And thus I have gone through those four grand Objections that usually keep Men off from participating of the holy Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and hope I have answered them fatisfactorily.

Nothing now remains but earnestly to beseech you, for the Lord Christ's fake, who offers that Flesh and Blood to you which he offered upon the Crofs to his Father, that you would no longer content your felves in your Separation, but come unanimously with us to receive that Blood by which both you, and we, hope to be faved. And let not fome little Circumstances (which yet you see how defenfible they are, and how hard to be gain-faid by Scripture or Reafon) make you fly off from fo fubftantial and neceffary a Duty as this is. Certainly it fhews, that we have but little Spiritual Hunger and Thirst, if we cannot endure wholesome Food, though it be not in every Particular drefs'd as we could fancy.

THE

THE

State and Way

OF

SALVATION.

HEB B. VI. 9.

But beloved, we are perfwaded better Things of you, and Things that accompany Salvation, though we thus speak:

B Etter

Etter Things.] Indeed, the Apostle had in the foregoing Verses spoken very dreadful and fatal Things concerning fome Hypocritical, and unfound Profeffors. And his Difcourfe of them may be reduced unto these Three Heads:

Firft, The high Attainments of fuch

Profeffors.

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Secondly,

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Secondly, The wretched Apoftacy of fuch Hypocrites.

Thirdly, The fearful Perdition of such Apostates.

First, He discovers their Attainments; and gives us, as it were, the Ultimum quod fic, the highest Strain and Pitch that fuch can reach unto. They may,

First, Be enlightned, i. e. baptized, and have a deep and fearching Knowledge into the Mysteries of the Gofpel, fo as clearly to understand them, and to unfold them perfpicuoufly and demonftratively unto others.

Secondly, They may have tafted of the heavenly Gift. They may have fome Relishes upon their Spirits, of the Excellency, Sweetnefs, and Precioufnefs of Jefus Chrift, the greatest Gift God ever gave to the World.

Thirdly, They may be made Partakers of the Holy Ghost, in his Gifts, those Χαρίσματα which were poured forth upon the Church: And thofe both extraordimary; fuch as were then bestowed upon the Primitive Church, as the Gift of Tongues, of Prophecy, of working Miracles: And alfo ordinary, in Illumina. tion, Conviction, partial Reformation, fluent Elocution, both to God in Prayer,

and

and to Men in Inftruction, which ftill remain to this Day, and are difpenfed in common, both to those who are favingly wrought upon, and to those who are utter Strangers to the Life of Grace, and the Power of true Godliness.

Fourthly, They may have tafted the good Word of God, and found fo much Sweetness and Comfort in the Doctrine and Promises of it, as to hear it gladly with Herod, and to receive it joyfully with the Stony Ground.

Fifthly, They may have tafted of the Powers of the World to come; and have fome Prelibations of Eternal Glory in fome Ecftatical Raptures and Transports of Spirit, as if they were gotten quite above Mortality. And these Foretafts may entertain them with fair and flourishing Hopes, that they fhall for ever drink of thofe Rivers of Pleasure that flow at God's Right Hand.

Thefe, you fee, are great and high Attainments, that the Apostle allows to unfound Profeffors, Verfe 4, 5. For that they were never otherwife, appears,

Secondly, In the Defection and Apoftacy of thefe Hypocrites from all these glorious Attainments. And this Apoftacy is not only gradual and partial, fuch as is too often incident to the best Saints,

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