adds, "For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." 2 Peter ii. 18. ver. &c. And he declares, that "if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." It is asserted, that they had clean escaped, and were again allured, and that being thus again entangled in the pollutions of the world, after they had escaped them by the knowledge of the Lord and saviour, their latter end was worse than their beginning. It seems they had the true knowledge of the saviour, and had thereby escaped those pollutions, and known the way of righteousness, and yet turned from the holy commandment. And as it were to confirm it in the fullest manner, that men might do all this, and absolutely fall from a state of grace and real cleansing, the apostle winds up the subject with these positive assertions: "But it happened unto them, according to the true proverb, the dog is returned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." What more could he have said, to evince the possibility of falling from grace, and that individuals actually did fall, even after they were washed, and had clean escaped from them who live in error. Well therefore might he, and with great propriety he did, (after having thus fully and clearly established the possibility and danger of falling, and put the believers in mind what manner of persons they ought to be, in all holy conversation and goodliness, looking for, and hastening unto, the coming of the day of God, &c.,) conclude his last epistle to them with this pressing exhortation: "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and forever. Amen." 2 Peter iii. 17, 18.

Let us mark his words: "lest ye also being led away." The word also seems to refer to the example of those he had spoken of, as having been already led away and allured; having turned from the holy commandment like the dog that greedily swallows. again what he had vomited up, and like the sow, that though ever so thoroughly washed, returns to her wallowing in the mire.

The good apostle was anxious that others' harms should prove a warning to his brethren, and pressed them by the example of such as had actually forsaken the right way, after once walking in it, to see well to their standing, lest like these, they might by any means "be led away by the error of the wicked, and after all their good experience, fall from their own steadfastness." And we need not marvel that he concludes his address to them with this wholesome advice, seeing he was so far from a vain hope of once in grace, always in grace, that he knew the latter end of those once in grace was worse than their beginning if they turned froin it, and viewed them in a worse state, than those who never knew the right way, or the way of true righteousness, and so had not forsaken it.

The apostle to the Hebrews says: "If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses's law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the spirit of grace?" Now, if such as have really received the knowledge of the truth may sin wilfully, so as that there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but on the contrary a fearful looking for of judgment, and of fiery indignation, that will devour the adversaries; if there is a much sorer punishment than was death, without mercy, under the law; if some who were once even sanctified by the blood of the everlasting covenant, may and do even tread under foot the son of God, and count the blood of the covenant, whereby they have

been sanctified, an unholy thing, and do despite to the spirit of grace; and if these are worthy of this much sorer punishment, what becomes of the doctrine of once in grace always in grace?

Is he in a state of grace and acceptance, that is treading under foot the son of God? Is that a state of grace, wherein the blood of the covenant is counted unholy, and wherein despite is done to the spirit of grace? Perhaps, scarce any crime can be named, that may not be included in this description. Perhaps there may be no kind, or degree of wickedness, alienation, or depravity, that is not here comprised; and yet this is the very person that was once sanctified, by that very blood of the covenant, which he now counts an unholy thing. Oh! sorrowful apostacy! I marvel not at all, that the apostle, in the following words, put such in mind of "him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will repay, saith the Lord." For surely, if ever he can justly take vengeance on any, it must be on such as these, who were once his peculiar and sanctified servants and people; but who have thus vilely forsaken him; so the apostle adds, “and again, the Lord shall judge his people." And if he judge them in righteousness, as he surely will, he can never acquit such notorious offenders as these. Hence, awfully pertinent is the next solemn sentence: "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Further, it is evident, that when Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians, he thought it possible even for himself to become a castaway: 1 Cor. ix. 27. and that from a feeling sense of his danger, he carefully kept " under his body, and brought it into subjection, lest by any means he should have been drawn away from the gospel; and even after he had preached it to others, have been himself a castaway." Rom. viii. 38, &c. And yet he afterwards knew a state, in the course of his experience, in which he felt firmly persuaded, that neither death, nor life, &c. would be able to separate him from the love of God. For though the epistle to the Romans is placed before those to the Corinthians, I find by the arrangements of some writers, it is believed Paul wrote his epistles to the Thessalonians, Galatians, and Corinthians, before he wrote that to the Romans; and I entertain no doubt, but that Paul and others have attained to a

state, from which they could not fall; but I am as firmly persuaded that there is a state of grace, favour, and real sonship, from which man may, and some have fallen, and that even Paul and those of whose perseverance he was so fully assured, had been in that state, and might have fallen and become castaways. And this, I conclude, is one thing which has led many into a too early persuasion and confidence, that they cannot fall; that they find by the sacred records, that some did attain to that state and assurance, and so they conclude that all who are once truly in a state of grace, are thus far arrived; not carefully observing the several degrees and growths in grace, from that of children, to young men, and so on to fathers; and hence it comes to pass, that many an infant in Christian experience, and attainment, is bold and confident; and instead of maintaining a proper fear, and a right engagement to keep under the cross, lest he or she should become a castaway, is unwisely assuming the utmost assurance that belongs to any, even to fathers in Christ. And too many have hereby been lulled asleep, in a very imperfect state; have sat down at ease in sin, and made little or no advancement in the race that was set before them, since the moment when they first confidently concluded that they were converted. Some of these have settled into flat and lifeless formality, and some have centred in the bondage of corruption, and returned to the wallowing in the mire of their former pollutions. And it is past all controversy with me, that this short stopping by the way, and turning back again to Egypt, will cast away many an one at the bar of final retribution, who have begun well and run well for a season.

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