I.

loved us, and given us everlasting consolation, &c, stablish you in every good word and work, 2 Thess. ii, 16, 17. He who establishes us with you in Christ, &c, is God, 2 Cor. i, 21.

II

not be established, Isa. vii, 9. God preserveth not the life of the wicked, &c. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, &c. He showeth them their work, and .their transgressions, &c. He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. If they obey and serve him, they will spend their days in prosperity, &c. But if they obey not, they shall perish, &c, and die without knowledge, Job xxxvi, 6-12.

I.

Christ shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless, &c. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son, 1 Cor. i, 8, 9.

II.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God? &c. If any [of you] defile the temple of God, him will God destroy, iii, 16, 17. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell, Matt. v, 29. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. For meat destroy not the work of God [in] thy brother, who stumbleth, or is offended, Rom. xiv, 15, 20, 21. The Lord having saved the people, &c, afterward destroyed them that believed not, Jude 5. They did all drink, &c, of that spiritual rock which followed them, and that rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased; for they, &c, were destroyed of the destroyer, 1 Cor. x, 4, 5, 10. They were broken off because of unbelief, and thou standest by faith, &c, continue in his goodness, other. wise thou also shalt be cut off, Rom. ix, 20, 22. Through thy knowledge shall thy weak brother perish, for whom Christ died, &c. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to stumble [and so to perish] I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, 1 Cor. viii, 11, 13. There shall be false teachers among you, &c, who, denying the Lord that bought them, shall bring upon themselves swift destruction. These shall utterly perish in their own corruption, and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, &c. Cursed_children, who have forsaken the right way, 2 Pet. ii, 1, 12, 15. See also the scriptures quoted in page 82.

I.

He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee: so that [in the way of duty] we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, Heb. xiii, 5, 6. (I add, in the way of duty, because God made that promise originally to Joshua, who knew God's breach of promise, when Achan stepped out of the way of duty. Compare Josh. i, 5, with Josh. vii, 12, and Num. xiv, 34.)

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him

II.

My people have committed two evils, they have forsaken me, &c. I will even forsake you, saith the Lord, Jer. ii, 13; xxiii, 33. The destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed, &c, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them, Isa. i, 28, 31.

Jesus said, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy

I.

on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son [or child] of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, &c, [not only lest thou fall finally, but also] lest thou dash thy foot against a stone, Matt. iv, 5, 6; Psa. xci, 11, 12.

II.

God, Matt. iv, 7. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents, 1 Cor. x, 9.

Who can tell how many have been destroyed by dangerous errors, which after insinuating themselves into the bosom of the simple, by means of their smoothness and fine colours, drop there a mortal poison, that too often breaks out in virulent expressions, or in practices worthy of - Mr. Fulsome?

How wisely does the tempter quote Scripture, when he wants to inculcate the absolute preservation of the saints! Can Zelotes find a fitter passage to support their unconditional perseverance? It is true, however, that he never quotes it in favour of his doctrine: for who cares to plough with such a heifer? (Fænum habet in cornu.) Therefore, though she is as fit for the work as most of those which he does it with; he never puts her to his plough, no, not when he makes the most crooked furrows. Should it be asked why the devil did not encourage Christ to throw himself down, by giving him some hints that a grievous fall would humble him, would make him sympathize with the fallen, would drive him nearer to God, would give him an opportunity to shout louder the praises of preserving grace, &c, I reply, that the tempter was too wise to show so openly the cloven foot of his doctrine; too decent not to save appearances; too judicious to imitate Zelotes.

SECTION III.

What thoughts our Lord, St. John, St. Paul, and St. James entertained of fallen believers-A parallel between the backsliders delineated by St. Peter, and those who are described by St. Jude-A horrible destruction awaits them, for denying the Lord that bought them, and for turning the grace of God into lasciviousness.

Ir is impossible to do the doctrine of perseverance justice, without Considering what Christ and the apostles say of apostates. Even in their days the number of falling and fallen believers was so great, that a considerable part of the last epistles seems to be nothing but a charge against apostates, an attempt to reclaim Pharisaic and Antinomian tacksliders, and a warning to those who yet stood, not to "fall away after the same example of unbelief and conformity to this present world." Begin we by an extract from Christ's epistles to the Churches of Asia. Though the "Ephesians hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans," yet, after St. Paul's death, they so far inclined to lukewarmness, that they brought upon themselves the following reproof:-"I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works, or else I will remove thy candlestick." The Church at Pergamos was not in

a better condition; witness the severe charge that follows:-"“Thou hast them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, &c, to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth." The contagion reached the faithful Church of Thyatira, as appears from these words :-"Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel to seduce my servants to commit fornication. But unto, &c, as many as have not this doctrine, and have not known the depths of Satan, I will put upon you none other burden." In Sardis "a few names only had not defiled their garments;" the generality of Christians there had, it seems, "a name to live and were dead:" but the fall of the Laodiceans was universal. Before they suspected it, they had all, it seems, slidden back into the smooth, downward road that leads to hell. "I know thy works," says Christ, "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Like those who stand complete merely in notions of imputed righteous. ness, "thou sayest, I am rich, &c, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and poor, and blind, and naked," Rev. ii, 3.

Can we read this sad account of the declension and falling away of the saints without asking the following questions: (1.) If backsliding and apostasy were the bane of the primitive Church, according to our Lord's doctrine; and if he did not promise to any of those backsliders that victorious, almighty grace would certainly bring them back; what can we think of Zelotes' doctrine, which promises infallible perseverance, and insures finished salvation to every backsliding, apostatizing believer? (2.) If the primitive Church, newly collected by the Spirit, and sprinkled by the blood of Christ, guided by apostolic preachers, preserved by the salt of persecution, and guarded by miraculous powers, through which apostates could be "given to Satan for the destruction of the flesh," (witness the case of Ananias, Sapphira, and the incestuous Corinthian :) if the primitive Church, I say, with all these advantages, was in such danger by the falling away of the saints, as to require all those reproofs and threatenings from Christ himself; is it not astonishing that whole bodies of Protestant believers should rise in our degenerate days to such a pitch of unscriptural assurance, as to promise themselves, and one another, absolute, infallible perseverance in the Divine favour? And (3.) If the apostate Nicolas, once "a man of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom," but afterward (it seems) the ringleader of the Nico. laitans ;-if Nicolas, I say, went about to "lay a stumbling block before" Christians, by teaching them that fornication would never endanger their finished salvation; does Zelotes mend the matter, when he insinuates withal, that fornication, yea, adultery, and, if need be, murder, will do Christians good, and even answer the most excellent ends for them?

Consider we next what were St. John's thoughts of Antinomian apostates. He had such a sight of the mischief which their doctrine did, and would do in the Church, that he declares, "This is LOVE, that we walk after his commandinents. This is the commandment, that ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not [practically] that Jesus

Christ is come in the flesh," to destroy the works of the devil; who deny Christ in his holy doctrine; and among other dangerous absurdities will even give you broad hints that you may commit adultery and murder without ceasing to be God's dear children. But believe them not. "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the [practical] doctrine of Christ, hath not God, &c. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed," 2 John, 6-10. Again: "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. These things have I written unto you, concerning them that seduce you, 1 John ii, 4, 26. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does right. eousness is righteous, &c. He that committeth sin is of the devil, &c. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil," 1 John iii, 7, &c.

When, in the text quoted above, St. John says, "They went out from us, but they were not all of us," what a fine opportunity had he of adding, "If they are elect they will INFALLIBLY come back to us." But, as he believed not the modern "doctrines of grace," he says nothing either for Calvin's reprobation, or Dr. Crisp's election. Nor does he drop the least hint about a "day of God's power," in which changeless love was infallibly to bring back one of all those backsliders, to make him sing louder the praises of free, sovereign, victorious grace.

Although I have frequently mentioned St. Paul's thoughts concerning fallen believers, I am persuaded that the reader will not be sorry to see them balanced with St. James' sentiments on the same subject.

I.

St. Paul's account of

BACKSLIDERS.

II.

St. James' account of

UNFAITHFUL BELIEVERS.

My brethren, &c, if there come unto your assembly a man in goodly apparel, and also a poor man in vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, &c, are ye not partial? &c. But ye have despised the poor, &c. If ye have respect to persons ye commit sin, &c, for whosoever [of you] shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. From whence come wars among you? Come they not even of your lusts? &c. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that, &c, whosoever will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God? James ii, 1, &c; iv, 1, 4.

Alexander the coppersmith (who was once a zealous Christian, see Acts xix, 33,) did me much evil; the Lord reward him according to his works. No man [i. e. no belever] stood with me; but all forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge, 2 Tim. iy, 14, 16. I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would -lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults; and lest my God humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness which they have committed, 2 Cor. xii, 20, 21. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, &c. For if we sin wilfully [as they do] there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour

he adversaries, &e, especially him] who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace, Heb. v, 25, &c. Many [fallen believers] walk, of whom I have toid you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly - who mund earthly things. For all [comparatively speaking] seek their own, and not the things which are Jesus Christ's, Phil. iii, 18; ii, 21.

The Epistle to the Hebrews is a treatise against apostasy, and of consequence against Calvinian perseverance. As a proof of it, I refer the reader to a convincing discourse on Heb. ii, 3, published by Mr. Chivers. The whole Epistle of St. Jude, and the second of St. Peter, were particularly written to prevent the falling away of the saints, and to stop the rapid progress of apostasy. The Epistle of St. Jude, and 2 Peter u, agree so perfectly, that one would think the two apostles had compared notes: witness the following parallel :—

II.

St. Jude's description of ANTINO

MIAN BACKSLIDERS.

These be they who separate them. selves. They ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, Jude, verses 19, 11.

These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you; feeding themselves without fear,

verse 12.

Filthy dreamers-walking after their own lusts, verses 8, 16.

Their mouth speaketh great swelling words-creeping in unawares [i. e. insinuating themselves into rich widows' houses] having men's persons in admiration, verses 4, 16.

These speak evil of those things which they know not [especially of Christ's law.] But what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves, ver.

10.

Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth, &c; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever, verses 12, 13. [How far was St. Jude from rocking any of those apostates in the cradle of infallible perseverance!]

[St. Jude compares them to] the angels who kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, &c,