SERMON IX.

CLASS V. DEFECT IN CONTINUANCE.

DEMAS.

Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. 2 Tim. iv. part of ver. 10.

IN this remarkable and affecting character, which is here given us of this disciple, we have the fifth, and the last that we have to consider, of those particular cases, which are put on record in the New Testament, as defective cases of conversion. On the preceding Sabbaths, we have considered the case of Simon Magus, as a case defective in principle. He believed and was baptized, and followed about with the disciples, but his heart was not right with God. The same has been instanced in Ananias and Sapphira. We have looked at the case of the second Herod, as a case defective in practice. He heard the truth. He was glad when he heard it. He observed its effect upon those who received it. And under the power of the truth he did many things. He enquired after the Saviour. He was long desiring to see him. And when he saw him, he questioned with him, and was exceeding glad. But, notwithstanding this, soon after his first impressions, he fell by evil practice, by the deceitfulness of sin. He became an adulterer. Then a murderer. And then at the last he stood before the Eternal Son of

God, and mocked him and reviled him. Then, in the character of Judas Iscariot, we have noticed the union of both these causes of defectiveness, and traced their procedure from each other. An evil practice from an evil heart. A corrupt tree bringing forth evil fruit. Then we have considered the case of the governor Felix, as a case, defective in impression. His mind enlightened by the truth: he had "a perfect knowledge of the way." His conscience shaken and disturbed by it; he "trembled" beneath the word. But his heart a stranger to any effectual, saving, converting impression. And lastly, we examined the character of Agrippa the king, (and that of the Ruler,) as a case defective in degree. Not only his outward understanding was informed, so that none of the truth, it is said, was hidden from him. Not only his conscience was engaged and exercised, so that he bore his public testimony to the innocence of St. Paul. But there was also in him, a moving of the heart and affections, a gracious influence on the will. Only, here was the defect. That influence on the will, however considerable, however near to complete persuasion, still was not quite sufficient, still was defective in degree. He was, after all, only within a little, only almost persuaded.

Now then, the case before us, the case of Demas the disciple, we present to your notice, as a case still nearer than all the rest to a saved and converted state. Rightly influenced by religious principle, so as even to have companied with the chiefest apostles, in preaching the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Rightly addicted to holy practice, so as to have given himself up to the sacred and self-denying, and, in those days, the dangerous work, of spreading a despised and persecuted faith. His mind of course enlightened. His conscience of course convinced. And his heart, and will, and affections surrendered to the truth, so that

even his life was devoted to its service. Where then was the defect? It was in his not continuing. His character stands, after all, upon record, as a case defective in continuance. "Demas hath forsaken me;" and the cause which drew him aside is given us; "having loved this present world."

Both these facts respecting him,-the fact of his conduct, his "forsaking" the way, and the fact of his character, which was the cause of it, his "having loved this present world,"-both these facts, I say, are proofs and evidences of an unconverted state.

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(1.) First, his forsaking the way, is a proof of unconversion. On this the testimony of Scripture is very positive and express. They went out from us," says St. John, "because they were not of us. For if they had been of us, doubtless they would have continued with us." "If ye continue in my word," said Jesus once, to those who already "believed" on him, "then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." "We are made partakers of Christ," says St. Paul, "if— if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end." "Abide in me," says Christ, "and I in you, for if a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered." For "the love of many shall wax cold, but he that endureth to the end," he it is that "shall be saved."

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(2.) And then the cause why Demas forsook the way, is itself a fearful sign of unconversion: "having loved this present world." For "the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whoso loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him."+ There is a sense in which the servant of Christ may lawfully *I John ii, 19. John viii, 31, 32. Heb. iii. 6, 14. John xv. 4, 6. Matt, xxiv. 12, 13. + James iv. 4, 1 John ii, 15.

love the world. He may love it as God did, when he desired to save it, and gave his Only Begotten Son. He may love it, as his Saviour loved it, when he came from the height of his glory, to lay down his life for sinners, and open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. In this way a Christian may desire to join in the great and the blessed work of saving, by the knowledge of Jesus Christ, a lost, and ruined, and benighted world. But this was the love with which it was loved by St. Paul, not the love with which Demas, when he forsook St. Paul, loved this present world.*

The state of his mind then, as well as the act of his conduct, proclaimed him, not, it is probable, a deceitful, but a self-deceived, and an unconverted person.

Now the particular point of truth which we seem to gather from this, and which we cannot too much keep in mind, is, that one important evidence of a really converted state is continuance: that we are holding fast the truth that has been received by us, and are steadily living by the light of it, and while time is wearing on with us, and life is passing away, and the world and all its concerns are gliding from under our feet, and we are getting continually nearer to the end of our course, still we are running with patience the race that is set before us. We are not making shipwreck of faith. We are not weary of the way. We are not weary of our God and Saviour. We are not weary of his service. We have no desire to leave it. But rather an increasing desire to grow in his grace and knowledge. To walk more closely with

* The strength of the Greek verb ɛуxαтɛλπɛ and the preference implied by the word Vʊy, I think quite set aside any favourable meaning of the passage, as if Demas were then gone forth from the apostle to preach the word.

him. To endure unto the end. To be faithful even unto death, that we may receive at the last from him, the crown of life.

A very eminent minister of Christ used to assign to his people four evidences by which to examine themselves whether they were in the faith; he called them by these names :

Consistency.

Peculiarity.

Progress.

Continuance.

Consistency,-Or a sacred agreement of character and conduct with the gracious principles of the Gospel, which, if a man be a true believer, are implanted in the soul by the Holy Ghost. Peculiarity,—In that the character of grace is so entirely opposed to the common character of nature, that a man should become conspicuous for just the very opposite tendencies from those which he had by his natural disposition: so that the proud should become humble and meek ; the passionate mild and gentle; the unjust, like Zaccheus, should restore fourfold; the covetous be marked for liberality; and the unclean and unholy, be peculiar in notice as the pure in heart. Then, thirdly, the evidence of Progress;-growth in grace. But fourthly, and nothing less absolute than the others, Continuance, abiding in the way, ought ever to stand in the account. For " every plant which the Father hath not planted shall be rooted up :" it is not said immediately, now; but "shall be rooted up at the last." "No man having put his hand to the plough," like Demas, "and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."* But if a person, after a Christian experience of ten, or of twenty or thirty years, can honestly say of himself,