Their potvers may be enlarged, as well for the discharging of duties which their unassisted nature would be unequal to perform, as for the working of miracles, to which no created power is competent. By " the heavenly gift," or the gracious operations of the Holy Spirit, they may make some consider- able advances in the divine life'^: and through his miraculous agency, " of which they may also be partakers," they may do wonders that shall astonish all who behold them'.
It is observable, however, that the Apostle expresses him- self in terms calculated to convey rather a low idea of the attainments of these persons : he speaks of their " tasting of the heavenly gift," and " tasting of the good word of God ;" designedly intimating thereby, that they never lived upon the word as the food of their souls, or made religion their great solace and support, but contented themselves with a slight, transient, and superficial taste of both.]
Such persons may certainly become apostates from the truth —
[That they may " fall away" from the practice of religion, is evident from the instances of David and others, who, after a long experience of " the power of godliness," have grievously departed from the path of duty. But they may also apostatize from even the profession of the truth. How many are there who " for awhile believe, and, in a time of temptation, fall away™." The instance of Demas", if there were no other, is very sufficient to prove, that men may possess, not only gifts, but graces too, and yet " return with the dog to his vomit," and " draw back unto perdition"."]
Miserable, indeed, will their situation then be- come, on account of^
II. The extreme difficulty of renewing them again unto repentance — To " renew them to repentance," is a great and arduous work —
[If repentance were no more than a slight conviction of their folly in renouncing the truth, we might hope that a very little experience of the fatal change would bring them to it. But it implies a total renovation both of the heart and
life which is a work at all times difficult ; but
peculiarly so under their circumstances. It is said to be
k 2 Pet. ii. 20. ' Matt. vii. 22. with 1 Cor. xii. 11.
ni Luke viii. 13.
n Col. iv. 14. and Philem. ver. 24. with 2 Tim. iv. 10. o 2 Pet. ii. 22. Heb. x. 38, 39.