" eat and drink his own damnation i." And so may a man render baptism the means of his more aggravated condemnation ; as Simon Magus actually did: for he continued as much " in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity" after his baptism, as he was before, with the additional guilt of his hypocrisy in having applied for baptism in a state altogether unworthy to receive if^. Beloved Brethren, whatever men may say, you must be bom again of the Spirit, as well as of water : you must become " new creatures in Christ Jesus : " and if God create not in you a clean heart, and renew not in you a right spirit, Satan himself may hope for heaven as well as you : for, if there be any truth in the word of God, " without holiness," real, inward, universal holiness, no man shall see the Lord^."]
2. Those who profess to have experienced it —
[There are two things against which I would particularly take occasion to guard you : the one is presumption ; the other is despondency.
You have probably heard persons speak of divine grace being an imperishable seed ; which, once bestowed, must of necessity bring a man to glory. But it is the word of God which is the only imperishable seed * : nor is there in the uni- verse a man who is authorised to say, '7 cannot fall.' To enter into this subject at large, is beyond my present purpose. The man who cannot see his frailty in the character of David, and his inability to restore himself in the long impenitence of David, will probably be left to learn these things by bitter experience. But to every man among you " that has an ear to hear," I would say, " Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall "." And if I were speaking even to a ' prophet of the Most High, and he as eminent as David him- self, I would whisper in his ear this salutary caution, " Be not high-minded, but fear ^."
Yet, if there be here one who has fallen into sin, I would say, Despair not, as though there were not mercy enough in the bosom of your God to pardon you, or power enough in his arm to keep you. Yea, if, like David, you had committed the aggravated crimes of adultery and murder, I would still point you to the great Sacrifice, even to the Lord Jesus Christ ; and would put into your mouth that prayer of David, " Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean ; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow y." I would, however, remind such an one, that it will not be enough for him to obtain par- don and peace : he must have *' a clean heart created in him,
1 1 Cor. xi. 29. >• Acts viii. 21 — 23. « Heb. xii. 14.
t 1 Pet. 1. 2,3. " 1 Cor. x. 12. ^ Rom. xi. 20.
y ver. 7.