II. A disposition to recede from it manifests us to be unfit for the kingdom of God Not he only who indignantly throws away the plough, but he who, while he still professes to do the Lord's work, is looking back" with a wishful eye upon the world, is in the state here mentioned-He is unfit for 1. The kingdom of God on earth [This is the primary import of the words of the text: nor can any thing be more clear than the truth contained in them The service of Christ, whether in ministering the word to others, or in obeying it ourselves, requires stedfastness-We cannot adhere to Christ without opposing in many instances our carnal appetites, and worldly interests; as therefore a man, who, instead of attending to his plough, looks frequently behind him, would soon prove himself unfit for the service in which he was engaged, so he who should undertake to serve the Lord Christ, while his heart was yet set upon the world, would walk very unworthily of his profession, and soon shew himself unfit to execute the office assigned him-Like a bowl sent forth with violence, he might go steadily for a season; but he would ere long feel the influence of the corrupt bias that was within him, and, like "Demas, forsake the way of truth from love to this present evil world"-He must "be sincere, if he would be without offence until the day of Christ"] 2. The kingdom of God in heaven [If any person be disposed to look back, after having put his hand to the plough, he shews that he has not a supreme love to God, nor any real delight in holy ordinances, nor any resemblance to the characters of the saints of old-Look at Abraham, at Moses, at Paul, or any others recorded in the scripture; they left all for Christ, "counting every thing to be dung and dross for him," and "esteeming even the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than all the treasures of the world;" nor could even death, in its most formidable shapes, divert them from their purposes to serve and honour him But how unlike to them are the irresolute and unstable! and how incapable of enjoying heaven even if they were there! Could they be happy in God when they do not supremely love him? Would they not rather dread his presence from à consciousness that their hearts were known to him?--Could they bear to spend an eternity in those employments for which they have no relish? would not their exercises be < Heb. xi. 8, 24, 25, 26, 37. Acts. xx. 24, and xxi. 13. an irksome task, and an intolerable burthen?-Could they have sweet communion with the glorified saints when they differ so widely from them? Would they not rather be so condemned in their consciences as even to wish themselves out of their society? Surely a wavering professor of religion is alike unfit for the church militant, and the church triume phant-] ADDRESS 1. Those who never put their hands to the plough [How many are there who never set themselves in ear nest to do the will of God, or even take pains to enquire what the will of God is! But such will comfort themselves with the reflection, that they are neither hypocrites nor apostates-Alas! how poor a consolation is this!-Be it so; you have never made any profession of religion at all: but is that a ground of satisfaction and boasting? What must you say, but this?"Here is one, who has cast off all allegiance to his Maker, and lives without God in the world"-Ah! glory not in such a distinction as this: for, whoever ye be, God has assigned you a work to do, and will call you to give an account of your talent: and if you have hid it in a napkin, he will"cast you, as an unprofitable servant, into outer darkness"-May God open your eyes, and interest you in his service ere it be too late!-] 2. To those who, having put their hands to the plough, are disposed to look back [We are apt to think lightly of secret declensions if we do not openly apostatize from the truth-But what was it that rendered Lot's wife such an object of God's displeasure? Did she go back to Sodom, or refuse to proceed with the angel to the destined place of safety? No; she looked back, and thereby shewed that her heart was not thoroughly weaned from the things which she had left behind: and on this account it was, that she was instantly transformed into a pillar of salt, and made a monument of God's wrath and indignation to all succeeding ages" To impress this instructive lesson on our minds, our Lord bids us "remember Lot's wife:" and it will be well to bear her ever in our minds, since, if we turn back, it will be unto perdition; and our last end will be worse than the beginnings-We must endure to the end if ever we would be savedh-1 3. To those who are determined, through grace, to persevere in their work. 4 Gen. xix. 26. 2 Pet. ii. 20. e Luke xvii. 32. h Matt. xxiv. 13. f Heb. x. 38, 39. [Doubtless the work will often prove heavy and fatiguing But God has promised "grace sufficient for us"-And the more we labour, the greater our reward-Yea, the very work itself is a source of much peace and joy, and wonderfully conduces to fit us both for this world and the next-Who will make so distinguished a preacher of Christ, or will so adorn his Christian profession, as he who is altogether dead to the world? And who is so fit to join the saints above, as he who already emulates them in their love to God, and their delight in holy exercises?-Go on then, "forgetting what is behind, and reaching forth to that which is before;" and soon you shall both "rest from your labours," and "enter into the joy of your Lord"-] i1 Cor. iii. 8. k Isaiah. xxxii. 17. 1 Phil. iii. 13, 14. CCCCXX, THE MEANS OF SECURITY FROM Luke xxii. 81, 82. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. THE agency, or even the existence, of evil spirits is scarcely credited amongst us But there is nothing more certain than that they exist, and act in the world To conflict with them constitutes a principal part the Christian's warfare of And to be aware of their devices is no inconsiderable attainment in Christian knowledgeb——— There is however a Being who is able to counteract their agency Of this we have a proof in the Kistory before us— Satan, the prince of the devils, meditated the destruction of Peter Our Lord with affection and earnestness warned Peter of his designs And, by his own intercession, secured him against his assaults I. The malice of Satan, Satan is the great adversary of mankind [He was once as bright a morning star as any in heavenBut he rebelled against the Most High, and incurred his displeasure Full of hatred against God, he sought to efface his image from our first parents Through subtilty he prevailed to the destruction of them and usd Nor does he cease to assault those who through grace are restored-] He desires to agitate and distress them [This is evidently implied in the expression in the textHe has various ways of effecting his purpose He may harass us with temptations and persecutions- But the more eminent any are, the more they are hated by him Peter was distinguished for his knowledge and intrepidity— Yea, he had had a peculiar honour conferred on hims On this account Satan's malice raged against him more especially-] But his ultimate end is to prove them hypocrites, or to make them apostates [This was evidently his design in assaulting Job"And in asking permission to try the disciplesNor would he leave one faithful person upon earth"As a roaring lion he seeks to devour" all He can do nothing indeed but by divine permissionBut if suffered to fulfil all his will, he would destroy every soul His influence on the herd of swine shews what he would do to men' Not one vassal of his would escape the fate of Judas"] 2 pet. ii. 4. d 2 Cor. xi. 3. g Matt. xvi. 18. • Υμας. b Job. i. 9, 11. and ii. 5. f Matt. xvi. 16. i 'Eğtnouto seems to imply a kind of challenge, as in the case of Job, wherein he undertook to prove them to be but chaff, if God would suffer him to make the trial. * He could not afflict Job more than God saw fit to suffer him: nor could he enter into the swine without our Saviour's permission, Matt. viii. 31. Matt. viii. 32. m Compare Luke xxii. 3. with Matt. xxvii. 5, But God has not left his people without means of resistance II. Our security God has both armed his people for the combat, and given them a great Deliverer Faith is the grace whereby he enables us to maintain our stand [It was by faith that we were translated from Satan's kingdom into Christ's" It is by that also that our daily warfare is to be carried onoYea, through that are we to attain our full and final salvationp Faith is the shield whereby alone we can ward off the darts of Satan If that fail, we are exposed to the fiercest assaults of our enemy If we lose our hold of the promises, we shall be driven away as chaff We shall have no point around which to rally our scattered forces Whereas, if faith be strong, we shall hope even against hope And, though wounded, we shall return with fresh vigour to the combat uss Nor shall our great adversary be able to prevail against Hence that earnest caution against unbelieft And that express direction respecting the mode of opposing Satan"-] But the intercession of Christ is necessary to uphold our faith [Peter's faith would have failed utterly if he had been left to himself— But through the intercession of Christ he was preserved- the throne He obtains for us fresh supplies of the Spirit In this way he, who has been the author of our faith, will also be the finisherz n Gal. iii. 26. 1 Eph. vi. 16. t Heb. iii. 12. o 2 Cor. i. 24. P1 Pet. i. 5. Rom. x. 11. * John xvii. 20. |