of the apostate is worse than his beginning : and that it would have " been better for him never to have known the way of righteousness, than, after he has known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto him."]
Application —
There are, it is to be feared, many here present, who have never yet been delivered from the pollu- tions of the world —
[In truth, of this description are the great mass of nominal Christians throughout the world. If you take men's victory over the world as a criterion whereby to judge of their piety, you will find amongst the professors of Christianity quite as little as amongst Jews, or Mahometans, or Pagans. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, that is, pleasure, and riches, and honour, are the great objects of am- bition in every place : and, if a man be dead to them, he is " a sign and a wonder" to all around him. Look, beloved brethren, and see how your hearts stand affected to these things. Can you truly say, as before God, that " you have overcome the world," and that it is, as it were, under your feet? Have you ever had such views of " the cross of Christ, as have rendered the world and all its vanities like a crucified object in your eyes ; and that you also are become like one crucified unto its?" I entreat you to attend to what the Apostle speaks in my text : " If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." He here lakes for granted, that this effect will follow, universally, and invariably, follow ; all who know our adorable Saviour will escape the pollutions of the world. I pray you to mark this : the Apostle takes it for granted : and he was right ; for there never was, nor ever will be, one exception to this truth: all who know Christ aright, will become dead to the world, and escape from its pollutions. Bring yourselves then to this test : try yourselves, ye whose friends and companions are worldly, whose desires and pursuits are worldly, whose joys and sorrows are worldly. If you were Christians indeed, you would " not be of the world, even as Christ was not of the world4." You cannot be of the world, and of God too; for they stand in direct opposition to each other". "You cannot serve God and Mammon1." Know then, that whilst you love and "mind earthly things y," you have never yet " known the way of right- eousness2:" and that though your state may be " worse," it is exceeding bad : for, if " the last end of the apostate is worse than his beginning," his beginning must of necessity be bad :
s Gal. vi. 14. * John xvii. 16. " 1 John iv. 5, 6.
* Matt. vi. 24. y Phil. Hi. IS, 10. z 2 Pet. ii. 21.