Heb.6.4,5,6 TaffingtheHeavenly gifts. C AP. XVII. hadonly heardofgreat matters, and hadhis headfilled, but had reallyfound and 433 felt nothing with his heart andfoule truly excellent and 2 And betdes thevery word itfelfe, to tafl ordinarily in Scripture, importer a rail communionwithor participation and enjoyment (ifthe thing be good) of that which wasfaid to be tafted.oh tali &fee(faith David)that the Lord isgood a His intent doubtlefféwas not to invite men to a flight or fuperficiall taft ofthe 4Pf41.34.0 goodneffe ofGod, but to a reall cordiali and thorough experiment andfatisfa- ¿lory enjoyment ofit. So when he that made thegreat invitation in the parable, exprefedhimfelfe thus to hisfervants; For Ifay untoyou, that noneofthofewho were biddenfhalltaft ofmy Supper b His meaning clearer was that theyfhould not h LNI I4,2 . partake oftheSweetneffe, andbenefit thereof with thole wbofbouldacceptofhis invitation, andcome onto it. In like manner when Peterfpeaketh this tohis Chriflian ewes, Iffo be ye have tailed that the Lord is gracias, c his meaning , .2.3: (queflionlefe) is not togreffehis exhortation directedunto them in theformer verte upona contderationofany light or vanifbing tail,fuch as hypocrites& f a fe-hear- tedChrifiiansmayhave, ofthegracioufneffe ofthe Lord, buto f fach a tari,where- in they had hada reali, inward, andfenfible experiment thereof. 3. And betdesaccording to the fence ofour adverfaries in theprefent debate, if the tall ofthe heavenlygift wefpeake of fhould imply no more, but only afaint or weake perception ofthe fweetneffe and glorious excellency of it , yet even this may befuficient to evincetruth ofgrace and Faith in men. For their opinionis, that a man maybe a true Believerwith agrainof lbiuftardfeedonly, i. e. with a veryflender rellifh andtali af fpirituall things g yea theirfence is, that in fosse ca- fesofdefection, andunder theguilt offome enormous courfes, they may have lit-, Ile or no tari ofthemat all. Anf. t. To the firft difcourfe confidering what bathbeen already deli- vered, I thall only adde, that although it be no aggravationofthe finne of Apof}acy, that they who fall into it, havebut tafiedof the Heavenlyguift, yet it is that they have tailedof it: that tall: ofits relifh, ,recioufnes,& fweet- nes,which they haue obtained,wherebythey are diflinguifhedfrom théwhole blindnes & hardnes keeps them up to a totali difrelifhand contempt ofit, is abundantly enough to render their finne heinous and abominable. When men by the preaching oftheWord, {ball be [tattled in their finnes,troubled in their confciences, forced to feekeout for a remedy, and (hall come fo farce as tohave Come (though but a light) tall oftheexcellency ofthe 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 ofit, whereby they found the leafy favour in it, no H creature under eaven can be guiltyofmore abominable undervaluingof the Lord Chrift, and theLoveofGod in him,than fuch perlons. What degree ofLove, 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 thewayes ofGod, and finde fo much excellency in the treafure ofGrace 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 theyproclaime to all the world as much as in them lyes, that there is not that reall good- neffe, worth, and excellency tobe found in him, as Come pretend) as the highefl fcorneand contempt ofhim, andhis Love in Chrift, and revenges it accordingly. 2. To the fecond, which confiffs of inflances colle&ed by the Remon- ftrants to manifeft the ufeofthe word tufting tobe other than what we here confine
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