midst of all endeavours to keep you in the " good old way," have you never seen any " turned from the simplicity that is in Christq ?" Alas! alas! even in the apostolic Churches such declensions were common : we must not wonder, therefore, if, amongst ourselves, some be drawn aside by Satan r, to " make shipwreck of their faith, and of a good conscience8." But what must be the result of such instabilitv ? The Apostle tells us, that " if any man draw back, my soul," says God, " shall have no pleasure in him." Yes, beyond a possibility of doubt, every such per- son, whoever he be, and whatever he may imagine, "draws back unto perdition1;" and his last end is worse than his beginning11."
And shall it be thus with any of you, my brethren ? God forbid. I tremble at the thought of it. and will endeavour, as far as in me lies, to prevent so awful an issue to my present ministrations. Let me tell you again and again, (for " to speak the same things to you, to me is not grievous, but for you it is safex;") let me tell you, I say, that " there is no other founda- tion for any sinner in the universe to build upon, but that which God himself has laid in Zion, which is Jesus Christ y." And let me further declare, that " it is not a dead faith that shall save you, but one which is productive of good works z ; " and that " without holiness, real, universal holiness, no man shall see the Lord3."
Next, the Apostle laboured to impress these things on their minds, because he knew that his opportunities for reminding them of them were coming to an end.
The Lord Jesus Christ had told him many years before, that, when he should be old, he should be bound, and crucified by his enemiesb. And the time for this catastrophe was now near at hand : yet with such sweet composure did the Apostle contemplate this tremendous death, that he spake of it only as
<i 2 Cor. xi. 3. r 1 Tim. v. 15. s 1 Tim. i. 19.
* Heb. x. 38, 39. u 2 Pet. ii. 20. x Phil. iii. 1 .
y 1 Cor. iii. 11. z Jam. ii. 14, 20, 26. a Heb. xii. 14. b John xxi. 18, 19.