Serm 4. inc®nf/tent withGrace ? 75 they have mown to earn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them, &c. Such a rhino there may be ; poffibly the Text fuppofeth it that fuck may fall, and fall away, totally and finally, only pronounceth an impof- bility of their riling again. Some are faid to fall from grace, Gal. 5.4. the flog and thornyground did fo in a Parable.Demae,7Ndal,Saul,Hymen,ue did fo in good earnel}. Agreat Apottacy was foretold in the tuft daies to let in Antichrif}, Thef.2.3. And in the reign of Antichria more, i Tjrn.4.i, all are warned, Let him that ffarsdeth taeheed left hefall, a Cor. r Q. T 2. Heb. I 2. T 5. Lookjliligent y left any fail of, orfall from thegraceof God. Some of Johns hearers after a while left him, loh.5.3 5. Manyof our Saviours hearers quire left him, 3oh.6.66. Many of Paul: fuppofed converts were turned away, all they of Alin, 2 Tim. I,t 5, Some have left their Love, Rev.2.3.Some left theFaith,' Tim. 5.1 2. Some have turned after the world,as Demos, 2 3ím.4, ro. Some have turned afide after Satan. Andwould to God there were no Example to t Tim. r.rf.t -begiven in our ageand obfervation, it is that which the Profefforsof a trueReligion artnlore fubje& to,than thofe of a falfe, Jer.2 r, r. Hath a nation changedtheir gods whichyet are nogods : at mypeople have chars- ged theirglory for that which doth not profit. Now t here are three falls towhich men are fubje&t. I. Some fall as wood or Corinto the water, fink at fir/}, but getup again,being helped by thehand of divine grace, as Peter; or brought off Mat.r4.;r. by a miracle aquite taken f mercy,as Paul and his company after all hopes offafery ñ`d 4E< ", This4he fall of thegodly. 2. Some fall as lead or frone into the bottom of hell, as Pharaohsho(} E into the bottom of the fea,and never rife again, having neitherpromife xod,r s. of God, nor feedof God to raife them up again, but make a final (rip- a Tin.r.t , wrack of faith and coatfcience, and of their fouls together. This the fall of the wicked. 3. There is a mixt fall common to both, which is like the falling in- to an Epidemical Difeafe whereof many dye, and as many recover, of which in their order. There are four kinds or degrees of falling, which thepeople of God are rubjedt to ; And four kinds or degrees to which the wicked are fub- jeet ; and each latter is worfe than other in them both. 1. The firft and lightef} fall of thegodly, is that in their daily corn- Four fallsof batebetween flail and fpirit, fec out Roma. at large, andGal. 5.17 the Godly,. L We
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=