The minor is, " But Paul after his conversion was in a possibility of becoming a reprobate or castaway."
Ans. He was not in respect of the event, upon the account of the purpose and promises of God of him and to him, made in Christ, though any such possibility may be affirmed of him in respect of himself and his own will, not confirmed in grace unto an impossibility of swerving. Now, this proposition he thus farther attempts syllo- gistically to confirm: —
" That which Paul was very solicitous and industrious to prevent,
634 DOCTllINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCK [CHAP.
he was in a possibility of suffering or being made; but Paul was very solicitous and industrious to jjievent his being made a castaway, as the scripture in hand plainly avoucheth, — he kept under his body and brought it into subjection, in order to prevent his becoming a castaway : ergo, he was in danger or possibility of being made a cast- away. The reason of the consequence in the major proposition is, because no man of understanding will be solicitous to prevent or hinder the coming to pass of such a thing, the coming to pass whereof he knows to be impossible."
Ans. Once more the major is questioned. Paul might and ought to labour, in the use of means, for the preventing of that which, in respect of himself, he might possibly run into, God having appointed those means to be used for the prevention of the end feared and avoided, although in respect of some other preventing cause it was impossible he should so do. He who complained that " in him, that is, in his flesh, dwelt no good," that "he had a law in his members leading him captive to the law of sin, and sin working in him all manner of concupiscence," for whose prevention from running out into a course of sinning God had appomted means to be used, might use those means for that end, notwithstanding that God had im- mutably purposed and faithfully promised that in the use of those means he should attain the end aimed at. And the reason Mr Good- win gives for the confirmation of the consequence is no other but that which we have so often exploded, — namely, that a man need not, ought not to use means for attaining of any end, though appointed and instituted of God for that end and purpose, if so be the end for which they are ordained shall certainly and infallibly be compassed and accompljslied by them. Our Saviour Christ thought meet to use the ordinary ways for the preservation of his life, notwithstanding the promise of keeping him by the angels; and Hezekiah neglected not the means of life, notwithstanding the infallible promise of living so long which he had received. Paul was careful, in the use of means, to prevent that which, in [respect of] himself, it was possible for him to run into, though he had, or might have had, assurance that, through the faithfulness and power of God, in the use of those means (as an antecedent of the consequent, though not the conditions of the event), he should be preserved certainly and infallibly from what he was in himself so apt unto. So that, whatever be the peculiar intendment of the apostle in this place, taking the term a5o'x/,aoj in the largest sense possible, and in a significancy of the greatest compass, yet no- thing will regularly be inferred thence to the least prejudice of the doctrine 1 have undertaken to maintain.
And this may suffice as to the utmost of what Mr Goodwin's argi.i- ment from this place doth reach unto. There is another, and that a more proper sense of the place, and accommodated to the context
XVII.] CERTAIN PASSAGES IN SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. G36
and scope of the apostle, wherewith the doctrine endeavoured to be confirmed from hence hath not the least pretence of communion ; and this ariseth (as was before manifested) from the scope of the place, with the proper, native signification of the word aUraiMz^ here trans- lated " a castaway."
The business that the apostle hath in hand, from verse 15 of the chapter, and which he presses to the end, is a relation of his own principles, ways, and deportment, in tlie great work of the preaching of the gospel to him committed. In the last words of the chapter he acquaints us with one especial aim he had in the carrying on of that work, through the whole course of his employment therein; and it is, such care and endeavour after personal mortification, lioli- ness, and self-denial, that he might no way be lifted up nor entangled with the revelations made to him; therein providing, in the midst of the great certainty and assurance which he had, verse 26, that he might approve himself " a workman not needing to be ashamed," as not only preaching to others for their good, but himself also accepted of God in the discharge of that employment, as one that had dealt uprightly and faithfully therein. Verse 27, he acquaints us with what is the state and condition of them that preach the gospel : their work may go on, and yet themselves not be approved in the work. This he laboured to prevent, walking uprightly, faithfully, sincerely, zealously, humbly, in the discharge of his duty: Mjj'^twj ciXXoig xrjpv^ag, saith he, aurog ahoxiiiog yhu[j.ar — " Lest having preached to others, he should not himself be approved and accepted in that work," and so lose the reward mentioned, verse 1 7, peculiar to them who walk in the discharge of their duty with a right foot, according to the mind of God. The whole context, design, and scope of the a^z^ostle, with the native signification of the word aboxifMog, leading us evidently and directly to this interpretation, it is sufficiently clear that Mr Good- win is like to find little shelter for his apostasy in this assertion of the apostle: and besides, whatever be the importance of the word, the apostle mentions not any thing but his conscientious, diligent use of the means for the attaining of an end, which end yet may fully be promised of God to be so brought about and accomplished.