s Mrs Vaming's oh ! how will Gotiupbraid- thefe ,peefons ? NO* fee that other Text, that (peaks as dreadful as this, :Heb.6.4.5. and 6 verles. For it is impoffible for thofe who were once enlightned, and have tailed of the Heavenly. gift and were made-partakers of the Holy Ghoil, and have to/led the good Word ofGoy!, and tht: power of the world to come, if they !hall fall- away, to renew them again to repentance: Seeing they crucifie to themfelves the Son of God afeelle, and put him to an open fhatne., . It is the greateft difgrace a .1 affront that mancan put upon Chrift, to apaatize from him (it is nor halffo !leech not to own him) for by that they crucifie him Rgailie, and rut him to an open flume.; it is as if they told all the wo lel, that this Cfrrift is not worth a believing in, and it were but to throw away their, time and happinefs to believe in him: Well then, let .es. that pretend to filch enlightnings, and fay, We have tailedof the Heavenly gift, and of the good word of God, and of the fiq fruits of-Heaven, let us therefore bald fafi, left we come under this upbraid- and cendemnation. But Filore particulAdy, let us holdfart, as we are concerned tee do, ifwe confider, Fi di, What we werebefore FaitL Secondly, What we were by Faith. Thirdly, What we (hall be, at the end of Faith. Firfl, What we were before Faith : what were we ? beforeChrift was Preached,. and before we believed, what were we ? Why, -much worfe then if we had not been ; confidered in our cafe and: fate, it is better not to be at all,then not to be the peopleofGod.: Now-what were we beforefieith ? why truly, we were not a peo- ple ; fo the Scripture tells you, They that Were not a people, are now the people ofGod; fee that,ifwe were not the people ofGad,- we are, as if we were not a people. Wc were; what ;were we before Faith ? Dark. We were the 4:Ay:els it fell', as the Apoffles expreNon is, in Epieff.5. 3. faith he, Tea were fornitimes darknefs : The very Belt that WAS in Lit, was Darkneffe-, corrupt hi our (_Inc erftanding and Imaginations ; the Unclerilanding dark.. 'We were dead .. yea, under the ereeeril of Deaths : dead in fin : You faith he that were dead in fins and trer. pirei,hats'he quickened- How- were they dead in fins ? did they not live in fin ? Yes, faith ter, wherein you .weler. Why ; what is their Death ? TO live in fin, is to be cle01. ; ail the while the Prodigal livedin his fin, the Father Paid ofhine .he 'Was dead : My Son,,. that was dead is alive. We are What were we before-Faith ?.We 'ite&children: of -- what.;? ofWiethes well as others. Now
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