most eminent professors in utter and everlasting ruin. For the former instance we will refer vou, not to a man professedly ungodly, no, nor to a mere novice in religion, but to the most distinguished of all the Apostles. With the name of Peter we associate the idea of courage undaunted, and of piety irreproach- able. But behold him on one occasion, when his loins were loosed, and the girdle was wanting to complete his armour. This valiant hero, who had acquitted himself so nobly in many battles, was at last, through fear of offending the Judaizing Chris- tians, guilty of the basest dissimulation ; undermining by his influence the most essential doctrine of that Gospel which he was sent to preach ; and, by his example, drawing Barnabas also, and a multitude of others, into the most fatal error. And, if St. Paul had not openly rebuked him before all the Church, and thereby counteracted the effect of his misconduct, it is not possible to say, how far his error might have affected the eternal interests of millions111.
In the other instance, we must turn our eyes to one, whose eminence drew from St. Paul himself repeated commendations, even such as were bestowed on the Evangelist, St. Luke. After years of manly toil, and continued danger, Demas was left to prove how weak the strongest are without sincerity. Wearied with his conflicts, he sought repose in the bosom of the world"; when, if he had fought with more since- rity, he might have endured to the end, and triumphed over all his adversaries. Unhappy man, to retain one secret lust, which, like a canker, ate out his vitals, or, like a leak unnoticed, sank the vessel wherein he was embarked ! But thus it will be with all whose loins are not girt about with truth : " a double- minded man will be unstable in all his ways0."
But if we have melancholy instances of failure through the want of this virtue, we have many noble
m Gal. ii. 11 — 14. "to be blamed — dissembled — dissimulation — ivalked not uprightly."
n Compare Col. iv. 14. and Philem. ver. 24. with 2 Tim. iv. 10. 0 Jam. i. 8.