those, among the descendants of Abraham, who were not only proselytes to the Christian faith, but well informed of its fundamental doctrines, it is difficult to imagine what can be so.

Taking, then, the fact for granted, let us see whether some further light cannot be thrown on the words of my text. Let us try whether we cannot discover the reasons for which it was impossible, or rather very difficult, to "renew again unto repentance" those persons who are the objects of this Epistle, if they should have "fallen away."

They had been "once enlightened;" they had, no doubt, been apprised of the imperfection of the Mosaic law, which was only

66

a shadow of good things to come;" their eyes had been opened, i. e. their understanding was illuminated so as to come "to the knowledge of the truth," so as to perceive how the sacrifice of Christ was prefigured in the types and ceremonies of the law, and how the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in his person; it is probable also, that they had entered into covenant with Christ by Baptism for the term enlightened, is by ancient Ecclesiastical writers, applied to persons who had undergone that ceremony. They had experienced, had a thorough sense (or, by a

*

* V. Suicer. Thesaur. Eccles. p. 1487, Ed. Amstel. 1682.

metaphor common in the language of the New Testament, had tasted) of the beneficial effects and consolations of the Gospel, "the heavenly gift, the good word of God." They had been, moreover, made "partakers of the Holy Ghost," partakers of those gifts and graces which it was the peculiar office of the Holy Spirit to bestow-confirmation of their virtue, support under their afflictions, and the hope of future happiness; and they had "tasted of the powers of the world to come:" by which expression we are to understand, either the miraculous powers conferred on believers in the time of the Messiah, which is not unfrequently called the age, or world, to come; or, the foretaste and prospect of those powers and privileges of the Saints, which the Religion of Christ holds forth to his faithful disciples and followers.

Such, then, being the advantages enjoyed by the Hebrew converts, what hope was there, if they should fall away, or turn apostates from Christianity, to "renew them again unto repentance?" Could they expect to be more enlightened than they had already been? Could they expect again to "taste of the heavenly gift," to be made partakers of the Holy Spirit, to enjoy his influences, and to aspire to "the powers" conferred by them, or the happiness to which they would lead? All these means of grace, which had been employed for their

C

salvation, they had despised and rejected; and their condition therefore seemed to be almost desperate. Their offence had a near resemblance to that of their ancestors: "they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame."

Thus, I presume, it appears that the words of my text principally, and in their first intention, related to those Hebrew converts to Christianity who afterwards apostatised from it, and returned to the religion of their forefathers. We cannot deny, however, that they are applicable to Christians of another description, and even to those of our own times; if any shall be found so false to their baptismal vows, as to call in question the first principles of the Christian Faith, and to employ the knowledge and instruction, which they have received from it, in the cause of infidelity. It is to such conduct that our Saviour alludes in those remarkable words, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men:"* i. e. whoever is so perverse and malicious as to ascribe the miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles for the conversion of mankind, and in which the power of God and the agency of the Holy Spirit were

* Matth. XII. 31.

so manifestly shown, to magical arts and the agency of demons, has resisted the strongest possible evidence of the truth of the Christian Religion; and it is hardly conceivable how such a blasphemer can be again converted, and thus become an object of the divine clemency. But this is an extreme case: that in other cases the sinner is with less difficulty recovered, and restored to a state of grace and favour with God, is implied in this very text of Scripture, as well as from the declaration of St. Paul, that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life: for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."*

For

It is a foolish objection which has been made by certain Heretics, "that in the Scripture we are said to be reconciled to God, but God is never said to be reconciled to us." the one necessarily implies the other. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God; yet even to the worst of us is this encouragement given :-"Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out:" a vain encou

*Rom. v. 10, 21.

+ The Socinians; V. Pearson, ubi supr. p. 365.

ragement, surely, if it was absolutely impossible that a great sinner could be converted.

With reason, therefore, do we reject and abhor the pernicious doctrine of those who assert that if we once fall from our baptismal engagement, we can never return and be received into communion with Christ: and that we can no more recover by tears and lamentation our former state, than Esau, by the same means, could recover his birthright. It is most undoubtedly impossible for us to be baptised again, or at least again to reap the benefit of that ordinance; to die unto sin, as in baptism, to be buried, and to rise again with Christ, and thus to be so renovated and illuminated, as to have all our sins, hitherto committed, washed away. But as to the guilt of original, we have all added that of actual sin, there still remains a door of entrance, a way to reconciliation and favour with God by faith and repentance. The sacrament of penance is, in the Roman church, called "the second table, the saving plank after shipwreck, a more painful remedy for sin than baptism, requiring much fasting, praying, and other afflictions corporal," but yet "open to all once baptised, heretics and malicious oppugners of the truth; sinners in what way soever during this life."*

Though our church

* See Rhemish N. T. p. 613, Antwerp, A.D. 1600.