Serra. LXVII. The danger ofylpoftaey from Chriffaanity. 489 of, as high Malice to the Author of this Religion, as the Jews were guilty of when they put him to fo cruel and (hameful a Death. Now a Sin of this heinous Nature is apt naturally either to plunge Men into hardnefs and impenitency, or to drive them to defpair; and either of thefe Con- ditions are effeetual Barrs to their Recovery. And both thefe Dangers the Apoftle warns Men of in this Epiftle. Ch. 3. 12, 13. Take heed, Brethren, left there be in any ofyou an evil Heart ofUnbelief, to apoftatize from the livingGod : but exhort one another daily, tchiß it is call'd to day, lefi any of you be hardned through the deceit- fulnefs ofSin. Or elfe the Refle&ion upon fohorrid a Crime is apt to drive a Man to Defpair; as it did Judas, who after he had betray'd the Son of God, could find no eafe but by making awayhimfelf ; the Guilt of fo great a Sin fill'd him with fuchTerrors, that he was glad to fly toDeath for Refuge, and to lay violent Bands upon himfelf. And this likewife was the Cafe of Spira, whofe Apoftacy though it was not total from the Chri(tian Religion, but only from the Purity and Reformation of it, brought him to that Defperation of Mind which was a kindof Hell upon Earth. And of thisDanger likewife the Apoftle admonifheth, Ch. 12. It 5. Looking diligently, left any Manfail of the Grace of God (or as it is in our Margine, left any Man fall from the Grace of God) left any root of bitternefs ringing up trouble you; and then he compares the Cafe of fuch Perlons to Efau, who, when he had renounced his Birthright, to which theBlefling was annexed, was afterwards when he would have inherited the Blefling, rejebted, and found no place of Repentance, though he fought it carefully with Tears. Idly, Thofe who are guilty of this Sin, do renounce and call off the means of their Recovery; and therefore it becomes extreamly difficult to renew them again to repentance. They reje& the Gofpel, which affords the belt Arguments and Means to Repentance, and renounce the onlyway of Pardon and Forgivenefs. And cer- tainly that Man is in a very fad anddefperate Condition, thevery nature of whofe Difeafe is to reje& the Remedy that fhould cure him. And this the Apoftle tells us, was the Condition of thofe who apoftatized from the Gofpel, Chap. ro. 26, 27. For if we finwilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there re- ruaineth no more Sacrificefor Sin; but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery Indignation, which (hall devour the Adverfary. The great Sacrifice and Propi- tiation for Sin was the Son of God ; and they who renounce him, what way of Ex- piation can they hope for afterward? what can they expe& but to fall into his Hands as a Judge, whom they have reje&ed as a Sacrifice and a Saviour? And then, idly, Thofe who are guilty of this Sin, provoke God in the higheft manner to withdraw his Grace and Holy Spirit from them, by the Power and Efficacy whereof they fhould be brought to Repentance; fo that it can hardly otherwife be expe&ed, but that God fhould leave thofeto themfelves, who have fo unwor- thily forfaken him; and wholly withdraw his Grace and Spirit from fuch Per- Eons as have fo notorioufly ofered deffite to the Spirit of Grace. I do not fay that God always does this, he is fometimes better to fuch Perlons than they have deferved from him, and laves thofe who have done what theycan to undoe themfelves, and mercifully puts forth his Hand to recover themwho were drawing back,toPerdition; efpecially if they were fuddenly furprized by the violenceofTemptation, and yielded to it not deliberately and out of choice, but meerly through weaknefs and infirmity, and fo Coon as they reflec`led upon them - felves, did return and repent : This was the cafe of St. Peter, who being furpri- zed with a fudden fear denied Chrift; but being admoni(h'd of his Sin by the fignal whichourSaviour had given him, he was recovered by a fpeedy andhearty Repentance. And fo likewife feveral of the Primitive Chriftians, who were at firft overcome by fear to renounce their Religion, did afterwards recover them- felves, and dy'd refolute Martyrs : but it is a very dangerous State, out of which but few recover, and with great difficulty. And thus I have done with the five things I propounded tomake out, for the clearingof this Text fromthe miftakes and mifapprehenfionswhich havebeen about it. I fhall now draw fome ufeful Inferences from henceby way of Application, that we may fee how far this cloth concernour felves, and they Dull be thefe. tire 1ft,
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