to affirm : he even declares, that the persons so de- ceived l)y them are brought into a worse condition than they v/ere in previous to their first acquaintance with the Gospel salvation.
In this statement of the Apostle we have,
I. A case supposed —
The case which he supposes is simply this ; That a man may have attained the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so as to see, that salvation is by him alone, even by his blood which he shed for our fallen race, and his righteousness which he wrought out for their acceptance with God. Fur- ther, he supposes that a man may have experienced a considerable efficacy from this knowledge, so as to have been sanctified, in some degree, by means of it, and delivered from the pollutions of a sinful world. Thus he may practically and experimentally *' have known the way of righteousness, and yet be again so entangled with the world as to be overcome by it ;" and be so overcome by it as *' to turn away finally and for ever from the holy commandment delivered unto him."
Now this case may well be supposed — [Consider how extremely weak our nature is ; how in- capable we are of doing any thing that is good, or of re- sisting any tiling that is evil, any farther than as we are strengthened by the grace of God. As it is of God alone in the first instance that we are enabled " either to will or to do" what is right*"; so is it by the continued operation of his grace alone that we can hold on in the right way : " witliout Christ" continually assisting us, "we can do no- thing ^"
Consider also to ivJiat innumerable temptations we are ex- posed. There is not any thing, hov.-ever innocent in itself, which may not prove to us an occasion of sin. Our food, our raiment, our connexions in life, may all be inordinately loved, or in some way be employed to ensnare our souls. Wherever we go, and whatever we do, we are exposed to temptations of different kinds ; nor can any man living tell what a single hour may bring forth, or what a change may, tlirougli the influence of some unforeseen temptation, be speedily wiought in his moral or religious character.
Consider Thil.ii. 13. 'John XV. 5.
1174.] BAD STATE Ot APOSTATES. 191
Consider farther, what loth Scripture and experience teach us on this very subject. Do not the Scriptures tell us, that many had already " made shipwreck both of faith and a good conscience'^," and that in the latter times such defections would be very numerous^? St. Paul's expostulation with some of the Galatian Church deserves particular notice in this point of view : " Now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beg- garly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage ? I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain V Why are we so often and so urgently cautioned against " being moved away from the hope of the Gospel," and *' fall- ing from our own stedfastness," if no such instance could occur? Is the case of Demas no warning to us? And have we not ourselves either known, or heard of, many, who, like him, " after running well for a season, have been hindered," and, like Lot's wife, become monuments and warnings to all ai'ound them ? Are the stony-ground-hearers, and the thorny- ground so rare in the Church, that there is no foundation for the supposition in our text?]
To attempt to invalidate the supposition by an appeal to human systems, is highly inexpedient —
[We never can sufficiently deplore the use which is made of human systems. Men will attach themselves to some falli- ble creature like themselves, and so adopt his sentiments, as to reject even the Scripture itself, when its declarations militate against their favourite opinions. There are in the Church of God not a few, who would shut their ears against a faithful exposition of our text, as much as they would against blas- phemy itself; because they cannot reconcile the leading sen- timent contained in it with the dogmas of their party. But who are we that we are to sit in judgment upon the Sacred Records, and to wrest from its obvious meaning every sentence which does not accord with our views ? That there is no real contradiction between the supposition in our text, and many declarations in Scripture which have an opposite aspect, we could easily shew, if it would not draw us too far from our subject: but suffice it to say, that many assertions, which are erroneously thought opposite to each other, have in reality a subverviency the one to the other, and, like wheels moving in an opposite direction, concur to the production of one com- mon end. I therefore intreat you, Brethren, not to attempt to weaken the force of the supposition in my text, by an appeal to human systems ; but to admit it as a salutary caution to yourselves, and to improve it with all diligence, that you your- selves