But, 2. Let it be granted that these two places of the apostle are of a parallel signification, what will it advantage the interpretation im- posed on us? What is the " faith of God" here intended ? and what the " unbelief" mentioned? and whereunto tends the apostle's vehement interrogation? The great contest in this epistle concerning the Jews (of whom he peculiarly speaks, verses 1, 2) was about the promise of God made to them, and his faithfulness therein. Evident it was that many of them did not believe the gospel; as evident that the promise of God was made peculiarly to them, to Abraham and his seed. Hence no small perplexity arose about the reconciliation of these things, many perplexed thoughts ensuing on this seeming con- tradiction. If the gospel be indeed the way of God, what is become of his faithfulness in his promises to Abi'aham and his seed, they re- jecting it? If the promises be true and stable, what shall we say to the doctrine of the gospel, which they generally disbelieve and reject? In this place the apostle only rejects the inference that the faithfulness of God must fiiU and be of none effect because the Jews believed not; whereof he gives a ftdl account afterward, when he expressly takes up the objection and handles it at large, chap, ix.-xi. The sum of the answer he there gives as a defensative of the faith- fulness of God, with a non obstante to the infidelity of some of the
III.] THE IMMUTABILITY OF THE DIVINE PURPOSES. 187
Jews, amounts to no more or less than what is here argued and by us asserted, namely, that notwithstanding this (their incredulity and rejection of the gospel), " the foundation of God standeth sure, The Lord knoweth them that are his;" — that the promise, his faithfulness wherein came under debate, was not made to all the Jews, but to them that were chosen according to his purpose, as he expressly dis- putes it at large beyond all possibility of contradiction, chap, xi., as shall afterward be farther argued, and hath in part been already discovered. I verily believe never did any man produce a testimony more to the disadvantage of his own cause, both in general and in particular, than this is to the cause Mr Goodwin hath in hand.
Neither doth he advance one step farther in the confirmation of the sense imposed on the apostle's words, by comparing them with the words of the same apostle, verse 13 of the same chapter, " If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself;" wherein again, contrary to the whole drift of Mr Goodwin's discourse, the faithfulness of God in the accomplishment of his promises is asserted to be wholly independent upon any qualification whatevei- in them to whom those promises are made: "Though we are under sufierings, temptations, and trials, very apt to be cast down from our hope of the great things that God hath pixpared for us and pro- mised to us, yet his purpose shall stand however, and our unbelief shall not in the least cause him to withdraw, or not to go through with his engagement to the utmost. The faithfulness of his own na- ture requireth it at his hand ; ' he cannot deny himself "
What remains, sect. 14, wherein he labours farther ix> give strength unto, or rather more largely to explicate, what he formerly asserted, is built upon a critical consideration of the word '^siJ,sXiog, which, without any one example produced from any approved author, we must believe to signify a " bond," or " instrument of security given between men by the w^ay of contract." And what, then, sup- pose it do? " Why, then, contrary to the whole scope of the place, and constant signification of the word in the Scripture, it must be interpreted according to the analogy of that sense." Why so? doth it remove any difficulty on the other hand? doth it more suit the objection for its removal, whereunto it is given, that we should warp from the first, genuine, native, usual signification of the word, to that which is exotic and metaphorical? "Yea, but we are enforced to embrace this sense, because that * here is a seal set to this founda- tion, and men use not to set seals to the foundation of a house.' " And is it required that allusions should hold in all particulars and cir- cumstances, even in such as wherein their teaching property doth not consist? The terms of "foundation" and "sealing" are both figurative ; neither will either of them absolutely be squared to those things in nature wherein they have their foundation. The purpose of God
188 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
is here called his " foundation," because of its stability, abidingness, strength, and use in hearing up the whole fabric of the salvation of believers, not in respect of its lying in or under the ground, or being made of wood or stone. And in this sense, why may it not be said to be sealed? S])iritual sealing holds out two things, — confirmation, and conforming by impression; and in them consists the chief politi- cal use of the word and thing, not in being a label annexed to a writing. And why may not a purpose be confirmed, or be manifested to be firm, as well as a contract or instrument in law, having also its conforming virtue and efficacy (which is the natural effect of seal- ing, to implant the image in the seal on the things impressed with it), in rendering them, concerning whom the purpose of God is, an- swerable to the image of his Son, in whom the purpose is made, and that pattern which he hath chosen them to and appointed them for? What followeth to the end of this section is but a new expres- sion of what Mr Goodwin pretends to be the sense of this place. The " foundation of God" is the gospel, or the promise of God to save be- lievers; the " seal" is his taking notice of them to save them, and to condemn them that believe not ; and therefore, questionless, believers need not fear that they shall fall away, though there be not the least intimation made of any thing that should give them the least com- fortable or cheering security of preservation in believing. Only it is said, " He that believeth shall be saved" (which yet is not an abso- lute promise of salvation to believers), " and he that believeth not shall be damned;" which one disjunctive proposition, declarative of the connection that is between the means and the end, Mr Goodwin labours to make comprehensive of all the purposes of God concerning believers, it being such as wherein no one person in the world is more concerned than another. If the " foundation" here mentioned be only God's purpose, or rather declaration of his will, for the saving of be- lievers and the damning of unbelievers, what consolation could be from hence administered in particular unto persons labouring under the scruple mentioned formerly hath not as yet been declared. Let us, then, proceed to farther proof of the truth in hand, and the vin- dication of some other places of Scripture whereby it is confirmed.