3. "They mind earthly things" [To a certain degree earthly things must be minded: but we are not to savour, to relish, or to set our affections upon them.d This would be as contrary to the mind and will of God, as to make a god of our belly, or to glory in our shame. Yet how many professed Christians are there who live under the habitual influence of an earthly mind, without ever conceiving that there is any thing wrong in their conduct! In spiritual employments they experience nothing but a stupid uniformity: but in temporal concerns they have many fluctua tions of hope and fear, of joy and sorrow, according as their prospects of success brightens, or their apprehensions of disappointment increase. Whence arises this, but from the decided preference they give to carnal and earthly things, above those which are spiritual and heavenly?] Fidelity requires, that, having delineated the conduct of these professors, we should set before you II. The warning here given them It is a painful task to rob any of their hopes, and to denounce the terrors of the Lord: and while we engage in it, we would, like the Apostle, proceed with the utmost tenderness and compassion. But we must, at the peril of our own souls, endeavour to undeceive those who are blinded by these delusions. Let such then know 1. Their real character [Many, who are of this description, imagine that they are friends of the gospel, and that they have a great regard both for Christ and his people. But indeed, "they are enemies of the cross of Christ:" they withstand its influence over themselves, and obstruct its influence over others. What was the intent of the death of Christ but to redeem us from all iniquity, and to deliver us from this present evil world, and to establish the dominion of Christ over our whole souls? This was the effect it produced on others;h and would on us, if we thoroughly submitted to its influence. Whatever therefore we may imagine or profess, we really are enemies of the cross of Christ, as long as, in our spirit and conduct, we continue hostile to its main design. The injury which such professors do to the cause of Christ, is incalculable. If they be openly profane, they explode religion altogether, and deter others from regarding its dictates: and if they be more decent in their conduct, they lead men, both by their conversation and example, to suppose d gov&VTES. See Col. iii. 2. 8 2 Cor. x. 5. e Tit. ii. 14. Gal. vi. 14, f Gal. i. 4. that religion consists in mere forms or notions, instead of an entire subjugation of the soul to Christ. In what light then must they appear before God? If " he that gathereth not with Christ, is as one that scattereth abroad," much more must they, who are thus actively engaged in scattering the flock, be deemed his enemies.] 2. Their certain end [It is no wonder that they who mistake their own charac ter, should deceive themselves also with respect to the state to which they are fast approaching. They conclude that their eternal interests are safe: but God declares, that "their end is destructión." Yes indeed!" their end must be according to their works." And do not the scriptures abundantly confirm this melancholy truth? "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:""if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him:"" to be carnally-minded is death." In vain will be all pleas and pretences at the judgment-seat of Christ: to every worker of iniquity, whether he have been an open sensualist, or hypocritical professor, it will be said, "Depart from me, I never knew you."] We would subjoin a word or two of ADVICE 1. Beware lest you rest in an external profession of religion [It is easy to adopt the creed of Christians, and to conform our lives to that standard which obtains generally in the world. But it is no easy matter to be a consistent Christian. To maintain an uniform course of self-denial, and of deadness to earthly things, and to glory only in the Lord, these are hard lessons: yet nothing less than this will prove us Christians indeed. It is not by our creed, or our professions, that we shall be judged; but by our "walk." By that therefore we must judge ourselves, if we would not be deceived to our eternal ruin.] 2. Watch over one another with care and tenderness [None are at liberty to say, "Am I my brother's keeper?" We all should feel a tender concern for the welfare of our fellow-creatures: and especially when we behold those who profess to have the same faith and hope with ourselves, manifesting by their conduct the delusion of their minds, we should weep over them, and, with a mixture of fidelity and compassion, declare to them their danger. We are expressly told to "exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day:" and though we shall not always give satisfaction to the persons i Matt. xii. 30. m Rom. viii. 6. Heb. iii. 13. k Rom. viii. 13. 11 John ii. 15. whom we warn, yet shall we really perform towards them the kindest office, and perhaps save them from the destruction to which they were hastening. Then shall we have reason to rejoice over them, as they also will have to bless God for us, to all eternity.] CCCCXVII. A CAUTION AGAINST DEPARTING FROM GOD. Heb. iii. 12-14. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end. THE consideration of the fulness and sufficiency of Christ, is that which animates the believer in all his conflicts: yet it is on no account to supersede our own care and watchfulness: on the contrary, it affords us the greatest encouragement to watch, because it ensures success to us in our endeavours, which, without his almighty aid, would be of no avail-In this view it is that the inspired writer calls us to "consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was not merely a servant, like Moses, but a son, the Heir and Lord of all, yea, the very builder of that spiritual house, of which we profess ourselves to be a part”— On this truth he grounds the exhortation in the text," in which he suggests I. A solemn caution Difficult as it is to come to God, we find it easy enough to depart from him-We should therefore be on our guard 1. Against any departure from him [While men are yielding to temptation, and turning aside. from the ways of God, they cherish an hope that they may still preserve their interest in his favour, though they be not studious to do his will-But a departure of any kind, whether All the words between "Wherefore," in ver. 7. and the text, are a parenthesis: we must therefore connect the text thus; Wherefore" "take heed," &c. from the faith or practice of Christianity, is nothing less than a departure from God himself, even from him who is the only source of life and happiness-We cannot therefore be too much on our guard against any secret declensions, which are so dishonourable to him whom we profess to love, and so destructive of our present and eternal welfare-] . 2. Against that unbelief from whence all declensions arise [As faith is that which brings us to God, and keeps us stedfast in our adherence to him, so unbelief separates us from him, and, in proportion as it is harboured, invariable alienates us from the life of God-Whatever be the more immediate object of that unbelief, whether we attempt to lower the strictness of God's precepts, or question the varacity of his promises or threatenings, it proceeds equally from "an evil heart," and brings with it the same pernicious consequences: it is a root of bitterness, which, if it be permitted to spring up, will cause every devout affection to wither and decay— We must therefore labour to eradicate it, if we would not eat for ever its bitter fruits-] That his caution may have its due effect, the apostle prescribes II. The means of improving it Sin is of a deceitful and hardening nature [When "a backslider in heart" commits a sin, many thoughts will arise in his mind to palliate the evil, and to make him think that it will not be attended with any important consequences-Soon he begins to doubt whether the thing be evil at all; and, ere long, to justify it from the peculiarity of his circumstances-At first he felt some remorse; but presently his conscience becomes less tender, till at last it is altogether seared and callous; so that, notwithstanding he be miserably departed from God, he is regardless of his loss, and insensible of his danger-Who that has ever noticed the workings of his own heart, has not found what a bewitching and besotting thing sin is? yea, who has not often seen reason to bewail its deceitful, hardening effects?--] To guard effectually against it we should watch over each other [Sin, from the foregoing qualities, naturally hides itself from our view, and renders us inattentive to the means of prevention-But ignorant as we often are of our own spirit, we see clearly enough the defects of others; yea, perhaps we condemn with severity in others the very things which we allow in ourselves-To watch over each other therefore, and to warn each other of those declensions which we either see or apprehend, is a most valuable service; and, if performed with discretion and love, it can scarcely fail of producing the happiest effects-This is a duty to which God has solemnly called us in his word; and it is to be a part of our "daily" work-Our time for it will be very short: either we or our brother may be speedily removed; and our opportunity of benefiting his soul may be lost for ever-We should exhort one another therefore daily, while it is called to-day;" and, though it is often an unpleasant office, we should use all fidelity in the execution of it-By this means we may restore a brother before he has relapsed too far, and preserve him from that departure from God, which would otherwise terminate in his destruction-] Still further to enforce the caution given us, the apos tle adds III. A motive to regard it Our final participation of Christ's benefits depends on our stedfastness in the pursuit of them [Without entering into the question, whether God have decreed the final perseverance of the saints, we may be fully assured, that none can obtain salvation but by persevering in the way of holiness to the end of life: the scriptures continually speak this language, "He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved:" "but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him"-It is true that believers are already in a measure "partakers of Christ:" but the complete enjoyment of his benefits is reserved for the future life: and we must not only have a scriptural and well-founded confidence at first, but must keep it stedfast even to the end, in order to attain that full possession of our inheritance-] If any thing can stimulate us to caution, surely this must [Eternity is at stake, and depends on our present conduct: according as we approve ourselves to the heart-searching God, will our state be fixed for ever-Is it not madness to be remiss and careless under such circumstances? Would any one, who should have reason to think his house were on fire, sit still without endeavouring to find out the latent grounds of his alarm? And shall we know our proneness to unbelief, and not guard against its operation, lest it lead us to apostasy? Shall we acknowledge the deceitful, hardening nature of sin, and not exhort each other to mortify and subdue it?-Surely if we have the smallest concern for our souls, we shall not only Lev. xix. 17. Matt. xxiv. 13. Heb. x. 38. ૨૧ |