Bixth chapter. They supply a melancholy proof of the hardness and corruption of man's heart. Even when the Son of God was the preacher, many seem to have heard in vain.
Let us mark in this passage what an old sin hacksliding is. We read that when our Lord had explained what He meant by " eating and drinking his flesh and blood," — *' From that time many went back and walked no more with him."
The true grace of God no doubt is an everlasting possession. From this men never fall away entirely, when they have once received it. "The foundation of God standeth sure." " My sheep shall never perish." (2 Tim. ii. 19 ; John x. 28.) But there is counterfeit grace and un- real religion in the Church, wherever there is true ; and from counterfeit grace thousands may and" do fall away. Like the stony ground hearers, in the parable of the sower, many " have no root in themselves, and so in time of temp- tation fall away." All is not gold that glitters. All blossoms do not come to fruit. All are not Israel which are called Israel. Men may have feelings, desires, convic- tions, resolutions, hopes, joys, sorrows in religion, and yet never have the grace of God. They may run well for a Beason, and bid fair to reach heaven, and yet break down entirely after a time, go back to the world, and end like Demas, Judas Iscariot, and Lot's wife.
It must never surprise us to see and hear of such cases in our own days. If it happened in our Lord's time and under our Lord's teaching, much more may we expect it to happen now. Above all, it must never shake our faith and discourage us in our course. On the contrary, we must make up our minds that there will be backsliders in the Church as long as the world stands. The sneering in- fidel, who defends his unbelief by pointing at them, must find some better argument than their example. He forgets