Ans. 1. Be it granted that one end of God in his threatenings is to prevent apostasy in the saints, by stirring them up to take care- ful heed to the ways and means whereby they may persevere, and that they no otherwise work, or cause perseverance, but as they so stir up and provoke men to the things wherein they are to abide; but this is not their only end. They are also discoveries to all the world of the severity of God against sin, and that it is his judgment that they who commit it are worthy of death.
2. If by " Absolute promises of final perseverance" you intend such promises of perseverance, in and by the use of means insti- tuted and appointed by God himself for the accomplishment of the end promised, which are not made or given upon the consideration of any worth in them to whom they are made, nor do depend, as to their accomplishment, on any such condition in them as in the event and issue may not be fulfilled, this observation also is granted. You may add, also, that God will certainly, effectually, and infallibly work in them an abiding with him to the end, or put his law in their hearts, that they shallneverdepartfrom him. If by "unfrustrably,"also, you intend only that he will so work it as that his counsel and purpose shall not in the end be frustrated or disappointed, we grant that also, for he hath said " his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure."
468 DOCTRINE OF THE SATNTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
These things being thus supposed, let us try the inferences from them that must make good the former assertion concerning the frustration of the use of comminations by them; for they are singled out to bear the weight of this charge.
To the first assumption, then, and inference, I say, there is a two- fold fear of eternal death and destruction : — 1. An anxious, perjjlex- ing fear, in respect of the end itself; 2. A watchful, careful fear, in respect of the means leading thereunto. In respect of the first, it is utterly denied that the use and end of the threatenings of God, in respect of his saints, are to ingenerate any such fear in them, it be- ing directly opposed to that faith, assurance, peace, boldness, conso- lation, and joy, that God is pleased to afford to them, and abundantly exhorts them to live up unto : yea, an anxious, abiding fear of hell is fully contrary to that very conditional assurance of salvation which Mr Goodwin himself, in respect of their present condition, allows to them ; nor hath the Lord instituted his ordinances at such a difference and opposition one to another as that, at the same time, towards the same persons, they should be effectual to beget opposite and con- trary frames and principles. For the other, or a watchful, heedful fear, for the avoiding of the way and means that ivoiild lead them, and do lead others, to destruction, that is not in the least inconsistent with any assurance that God is pleased by his promises to give to his saints of their perseverance. God will have them expect their perseverance in the way wherein he hath promised it, — that is, by the use of such and:such means, helps, and advantages, as he hath appointed for the -effectual accomplishment thereof; and therefore nothing is in vain or uselessly applied to them which, according to his appointment, is suited to the stirring of them up to the use of the means ordained for that end, as before mentioned. Therefore, to Mr Goodwin's second assertion, which he calls " evident," I say, —
First, That it is not the making, or the bare making known to the saints, of the promises of God, that will work the end for which they are given to them, or enable them to mix them with faith ; and according to the strength of that, and not according to the truth that is in the promises themselves, is their assurance of the things pro- mised. And therefore, notwithstanding all the clear promises of per- severance which are made, and made known to them, we see very many of them not to come up to any such assurance thereof as to be freed from the first sort of fear mentioned, which yet is the proper issue of unbelief, to the begetting whereof in them God hath not in- stituted any ordinance. Secondly, That none of the saints of God are, by the promises of grace which we assert, freed from that fear which is the proper product and effect of God's comminations in re- spect of them ; and therefore by them there is no obstruction laid in the way of the proper efficiency of those threatenings. What is
XII.] OBJECTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE REFUTED. 469
added, in the third and last place, is only a repetition of what was before spoken, without any attempt of proof, unless he would have it looked upon as a conclusion from the premises, whose weakness being discovered as to the intent and purpose in hand, we need not farther trouble ourselves with it. Instead of Mr Goodwin's, now considered, take these few observations, which will give so much light into the whole matter under debate as may supersede his whole ensuing discourse: —