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expression," If any man draw back.". And,

II. To point out some reasons which should determine us to guard against the apostacy here mentioned.

I. By the expression " to draw back," must certainly be understood a total and final apostacy, as is evident from the clause immediately following the words of the text: "We are not of those who "draw back unto perdition." But in order to explain its import more particularly, I would observe, in the first place, that some who once were accounted disciples of Christ, have drawn back into open profanity and infidelity.

Of persons of this character the Apostle Peter speaks in his 2d epistle, 2d chap. ver. 20 and 21, when he says: "For if "after they have escaped the pollutions "of the world, through the knowledge "of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, "they are again entangled therein, and "overcome; the latter end is worse with "them than the beginning. For it had "been better for them not to have known "the way of righteousness, than, after

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they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto "them." Alas! how melancholy is the reflection, that there should be in the world persons possessed of the knowledge of Christianity, and yet so totally regardless of their true interests, as to abandon the hope of the gospel for the sake of the perishing pleasures of sin. Persons of this character, who have stifled conviction, and hold the truth in unrighteousness, become generally the most hardened and daring in wickedness. Common restraints are removed, the voice of conscience is silenced, the Spirit of God ceases to strive, and they are given over to a reprobate mind,-to follow all uncleanness with greediness,-to fill up the measure of their iniquities, and at last to perish in unbelief.

But I observe, second, That others who apostatize from Christ, fall into gross and dangerous errors.

Such were Hymeneus and Philetus, of whom Paul speaks (2 Tim. ii. 17. and 18.), who concerning the truth have erred,

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saying, that the resurrection is past already, and thereby overthrow the faith

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"of some." Of this kind are the false teachers mentioned by the Apostle Peter, "who should bring in damnable heresies,

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even denying the Lord that bought "them, by which they should bring upon "themselves swift destruction." Remarkable likewise, to this purpose, are those awful words relating to the "man of sin, "the mystery of iniquity, whose coming "is after the working of Satan, with all

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power, and signs, and lying wonders, " and with all deceiveableness of unright"eousness in them that perish, because "they received not the love of the truth "that they might be saved. For this "cause God shall send them strong de"lusion, that they should believe a lie, " that they all might be damned who be"lieve not the truth, but had pleasure in

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"unrighteousness. In this way, my

friends, many have drawn back from Christ, who have still retained his name, and continued to account themselves and have been accounted by others, among the number of his disciples.-But I add,

Third and lastly, That there is still a more secret and disguised kind of apostacy, which is not on that account the less

fatal and ruinous; I mean when I mean when persons, who have once had a profession of religion, become careless and indifferent, lose all vigour and zeal about the things of God and eternity, and discover a proportionable eagerness in worldly schemes and pursuits.

This is a way of apostatizing from Christ, the more dangerous, because it is the least apt to be perceived. The decay is so gradual and insensible, that the persons themselves who are the subjects of it may not be fully, if at all, aware of their danger. To use the language of the Prophet Hosea, (vii. 9.) " grey hairs "are here and there upon him, yet he "knoweth it not." But others, who knew them in their better days, cannot but remark a great and melancholy change. They are no longer the persons they once seemed to be. Their relish for spiritual exercises and spiritual enjoyments is evidently gone. The restraints of the Sabbath, the day which the Lord hath sanctified for his own holy service, and in which they were wont to rejoice, are now felt to be painfully tiresome. Public ordinances, if attended to at all,

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have degenerated into a mere bodily act and empty form. The word preached has lost its savour; and secret prayer, which was once a delightful, has become an irksome and burdensome task. Pious and useful books, fitted for informing the understanding, improving the heart, and regulating the life, that were formerly with avidity read, nay, the Bible itself, which alone is " able to make wise unto "salvation," are either totally neglected and laid aside, or are seldom made the subject of perusal and meditation.

In short, the persons of whom I speak have changed their views, their manners, their company. Perhaps some alteration in their outward circumstances has produced these unhappy effects. Raised from a state of dependence to wealth, their minds have been intoxicated with worldly prosperity; and by a strange kind of infatuation, tho' by no means uncommon in life, in proportion to the degree in which they have been loaded with the bounties of Providence, they have proved unthankful and unmindful of the great and bountiful Giver, and forgetful of that God to whom they are indebted for this

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