to certain and everlasting perdition P:" and "it would have been better for him never to have known the way of righteousness, than, after having known it, to turn back from it."

Let these consequences be duly weighed, and nothing need be added to shew us the importance of "holding fast our profession without wavering."]

TO IMPROVE this subject, we shall,

1. Assist you in ascertaining your state before God

[Since all are "bent to backslide" more or less, it is of great importance to inquire of what kind our backslidings are, and to see whether they are merely the infirmities of an upright soul, or the revolt of an apostate. It is indeed difficult to determine this with precision; yet something may be said to aid you in this inquiry.

Examine diligently the cause, the duration, and the effects of your backslidings. Those of the sincere arise from the weakness of their flesh, while yet their spirit is as willing as ever: but those of the hypocrite proceed from a radical disaffection to the ways of God. Those of the sincere continue but a little time, and are an occasion of greater diligence: those of the hypocrite remain, and become the habit of his soul. Those of the sincere humble him in the dust: those of the hypocrite produce a blindness of mind, a searedness of conscience, and a hardness of heart.

But though we thus discriminate for the information of your judgment, we recommend all to stand fast in the Lord, and to guard against the first risings of spiritual decay.]

2. Give a word of counsel to those in different states

[Are you altogether backslidden from God? O return to him, and take upon you his "light and easy yoke!" He invites you with all the tenderness of a father; he declares himself exceedingly averse to punish you according to your desert; and he promises to "heal your backslidings, and love you freely "."

Are you drawing in his yoke? Bless and adore your God, who has inclined and enabled you to do so. It is his power, and his power alone, that has kept you hitherto*; and therefore he must have all the praise. And in order to your continued steadfastness, reflect often on the evil and danger of backsliding; I may add too, on the comfort and benefit of

Heb. x. 38, 39.

r Gal. vi. 9.

t Hos. xi. 7, 8.

x 1 Pet. i. 5.

9 Matt. xii. 45. 2 Pet. ii. 21.

s Jer. iii. 12, 14, 22.

u Hos. xiv. 4.

serving God. Surely He is a good Master. Let but your hearts be right with him, and " none of his commandments will appear grievous to you:" on the contrary, you will find that in keeping his commandments there is great reward"," and that your labour shall not be in vain with respect to the eternal world. "Be ye faithful unto death, and he will give you a crown of life"."]

y 1 John v. 3.

z Ps. xix. 11.

a Rev. ii. 10.

MCXLVIII.

THE DANGER OF SPIRITUAL IDOLATRY.

Hos. iv. 17. Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. THERE is a day of grace, wherein God strives with men by his Spirit: this past, he abandons them to impenitence and obduracy. The precise period of its termination is, in mercy, concealed from us; but we are all concerned to deprecate the judgment denounced against Ephraim in the text:

I. The sin of Ephraim

Ephraim, to which Jeroboam belonged, comprehends all the ten tribes. These were devoted to the worship of the idols that were in Dan and Bethel. Nor could they be drawn from it by any of the means which God used

Though we do not imitate them in this, we are not free from spiritual idolatry

[Idolatry is described to be a loving and serving of the creature more than the Creator". Hence covetousness and sensuality are spoken of under that term. Now who has not yielded that love, fear, and confidence to the creature, which are due to God alone? "Who can say, I am pure from this sin?"

-]

We have, in truth, been "joined" to idols

[Many are the means which God has used to bring us to himself. Yet we have not been wrought upon effectually by any of them. Neither mercies vouchsafed, nor judgments threatened, have been able to prevail. We rather have

a Luke xix. 42.

c Col. iii. 5. Phil. iii. 19.

b Rom. i. 25.

"held fast deceit, and refused to return to the Lord our Godd".

-]

But this sin must of necessity provoke God to

anger.

II. Their punishment

The text may be understood as an advice to Judah, not to hold intercourse with the idolatrous Israelites. Our Lord gives a similar direction to his followersBut it rather imports a judicial sentence of final dereliction

[This is a just punishment for turning away from God. Nor can there be a more awful punishment inflicted even by God himself. It is worse than the severest afflictions which can come upon us in this life. For they may lead to the salvation of the soul; whereas this must terminate in our condemnation. It is worse than even immediate death and immediate damnation. For the greater our load of sin, the greater will be our treasure of wrath.]

And there is reason to fear that God may inflict this punishment upon us

[In this way he punished the Gentiles who sinned against their lighth. In this way he visited also his once-favoured people the Jews. Why then should we hope for an exemption, if we imitate their conduct? God has repeatedly warned us that impenitent sinners shall have this doom *.]

INFER

1. What reason have we to admire the patience and forbearance of God!

[He has seen us cleaving to idols from the earliest period of our lives'; and though we have changed them, we have never turned unto him. In the mean time we have been deaf to all his expostulations and entreaties. What a mercy is it that he has never yet said, "Let him alone!" Yea, he has even restrained us from perpetrating all that was in our hearts". How gracious is he in yet striving with us by his Spirit! Let then his goodness, patience and forbearance, lead us to e Matt. xv. 14.

d Jer. viii. 5. and xliv. 16, 17.

f 1 Cor. xi. 32. and v. 5.

g Rom. ii. 5.

h Thrice mentioned, Rom. i. 24, 26, 28.

i Ps. lxxxi. 12. Matt. xxiii. 32-35.

k Prov. i. 30, 31. and v. 22. 2 Thess. ii. 10-12.

1 Ezek. xiv. 3. m Gen. xx. 6. and xxxi. 29. 1 Sam. xxv. 34

repentance"; and let us say, like Ephraim, in his repenting state°-]

2. How evidently is salvation entirely of grace!

[If left to ourselves we never should renounce our idols". We should act rather like that obstinate and rebellious people. The case of Judas may shew us what we may do, when once abandoned by God. God must give us a will, as well as an ability, to turn to him. Let us then entreat him never to leave us to ourselves. Let us be thankful if, in any way, he rend our idols from us. If we have never yet resembled the Thessalonian converts, let us now cry unto him. If we have, let us bear in mind that affectionate exhortation"—.]

THE EXTENT AND CAUSES OF MEN'S SUPINENESS.

Hos. v. 4. They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

WHEN we exhort men to duty, they plead their inability to perform it; but their inability is, in fact, a want of inclination to serve God. Many things there are which they do not, though confessedly within their power. Of this the prophet complains in the words of our text, and traces it up to its true and proper source.

His words lead us to consider,

I. The extent of men's supineness

Little need be said to shew that the generality do not "turn to God." They are scarcely sensible of their apostasy from him. They regard serious and vital religion as over-righteous preciseness. They do not so much as "frame their doings to turn unto him"

They do not consider their ways

[This seems a reasonable duty, and within the reach of any man every prudent man does it with respect to his temporal affairs; nor can there be any excuse for neglecting it in

:

more important concerns. Indeed it is not possible to turn unto God aright, unless we have first discovered wherein we have turned from him. But men do not choose to search the records of their own conscience; they find it more pleasant to rest in the presumption that all is well. To this effect God himself testifies respecting them"—.]

They do not abstain from open violations of God's law

[This is undoubtedly a step, which, every one that turns to God will take; nor, though this is more difficult, is it beyond the power of an unregenerate man: though he cannot refrain from the love of sin, he may from the commission of it. Many actually do deny their appetites, from prudential motives; yet few, if any, will impose the same restraints from a regard to God, or manifest the disposition recommended to them by Elihu -.]

b

They do not avoid the means and occasions of sin

[They have found the company of ungodly men to be a snare to their souls, yet will they not withdraw themselves from their society. From many other things have they experienced a most baneful influence, yet will they gratify themselves in all their wonted indulgences. In temporal matters they see the wisdom of fleeing from temptation, yet they account it needless to shun the means of spiritual defilement; but if they desired really to turn to God, could they evade the force of that question — -?]

They do not use the means of obtaining true con

version

[They cannot but know the necessity of meditation and prayer: they are well assured that an attention to God's word and ordinances is a principal mean of spiritual advancement, yet any book is more pleasing to them than the Bible, and any employment than prayer: in seeking worldly advancement they will use the means with diligence, but all labour is deemed superfluous in the concerns of the soul.]

They not only do not thus frame their doings, but they will not

[Not all the promises of God can allure, or threatenings alarm them they are deaf to the voice of conscience, and the

• Exod. xxxiv. 12. Prov. xxii. 25.

d From the course, or the gaming table. • Prov. vi. 27.