1. That they are described as _once enlightened_; but this a person may be, and yet be destitute of saving faith. If by being _enlightened_ we understand their having been baptized, as some critics take the word, which was afterwards, in some following ages, used in that sense, it might easily be alleged, that a person might be baptized and yet not be a true believer: But since I question whether baptism was expressed by illumination in the apostles age[100], I would rather understand by it, their having been convinced of the truth of the gospel, or yielded an assent to the doctrines contained therein. Now this a person may do, and yet be destitute of saving faith, which is seated not barely in the understanding, but in the will, and therefore supposes him not only to be rightly informed, with respect to those things which are the object of faith, but to be internally and effectually called, from whence saving faith proceeds, as has been before observed. 2. They are said to have _tasted the good word of God_; which agrees with the character before given of those who had a temporary faith[101], who seemed, for a while, pleased with the word, and their affections were raised in hearing it; as Herod is said to have _heard John the Baptist gladly, and to have done many things_; like those whom our Saviour compares to the seed sown in stony ground, which soon sprang up, but afterwards withered away. This a person may do, and yet not have saving faith; for it is one thing to approve of, and be affected with the word, and another thing to mix it with that faith which accompanies salvation. A person may entertain those doctrines contained in the word which relate to a future state of blessedness with pleasure; as all men desire to be happy, and at the same time be far from practising the duties of self-denial, taking up the cross, and following Christ, mortifying indwelling sin, and exercising an intire dependance upon, and resignation to him in all things: This contains much more than what is expressed by _tasting the good word of God_. 3. They are farther described as having _tasted the heavenly gift, and being made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and of the powers of the world to come_; all which expressions, I humbly conceive, carry in them no more than this, that they had been enabled to work miracles, or that they had a faith of miracles, which has been before described[102], and proved to fall very short of saving faith[103]. Therefore these characters given of them do not argue that they were true believers, and consequently the objection, which depends on the supposition that they were, is of no force to prove that saints may totally or finally fall from grace.