End of Hard to reclaim.

hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. - 18: 24 33: 18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

Hos. 6: 4 0 Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

Mat. 25: 8 The foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil: for our lamps are gone out.

Lk. 9: 62 Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Jn. 6: 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Gal. 5: 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from

grace.

1 Tim. 1: 19 Holding faith and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck. 2 Tim. 1: 15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

2 Pet. 2: 20 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. 21 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. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and, The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. [See 23, 27.]

20. Apostates hard to reclaim.

Heb. 6:4 It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good

6 If.

word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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. 10: 26 If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Theoretical and practical.

21. Were Apostates ever truly regenerated?

Mat. 7: 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat. 15: 13 Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

Mk. 4: 16 These are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Jn. 6: 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?-17: 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

1 Jn. 2: 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. [See 515-517.]

ATHEISM.

22. Theoretical and practical Atheism.

Ex. 5: 2 Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

Job 21: 14 They say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. 15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Ps. 10: 4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.—14: 1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.-59: 7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

Is. 22: 13 Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we shall die.

Ezk. 8: 12 They say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

Rom. 3: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Ep. 2: 12 At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens

Exemplified - Cautions.

from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

2 Pet. 3: 3 There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. [See 200, 568, 692-3, 695, 705, 708.]

BACKSLIDING.

23. Examples of backsliding — cautions.

Ex. 32: 1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden ear-rings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3 And all the people brake off the golden ear-rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To-morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings: and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

9

2 S. 12: 7 Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

1 K. 11: 4 It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

2 Ch. 16: 7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with

Backsliders prone to murmur.

very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. 9 Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people

the same time.

Jer. 8: 5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse

to return.

Hos. 11: 7 My people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the Most High, none at all would exalt him.

Mat. 16: 6 Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

[See 19, 695.]

24. Backsliders prone to murmur, despond, and distrust providence.

Gen. 42: 36 Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against

me.

1 K. 19: 4 Elijah went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die: and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. Job. 3: 1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.

Ps. 73: 2 As for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps nad well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency 14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

Is. 49: 14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

Jer. 20: 14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born.

Lam. 3: 2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness; but not into light. 3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. 7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy 8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

Jonah 4: 1 It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet

Backsliders insensible-in darkness-threatened.

in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?

[See 9, 171, 272, 700.]

25. Backsliders insensible of their state.

Hos. 7:8 Ephraim is a cake not turned. 9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

Rom. 2: 17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness.

Rev. 3: 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. [See 704.]

26. Backsliders walk in darkness.

Job 23: 8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him.

Is. 59: 2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he

will not hear.

Mat. 6: 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! [See 707.]

27. Backsliders threatened and visited with evils.

Ex. 32: 9 The LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people: 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Ezra 8: 22 The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.