r A falling away, or apoſtatizing in proportion like Adam, ſuci a rzexTTous as Nis was, Rom. $.15, 15, 17. whereby they are to- tally Unchriſtian'd, as he was turned into a2 Sinner; perfidicully re- volting trom all thoſe ſupernatural workin» of the Holy Ghoſt, whereby their natural Spirit- was elevated, but not changed unto their old Swiniſh and Canine temper of Sp:rit, and couriz of Life, that they led before they protefied themſclves Cliriftians, as 2 Pet. 2. 18, 19,20, 21, 22. They freely forſike their proteiled Chrittian State, and make Shipwrack of all, Jude 4. 10,16, 18, 19. whether 12a again ought to be referred to fulling away, fo as todenomi- nate the Apoſtate no Chriſtian, as he was at frit becore his Proteſf- ſion, or to renewing followin:;, it makes no difficulty, tor it 1s a real Truth in both parts, only Interpreters generally refer it to the latter, as do ours, and fo we ſhall confider it. { They cannot renew and bring themſclves to the ſame State they enjoyed, and trom which they fell; nor can the Chriſtian Miniſtry do it by their Exhortations or Counſels, Thunders or Comtorts, the offended, wronged Spirit withdraws, and will not affiit or elevate theirs to at above Nature again, Ger. 5. 33. Iſa. 63. 10. but leaves them juſtly to themſelves, ſo as he will neither by himſelf, nor by others, ſuffer it to be done, having limited his Power by his Wil! in it, They ſhall neither have a new Principle infuſed into them, nor their
Minds or Hearts chanzed by him to Repentance, becauſe they have
undervalued his lower Operations and Motions on their Souls, re- vealing Chriſt to them through the Goſpel; and have by their Sinful Nezlizence not improved them to ſeek from h1m the better and higher ones which he mentions, vey. 9, 19. and were to be ef- feted by the exceeding greatneſs of his Power. «ft That which renders this Renovation of them impoſlible, is their ill treatment, by their Apoſtacy, of their Redeemer, who was to bring them as Children to Glory, which they by the Goſpel knew, and by Pro- feſſion owned him aſcended and ſat down on the Richt Hand of God, and who had hy the Opcratian of his Spirit, elevated their Natura! Prigctples ſo to difcern him, and to confeſs him; by this their Apoſtacy, they look 'on kim as an Impoſtor :nd Decciver, as 2 Pet. 2. 1. Jude 4. and deny him to be a Saviour i them, re-
L
16A] jE9:ng
Chap. VL
pA
Sa E
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n n I IE: wy I $: - ee ee me im ans ” 27 % . - F ” Re -4 7
HEBREW S,
; 3's Sacrifice, and would 2s mucit as in them Jieth, detiiron? i” H2 were within their reach, wouid cructie him again,and 1:der their fect, as cha. 10, 29, and aftually do it to
embers; {as itite Fulran did-in former Ages,and
at tins dav. Maeahoy vorniirac, Making 111 a pub- zamile, az the 7ews did by the moſt cruel and 1gno- | Ir reproachiui carriages to him tnen, and 1n which his are to imitate
| Apoſtates verbally and praftically 2nd ciſcrace him; in their eſteem viliſying him, and &apriticy put him to an open and publick Ignominy, and aim « ſocAacie of the vilet reproach, as it the could tind no 47, and thereiore renuunced him, and this to the conagem-
4 deftroving of themſelves, ſince they cannot Repent, Chrilt purchated it for, nor God promiſed it to any tuch ; io
ww of his Rinzdom their fin is irremiffible, the Blood of
2ul only remove it, beins profancd and trampled on
| {o their anal -DeftruQion unavoidable. : the earth which drinketh in the rain that "on it 7, and bringerh forth herbs meet iverth bleſhing
. CLP EF: is , + + &
. F '
FRISd ofr 17
ww Eic.kS+ »# 1
k x _ — 4 * - E F 4» AW..1 LW Y [2 Z1OIN Ir I5 CiS&LICU v5
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* is narr.tive here, and not rational, introducing a Parabolical iuftration of the ſtates and ends of truly rezenerate Chriitians, id unrezencrate Apoltates ; as if he ſaid, You have heard the | of true perTa Chrittians, -and the evil of Apoſtates, you necd
rot to be offended at it, or wonder, for it is with them even as with Exrth, which is the good ground in Chriſt's Parable, Matth. 13. 2.8, and which he interpreteth to be a god and ho-
be 2.-15. renewed in a Sinner by the Holy Ghoſt, na-
- {me Mould with all others, Ezeh. 11. 19. and 36. the Earth diinks up the ſhowers moiſtoning and fruttt-
0,12. fo this Food and honeſt Heart receiveth
the Iriritual Dews and Rains deſcending from Heaven on it 1n the Word and Ordinan es, as Dent. 32.2. x It bringeth forth all ; > who dreſs it, according to Go!'s Inftitution, S9 theſe good Souls bring forth
N = - I i 5 &#K * \ | EELEEW, ”. ES * ON FIUELE iON L1G
er, 1.17, 12, and. 5s, 6. Tut which God relifheth and delighretiy in, as ſuitable to his Huſ- compare 2 Pet. 1. 5, 5, 7, &. and 2 Cyr. 3. 22, 23, And ſpci as the great Manurer of Souls x them, 1 Cor. 3. 6, 7, 9. y This good Ground 15 made frvit'ul by God's Eleffins, and the more fruitiul it 1s, the more Bleſſing it recciveth, Gen. 27. 27, This Fruitfulneſs js not the me- itorious cauſe of tits Bleſſing, for that 1jueth from Grace, but 1t gualifeth theſe good Hearts for it, 7. e. the continuance to ſuch Souls of the means of Grace, and their increaſe in ſpiritual com- forts, tif] they reach the poriecttion of Elcffing from God in Eternal Life, v. 9. ; S Bur that which berreth thorns and briars -, zs Hed e, aid is nigh unto curing 6, whole end 7zs to
be burned. 7 4: but, introduceth the ſtate an1 cnq of a finful Apoſtate, that i! Earth, frowered upon as well as the good, the unregene-
! >
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A 2 - 49
F<EjT
[ 5 8 ritc Soul that had Goſpel Dews, and Spiritual Rain, by. the Word er out of it, not Herbs or Fruits ft for its owner or drefler, but Briars, Thorns and Thille:; io Apoſtates under all enhightnings and taiting of thoſe ſupernatural Dews of the Spirit, bring forth
%
ind Ordinances eroptdown on it from Heaven ; yet bringeth torth, :
2nv, unrezencrate Soul, nothing but Corruptions and Evils, ther rooted Lofts thruſt out and fprunz together with their com- mon Gifts, Luke 8. 7, 13, 14. The words and deeds of whom KY USH ApoSitioy, dC CA 2
by the Owner,