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is like poison in the constitution: it will be certain to operate; and that in a way that shall go on more and more to kill all holy resolution, to harden the heart, and to defile the imaginations and desires. Whoredom and wine, and new wine, take away the heart. It was from sad experience of the defiling nature of past sin that David, when he came to himself, prayed, Create in me a CLEAN HEART, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

A mind thus enfeebled, stupified, and defiled, must needs be in a very unfit condition to resist new temptations. The inhabitants of a besieged city, who are weakened by famine and disease, and discouraged by a number of disaffected persons within their walls, have no heart to resist, but stand ready to listen to the first proposals of the besiegers.

And in proportion as we are disabled for resistance, it may be expected that the tempter will renew his attempts upon us. If Satan have any influence upon the human mind, it may be supposed that he acts with design, and knows how to avail himself of the most favourable seasons to effect his purpose. And this we find to be true by experience. In proportion as we have yielded to temptation, it will rise in its demands; solicitations, greater in number and in force, will ply to our minds. As a resistance of the devil will be followed by his fleeing from us, so, on the contrary, a non-resistance of him will be followed by renewed and stronger attempts upon us. One sin makes way for another, and renders us less able to resist, or to return to God by repentance. When once the thief has gained admission into our habitation, he will bid us defiance. Innumerable evils will compass us about, and our iniquities take hold upon us, so that we shall not be able to look they will be more than the hairs of our heads: therefore our hearts will fail us. Sampson first yielded to his sensual desires; after this to the entreaties of his Delilah; who, in proportion as she saw him pliant to her wishes, increased in her assiduousness, till, at length, he lost his hair, his liberty, his eyes, and his life.

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If we be mere professors these considerations may affect us but little we shall continue the willing slaves of our own corruptions, hoping it may be, nevertheless, that we shall sometime be brought back again, till, at some unexpected hour, we are taken out of the VOL. IV.

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world. But if there be any good thing in us toward the Lord God of Israel, this part of the subject must alarm us; for of all the methods which God takes to punish sin, there is none more awful and more dreaded by a good man, than that of being given up to sin.

Fifthly: So long as sin remains upon the conscience unlamented, we are in danger of eternal damnation. It may be thought by some, that such language is inconsistent with the final perseverance of believers: but it is manifest that our Lord did not so teach the doctrine of perseverance as to render cautions of this nature unnecessary. He did not scruple to declare, even to his own disciples, that whosoever should say to his brother, Thou fool, should be in danger of hell fire-that if they forgave not men their trespasses, neither would God forgive theirs-and if a right hand or a right eye, caused them to offend, it must be cut off, or plucked out and that, lest the whole body should be cast into hell.

The object at which sin aims, whether in believers or unbelievers, is death, eternal death; and to this it has a natural and direct tendency. The apostle James in a very affecting manner, describes its process. Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. If it does not in all cases come to this issue, it is not because of its being different as to its nature or tendency in some persons, to what it is in others, but because a timely stop is put to its operations. Only let it go on without repentance till it has finished its work, and eternal death will be the issue.

Whatever we are, so long as sin lies unlamented upon the conscience, we have no scriptural foundation to conclude that we are Christians. No real Christian, it is true will prove an apostate; yet while we are under the influence of sin, we are moving in the direction which leads to apostacy. If we are contented with a relapsed state of mind, what ground can we have to conclude that it is not our element, or that we have ever been the subjects of true religion? If the waters continue to be naught, it is a sign

that the spring has not been healed. There is no reason to think that Judas himself laid his accounts with such an issue of his treachery as actually came to pass. During the ministry of our Lord, while he kept the bag, and sometimes made free with its contents, it is probable he nevertheless reckoned himself a good man. He saw many failings in his fellow disciples, and in all other good men; and he might think this to be his. When he had covenanted with the chief priests, it does not appear that he expected his master would be eventually taken and crucified. When they were about to lay hands on him, he had often passed through the midst of them, and gone his way; and he might suppose that it would be so again. When therefore he saw that he was condemned, he was thrown into a state of terrible amazement, and in the issue went and hanged himself. Such was the process of an apostate, and such his end. Surely it behoves us to take heed how we trifle with those things, the end of which is death!

ON THE

MEANS OF RECOVERY.

WERE it not for the hope of being instrumental in saving some from the error of their way, and of inducing others to a greater degree of watchfulness, I should not have written the preceding pages. It can afford no satisfaction to expose the evil conduct of a fellow sinner, or to trace its dangerous effects, unless it be with a view to his salvation or preservation.

It is natural for those who have fallen into sin, unless they be given up to a rejection of all religion, to wish, on some consideration to be restored. A backsliding state is far from being agreeable. Hence it is that many have prematurely grasped at the promise of forgiveness, and said to their souls, Peace, peace, when there was no peace. It is desirable that we be recovered from our backslidings; but it is not desirable that we should think ourselves recovered when we are not so.

As there are many ways by which a convinced sinner seeks peace to his soul, without being able to find it, so it is with a backslider. Self-righteous attempts to mortify sin, and gain peace with God, are not confined to the first period of religious concern, Having, through the power of alarm, desisted from the open practice of sin, many have laboured to derive comfort from this consideration, without confessing their sin on the head, as it were, of the gospel sacrifice. Their sins may be said rather to have been worn away from their remembrance by length of time, than washed by the blood of the cross. But this is not recovery the hurt, if healed, is healed slightly; and may be expected to break out again. The same way in which, if we be true Christians, we first found rest to our souls, must be pursued in order to recover it; namely, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

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