PART IL to diflingu/ 4ffec ions. $r When there are many probable Appearances of Piety in others, it is the Duty of the Saints to receive them cordially into their Charity, and to love them and rejoice in them, as their Brethren in Chrift Je- fus. But yet the bell of Men may be deceived, when theAppearances feem to them exceeding fair and bright, even fo as entirely to gain their Charity, and conquer their Hearts. It has been a common Thing in the Church of God, for fuch bright Profeffors, that are re- ceived as eminent Saints, among the Saints, to fall away and come to nothing And this we need not wonder at,if we confider theThings that have been already obferved ; what Things it has been fhown, may appear in Men who are altogether gracelefs. Nothing hinders but that all thefe Things may meet together in Men, and yet they be without a Spark of Grace in their Hearts. Theymay have religious Affec`lions of many Kinds together ; they may have a Sort of Affec- tion towards God, that bears a great Refemblance of dear Love to him ; and fo a kind of Love to the Brethren, and great Appearances of Admiration of God's Perfeaions and Works, and Sorrow for Sin, and Reverence, Submiffion,Self-Abafement, Gratitude, Joy, religious Longings, and Zeal for thelntereft of Religion and theGood of Souls. And thefe Affe&lions may come after great Awakenings and Convic- tions of Confcience ; and there may be great Appearances of a Work of Humiliation ; and counterfeit Love and Joy, and other Affc Lions may feem to follow thefe, and one another, juft in the fame Order, that is commonly obfervable in the holy Affietions of true Converts. 66 66 Be not offended,if you fee greatCedars fall,Stars fall fromHea- 66 yen, great Profeffors die and decay : Do not think they be all 66 fuch : Do not think that theElet fhall fall.Truly,fomeare fuch, 66 that when they fall,one would think aMan truly fanEtifiedmight 66 fall away,as the1rminians think. i Job. 2. ig.`Fhey were not ofus. 66 I fpeak this, becaufe the Lord is fhaking ; and I look for 66 great Apoftacies : For God is trying all his Friends, thro' all 66 the Chriftian World. In Germany what Profeffion was 66 there ! Who would have tho't it ? The Lord who delights 66 to manifeft that openly, which was hid fecretly, fends a 66 Sword and they fall." Shepard's Parab. Part I. p. i 18, 119. The Saints may approve thee, and God condemn thee ; Rev. 66 3. i. Thou hall a Name that thou live'', and art dead. Men 66 may fay, There is a true Nathanael ; and God may fay, 66 There is a felf-cozening Pharifee.--- Reader, Thou haft heard 6c of fudas, and Demas, of tfnanias and Sapphira, of Hymeneus 6G and Philetus, once renown'd and famous Profefforc, and thou 66 haft heard how they proved at laft ". Flavel's Touchffone of Sincerity, Chap. 2. Sep. 5. C And
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