for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame'. Such persons seem to be pointed out by our Lord in his parable of the sower. They are the seed, which falls upon stony ground and soon springs up in full luxuriancy: but, having no depth of soil, it presently withers beneath the scorching rays of the Sun. These melancholy examples, while they strike the Christian with a wholesome terror, ought not to produce in him any distrust of the certainty of God's covenant. The Holy Spirit never leaves a man, till after he has long striven with him in vain: nor does God ever give any person up to destruction, till he has first given up himself.

VI. The righteous may indeed fall seven

1 Heb. vi. 4.

times in a day, and repeatedly grieve the Holy Ghost by his backwardness and perverseness. He knows and laments his own infirmities; and his sins are ever before him: nevertheless, he resolutely strives against them, firmly relying upon the certainty of God's oath.

This is his strong consolation in the midst of all his trials: If God be for us who shall be against us? Christ hath died for us, yea rather hath risen again from the dead, and perpetually maketh intercession for us. "The Holy Spirit has engaged to abide with us for ever1: and the Father has covenanted to accept all those, who come unto him in his Son's name.

Here, then, is the sure refuge of the Christian. He relies upon the faithfulness of God; and yet, at the same time, he diligently applies himself to the acquisition of those graces, which are required as necessary qualifications for the kingdom of heaven. Though his mind may at times be clouded with doubts and harassed with fears, the word of promise is his

1 John xiv. 16.

sure anchor. He strives to live by faith: the consciousness of undeserved mercy stimulates him to a course of cheerful obedience: and he labours to render unto God the best service, the service of the heart. He knows, that the Holy Spirit is given, not to supersede the necessity of any endeavours on his part, but to enable him to labour more abundantly in the cause of religion; not to promote indolence, but to excite diligence. Hence, while he is confident of this very thing, that he, which hath begun a good work in him, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ': he still continues to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling".

VII. Such is the strong ground of consolation which the Christian possesses: a consolation founded, not upon the deceitfulness of feeling, but upon a lively faith in the express promises of God.

Frequently is he necessitated to believe even against hope: but, though his heart within

1 Philip. i. 6.

2 Philip. ii. 12.

him may be desolate, the Holy Spirit still supports him in the midst of his infirmities, and enables him to exclaim with the Psalmist; Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod, and thy staff, they comfort me1.

Old

Thus daily strengthened and sustained, he forgets those things which are behind, and presses forward to those which are yet before him: thus daily increasing in piety and abounding in every good word and work, he by degrees grows up unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ2. things are passed away, and all things are become new. His understanding, his will, and his affections, are no longer prostituted to the service of Satan, but are devoted to the cause of God. Being justified freely, he is made a son of God by adoption, made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ. He walks religiously in good works; and, at length,

1 Psalm xlviii. 14.

2 Eph. iv. 13.

by God's mercy, attains to everlasting felicity'.

VIII. The result then, of the whole inquiry may be briefly given in manner following.

1. By nature, man is born in sin, a child of wrath, utterly unable either to think or to do any good thing by virtue of his own unassisted faculties.

2. Hence, although Christ laid down his life for him, he cannot avail himself of the benefits which result from that mysterious sacrifice, unless a change be effected both in his understanding and in his will and in his affections: so that he may perceive his need of a Saviour, desire above all things to serve him, and unfeignedly love the way of his commandments.

3. Being, however, dead in trespasses and sins, he is, by his own inherent strength, no more able to infuse life into his soul, than a corpse is able to raise itself up from the grave. 4. The blessed Spirit of God, therefore, is

1 Art. XVII.