487 / 504
Heb.6.4,5,6
Taffingthe
Heavenly gifts.
C
A
P. XVII.
had
only
heard
of
great matters,
and had
his head
filled,
but
had
really
found and 433
felt
nothing with his heart
and
foule truly
excellent
and
2
And betdes the
very word
it
felfe,
to
tafl
ordinarily in Scripture,
importer
a
rail
communion
with
or
participation and
enjoyment
(if
the
thing
be
good)
of
that
which was
faid
to be
tafted.oh
tali
&
fee
(faith
David)that
the Lord isgood
a
His
intent
doubtleffé
was not
to
invite
men
to a
flight
or
fuperficiall taft
of
the
4Pf41.34.0
goodneffe
of
God,
but to a
reall cordiali and
thorough experiment
andfatis
fa-
¿lory
enjoyment
of
it.
So
when he
that
made
the
great invitation in
the
parable,
exprefedhimfelfe thus
to his
fervants;
For
Ifay
untoyou,
that
none
ofthofe
who
were
bidden
fhalltaft
of
my Supper
b
His
meaning
clearer
was
that
they
fhould not
h
LNI
I4,2
.
partake
of
the
Sweetneff
e, and
benefit
thereof with
thole
wbo
fbould
accept
of
his
invitation,
and
come
onto it.
In
like manner when
Peter
fpeaketh
this
to
his
Chriflian
ewes,
Iffo
be
ye have
tailed that
the
Lord
is
gracias,
c
his
meaning
,
.2.3:
(que
flionlefe)
is
not
to
greffe
his
exhortation directed
unto them
in the
former
verte
upon
a
contderation
of
any
light
or vanifbing
tail,
fuch
as
hypocrites&
f
a
fe
-hear-
ted
Chri
fiians
may
have,
of
the
gracioufneffe
of
the
Lord,
but
o
f
fach
a
tari,where-
in
they
had
had
a reali,
inward, andfenfible
experiment thereof.
3.
And
betdes
according to
the fence
of
our
adverfaries in theprefent debate,
if
the
tall
of
the
heavenly
gift
we
fpeake
of
fhould
imply
no
more,
but
only
a
faint
or
weake perception
of
the
fweetneffe
and
glorious
excellency
of
it
,
yet
even
this
may
befuficient
to evince
truth of
grace
and Faith in
men.
For
their
opinion
is,
that
a
man
may
be
a
true Believer
with a
grain
of
lbiuftard
feed
only, i.
e.
with a
very
flender
rellifh
and
tali
a
f
fpirituall
things
g
yea
theirfence
is,
that
in
fosse ca-
fes
of
defection,
and
under the
guilt offome
enormous courfes, they may
have lit-,
Ile
or
no
tari of
them
at
all.
Anf.
t.
To
the
firft
difcourfe confidering what
bath
been already
deli-
vered,
I
thall only
adde,
that
although it be no aggravation
ofthe
finne
of
Apof}acy,
that
they who
fall
into
it,
have
but
tafied
of
the
Heavenlyguift,
yet it
is
that
they have
tailed
of
it:
that
tall:
of
its
relifh, ,recioufnes,& fweet-
nes,which they
haue obtained,wherebythey are diflinguifhedfrom
thé
whole
blindnes & hardnes keeps them up
to
a
totali
difrelifh
and contempt
of
it,
is
abundantly enough to render their
finne heinous
and abominable. When
men
by
the
preaching
of
the
Word,
{ball
be [tattled
in
their finnes,troubled
in their
confciences,
forced to feeke
out
for
a
remedy, and
(hall come fo farce
as
to
have
Come
(though but
a
light) tall
of
the
excellency
of
the Gofpell,and
the
remedy provided for
(inners in
Jefas
Chrifl,and then through the ftrength
of
their
lofts
and
corruptions,
(hall
cafe
it
off,
reje&
it,
and (pit
out
of
their
mouth
as
it
were,
all
that
of
it, whereby they
found the
leafy
favour
in
it,
no
H
creature under eaven
can
be guilty
of
more abominable
undervaluing
of
the
Lord Chrift, and
the
Love
of
God
in him
,than
fuch
perlons.
What
degree
of
Love,
Yoy,
Repentance,
Peace,
Faith, perlons
many
times arrive unto; when
with
Herod
they have heard the
Word gladly,
and
done
many
things
willingly
&c.
bath been by others abundantly demónftrated. This
fi$ficeth
our
pre-
fent purpofe,
that
they do make
fuch
a
progreffe
in
the
wayes
of
God, and
finde
fo
much
excellency in
the treafure
of
Grace and mercy,
which
he
bath provided
in
Jefas Chrift,and tenders
in
the
Gofpell,
that
he
cannot
but
look'upon
their
Apoflacy
&
renunciation
ofhim,(whereby they
proclaime
to
all the world
as
much
as
in
them
lyes,
that
there
is
not that
reall
good-
neffe,
worth,
and excellency
to
be found
in
him,
as
Come
pretend)
as
the
highefl fcorne
and contempt
of
him, and
his
Love in Chrift, and revenges
it
accordingly.
2.
To
the
fecond, which
confiffs
of
inflances colle&ed by
the
Remon-
ftrants to
manifeft
the
ufe
of
the word
tufting
to
be other than what
we
here
confine