86 The deceirfrrineffeofmans heart. u4fxdc et, vvro¡sovi . Luke 8.t5. expounded, that immediately upon the firft heariug,without any touch of confcience, without any through humilia- tion going before,they receive the wordwith j9y.But the good ground brings forth,as other of her fruits; fo this of j oy,with patience,asLuke bath it : or as the Greek word may beare, in expeaatioaa,or tariance; namely,for the fit feafon. It is fpoken (I take it) in oppofition to the ftony ground , which was Paid to bring forth prefently upon the receit of the Seed: But the good ground cloth rather reftraine,or keep in it felfe, loth not fuddenly put forth it felfe, as the ftony ground, but retaines the feed within, till the j uft time of bringing forth be come. Wherfore chis over violent baftinefte, that is in our Tempora- ries joy, and fo all() other of his graces, giveth us j uft caute to fufpeit them as deceitful], and to feare iu them the truth ofthe common Proverb, Boone ripe foorne rotten. As in travellers, he that at the firft is fo free and frolike, and fpurres it, and gallops it fo luftily, hee overtakes indeed many in the way, and leaves them behind ; but at length his horde is tyred,and then he is overtaken ,to his fhame, of the more fober,& moderateRider,whom ere -while bee paffed by, as an over -flow companion : fo in this fpi ritualI j ourney ourSaviour noteth it,that many of the firft that outftript their fellowes,0all be lQft,when the fait thall be firft. How far was ludas at firft, before rvicodemus? ZVicodewre cam: clofely, and by ftealth ro Chrift, and was only a night profeffor; ludas fol- lowed him openly in the day,in the fight ofall men; when Mcodemus was but a flow (holler fcarfe capa- ble of the firft elements of Chriftianity, as namely, of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=