,,~ !loOK ill. ~ Of Ele8ion. L That tilefe (he fo inveighs again(\) had been Profdfors of the true Chri£\ian R.dtgion once; Both, t.Enlig!ltned Pro:efiors: 2. Eminem Proie!Tors. I!. Their Stn and Apo£\acy. Ill. The Judgment denounced againfl them. I. They were !HIJght nedProfeifors once. 1. Vrrf.' 4• fpeai<S thus of them, Mn1 crrpt ilz, e!ic. It would feem by that word, that there was a fol emn Admiffion ordinarily in ufe among!l Profe!Tors of Chnfl10ntty, which Admtffion was carefully heeded and obferved with a firicrnefs and warinefs about them, when they were admitted. And the A– po{\!es had given all Churches warning alorehand , that there would be fuch ., would prove falfe Proteffors m the end, would notwnhflanding anfe from , 1 mo 11 g them{dvts, nnd fame that were Wolves w Shups cloathl11g, as Chrifl gave warnmg, and Pm<! warns the Ephrfi,ms, Afls 20. who yet pretended. their having had a work of the Holy G hofl upon them, and had been received· yet on their part (they having never been truly Called) their Admiffion i; termed bur as aaerpwg in amongfl the orher that were ftncere. For as Chr,fl: faid to him rhat had nor the weddi11g Garmmt, Howcflmtf/thou hither? And as .7ohfl, Thry wert 11evt>· truly of U<; there is one refpeCl: Ior which they are fa id to be crept in: And tr may perhaps befatd that many did creep in rhrouglt negligence and want of flnet heed and vigtlancy 10 thofe that ought to ha;e taken them in upon a through knowledge of them. Elders and Churches fhould diligently enquire into whom they receive; wh.ch in thofe deca) ing Times they did not. 2, Thefe Perfonshere in Jude, were fuch as have lwoumtht Grace ofGod; for fo verf '\• 'tts fatd, they turtud thf 'Doflrznt .of Grace mto wa11/01tneji; botb in loofe Optnions and alfo PraCtices, which If they had not been enlight– ned in, the DoCtrine ot Gr.ce more or lefs, they could not be fa id ro have fo perverted thr Grace of God; that is, the Gofpel way; for the DoCtrine ir con– fi{\ed of is flyled The Grace of God, which uught'the contrary: 2 TJitls 11 • , 2. For the Grace </ God that bri11ge1h fnlvatlolt, bath apptared to aft mm, tetJch111g U< tb.Jt dni)'"It tmgodlmejs tmd worldly Jttf/s , we jhould t 1 vt Jobrrly, nghuotif/y, and godlilyinthis prt[mt world, ~c. And efpecially the D ,,Cl:rine of Free.grace revealed therein, and the love of God in Chrifl. Likewife they are here fa id to have once profdled the true and only Lord God, and our Lord Je{U< Chnf/, 10 the fame 4th ver{t: For now it is fa id of them, they had dmied him the Lordthat boughlthem, whom once they had owned. Profeffors then of Chriflianity thefe had been,and received into their Churches, though crept in. 11. They were Emhlfnt Profeifors. Which the Examples he alledgeth to fer forth, and paint out their Condition by, fuflicienrly lhews.Thefe Examples are only fuch as are taken our ofth<OldTeflament(as the maoncrof rheApo!tles Allegations and Applications unto men.under the New,.was to do) yet of fuch thertin,for the mofl: pnr,as ltad been ofmen enhghtned 10 the Word and Law, and had b ·en l'erfons eminent in their profefiion in their refpective times. He compare< them r.o fuch as come forth of Egrpt at firfl, which is attributed to have been done by fome light of Fa ith wrought in rhem, which Moj(s teflifies of them, Exod. 4· tilt. Tile Examples of thefe men whom he profecures the defcription of in rhe !ere-front, vtrf )·of tillS Epiflle; I w J!J thtrt(or. pttt you 111 rmumbrance, thottgh ye o1Jce knew tbis, how tb,,t the Lord havmg fJVed tbe People 0111 of the L.md of Egypt, ajterwflrds dtf/royed them that believed tJol. Who indeed were lively l ypes, as 1 Cor. to. of thefe Profef– fors now, who through the light and power of the Gofpel , by the Apoflles Miniflry, had come forth from under that common Bondage of Wickednef<, in which the H eathendh World; or generaltty of men, doth f)·t; who, as Jobn fays, and as Peter fays of rhem, bad efce~ped from them that lived in Pol– lutions and Errors of that World; and this through the knowledge of Chrifl. His
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