M. G's arguing fromMatb I;. 20,2 t. propofed Sc confidered.0 A P. XVII. or Argumentto evince it, from the beginningto the endof thisDifcourfe, 439 though fomething be offered to take offthe arguments that areufed to prove it- tobe otherwife; doth Mr Goodwin think that men will eafily Believe that Faith, whichbath neither root,fruit, nor continuance , to be true and laving Faith; doubtleffe they might havevery low apprehenfions offavingfaith, u- nion withchrifl, juflification, fanClification. adoption, &c. wherewith it is at- tended, whocanonce entertaine any inch imagination: that which is tende- red to induceus to fuch a perfwafion, maybriefelybe confidered. Saith he Se&.32. Nowthofe fignifzed by the 11onyground, he expreffely calleth Q, 42, .IDe,oz dt i.e. Perforas whocontinue for a time, or afeafon,i.e. (asLuke ' explain- eth)as vas ,Peav.nçui s,mho believeforafeafon,fo that thofe, who onlyfora time believe, andafterwardmake defeûionfrom Chrift, andfromthe Gofpell, are ne- vertbeleffe numbredand rankedby himamongfl Believers. The words in Luke are veryparticular. Their on theRack, are they which when t hey heare, receive the wordwithjoy; and thofe have no root, whichfora while Believe, and in time-of temptationfall away. From whence it appeares, that the hearers here defcribed,are not compared to the Rockorfiony ground, for the hardneffe of their hearts,for or much as they arefaid to receive. the wordwithjoy, which argues an ingenuity and teachableneffe offpirit in them; and is elfewhere (viz. Ads 2. 41.). taken know- ledge o fbythe Holy Ghofl, as an Index orfgneofa trueBeliever ; but for fuch a Property,Difpofition, orTemper as this; viz. not to give or afford the wordfo re- ceived , a radication in their hearts and fouler,fo intimons, feriour, andfolid, whichfhould be fufcient tomaintaine their beliefe ofit, andgood affellions toit, againfl allfuch occurrences in the World , whichmay oppofe, or attempteither the one or the other. Anf, r. The firlt Keaton intimated, is , that they are faid to beomuerc, a terme giventhem plainlyto diftinguiffi them from trueBelievers; men that make aprofeffion for afeafon, expreffely oppofed to them , who receive the word in goodand honell hearts: if theword had denoted any excellency, any thing that was good in them, then there hadbeen Tome pretence to have in- lifted on it, to prove them true Believers: But to demonftrate the truth of their Faith, from their Hypocrify, and their excellencies from that which ex- preffely denotes their unworthineffe, is a ftrange way of arguing : They are perfons, faithour Saviour, that makeprofeffion for a little while, and then decay, not like them who receive the Word in good andhoneft foules;there- fore faith M.G. they are truebelievers; but, 2. In Luke they are faid toBelieve for a feafon: Mr Goodwin is not now to learne, howoften in the Scripture they are faid to believe,who only profeffe the Faith oftheGofpell, though the rootof thematter, be not in them: that ofJohn 2. 23,24,25. may fuffice for undenyable inftance: or John 6.64. may farther expound it: theirbelieving fora feafon, is but the lifeleffe, worthieffe, fruitlefl'e profeffion fora feafon, as their deftruétion from the good ground dothmanifeft, But 3. They are faid to receive the word withjoy, which argues ingenuity and tra¿1ableneffe offpirit in them: No more thanin Herod, who heard theWord gladly, or in the Jewes, when the preachingof Ezechielwas pleafant, or defi- table to them; or thofe defcribed Ifai. 58.2. , who fought God dayly, and de- lighted to know his wayes, in the middeft of the abominable practices. From the fimilitude it felfe,He yet farther attempts this uncouth Afferti- on. But as the blade whichfpringsfrom one and thefame kind offeed, asfuppofe §. 43. fromWheat or anyether graine, thoughfawn in different yea or contrary foyles, isyet ofthefamefpecies or kind, the nature ofthefoyle not changing the fpecifoal/ c l Kk k 3 nature
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