2. By ungodly practices —
[Grievous have been the falls of many who have professed religion ; and shocking the scandals which have at times pre- vailed in the Christian Church. Evils, which obtained amongst the ignorant and licentious Gentiles, were indulged, and vindi- cated, by them after they had embraced the Gospel of Christ ; and many, like profane Esau, bartered away the inheritance of heaven for some worthless perishable good.
Thus it is at this day. Many things are pleaded for, which are as opposite to the holy nature of the Gospel as " fornica- tion" itself: and the vanities of time are yet daily exchanged for the glories of eternity. In vain are we reminded how bitterly Esau at last bewailed his error ; or how fruitless were his efforts to remedy the evil he had committed. We see nothing in his example which speaks to us ; nor have we any ears for the instruction it conveys to us. The influence of temptation is too strong for us: our earthly and sensual hearts will plead for gratifications which the Gospel of Christ does not allow : and thus multitudes relinquish all the blessings of eternity, through their undue attachment to the things of time and sense.
But let not such be found amongst you. It is melancholy to see that Demas, after being twice united with Luke in the salutations of St. Paul, should be found, " through love to this present world," " making shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience." But such instances occur in every age of the
r 2 Cor. xi. 3.