him, we, as far as in us lies, cast him down from his throne, and trample him under our feet; declaring, that he is un- worthy of the honour which we had erroneously put upon him, and that we will " no longer have him to reign over us :" yea, we even " crucify him afresh, and put him to an open shame^."
Next, it is a " counting of the blood of the covenant an unholy thing." The Mosaic covenant was ratified with blood ; and with that blood both the tabernacle with all its vessels, and the people who worshipped before it, were sanctified, and set apart as holy to the Lord''. The covenant of grace is ratified with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and, when we " come to the knowledge of the truth," we also are sanctified with it, and set apart to the service of our God. We profess to con- sider that blood as the one procuring cause of all that we either have or hope for : and we look for all the blessings of the covenant solely through the merit of his blood as shed for us, and as sprinkled on us. But, when we cast ofi" our profession, we declare before all, that we consider the blood of Christ as having no virtue at all as an atonement for sin, and as being, in fact, of no more efiicacy than the blood of bulls and goats, or even of a malefactor, justly put to death.
Further, it is a doing of " despite unto the Spirit of grace." The Holy Spirit, both before and after the death of Jesus, bare witness to him by signs and wonders innumerable : and, when we are brought to the knowledge of the truth, it is by that same blessed Spirit illuminating our minds, and sealing the truth with power upon our souls. But, when we renounce the truth we have received, we insult that Divine Agent, as having borne witness to a falsehood: and we ascribe all his miracles either to Satanic agency, or to some mysterious im- posture. We even laugh also at the impressions which he has made upon our minds, and deride all his merciful suggestions as fanaticism and delusion.]
In this view of apostasy, say, if it be not a most tremendous evil ?
[Those who are guilty of it, speak of it only as a change of sentiment resulting from conviction ; and thus they take credit to themselves as having grown in wisdom, and been faithful to their convictions. But God seeth not as man seeth. God beholds all the evils of the heart which have been accessary to this change ; and all the injury that results from it, both to his honour, and to the world at large. He sees the pride of heart which will not receive the truth upon his testi- mony. He sees the love of the world which operates to draw the heart from him ; yea, and the enmity of the heart against
b Heb. vi. 6. <= Heb. ix. 18—21.