A choice Bed of Spices. 315 their names to Chrift, and who for a time had been follow- ers of Chrift, at laft deferred him and turned their backs for ever upon him, 414. /3. 5. Some fell upon fiony places, where they had not much earth (not much care to receive, not much undertlanding to apprehend, not much faith to believe, not much will to obey, or not much love to retain it) and forth- with they fpreing tip, becanfe they had no kernel} of earth. Ver. 6.1 And when the San was cap they were fcorched, and becaafe they has no root they withered away. This fecond ground goes beyond the former ; For I. It receives the feed. -2. Incontinently. 3. With joy. 4. It brings up the feed fawn, it fprung up to fundry degrees. it. To external obedience and reformation in many things. 2. To an outward profellion. 3. To a kind of faith ; but when the Sun of perfecation beat hot upon them they withered and fell away, not all at once, but by lit- tle and little , as a leaf lofeth his greenefs and floarifh, and withers by degrees. In the Palatinate, when the Sun of per- fecution began to fcorch them, fcarce one Profeffor of twen- ty flood out, but fell to Popery as faft as leaves in Autumn. The Chryftal looks like pearl till it comes to the hammer- ing ; fo an hypocrite looks like a ehriftian, and in many things gig like a Chriflian, till he comes to be hammered by fafferings, by perfecutions, and then he difcovers himfelf in his colours ; and with Hymenetee and Alexander, he makes : ihipwrack of faith and a good confcience. In fuffering times Hof. 5.2. hypocrites labour mightily to put out that light which chines', in their bofoms, and when they have quencht that light, then farewel faith, farewel profeffion, farewel a good confcience, farewel all. The wolf, though he often diffembles, and clofs- ly hides his nature, yet he can't aiwayes do fo ; for at one time or other he will thew himfelf to be a Wolf : So though an hypocrite may it clofsly for a time, yet he will one time or other difcover himfelf to be an hypocrite. It is re- rorted of the waters of il/i/ael, that having run many hundred of miles a pure and clear water, when it comes near the Mediterranean Sea, it begins to- grow brackifh and fait, and at laft it falls into the Sea and lofeth its name. Sooner or la- ter this will be, the cafe of all hypocrites, they won't retain S f z their
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