power, and wisdom, and grace, and covenant faithfulness of God than they do, and that they took a far deeper interest in the cause of truth and the salvation of their fellow-men! But we desire to guard against a spirit of presumption, and to promote a correct mode of thinking and speaking on this deeply momentous subject.

2d. We remark, secondly, that as we have no authority for predicting any particular event simply on the ground of our prayers, as though God had bound himself to grant whatsoever we desire, so, on the other hand, it is venturing too far to assert that we shall not have this or that mercy unless we pray for it. We must be careful not to limit God where he has not limited himself. There are many favors which he ordinarily gives in answer to prayer, and some perhaps which he will not give unless duly solicited at his hand. But it is wise in us not to invade his sovereignty, nor to set bounds to his goodness where he has set none. It is usual for God to connect the salvation of children with the fidelity of parents; and if a parent is unfaithful, and neither prays nor labors for the conversion of his children, as he ought to do, it might justly be said that he has little or no reason to expect their conversion. It is God's usual method to connect revivals of religion with the prayers and fidelity of Christians in those places where revivals occur; and it might be proper to say that Christians have no reason to expect a revival in such places, while they remain in a great measure indifferent to this object, and neither pray nor labor for it with becoming zeal. But is it not going too far to assert that this is God's only method of building up his cause? that a revival will never be experienced and sinners converted until Christians awake and cry mightily to God for the descent of his Spirit? in other words, that God will not pour out his Spirit upon a congregation but in answer to solemn and special prayer by his people for this object? Such language is

often employed, but we think it unguarded: it is warranted neither by the tenor of God's promises nor by the events of his providence. He does more for his people often than they ask, and sometimes surprises them by a mercy which they neither looked for nor requested. I could mention several important revivals of religion, (nearly twenty,) if an ingathering of souls into the Redeemer's kingdom ought to be so denominated, which were not preceded, so far as human eyes could discern, by any special spirit of prayer on the part of the Lord's people. They were manifestly asleep when the heavenly bridegroom came, and were roused into action only by his almighty voice calling dead sinners from the tomb.

Such events do not happen to exculpate the unbelief, the slothfulness and stupidity of Christians, but to display God's sovereignty, and to overwhelm us with the boundless riches of his mercy.

I know it may be said that it is not easy to determine whether such revivals as I have alluded to, were not, after all, the immediate answer to prayer. Some person, however obscure or unheeded, may have prayed for them some time or other, if not immediately preceding their commencement. This, indeed, is possible, though no evidence can be produced of the fact. But, were this admitted, one thing is certain-the churches, as collective bodies, were asleep, and this is enough for our purpose. It shows that the blessing was not necessarily suspended on their prayers—at least those solemn and earnest prayers to which the promise of God is evidently made. God has promised, for the purpose of encouraging his people to pray; and he fulfills his promises in such circumstances, and often with such particularity, as to inspire his people with confidence and joy; but this hinders not the display of his sovereign mercy towards individuals and communities, whenever and wherever

he may judge it will subserve the purpose of his glory. Let us beware, then, of taking ground which he himself has not taken, and of dealing out assertions concerning the operations of his grace which neither his Word nor providence will sustain. At the same time, let us also beware that our very caution do not betray us into lukewarmness and unbelief; and that, under a pretext of Divine sovereignty, we excuse our want of zeal in the cause of man's salvation. We act under a fearful responsibility, and danger awaits us on every side. Our only safety lies in making God's Word the rule of our faith, and his glory the end of our actions. May he give to us that humble, inquisitive and impartial spirit which is intimately connected with successful investigation, and which will be the surest pledge of our understanding and obeying the truth.

LECTURE XXI.

ON APOSTACY.

HEBREWS vi. 4, 5, 6.—" For it is impossible 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."

WE have, in these words, the character and doom of those who openly apostatize from the Christian faith, after having been greatly enlightened, and the subjects of supernatural gifts. It is evidently no ordinary or occasional backsliding of which the Apostle speaks, but one which is deep and entire-an apostacy from the principles and hopes of the Gospel, marked with the bitterest contempt for the Lord Jesus, and for the Divine Spirit, by whose mighty signs and wonders the Gospel was at first attested to the world. For apostates of this guilty character, the Apostle asserts there is no hope; not because God has not power to reclaim them, but because it is against his purpose to interpose in their behalf. In having willfully opposed the light imparted by the preaching of the Gospel, and by the miraculous operations of the Spirit, they were virtually guilty of the sin which is unto death, and, of course, cut themselves off from the Divine favor forever. On this point, so far as I know, there is no difference of opinion; commentators, with one voice, admit that the apostacy here spoken

of is final and irremediable. They admit, also, that it was the design of the Apostle to put his Hebrew brethren on their guard against an apostacy of this fearful character. But the question which has been long agitated is, who are they that stand exposed to this apostacy? They are persons, doubtless, whose privileges and attainments are here described-" those who were once enlightened." But who are these? Are they true Christians? and does the Apostle, in this place, describe Christian character? or does he speak of such only, as were greatly distinguished by their peculiar gifts and attainments, while, nevertheless, they fell short of true piety?

We ask your attention to the remarks which may be made in answer to these inquiries. And let me here say, it is of the more importance that we come to a correct interpretation of this passage, because as we expound this, we shall be led to expound several others in the sacred volume; while the principles we adopt in this explication will be likely to shape our views on other topics of Christianity.

By those who deny the doctrine of the saints' perseverance, it has been universally contended that the Apostle, in this place, describes the character of true Christians, and hence they infer that there is no certain connection between any measure of spiritual attainments and the salvation of the soul. The terms employed they consider as appropriately describing Christian character; and since the Apostle, in the warning which he administers, goes upon the principle that there is danger of falling from the state here described, they entertain no doubt that true Christians may fall finally and irrecoverably. If no danger, say they, why caution? And danger there could not be, if God has pledged himself, by his almightiness, that no true Christian shall apostatize.

But we cannot admit this interpretation, for several

reasons.