Secondly, Perseverance is necessary, because our enemy perseveres to oppose us. There is no truce in the devil's heart, no cessati(m of arms in our enemy's camp. If an enemy continue to assaidt a city, and they within cease to resist, it is easy to tell what will follow. The prophet that was sent to Bethel did his errand well, withstood Jeroboam's temptation, but in his way home was drawn aside by the old prophet, and at last slain by a lion. Thus many fly from one temptation, but not persevering, are vanquished by another ; those that at one time escape his sword, at another time are slain by it. Joasli was hopeful when young, but it lasted not long. Yea, many precious servants of God, not making such vigorous resistance in their last days as in their first, have fallen foully; as we see in Solomon, Asa, and others. Indeed it is hard when a line is drawn to a great length, to keep it so straight that it slacken not ; and to hold a thing long in our hand, and not to have a numbness grow in our fingers, so as to remit of our strength : therefore we are bid so often to hold fast the profession of our faith. But when we see an enemy gaping, to catch us when we fall, methinks this shoidd quicken us the more to it.
Thirdly, Because the jH'omise of life and glory is settled upon the persevering soul, the crown stands at the goal ; he hath it that comes to the end of the race. 'To him that overcomes will I give,' not in prcBlio, but in bello, not in a par- ticular skirmish, but in the whole war. ' Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the whole will of God, ye might receive the promise,' Heb. x. 36. Thft'e is a remarkable accent on that 'henceforth,' which Paul mentions, 2. Tim. iv. 7, 8 : 'I have fought a good fight ; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.' Why, was it not laid up before ? Yes, but having per- severed and come near the goal, being within sight of home, ready to die, he takes now sm-er hold of the promise. Indeed in this sense it is, that a gracious soul is nearer its salvation after every victoi-y than it was before, because he approacheth nearer to the end of his race, which is the time promised for the receiving of the promised salvation, Rom. xiii. 10. Then, and not till then, the garland drops upon his head.
Use. — ^Here we may take up a sad lamentation in respect of the many apostate professors of our days. Never was this spiritual falling-sickness more rife : O how many are sick of it at present, and not a few fallen asleep by it ! These times of war and confusion have not made so many broken merchants, as broken professors : where is tlie congregation that cannot shew some who have outlived their profession? Not unlike the silkworm, which, they say, after all her spinning, works herself out of her bottom, and becomes at last a common fly. Are there not many whose forwardness in religion we have stood gazing on with admiration, as the disciples on the temple, ready to say one to another, as they to Christ, See what manner of stones these are ! what polished gifts and shining graces are here ! and now not one stone left upon another. O did you ever think, that they who went in so goodly array to- wards heaven, in communion with you, would after that face about, and run over to the devil's side ; turn blasphemers, worldlings, and atheists, as some have done?
Oh, what a sad change is here ! ' It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them,' 2 Pet. ii. 21. Better never to have walked a step towards heaven, than to put such a scorn and reproach upon the ways of God. Such a one who hath known what a service Satan's is, and what God's is, then to revolt from God to the devil, seems to have compared one with the other; and as the result of his matm-e thoughts, to pronounce the devil's, which he chooseth, better than God's, which he leaveth. And how is it possible that any can sin upon a higher guilt, and go to hell under a greater load of wrath ? These are they which God loathes. He that hates putting away, dis- dains much more to be himself thus put away. ' If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasm-e in him,' Heb. x. 31. The apostate is said to tread upon the Son of God, Heb. x. 29, as if he were no better than the dirt under
Jgg AND HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND.