59 / 504
Apoftafy
of
Profeffors
a
Temptatiou tò
Believers.
C
p.1.
4:
5.
That
this
is
'a
Bumbling block in
the
way
of
them,
that
feeke
to
walke
.
3
with
God,I
fuppofe
that
none
of
them
will deny.
It
was fo
of
old and it
will
P. 5
fo
continue until! the end. And therefore our Saviour
predi&ing
and
dif
courting
of
the
like
feafon, Mathew
24,
Foretelling
that
Manyfhould
be
deceived, ver.
II.
That iniquity
flmuld abound,
and
the
love
of
many
wax
cold,
v. I
2.
that
is
,
vifibly
and
fcandaloufly
to the
contempt
and feeming
difadvantage
of
the
GofpelI,adds
as
a prefervative confolation,to
his
own
chofen
fele&
ones,who might be Ihaken in
their
comforts &
confidence
to
fee
fo
many
that
walked in
the
Houfe
of
God and took
fweet counfell
together
with
them to
fall
headlong
to
deffru&ion,that
theEleafhall
not
be
fed:tced;Let
the
attempts
òf
seducers
be what
they will, and
their
Advantages
never
fo
many,
or their
fucceffes
never
fo
great,they
¡hall
,be
preferved
>the
Houfeupon
the
Racke
than
not
be
caft
downe;
Againff
the
Church
built
on Chrift
the
Gates
of
Hell
flìall not
prevaile.
And
Paid
mentioning
the
Apoflacy
of
Hyme.
næur
and
Philetus,who feeme
to
have beene teachers
of
fome eminency
and
Starts
of
fome
confderable
magnitude
in
the Firmament
of
the Church,with
the
everfion
of
the
Faith
of
fome
who attended unto their abctn
inations,
2
Tim.2,17,18. Leaft any difconfolation fhould furprize believers
in
refe-
rence
to
their
owne
condition ,
as
though
that
Ihould be lubricous,
uücer-
taine, and
fuch
as
might
end
in
deffru
&ion and
their
Faith
in an
over
throw: he immediately adds
that
effe
&wall
cordial], for
the reviving
&
fup-
portment
oftheir
confidence
and comfort,
v.
r9.
Neverthelefe
(notwith=
flanding
all this Apoftafy
of
eminent
profeffors
yet)
he
foundation
of
God
fiandeth
fure,
the
Lord
noweth who
are
his;
Thofe who
are built upon
the
foundation
of
his
unchangeablepurpofe and love,
fhall
not
be prevailed
a-
gainft:
fohn likewife
doth the
fame ; for having
told
his little
Children,
that
there
were many
Antich.
rills abroad
in
the world,
and they for
the
moti:
part
Apoflates,
he
adds
in
the
firft
Epitt:
fecond Chap: verfe
the
19.
They
went
out
from
ma
becaufe they were
not
of
us,
for
if
they
had
been
of
usthey
would no
doubt have continued
with us;but
they
went
out
that
they
might
be
made manifefb
that
they
were
not
all ofuu.He
lets
thé
know
that
by their being
Apoflates,they
had
rooved themfelves
to
have beene
but
Hypocrite;
and therefore
believers
dwelling
in
fafetÿ
was
no
way
prejudiced by their backfliding.The like
occafi-
on
now calls for
the
like
Application,
&
the
fame
difeafe
for the
fame
preven-
tion or
remedy;
That
nofound perfons may be
hhaken,
becaufe
unhealthy
ones
are
Ihattered,that
thofe may
not tremble who
are built on
the.
Rock,
becaufe
thofe are call downewho are built on
the fand,is one
part
of
my
ayme
and intendment
in
handling this
do&rine. And
therefore
I
shall as
little dabblein the
waters
of
ftrife
or
intifI
upon Winway
of
controverfy
as
the importunity
of
the
adverfary
&
thattruth
which we
are obliged to
con
-
tendfor,will permit.One
Scripture
in its
own plaineffe &
fimplicity,
will
be
of
more
ufe for
the end
I
aline at,
then
twenty
Sc?olafticall Arguments preffed
with never
fomuch accurateneffe
and fubtility:
A Temptation
then
this
is,
and
hath
been
of
old
to
the Saints,
difpofed
of R
4:I
6.20
by
the
manifold wifdome
of
God,
to
ffir
them
up
to
take heed
leaf{
they
2.
to put
them upon trying and examining, whether
Chrifl
be
in them or
no, ,
Cor.,
1.
:9.
and
alfo
to
make
out to
thofe Fountains ofefIablifbment in
his eternal! Pur-
2
Cor:
t
;.
5.
pofe
and
Gratious
Promifes,
wherein
their
refrefhments
and
referves
under
IV
"`
.
2.24,
fuch
temptations
do
lye
And
yet
though our
do&rine inforces
us
to
conclude
115.44.22.
all
fuch
never
to
be
found believers in
that
peculiar notion and fence
Mpeé:3:
17.
of
that
expreffion
which
{hall
infrantly
be
declaredy,who
totally
and
finally
Heb.3.
12.
.apoflatize
and
fall
off
from
the
wayes
of
God, yet
is
it
excedingly
remote
114b'3.17'
'8"
from being any
true
ground
of
fhaking
the
Faith
of
thofe, who
truly
believe
B
2
any