in its pursuits, how immersed in its enjoyments, how insatiable in their desires after its richest communications. And, if you tell them that they are seeking after a mere phantom, they account you either splenetic or mad. Be ye then firm against those who would deride your pursuit of heavenly objects ; and serve your God, as they serve theirs, wholly, uninterruptedly, and in defiance of all that can be said to turn you from your ways. In a word, "Be steadfast, immoveable, always abound- ing in the work of the Lord ;" and know, that when they shall reap only vanity for their recompence, you shall find that " your labour has not been in vain in the Lord."]
1 John ii. 19. They went out from us, but they were not of us ; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
THERE have been many apostasies from the Church of God, in every age. Of those who for a time were Christ's disciples, " many went back, and walked no more with hima." Of such apostates the Apostle Paul also complained": and of such St. John speaks, in the words before us. There had, many years before, been teachers who "went forth from the Apostles in Judrea, subverting the souls of men by inculcating the necessity of circumcision0:" so now, there were some who separated themselves from St. John, and the Church under his care ; and, either by their false doctrines or unholy lives, brought dis- grace upon the Gospel, and obliged the Apostle to guard the whole Christian Church against them. He calls them antichrists ; because, in fact, whatever they might pretend, they were the greatest enemies to Christ. Not that they had ever been truly upright before God : for, if they had been really one in heart and spirit with God's Church and people, they would never have gone out from them ; but God suffered them thus to depart, that the Church might no longer be injured by them, or be involved in their disgrace.
a Johnvi. 60. b 1 Tim. v. 12, 15. c Acts xv. 1, 24.