrated unto God, (which is almost the perpetual sense of that word in this Epistle) in, and by that Offering of his. And this the Apostle farther conmfires from the Consideration of the New Covenant with us, ratified in, and whose Effects were procured by, the Blood-shedding and Offering of Christ, v. 17. their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more. Saith God, upon the account of the Offering of Christ, there is an end of that business, and that Controversy, which I have had with those Sanctifyed ones: and therefore let them (as to this) as to the making satisfaction for sin, trouble themselves no more, to think of thousands of Rammes, or the like; for there is no more Offering for sin required; And on this foundation. I may say, there doth not remain any such Guilt to be reckoned unto Believers as, that with regard thereunto, God should forsake them utterly and give them over unto everlasting ruin; And this is the sum of the Apostles discourse in that Chapter, as it looks upon the matter under present consideration. That Sacrifice, which so taketh away the Sins of them, for whom 'tis offered, as that thereupon they should be perfect, or perfectly accquitted of them, and have no more conscience (which is a judgment of a man's self, answering to the judgment of God concerning him) of sin, so to judge him and condemn him for it, as not to have remedy of that Judgment or condemnation provided in that Sacrifice, that (I say) doth so take away the Guilt of sin, as that it shall never separate between God and them, for whom and whose sin it was offered▪ but such was the Sacrifice of Christ: Ergo; The Reason of the Consequence is clear from the very form of the proposition; and nothing is assumed, but what is the express Testimony of the Apostle, in that and other places?

So Daniel 9. 24. The design in the Death of Christ, is to finish the Transgression, to make an end of Sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquities, and to bring in everlasting Righteousness; Christ makes an end of sin: not that there should be no more sin in the world; for there is yet sinning to the purpose, in some respect, much more then before his death; and there will be so to eternity, if those under the ultimate sentence may be thought to sin; but he makes an end of it, as to the Controversy and difference about it, between God, and them for whom he died; and that by making Reconciliation; On the part of God, attoning him toward us, which Atonement we are persuaded to accept: and by bringing in for us, a Righteousness, which is everlasting, and will abide the trial, which God will certainly accept: Now when God is satisfied for sin, and we are furnished with a Righteousness exactly complete, and answering to the utmost of his demand, whence can anymore contest arise about the guilt of sin, or the obligation of the sinner unto punishment, that from the Justice and Law of God doth attend it? This also the Apostle urgeth Rom. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died. He argueth from the death of Christ to the ablation, or removal of Condemnation for sin; because by his death he hath made an end of sin, as was shown, and brought in everlasting Righteousness. To suspend the issue of all these transactions between God, and the Mediator, upon conditions by us to be accomplished, not bestowed on us, purchased for us, and as to their event uncertain, is disadvantagiously to beg the thing in question.

Now because it appears, that, notwithstanding the death of Christ, many for whom he died, are kept a long season under the guilt of sin, and are all of them borne in a condition of wrath, ( Ephes. 2. 3.) I shall crave leave a little to insist on this instance, and to show, that notwithstanding the Truth thereof, yet the guilt of sin is so taken away, from all those for whom Christ died, by his death, that it shall never be a cause of everlasting separation between God and them. In the Obedience and Death of Christ, whereby as a completely sufficient and efficacious means, he made way for the Accomplishment of his eternal purposes, in such paths of infinite wisdom, as brought in all the good he aimed by it, in that order, which the very frame and nature of things by him appointed, required the exaltation of his Glory, God is satisfied, well pleased, and resolved that he will not take his course at Law against those, in the behalf of whom he died. Though an Arrest was gone forth against all mankind, yet the Lord suspended by his Sovereignty the utmost Execution of it, that room and space might be given, according to the Eternal thoughts of his heart, for the deliverance of some. A reprieve is granted mankind out of Reasons, and for Purposes of his own: After the sentence of Death was denounced against them, God being pleased to magnify his Grace, according to his Eternal Council, and purpose in Jesus Christ, innovates the Law, as to the Obligation of it unto punishment, on the behalf of some, by an interposition of the Son of his love in such way, as to undergo what was due unto those, on whose behalf the interposition was made: and by this undertaking of Christ, in the very first notion of it, as it was satisfactory, thus much is done and accomplished.

First, the vindictive Justice of God is satisfied; that is, whereas such is the natural Right, Sovereignty, and Dominion of God over his Creatures, and such his Essentiall Perfections of Holiness, Purity, and Righteousness, that if his Creatures cast off his yoke, and their dependence on him (which they do by every sin, what in them lieth) it is then of indispensable necessity, that he render unto that sin, or sinner, guilty thereof, a meet Recompence of Reward: Jesus Christ hath so answered his Righteousness, that without the impairing of his Right, or Sovereignty, without the least derogation from his Perfections, he may receive his sinning Creatures again to favor; It being the Judgment of God, that they, who commit sin, are worthy of Death Rom. 1. 32. and a Righteous thing with him, to render Tribulation to sinners: 1 Thess. 1. 6, 7. ( For shall not the Judge of all the world do right? Gen. 18.) He hath set forth his Son to Declare his Righteousness for the forgiveness of sins Rom. 3. 24, 25. Now for whom Christ died, he died for all their sins, 1 John 1. 7. The Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin • e; The Application of it being commensurate to his intendment in his Oblation, not extending it self to the actual effecting of anything whatever, which was not meritoriously procured thereby. He loved his Church, and gave himself for it, that he might Sanctify, and Cleanse it with the washing of water, that he might present it to himself a Glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be Holy and without blame Ephes. 5. 25, 26, 27. He makes complete Atonement to the Justice of God on their behalf, so that the very vindictive Justice of God hath nothing to lay to their charge. That which in God maintains the Quarrell against sinners Is atoned, and is no more their Enemy than Mercy it self: And this not upon condition of Believing to be antecedently accomplished before this be done. The Satisfaction of Justice vindictive depends not at all on anything in us; it requires only that there be vindicta noxae, and a vindication of the Sovereignty of God, over the sinning Creature, by the inflictioon of that punishmient, which in his Infininite Wisdom and Righteousness, he hath proportioned unto sin; on a supposition of sin in such Creatures, as being made meet and fit to yield voluntary Obedience unto God, and so standing in a moral subjection to him, being their cutting off, what lies in them, their dependence on God; (which that it should be contlnued, is as necessary as that God be God, or the Lord of all) Those Creatutes are upon the account of the Sovereignty & Righteousness of God, whereof we speak, indipensably obnoxious unto punishment, which is of necessity required unto God's retaining his Dominion over them. By the Death of Christ, this Condition is so far repaired, that the dependence and subjection unto God, of those, for whom he Dyed, is made up, so far as to a deliverance of them, from a necessity of being obnoxious unto punishment, and that compleately, without any Abeyance upon conditions in themselves, which can have no influence thereunto. So that though the process of the Law, sent forth, be not instantly recalled, but man is suffered to lie under that arrest for a season, yet God lets fall his suit on this account, and will never pass his first sentence, from which we are reprieved, unto full and final execution: pronouncing himself, well pleased with his Son, resting satifyed with his mediatory performances, and seeking no farther.

2. The Law of God is fulfilled. Unless this be answered in all concernements of it, the Lord would be thought to change his Will, to reverse his Word, and to blur the Copy of his own Holiness. There is in the whole Law, and every parcel of it an eternal indispensable Righteousness and Truth: arising either from the nature of things themselves, concerning which it is, or the Relation of one thing unto another. That to fear God, to Love him, to Obey him, to do no wrong, are everlastingly indispensablely good & necessary, is from the nature of the things themselves: only with this supposition, that God would make Creatures capable of yielding him such Obedience. That that which is good, shall be so rewarded, that which is evil so punished, is also an everlasting truth upon supposition of such actual performances. Whereas then of this Law there are two parts, the one Absolute or Preceptive, in the Rule and commands thereof, The other Conditional, and rewarding in its Promise, or condemning in its curse, Christ by his death put himself, in their behalf, for whom he Dyed, (to speak to that particular) under the curse of it. Gal. 3. 13. He Redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us; neither is this at all suspended on our Believing; The Law doth not threaten a Curse, only if we do not Believe, but if we do not all things written therein; whether we believe or not, the Law takes no notice, as to the Curse that it denounceth; If there hath been any sin, that must be executed. And the Law is for the Curse, as Isaac for the the great Spiritual Blessing; He had but one; it hath but one great Curse, and that being underrgone by Christ, it hath not another for them, in whose stead Christ underwent it; God having made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, we become the Righteousness of God in him; All separation from God is by the Curse of the Law; All that is required in it, by it, is, that it be undergone: this is done by Christ for all Believers: that thereby is taken away, which alone can separate them from God, or put any distance between them: But of this, and their subjection to the Curse before their Believing, more afterwards.

3. The Truth, or veracity of God was particularly engaged to see sin punished, upon the account of the Promulgatiō of the first express Sanction of the Law; In the day thou eatest, thou shalt die; For the satisfying the engagement of God's Truth, there seemed to be a tender made in the Sacrifices instituted of old: but it was rejected, as insufficient to make good that Word of God, so eminently given out; There was neither any such Relation, Union, or Conjunction between the sinner and the innocent Creature Sacrificed, or any such real worth in the Sacrifice it self, as that the Death of the substituted beast, might by any means be so interpreted, as to amount to the accomplishment of the Truth of God: Death being once denounced, as the reward of sin. Heb. 10. 5, 6. Sacrifices and Offerings for sin thou wouldest not, in burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure; but saith our Savior Lo I come to do thy will, O God, v. 7. Will that do it? Yea, it will assuredly, for in the volume of his Book it is written, that he should so do; All that God willed to be done for the accomplishment of his Truth, was fulfilled by Christ, when he came to give up himself a sweet smelling Sacrifice, Ephes. 5. 2. God then may be true, His Truth being salved to the utmost, though never any one of them, for whom Christ Dyed, do die: But this to the Salvation of Believers, is only as removens prohibens.

4. The distributive Justice of God is, upon this Oblation of Christ engaged upon the Covenant and compact made with Christ as Mediator, to that purpose, to bestow on them, for whom he Offered and Dyed, all the good things which he promised him for them, in and upon the account of his undertaking in their behalf: The distributive Justice of God, is that perfection of his Nature, whereby he rendereth to everyone, according to what, either his vindictive Justice on the one side, or his Uprightness, and Faithfulness, on the other, do require. In rewarding, it respects his own Faithfulness in all his engagements immediately, in punishing, the demerit of the Creature: there being no such natural connection and necessary coherence, from the nature of the things themselves, between Obedience and Reward, as there is between Sin and Punishment.

Now the Lord having given many eminent and Glorious Promises to his Son Jesus Christ, (some whereof we shall mention afterwards) concerning his Seed, and Ofspring, or those that he committed to his charge, to be Redeemed from their sins, it is incumbent on him, in regard of his Righteousness, to make out all those things in due time unto them. And therefore that he might magnify that Righteousness & Truth of his, he hath cast the whole procedure of his Grace, into such a way, and all the Acts of it, into such a dependence upon one another, as that the one of them, should have infallible influence into the other, and the effects of everyone of them be rendered indubitably certain.

Thus upon the Account of the Death of Christ, antecedently to all considerations of Faith, or Beliefe, in them for whom he Dyed, thus much is done, for the extinguishing the quarrel about sin: The vindictive Justice, Law, and Truth of God are disengaged from pursuing the Sentence of Death and Everlasting Separation from God, against them as sinners; Neither have they at all anything to lay to their charge, for which they should be cast out of the presence of God: Yea the Lord is moreover, in his own Faithfulness & Righteousness, with respect to the Covenant of the Mediator, engaged to do that which is needful, to the bringing of them to himself; After some previous Observations, I shall confirm what hath been spoken, by sundry Arguments. I say then,

First, that it is a most vain supposal, which some make: What if any one of them, for whom Christ Dyed, should die in an Unregenerate Condition? Would not the Justice and condemning Power of the Law of God, notwithstanding the Death of Christ, lay hold upon them? It is I say a supposal of that, which in sensu composito, is impossible & so in that sense • however upon other respects it may) not to be argued from; Christ Dyed, that those for whom he Dyed might Live; that they might be quickened and borne again. And so they shall, in their due season, everyone undoubtedly be, and not any of them die in their sins.

Secondly, that our Affirmation, is not in the least liable to that Exception which usually men insist upon, in opposition unto it: viz. That if Christ hath so satsfyed Justice, and fulfilled the Law, in reference to all them, for whom he died, that the sentence of Condemnation should not be issued out against them, but they must infallibly be Saved; then there is no necessity, either that they do at all Believe, or if they do, that they live in Holiness, and the avoidance of Sin; all that being accomplished, which by these mediums is sought for. I say our position in it self is no way liable to this Exception: For

First, though the Justice, Law, and Truth of God be satisfied and fulfilled, as to their sins, that he hath not, as on that account, anything to lay to their charge, yet this hinders not at all, but that God may assign and ascribe such a way for their coming to him, as may be suited to the exalting of his Glory, the Honor of Jesus Christ, who hath brought all this about, and the preparing of the soul of the sinner for the full enjoyment of himself; & this he hath done by the Law of Faith, which gives him the Glory of his Grace, and all his other Attibutes, exalts Jesus Christ, whom it is his will we should Honor, as we Honor himself, & emptyes the poor sinful Creature of it self, that it may be made meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light.

Secondly This consideration of the Death of Christ, of his freeing us from condemnation for any, or all of our sins, is not to be taken apart, or separated from the other, of his procuring the Holy Spirit, and Grace for us, that we should not commit sin, being borne of God, with all the dispensations of Precepts and Promises, Exhortations and Threatenings whereby he morally carries on the work of his Grace, in the hearts of his Saints; setting us free from the guilt of sin, he so far also sets us free from the Power of sin, that we should be dead to it, live no longer in it, that it should not reign in us, nor prevail to turn us utterly from God.

Thirdly, they seem not much to be acquainted with the nature of Faith, Holiness, and Communion with God, who suppose the end of them, is only for the escapeing of the Wrath that is to come; they are the things, whereby we are daily renewed, and changed into the Image of the Glory of God, and so not only made useful, and serviceable to him here, but also prepared for the fullness of his Likeness, wherewith we shall be satisfied hereafter. Wherefore observe

Fourthly, that though this complete Atonement be made in the Death of Christ, yet it remains free in the bosom of God, when he will begin our Actual Deliverance, from under that arrest of Death, that was gone out against us, and how far in this Life he will carry it towards perfection; It is I say in his bosom, when he will bestow his Spirit on us, for Regeneration & Faith; when he will actually absolve us from under the arrest of the Law, by the Application of his Mercies in Christ unto us, by the Promise of the Gospel; & how far he will carry on the work of our deliverance from sin, in this Life. Only that is done, upon the account whereof, it is impossible that the quarrel against sin, should be carried on to the utmost Execution of the sentence denounced towards those sinners, for whom Christ died; which I prove by these following Arguments.

First, it is plainly affirmed, that Christ by his Death obtained everlasting redemption. Heb: 9. 12. he obtained everlasting Redemption, before his ascending into the most holy place, called elsewhere the purging of our sins. Now this Redemption (as was said) the Apostle informs us to consist in the forgiveness of sins, Ephes. 1. 7. in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins; or the Intercision of that Obligation unto punishment, which attends sin, in reference to the sinner, and his subjection to the Law of God, and the righteousness thereof. As the oblation of Christ respecteth God and his justice, to whom it is given as a price and Ransom, and whereof it is an Atonement, so it is, and is called (or we are said to receive thereby) Redemption: As it respects them, who receive the benefit of that Redemption, it is the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of sins, as tis completed, and terminated in the Consciences of Believers, requireth the interposition of Faith, for the receiving of Christ in the Promise, who of God is made unto us Righteousness; but in respect of the procurement of it, and the removing all causes, upon the account whereof, sin should be imputed unto us, that is perfected in the oblation of Christ; hence he is said to bear our sins in his own body on the Cross; 1 Pet: 2. 24. and being once on him, either he was discharged of them, or he must forever lie under the burden of them: They were on him on the Tree, what is then become of them? If he were freed of them, and Justifyed from them (as he was, Isa. 50. 8, 9.) how should they ever be laid to our charge? And yet this freedom from condemnation for sin, for all the Elect, which God himself so clearly asserts Rom. 8. 32. 33. &c. doth not in the least set them free from the necessity of Obedience, nor acquit them from contracting the guilt of sin, upon the least irregularity or disobedience.

Secondly, we are said to do, together with Christ, those things, which he doth for us in his own person: and that upon the account of that benefit, which by those his personal performances, doth redound unto us, and which being done, the Quarrell about sin, as to make an utter separation between God and our souls, is certainly removed; Thus we are said to dy with him, to be raised again with him, and with him we enter into the holy place; this whole business about sin being passed through: for he that is dead, is justified from sin. Now all this being done by us, and for us, in, & by our head, can we hencesorth dy anymore? shall death anymore have dominion over us? This the Apostle argues, 2 Cor. 5. 15. we judge (saith he) that if one died for all, then were all they (that is, all those for whom he died) dead, or died likewise; they were dead in, and with him, their sponsor, as to the curse due for sin, that henceforth they might live to him that died for them.

Thirdly, the Compact or agreement, that was between the Father and the Son as Mediator, about the business of our Redemption in his blood, manifests this Truth. The Father required at his hands, that he should do his will, fulfill his pleasure and counsel, make his soul an offering for sin, and do that which the Sacrifices of Bulls & Goats shadowed out, but could never effect: upon the performance whereof, he was to see his Seed, and to bring many Sons to Glory. (A covenanting and agreement into an uncertain Issue and event (as that must be of God and the Mediator, if the Salvation of the persons, concerning which, and whom it was, be not infallibly certain) ought not at any cheap rate, or pretence to be assigned to infinite Wisdom.) In the Accomplishment of this undertaking, whereunto Christ was designed, the Father dealt with him in strict and rigid Justfce: There was neither composition about the debt, nor commutation about the punishment, that he had taken upon himself: Now doth not exact Justice require, that the Ransom being given in, the Prisoners be delivered? That the debt being paid, the bond be cancelled, as to any power of imprisoning the Original debtor? That punishment being undergone, and the Law fulfilled, the offender go free? Especially all this being covenanted for, in the first undertaking; doubtless wrath shall not arise a second time. The right knowledge, use, and improvement of this Grace, being given, bounded, & directed by the Gospel, it is safegarded from abuse, by that which God calls his own Wisdom.

Fourthly, it appears from what God bestows upon his Elect, upon the Account of the undertaking of Christ for them (in the pursuit of the Eternal purpose of his Will) antecedently to anything whatsoever in them, that should engage him to do them the least good; when God comes as a friend to hold out unto, & bestow good things upon men, (I mean) good in that kind of Mercy, which is peculiarly suited to the bringing of them to the enjoyment of himself, it is evident that he hath put an end to all enmity and quarrel between him & them: Now antecedently unto anything in men, God for Christ's sake bestows, with the greatest act of friendship imaginable, no less than the holy Spirit on them. By him they are quickened; & their Faith is but a fruit of that Spirit bestowed on them; If they have not any sufficiency in themselves, as much as to think a good thought, nor can do anything, that is acceptable to God, being by nature dead in trespasses and sins, which at present (the Scripture affirming it) I take for granted; then assuredly God doth give his Holy Spirit to the Saints, whereby he works in them both to will and to do of his own good pleasure, antecedently to any good thing in them, that is well pleasing unto him. Every thing that men do, must either be brought forth by the strength and Ability of their own natural facultyes, assisted and provoked by motives and persuasions from without, or it must be of the operation of the Spirit of God: there is not another principle to be fixed on. The first (at present I take for granted) is not the fountain, of any Spiritual acting whatsoever: Neither can any Gracious act be educed radically from the corrupt natural faculty, however assisted, or advantaged; It must be the Spirit then, that is the sole principal cause and Author, of all the movings of our souls towards God, that are acceptable to him in Christ: Now the cause is certainly before the effect; and the Spirit in order of Nature, is bestowed upon us, antecedently to all the Grace which he worketh in us: whether the Spirit be bestowed on men, on the account of Christ's undertaking for them, none can question, but they must withal deny him to be the Mediator of the new Covenant: The Spirit of Grace is the principal Promise thereof Isa. 59. 20, 21. We are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ, Ephes. 1. 3. Surely the holy Spirit himself so often Promised to us of God, is a Spiritual Blessing: God's bestowing Faith on us, is antecedent to our Believing: & this also is given upon the account of Christ. Phil. 1. 29. It is given to us, on the behalf of Christ, to Believe on him. If then God for Christ's sake, antecedently to anything that is good, that is not enmity to him, that is not iniquity in men, do bestow on them, all that ever is good in them, as to the root & principle of it, surely his quarrel against their sins is put to an Issue. Thence Christ being said to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. God as one pacifyed and atoned thereupon, is said to be in him, reconciling the world unto himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. And in the dispensation of the Gospel, he is still set forth, as one carrying on that peace, whose foundation is laid in the blood of his Son, by the Atonement of his Justice; and we are said to accept, or receive the Atonement Rom. 5. 10. We receive it by Faith, it being accepted by him: Thus his death and Oblation is said to be a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savor. Eph. 5. 2. that wherein God is abundantly delighted, & wherewith his soul is fully satisfied; so that as when he smelt a sweet savor from the Sacrifice of Noah, he sware he would curse the Earth no more: smelling this sweet savor of the Oblation of Christ, on the account of them, for whom it was Offered, he will not execute the Curse on them, whereof they were guilty. I might also insist on those Testimonies for the further proof of the former Assertion, where an immediate efficacy for the taking away of sin, is ascribed to the death of Christ: But what hath, been spoken may at present suffice.

The Premises considered, some Light may be brought forth, to discover the various mistakes of men, about the effects of the Death of Christ, as to the taking away of sin, if that were now the matter before us. Some having truly fixed their thoughts on the efficacy of the death of Christ, for Abolition of sin, do give their, Lusts and darkness leave to make wretched inferences thereupō: as that therefore because we are so completely justified, & accepted before, & without our believing, or the consideration of anything what ever in us; that therefore sin is nothing, nor at all to be accounted of. And though they say, we must not sin, that Grace may abound, yet too many by woeful experience have discovered, what such corrupt Conclusions have tended unto. Others again, fixing themselves on the necessity of Obedience, and the concurrence of actual Faith, to the completing of justification in the soul of the sinner, with a no less dangerous reflection upon the Truth, do suspend the efficacy of the death of Christ upon our believing, which gives life, & vigor, & virtue unto it, (as they say) & is the sole originally discriminating cause, of all the benefits we receive thereby; without the antecedent accomplishment of that condition in us, or our Actual believing, it is not (say they) nor will be useful: yea that the intention of God is, to bestow upon us the fruits and effects of the death of Christ, upon condition we do Believe, which that we shall, is no part of his purchase, and which we can of ourselves perform, say some of them, others not. Doubtless these things are not (being rightly stated) in the least inconsistent; Christ may have his due, and we bound to the performance of our duty; which might be cleared by an enlargement of the ensuing Considerations.

1. First, That all good things, that are spiritual whatsoever, that are wrought either for men, or in them, are fruits of the death of Christ. They have nothing of themselves, but nakedness, blood, and sin, guilt and impenitency, so that it is of indispensable necessity, that God should show them favor, antecedently to any Act of their Believing on him. Faith is given for Christ's sake, as was observed.

2. Secondly, That all the Effects and Fruits of the death of Christ, antecedent to our Believing, are deposited in the hand of the Righteousness, and Faithfulness of God, to whom, as a ransom, it was paid, as an Atonement, it was offered, before whom, as a price and purchase, it was laid down. It is all left in the hands of God's Faithfulness, Righteousness, Mercy, and Grace, to be made out effectually to them, for whom he died, in the appointed time or season. So that,

3. Thirdly, The state or condition of those, for whom Christ died, is not actually and really changed by his death, in its self; but they lie under the curse, whilst they are in the state of nature, unregenerate, and all effects of sin whatever: That which is procured for them, is left in the hand of the Father; They are not in the least entrusted with it, until the Appointed time do come.

4 Fourthly, That Faith and Beliefe are necessary, not to add anything to complete the procurement of forgiveness of sins, any or all; but only to the Actual receiving of it, when upon the account of the death of Christ, it pleaseth God, in the Promise of the Gospel, to hold it out, and impart it unto the soul, thereby completing Covenant-justification. And thus the whole business of Salvation, may be resolved into the mediation of Christ, and yet men carried on, under an orderly dispensation of Law and Gospel, into the enjoyment of it. Of the whole, these degrees are considerable.

1 God's eternal purpose of saving some, in, and by the mediation of Christ, that mediation of Christ being interposed between the purpose of God, and the accomplishment of the thing purposed, as the fruit and effect of the one, the meritorious procuring cause of the other. This Act of the Will of God, the Scripture knows by no other name then that of Election, or Predestination, or the Purpose of God according to Election, or the Purpose of his Will in Jesus Christ, which though it comprize his Will of not punishing them in their own persons, that are within the verge of this his Purpose, yet it is not properly an Act of forgiveness of sins, nor are they pardoned by it, nor is the Law actually innovated, or its obligation on them unto punishment dissolved, nor themselves justified in any sense thereby.

2. That interposition of the Lord Christ, whereof we have been treating, being a medium indispensably necessary as to satisfaction, and freely designed by the will and Wisdom of God, for such a procurement of the good things designed in his Eternal Counsel, as might advance the Glory of his Grace, and make known his Righteousness also: And this being fixed on by God, as the only thing by him required, that all the Mercies, all the Grace of his eternal Purpose, might be dispensed in the order by him designed unto them; upon the performance of it, God resteth, as well pleased, and they for whom he hath mediated by his Blood, or for whom he is considered so to have done, are reconciled unto God, as to that part of Reconciliation, which respects the Love of God, as to the dispensing the fruits of it, unto them, even whilst they are enemies, upon the accounts before mentioned.

3. Things being thus stated between God, and them, for whom Christ died, on the account of his death God actually absolves them from under that sentence and Curse of the Law, by sending the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, to quicken them and to implant Faith in them. Aud in what Act of God to place his actual absolution of sinners, ungodly persons, whom Christ died for, but in this actual collation of the Spirit, and habit of Grace on them, I am not as yet satisfied: neither doth this in any measure confound our Justification, and Sanctification: For nothing hinders, but that the same Act as it is of free Grace, in opposition to works, or anything in us, may justify us, or exert the fruit of his Love, which was before purchased by Christ, in our Gracious Acceptation, notwithstanding all that was against us: and also by principling us with Grace for Obedience, Sanctify us throughout.

4. This being done▪ they, with whom God thus Graciously deals, receive the Atonement, and being Justifyed by Faith, have peace with God.

But this is not the matter, or subject of our present Contest. This then is the first influence, which the Bloodshedding in the death & Oblation of Christ, hath into the Saints continuance of the Love and Favor of God; It taketh away the guilt of sin, that it shall not be such a provocation to the eyes of his Glory, (his Law being fulfilled, and Justice satisfied) as to cause him utterly to turn away his Love from them, And they becoming the Righteousness of God in him, to all intents and purposes, what should separate them from the Love of God? He hath made peace in the Blood of the Cross of his Son, and will not engage in enmity against his Elect anymore to Eternity: But in his own way and own time (as he hath the Sovereignty of all in his hands) he will bring them infallibly to the enjoyment of himself. And thus much by this discourse about the effects of the Death of Christ, have we clearly obtained; what Christ aims to accomplish by his Death, and what was the design and intention of the Father, that he should accomplish, that cannot fail of its issue and appointed event, by any interposure whatever. That the effectual removal of everything, that might intercept, hinder, or turn aside the Love and Favor of God from them, for whom he died, is the designed effect of the death of Christ, hath been demonstrated. This then, in the order, wherein it hath seemed good, to the infinite Wisdom of God to proceed in dispensing his Grace unto sinners, shall certainly be fulfilled, and all Believers saved to the utmost.

I come, in the second place, to demonstrate, that as our. Savior secures the stability of the Love of the Saints to God, and their abiding with him, by taking away and removing, what ever might hinder them therein, or prevail upon them utterly and wickedly to depart from him; That which meritoriously might cause God to turn from us, he utterly destroys and abolishes, and that, which efficiently might cause us to turn from God, that also he destroys and and removes. Now all, that is of this kind, that works effectually and powerfully for the alienating of the hearts of Believers from God, or keeping men in a state of alienation from him, may be referred unto two principles. 1. Satan himself. 2. His Works; The world, as under the Curse, is an instrument in his hand, who is called the God thereof, to allure, vex, and mischief us withal; neither hath it the least power or efficacy in it self, but only as 'tis managed in the hand of Satan to turn men from God. And yet the Lord Christ hath not let that go free, neither without its deaths wound, but bids his followers be of good comfort, for he had overcome the World; that is, for them, and in their stead; so that it should never be used nor heightened in its enmity to a conquest over them; I mean a total and final Conquest, such as might frustrate any intention of God in his undertaking for them: It is not our loss of a little blood, but our loss of Life, that makes the enemy a Conqueror. But now for Satan.

1. First he overcomes, destroys, and breaks him in pieces, with his power: Heb: 2. 14. by death he destroyed him, that had the power of death, that is, the Devil. The first thing that was promised of him, was, That he should break the head of the Serpent: Gen. 3. 15. He doth it also in, and for the seed of the Woman, all the Elect of God, opposed to the seed of the Serpent, or Generation of Vipers. In pursuit hereof, he spoils Principalities and Powers, and makes a show of them openly, triumphing over them in his Cross, Col. 2. 15. In the blood of his Cross he conquered, and brake the power of the Devil, binding that strong man Armed, and spoiling his goods, making a show of him, and them, as great Conquerors were wont to do with their Captives and their spoils.

Now there are two ways, whereby the blood of Christ thus brake the power of Satan, that he shall not lead those always captive at his pleasure, nor rule in them, as Children of disobedience, in the behalf of whom his power was so broken.

1. First, He subdues him by taking away all that Right and Title, which he had by sin, to rule over them: I speak of the Elect of God. By the entrance of sin, the Devil entered upon a twofold rule in reference to sinners; First, A Rule over them with the terror and dread of death and Hell; they are in bondage by reason of death, all their days, Heb: 2. 15. And the Devil hath the power of that death upon the World, whereunto they are in bondage. The death, that is in the Curse, is put into his hand to manage it, to the dread and terror of sinners; and by it he hath always kept many, and to this day doth keep innumerable souls in unexpressable bondage: putting them upon Barbarous Inhumanities, to make Atonement for their sins: and forcing some to inflict revenge and destruction upon themselves, thinking to prevent, but really hastening that which they fear. As of old, this power of his lay at the bottom of all the Abominations, wherewith men provoked God, when they thought to Attone him, as by burning their Children in the fire, and the like. Mic. 6. 7, 8. So at present is it the principle of all that superstitious Will-worship, and Religious drudgery, which is spread over the Antichristian World: yea the inventions of men, ignorant of the Righteousness of God, and convinced of their own insufficiency to perform, work out, and establish a Righteousness of their own, that shall perfectly answer the exact holy demands of the Law, as far as to them is discovered, to deliver themselves from under this dread of Death, wherewith he, that hath the power of it, terrifies them all their days, are indeed the foundation, and spring, the sum and substance of all Religions in the World, and the darling of all Religious Persons, in, and with whom, Christ is not all and in all. And herein, have the Papists gone one notable step beyond all their predecessors in superstition and devotion: for whereas they universally contented themselves, with sacrifices, purifications, purgations, lustrations, satisfactions, recompenses to be in this life performed, these latter, more refined, sublimated mercuriall wits, observing that nothing, they could here invent, would settle and charm the spirits of men haunted with the dread of death we speak of, but that instantly they came again with the same disquietness as formerly, & renewed mention of sin, upon the insufficiency of the Atonement fixed on for its expiation, they found out that noble expedient of the future Purgatory, which might maintain the souls of men in some hopes in this life, and secure themselves from the cries & complaints of men, against the insufficiency of their Remedy, which they do prescribe.

2. As he rules over men by death, and hell that follows after, so also he rules in men by sin, he ruleth in the children of disobedience. Eph. 2. 2. And to this end, to secure men to himself, he being that strong man armed, who hath the first possession, and labors to keep what he hath got, in peace, he sets up strong holds, Imaginations, and highthings, against God. 2. Cor. 4. 5. Now this twofold power of Satan, over men and in men, do both arise from sin: whereby men are first, cast out of God's Love and care, becoming obnoxious to death. And secondly are alienated from God, in willing subjection to his Enemy: And both these parts and branches of his dominion, are, in reference unto the Elect, cast down and destroyed and taken away. For

First, Christ by his Death Casheires the Title and Claime, that Satan laid to the exercise of any such power in reference unto the Elect. When men cast down any from Rule, they may interrupt, and put by their exercise of any power, but they cannot take away their Title, unless it be of their own giving; Christ by his Death, takes away the very bottom, foundation, and occasion of the whole power of Satan. All the power of Satan in the first sense, consists in death, and those things that either conduce to it; or do attend it. Now death entered by sin, and there withal the power of Satan. The Lord Jesus taking away sin, and puting an end thereunto, as was manifested, the whole Title of Satan falls and comes to nothing. And this was really done in the Cross: its manifestation by the Gospel ensuing thereupon according to the appointment of God.

Secondly he takes away the exercise of his power, and that to the utmost. For

1. He binds him with bonds, He binds the strong man Armed Math. 12. 19. And he breaks his head. Gen. 3: 15. Then leads him captive. Psal. 68. 18. Triumphs over him. Col. 1. 16. Treads him down under the feet of his. Rom. 16. 20. as the Kings of Canaan were trod down under the feet of the Children of Israel; then destroys him Heb. 2. 14. What exercise of power is left, to a conquered bound, wounded, captived, triumphed over, trodden down, destroyed Caytife? Think ye this wretch shall ever wholly prevail against any one of them, for whose sake, all this was done to him? Neither can this with any color of reason be said to be done for them, or with respect unto them, towards whom the power of Satan remains entire all their days, whom he leads captive and rules over at his pleasure, until death take full dominion over them.

2. As he destroys Satan, so he doth his works; For this cause was he manifested, even to destroy the works of the Devil. 1 John 3. 8. He doth not only bind the strong man armed, but also he spoils his Goods. Whatsoever is in men, that follows from that corrupted principle of nature, is reckoned to the work of Satan, being the issue of his seduction. Whatsoever his temptations draw men out unto, the Lord Christ came to destroy it all, to make an end of it: and he will not fail of his end, but certainly carry on his undertaking, until he hath utterly destroyed all those works of Satan, in the hearts of all that are his. He redeems us from our vain Conversation. 2 Pet. 1. 18, 19. from the power of our lusts and corruptions, leading us out to a vain Conversation. The Apostle tells us ( Rom. 6. 6.) that by his death the old man is crucified, and the body of sin destroyed. The craft of sin, the old man, and the strength of sin, the body of it, or the ruling of Original sin, the old man, and the full fruit of actual sin, 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 sin, to such a breaking of the power and strength of it, that it is impossible, that it should anymore rule in us, or have dominion over us. Of the way, whereby virtue flows out from the death of Christ, for the killing of sin, I am not now to speak.

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 Favor of God. He so takes away the guilt of sin, that it shall never be able utterly to turn the Love of God from them, and so takes away the rule of Satan, and power of sin, destroying the one, and killing the other, that they shall never be able to turn them wholly from God.

Farther, to secure their continuance with God, he procureth the Holy Spirit for them, as was shown before. But because much weight lies upon this part of our foundation, I shall a little farther clear it up. That the Spirit of Grace and Adoption, with all those Spiritual Mercyes, and operations, wherewith he is attended and accompanied, is a Promise of the new Covenant, doubtless 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 actual collation and bestowing of all the Mercy thereof, being his proper work, and peculiar dispensation, for the carrying on the great design 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 engage to bestow upon you. But of this Text and its vindication more afterwards. Many other places not only pregnant of proof to the same purpose, but expressly in terms affirming it, might be insisted on.

Now that this Spirit, promised in the Covenant of Grace as to the bestowing of him on the elect of God, or those for whom Christ died, 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. Though men are not completely stated in the Covenant before their own Believing, which brings in what of their part is stipulated, yet the Covenant and Grace of it lays hold of them before, even to bestow Faith on them, or they would never Believe: for Faith is not of ourselves, it is the Guift of God. God certainly bestows no such Gifts, but from a Covenant. Spiritual Graces are not administered solely in a providential dispensation. Faith for the receiving the pardon of sin, is no gift, nor product of the Covenant of works. Now, as in general the Mercies of the Covenant are procured by the Mediator of it, so this, whereof we speak, in an especial manner Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal Inheritance. By his death, they for whom he died, and who thereupon are called, being delivered from their sins, which were against the Covenant of works, receive the Promise, or pledge of an Eternal 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 himself, The grand bottom of his satisfaction & merit. This is the great Original radical Promise of that Eternal Inheritance. By the Promised Spirit are we begotten a new, into a hope thereof, made meet for it, and sealed up unto it; Yea do but look upon the Spirit as promised, and ye 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 withal, 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, that Christ makes of sending his Holy Spirit unto his own; He tells them indeed, once, and again, that the Father will send him: As he comes from that original and Fountain Love, from which also himself was sent. But withal, he assures us, that he himself will send him. John. 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, or Work 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 asks no more nor less, then what by his death is obtained. John 14. 16, 17. I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the spirit of Truth, whom the World cannot receive; he tells us v. 13. that whatsoever we ask, he will do it: But withal, in these verses, how he will do 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 name, in the great work of Redemption. And therefore he informs us, that when the Comforter, whom he procureth for us, shall come, he shall Glorify him, and shall receive of his, and show it unto us, (John. 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 ask in his name, that is, for his sake, which to do plainly and openly, is the great privilege of the New Testament; (for so he tells his Disciples John. 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 darkly, 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 privilege of the New Testament. Now in this way he would have us ask the Holy Spirit at the hand of God. Luke 11. 9, 13. Ask 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 ask in the name of Christ; for none can call Jesus Lord, or do anything in his nane, but by the spirit of God: This I say then; He, in whom we are blessed with all spiritual blessings, hath procured the Holy Spirit for us, and through his Intercession he is bestowed on us. Now where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty from sin, 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, 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 proof of Believers abiding with God, seems liable 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 mean ones neither, but the three that bear witness in Heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The first you have Isa. 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 forever. 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 work in us, what he requires of us) that here mentioned is clearly an Evidence of somewhat of the first kind, of that Goodness, 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 enforces such a sense, 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 weak inference. And the close of the words will by no means be wrested to speak significantly to any such purpose, Saith the Lord, henceforth even forever; which plainly make the words Promissory, & an engagement of God himself 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 perpetual 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 tacitly required as our duty, into the room 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 self to ingenerate, or by them to be received under such an absurd notion, of being made good, whatsoever 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 Holiness and purity (2 Cor. 7. 1.) and this in especial is a Promise of the principal Author and cause all Holiness to be continued to them, and is impossible to beapprehended under any such foolish supposal, so also that this Promise is absolute, & not Conditional, can neither be colourably gainsaid, nor the contrary probably confirmed; so that the strength of Mr Goodwin's 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 Conditional (which cannot, as he saith, be reasonably gainsaid.) The first of them not looking towards our persuasion in this thing: And the latter being not in the least put upon the proof, is but very weakness; For what Condition (I pray) of this Promise can be imagined? God promises his Spirit of Holiness, that sanctifieth us, and worketh all holiness in us; and therewith the holy Word of the Gospel, which is also Sanctifying▪ John 17. 7. that they shall abide with us forever: It is the continuance of the presence of God with us for our Holiness, 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 forever, to keep you Holy, provided you continue Holy.

3. Thirdly, It is a hard task to seek to squeeze a condition out of those gracious words in the beginning of the verse, As for me: which Junius renders ( de me autem ); words wherein God graciously reveals himself, as the sole Author of this great blessing promised, it being a work of his own, 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 deal bountifully with them, provided that they do so & so, what I require from them, which is Mr Goodwin's Interpretation of the words; for of this supposition there is not one word in the Text, as incumbent on them, to whom this Promise is made, in contradistinction to what God here promiseth; yea he promiseth them, at least in the root and principal, whatsoever is required of them: Let it be, that as for me, is, as for my part I will do, what here is promised: and there is an end of this debate.

4. The Persons, to whom this Promise is made, are called thee, and thy Seed, that is all those, and only those, with whom God is a God in Covenant. God here minds them of the first making of this Covenant with Abraham, and his Seed Gen. 17. 7. Now who are this Seed of Abraham? Not all his carnal Posterity, not the whole Nation of the Jews; which is the last subterfuge invented by our Author, to evade the force of our Argument from this place. Our Savior not only denies, but also proves by many Arguments, that the Pharisees and their followers, who doubtless were of the Nation of the Jews, and the carnal seed of Abraham, were not the Children of Abraham in this sense, nor his Seed, but rather the Devils, John: 8. 39, 40, 41. And the Apostle disputes and argues the same case, Rom. 4. 9, 10, 11. and proves undeniably, that it is Believers only, whether Circumcised or Vncircumcised, whether Jews or Gentiles, that are this Seed of Abraham, and Heirs of the Promise. So plainly, Gal. 3. 7. Know ye therefore that they, which are of the Faith are Blessed with Faithful Abraham, and then concludes again as the Issue of his debate, v. 9. So then they which he of Faith, are Blessed with Faithful Abraham: And this is the sum of what Mr Goodwin objects unto this Testimony in our case, to the perpetual abiding of the Spirit with the Saints.

The force then of this Promise, & the influence it hath into the establishment of the Truth we have in hand, will not be evaded and turned aside, by affirming that it is made to the whole people of Israel: for besides, that the Spirit of the Lord could not be said to be in the ungodly rejected part of them, nor his Word in their mouth, there is not the least in Text or Context, to intimate such an extent of this Promise, as to the object of it, and 'tis very weakly attempted to be proved from Paul's accommodation, and interpretation of the verse foregoing, and the Redeemer shall come to Zion, &c. in Rom: 11. 26. for it is most evident, and indisputable, to any one who shall but once cast an eye upon that place, that the Apostle accommodates, and applies these words to none, but only those who shall be saved, being turned away from ungodliness to Christ, which are only the seed before described. And those he calls all Israel; either in the spiritual sense of the word, as taken for the chosen Israel of God, or else indefinitely for that Nation, upon the account of those plentiful fruits, which the Gospel shall find amongst them, when they shall fear the Lord and his Goodness in the latter days.

5. This then is a Promise equally made unto all Believers; it is to all that are in Covenant; neither is there anything that is of peculiar importance to any sort of Believers of any time, or age, or dispensation, therein comprised. It equally respecteth all, to whom the Lord extends his Covenant of Grace. Certainly the giving of the Spirit of Grace is not enwrapped in any Promise, that may be of