m The foregoing Counſel the Spirit enforceth on theſe Hebrews, from the dinyzer of Apoſtacy, to which the negle& of it doth diſpoſe them,and the terrifying conſequence of it from wer. 4, to 9. We muſt g£0 on to Pertettion, unleſs we will draw back to Perdition; ſo that he beſpeaks them, You have been tluggiſh and dull, and going back- ward already ; leſt you grow worſe, ſtir up your ſelves ; 1f you negled it,_ you are in danger of utter falling away : for it is imp"ſſt- ble, not in reſpe& of God's Abſolute and Almighty Power, but in reſpe& of any created Power in others or themſelves, juſtly, and by right, it is impoſſible, becauſe contrary to God's declared W1ll, and Reſolution 1n his Church, bv which his Power 1s limited, fo as he will never do it, nor ſuffer it tobe done ; in this he will not, cannot deny himſclt, ver. 18. and chap. I1. 6. compare Matth. 7. i8, and 19. 24, 25. 27im. 2.13, GonSwme, ſeveral Interpreters render the Bartilzd who vere i;uminated with the Beams of Di- it, other, the Penitent, fach who had been initiated into
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Repentance, as v. 1. and think the term once may be limited to Bap- t1/ms, whereas it refers to all the other Particulars. Thete are ſucit who are inflrutted in the Principles of the Chriſtian Religion, and brought out of the Darkneſs and Ignorance of 7u7ai/'n and Honth2n- i/m, fothat they were other Perſons for the Know'edze of Gofpel- Truths than before ;, they ſee with a new Light ſpirituil Thinss,and have the Mind raifed up to ſuch Objeds, as they kneiy not tefore. but they have no new Eyes or Linderſtandings given them, and {> arc but as Devils likeAngels of Light, whereas the 1 {zht of a real Chrifti wn is the Light of Life, Fohn 8. 12, tee 2 Tim. 1.10. and 2 Pet.t.ig. foch ſome Hebrews proteſt themſelves to be, Rom.2.17,18,19. 4nd as Bu- laam was, Numb.24.2,3, n An At of Seiife in the Body, but Meta- phorically for an A& of the Mind. 7afing in the Soul, is an atp;open- fron and reception by it, and but meerly ſuch,and no more. A Taſtc,and not a Digeſtion of Chriſt, and his Benchts, as revealed to them im the Goſpel, 7oh.4.39.40. tollowed by the ſuperiicial Relifhes of their Joy and Peace on their Temporary Bcheving in them, as it was witi the Stony Ground, Matth. 13. 2c. A Sinner cnlizhtened, fo as to ſ-2 Chriſt and the glorious Promifes made to Believers in him ; it being agreeable to his natural Principles, and beings not mucit humbled, runs away with them with Joy, having good Detires and AffeRions, but a Stony Heart ſtill, ſuch was Herod, Mark 5. 20. »9 Not by an inhabitation of his Perſon in them, but by his Operations in them, whereby he js trying how far a natural Man mzy be r:ifee, and not have his Nature chanzed ,, as 1s evident in a Socrates, win Dicd for owning the Unity of the Deity ; and as the Soritzo, non the Kinzdom of Heaven, Murt 12. 24. He 1s proving by {11s 1357 to them, how much ſupernatual good, and workings toward: © vation they are capable of, without the putting forth of the | ceeding greatneſs oi his Power to make thei new Creatures,as Gon, 6. 3. compare 1 Cor. I. 2t. and 1 Pet. 3. 18, 19, 20. Theſe dit partake of fron the Holy Ghoſt the Lizht of Naturc, of the Lav, of the Goſpel, with fome ſpiritual Power accompanying ail theic ; which as they are trials of Japſed Nature, fo arc leileninz miny Pui- niſhments by keeping Men off from many Sins, 25 2 Pet. 2. 20. Theſe Profeſſors had eicaped; the groſs and outward Pollutios, ans Deftlements, that many were drenched with in their Lives, but have Luſts abiding unmortificd, from whence thete would arifc in them ſtill ; but here 1s no pure Heart or Divine Niture wrouzht jn them, and the Luſting Principle is unmortiticd flill; this God accepts according to 1ts kind, compare Mari? ro. 21, 22,
5 And have taſted the good word of God p, an the powers of the world to come 9.
þ So as to reliſh Comfort and Sweetneſs in the Doftrine and” Pro- miſes of the Goſpel throuzh Selt-fattery : for thefe hearing of Par- don of Sin, and crediting 1t, are filled with Joy by it; as a con- demned MalefaQor, hearinz of a General Pardon, believeth him- ſelf to be one of the Pardoned, and rejoyceth in it ; fee 2atth. 13. 20, 2I. and Luke 8.13. Sodid many of the Jews rejoyce in John's Doftrine, John 5.35. g Thus ſome of them were affected with the powertul Dottrines of the Goſpel, concerning the- final Judgment, as their Natural Conſcience was wrought on by the 5Spi- rit in the Word, that they feel it as it were begun in them, the Sparks of the wrath of God having fet their Conſciences in a liht flame for their Sins, as in a Felix, Ads 24. 25. As on the other hand, being acquainted by the Spirit in the Word, of Chriſt's being a Redeemer, to fave them from the Wrath to come, and to inftate them into Happineſs hevond what is attainable on Earth ; Self. love doth externally cloſe with the Revelation, and apply it to it fe!f, as Balaam did, Numb. 23. 10. All theſe five inftances ace the Work- ings of the Holy Spirit on Corrupt Nature for its Improvement, and 1a their falling from the ſupernatural Operations, they do fin {x f,z»t5 againſt the Holy Ghoſt,
6 If they ſhall fall awav to renew them again unto repentance / : ſceing they crucity to themſelves the So: of God afreth 7, ain pur hz to an open ſhame -.