Chap, 13 about Apoftacie, or Falling .away. he helped him tohis Kingdome, and engagedhim to Godfeveral ways:but when this rood manwas dead he became a wolf, and put Zacharie,fehoiadahs fon, to death, and that meetlybecaufe he reproved him for his Ens : So thatthough " oaffh had force external reltraint upon him , yet was thereno internal renovationby' GodsSpirit,... Look therefore what put thee upon a forwardnefiè in the ways of God : was it the Spirit ofGod through the Word ? then it is of God , and will endure:Orherwifea child mifhapen in the conceptionwil ever after be aMonfler. Secondly, then will beginnings and endings be alike,when grace is roored,and enters deep enough into the foul, Though thou, haft never fuch affeLions, fuch enlargements , yet if therebe not a rooted, and deep work of grace . upon thy foul, it will never holdout,Mar.i 3.21. the feed that grewhopefully mifcar- ried, becaufe it had no rooting : and thehoufe upon the Tandy foundation fell , becaufe thebuilder digged not deep enough : Hence the promife ofregeneration is , Ïer.31.33. topit the Law ofGod into their inward parts.: therefore grace is called the inward man, thehidden manof theheart : Iftherefore thy repentance bathbeendeep enough ? If thy faith, and love be rooted ? the gates of hell (hall never prevailagainfl thee. Thirdly, goodbeginnings will end well when we profeflè Chri(l out of love to Chria,, and fincere intentions , not from finifter and worldly refpe&ts : The wolf will at lafldilcover himfelf forall his lheeps cloathing : as we fee in Judas. To follow Chritt for the loaves, or ro knowhim only after the flefh,will never endure. J:hesbegins with zeal is hot as fire,yet his latter end was like Jeroboams, and all becaufehis ends were not pure. Obferve therefore thy heart diligently in the motions and intentions of ir. Is it to get applaufe ? to be reputed of ? to compaffegreat thingsfo: thyfelf ? If fo the time will come that, thy build ing will fall, though fo many didadmire it. Fourthly , thy beginningswill end coldly, when thy judgement is not well in-, ftrudled,and informed in the truth. Hot afebîions, but a weak judgement will quickly ftagger, and isapt to be carriedupand down withevery winds ofdollrine; Chritl therefore liayeth, John 17.17. that they may be fanftified through the truth: Hymenatesand Philerus, When they.madefhipwrack of the faith , they then call away agood confcie nce : fo thata found mindand judgement is a fpe- cìal help toperfeverance : they which-are tolled up and down with every new do me, are called children, Ephef. 4. 14. becaufe their underflandings are weak. Fifthly,rhey that will perfevere mua be well advifed about the natureofgrace, & how dear it wil colt them tobeDifciples ofChria?what theymua dQand fuffer for his Name: This Chritl expreffethunder two Parables One ofa King going to war!: the other ofa man undertakinga great building, Like 14.3 t.c9"c. fo think thouwith thy fell: (hall I joynmy felfto thole that fear God ? am I fit for filch a great work ? Am I mortified to all fin? Can I endure to lofe all for Chritl? Do I love him better thenmy relations,then my life it felf?&c. Mr. Burges oli Joh. Sixthly, ifthouwouldfl not Apollatize, pra&ice fo much as thou knowefl, and the more thou praélifeft,the more thou knowefl,andthe more thou knoweft thus, themore thou loves, and the furerdoea thou bind it upon thy felf, and this is the furea hold, fohn7.17. Seventhly, call no grounds ofDivine truth into queflion: fufpeit not that which thou canli not reach,but rather accufe thy own weakneffe, and ignorance: Our fira Parents byqueflioning the truth ofGods threatning, loa Gods image, whichconfifled in truthas well asholineffe. Eighthly,beware of indifferency in the matters ofGod;many think it better to be likethe flexible willow,then the llurdy Oke, oras wax, to take all forms of Re- ligion : Thefe can never hold out when trials come. Dr. Taylor on Tit. P 2 CHAP. 107 II. IV. V. VIII.
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