And these are the reasonings, upon the account whereof Mr. Goodwin dischargeth this text of Scripture, by virtue of his autocratorical power in deciding controversies of this nature, from bearing testimony in this cause any more. Whether he will be attended unto herein, time will shew. Many attempts to the same purpose have formerly been made, and yet it endureth the trial.

I have thus turned aside to the consideration of the exceptions given into the ordinary interpretation of this place, lest any should think that they were waved upon the account of their strength and efficacy to overthrow it. The argument I intended from the words, for the stability of God's love and favour to believers, upon the account of his covenant engagement, is not once touched in any of them. These words then yield, a third demonstration of the steadfastness and unchangeableness of acceptation of believers in Christ, upon the account of the absolute stability of that covenant of grace, whereof God's engagement to be their God, and never forsake them, is an eminent portion.

CHAP. V.

Entrance into the argument from the promises of God, with their stability, and his faithfulness in them. The usual exceptions to this argument. A general description of gospel promises. Why, and on what account called gospel promises. The description given, general, not suited to any single promise. They are free: and that they are so, proved: all flowing from the first great promise of giving a Redeemer. How they are discoveries of God's good-will: how made to sinners: consequential promises made also to believers. Given in and through Christ, in a covenant of grace. Their certainty upon the account of the engagement of the truth and faithfulness of God in them: of the main matter of these promises, Christ and the Spirit. Of particular promises, all flowing from the same love and grace, Observations of the promises of God, subservient to the end intended: 1. They are all true and faithful: the ground of the assertion: 2. Their accomplishment always certain; not always evident: 3. All conditional promises made good: and how: 4. The promise of perseverance of two sorts: 5. All promises of our abiding with God in faith and obedience, absolute. The vanity of imposing conditions on them, discovered: 6. Promises of God's abiding with us, not to be separated from promises of our abiding with him: 7. That they do not properly depend on any condition in believers, demonstrated: instances of this assertion given: 8. (Making them conditional renders them void, as to the ends for which they are given:) given to persons, not qualifications. The argument from the promises of God, stated. Mr. G.'s exceptions against the first proposition cleared, and his objections answered: the promises of God always fulfilled: of the promise made to Paul, Acts xxvii. 24, &c. Good men make good their promises to the utmost of their abilities. The promise made to Paul absolute, and of infallible accomplishment. Of the promise of our Saviour to his disciples, Matt. xix. 28. Who intended in that promise: not Judas: the accomplishment of the promise: the testimony of Peter Martyr considered: the conclusion of the forementioned objection. The engagement of the faithfulness of God for the accomplishment of his promise: 1 Cor. i. 9. 1 Thess. v. 23, 24. 2 Thess. iii. 3. The nature of the faithfulness of God expressed in the foregoing places, inquired into: perverted by Mr. G. His notion of the faithfulness of God, weighed and rejected; what intended in the Scriptures by the faithfulness of God. The close of the confirmation of the proposition of the argument proposed from the promises of God. The assumption thereof vindicated: the sense put upon it by Mr. G. The question begged.

THE consideration of the promises of God, which are all branches of the forementioned root, all streaming from the fountain of the covenant of grace, is, according to the method proposed, in the next place incumbent on us. The argument for the truth under contest, which from hence is afforded and used, is, by Mr. Goodwin, termed 'the first-born

of our strength;' cap. 11. sect. 1. p. 225. and indeed we are content, that it may be so accounted, desiring nothing more ancient, nothing more strong, effectual, and powerful to stay our souls upon, than the promises of that God," who cannot lie. I shall, for the present, insist only on those which peculiarly assert, and in the name and authority of God, confirm that part of the truth we are peculiarly in demonstration of; namely, the unchangeable stability of the love and favour of God to believers, in regard whereof he turneth not from them, nor forsaketh them, upon the account of any such interveniences whatever, as he will suffer to be interposed in their communion with him; leaving those, wherein he gives assurance upon assurance, that he will give out unto them such continual supplies of his Spirit and grace, that they shall never depart from him, to their due and proper place.

I am not unacquainted with the usual exception, that lieth against the demonstration of the truth in hand, from the promises of God; to wit, that they are conditional, depending on some things in the persons themselves to whom they are made, upon whose change or alteration they also may be frustrated, and not receive their accomplishment. Whether this plea may be admitted against the particular promises that we shall insist upon, will be put upon the trial, when we come to the particular handling of them. For the present being resolved (by God's assistance) to pursue the demonstration proposed from them, it may not be amiss, yea, rather it may be very useful, to insist a little upon the promises themselves, their nature and excellency, that we may be the more stirred up to inquire after every truth, and sweetness of the love, grace, and kindness (they being the peculiar way chosen of God, for the manifestation of his good will to sinners) that is in them; and I shall do it briefly, that I may proceed with the business of my present intend

ment.

Gospel promises then are: 1. The free and gracious dispensations; and, 2. Discoveries of God's good-will and love; to, 3. Sinners; 4. Through Christ; 5. In a covenant of grace; 6. Wherein, upon his truth and faithfulness, he engageth himself to be their God, to give his Son unto them, and for them, and

a Heb. vi. 18. Titus i. 2.

his Holy Spirit to abide with them, with all things that are either required in them, or are necessary for them, to make them accepted before him, andto bring them to an enjoyment of him.

I call them gospel promises: not as though they were only contained in the books of the New Testament, or given only by Christ after his coming in the flesh; for they were given from the beginning of the world, or first entrance of sin: and the Lord made plentiful provision of them, and by them, for his people, under the Old Testament: but only to distinguish them from the promises of the law, which hold out a word of truth and faithfulness engaged for a reward of life, to them that yield obedience thereunto (there being an indissolvable connexion between entering into life, and keeping the commandments); and so to manifest, that they all belong to the gospel properly so called, or the tidings of that peace for sinners, which was wrought out and manifested by Jesus Christ.

2. Farther, I do not give this for the description of any one single individual promise, as it lieth in any place of Scripture, as though it expressly contained all the things mentioned therein (though virtually it doth so), but rather to shew what is the design, aim, and good-will of God in them all, which he discovers and manifests in them by several parcels, according as they may be suited to the advancement of his glory, in reference to the persons to whom they are made. Upon the matter, all the promises of the gospel are but one, and every one of them comprehend and tender the same love, the same Christ, the same Spirit, which are in them all. None can have an interest in any one, but he hath an interest in the good of them all, that being only represented variously for the advantage of them that believe. My design is, to describe the general intention of God in alla gospel promises, whereby they being equally spirited, become as one and concerning these I say,

1. That they are free and gracious as to the rise and fountain of them. They are given unto us, merely through the good will and pleasure of God. That which is of pro

b Gen. iii. 14, 15. Gal. iii. 17. Titus i. 1.

e Gal. iii. 12. Luke ii. 10. Eph. ii. 15. Isa. lii. 7.

d Gal. xvi. 17. Eph. ii. 12. Heb. vi. 17.

C Tit. i. 2. 2 Pet. i. 3, 4.

mise, is every where opposed to that which is of doubt, or that which is any way deserved or procured by us. Gal. iii. 18. 'If the inheritance be of the law' (which includes all that in us is desirable, acceptable and deserving) 'it is no more of promise,' that is, free, and of mere grace. He that can find out any reason, or cause, without God himself, why he should promise any good things whatever to sinners, (as all are, and are shut up under sin, till the promise came,' Gal. iii. 22.) may be allowed to gloryf in the invention which he hath found out. A well conditioned nature, necessitating him to a velleity of doing good, and yielding relief to them that are in misery (though justly receiving the due reward of their deeds, which even among the sons of men, is a virtue dwelling upon the confines of vice), for their recovery, is by some imposed on him. But that this is not the fountain and rise of his promises, needs no other evidence, but the light of this consideration. That which is natural, is necessary, and universal: promises are distinguishing as to them in misery: at least they are given to men, and not to fallen angels: but may not God do what he will with his own?

Farther, Jesus Christ is himself in the promise: he is the great original matter and subject of the promises; and the giving of him was doubtless of free grace and mercy: so John iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,' and Rom. v. 8. 'God commendeth his love towards us, in that whilst we were sinners, Christ died for us:' and in the first of John iv. 10. 'Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for us.' All is laid upon the account of slove and free grace. I confess there are following promises given out for the orderly carrying on of the persons, to whom the main original fundamental promises are made, unto the end designed for them, that seem to have qualifications and conditions in them; but yet, even those are all to be resolved into the primitive grant of mercy. That which promiseth life upon believing, being of use to stir men up unto, and carry them on, in faith and obedience, must yet as to the pure nature of the promise be resolved into that, which freely is promised, viz. Christ himself, and with him both faith and life, believing and salvation. As in your Automata, there is one original spring or wheel, that giveth motion to

1 Matt. xx. 15.

Matt. xi. 26.