He tells them to remember from whence they are fallen and repent. They once enjoyed the love of God-they were spiritual. His redeeming grace had removed the guilt of sin, but now they are fallen. He that hath an ear, let him hear.

How often the apostle Paul warns the Christian against backsliding. His motto was, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:14. In writing to the Colossians he says, "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas," greet you. A greeting was sent from Demas by Paul to the Colossians in the year 64, A. D. In writing his letter to Philemon, A. D. 64, Paul says, "There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus; Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow laborers." ver. 23, 24. Demas was one of Paul's coworkers, and undoubtedly enjoyed the experience of salvation by grace. In writing to Timothy two years later Paul says, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world." 2 Tim. 4:10.

As on the other subjects of this volume many more texts and strong points of reasoning could be given to fixedly establish the New Testament teaching of the possibilities of spiritual degeneration and death, but we conclude that we have made all plain to the understanding of every candid mind. It has not been our purpose to exhaust any subject. It has not been our expectation to convince many gainsayers, but to bring light to the hearts which the Lord has prepared.

One text of Scripture used by propagators of the doctrine, "We can never fall from grace, " is found in 1 John 3: 9, and reads thus: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he can not sin, because he is born of God." We believe it is safe to always give the Scriptures the plainest, simplest meaning when it does not conflict with the Word of God elsewhere. We should never mystify a text, but accept it as it reads. In 1 John 2:1, the author of this epistle says, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.' Certainly every reader understands John to here teach that it is possible for man to sin, or in other words, no man in this life passes beyond the possibilities of sin. Now to understand him to say in the ninth verse of the third chapter that when we are once born of God we can not possibly sin, makes him to teach contradictory doctrines. Such we know he does not do, and since 1 John 2:1 is too plain to be misunderstood, we must look about to harmonize with it, in the most simple way, 1 John 3:9. We will quote Rotherham on this text: "No one that hath been begotten of God doeth sin, because his seed in him abideth, and he can not be sinning, because of God has he been begotten." To be begotten of God is to be pardoned or saved from sin.

The seed (the Christ-life) abides in the soul in the regenerated state. The seeds of life are supplanted

by the seeds of death when we commit sin. No one is born of God when spiritual life has been destroyed by sin. No man can be "sinning" and be a child of God. One who has been saved may be overcome and commit sin, but when he does so he is not God's child. This text does not teach the impossibility of committing sin after we are born of God, but only the impossibility of committing sin and being a Christian.

CHAPTER XII.

THE COURSE OF THE WORLD.

Unmistakably there exists a wide gulf of separation between the children of God and the children of the world. Christ is the only avenue of escape from the world. The wide, open door of salvation is the exit. He who would return from the blissful shores of Christianity to the beggarly elements of the world. can do so only on the transporting barges of Satan. As a tree is known by its fruits, so is a true follower of Christ. The fruit borne by a Christian is directly opposite in its nature to the fruit borne by the worldling. It is not the profession merely that produces the separation, out it is the manner of life. The Son of God is the great exemplar of Christianity. Just what true Christian principles did in him will in the very nature of things do for all who possess like

principles. We are forced to the conclusion that the professed follower of Christ is destitute of Christian principles when he delights himself in worldliness. Jesus said of himself, "I am not of this world." John 8:23. He says of his followers, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." John 15:19.

Paul bears testimony to his separation from the world by the grace of God. In Eph. 2: 2, 3 he speaks of the time when he lived among those who were worldly. He says, "Wherein [in sin] in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." In the next two verses he testifies to the effects of saving grace: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ; by grace ye are saved." It must be made obvious to all by these texts that salvation from sin by grace saves from walking according to the course of the world.

Again the apostle gives testimony: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our

Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Gal. 6:14. How true! When man accepts Christ he is by him separated from the world. Jesus was not of the world. He was the light of the world. The world was in darkness. Light is the opposite of darkness. Had he been of the world and like the world he would not have been a light. Christians are said to be "the light of the world," and are to shine as lights in the world. They are lights in the world because of the righteous principles they possess and manifest. They are like Jesus and in as direct contrast to the world as he. The Savior says, "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world." John 17: 14-16.

It is impossible for the heart's affections to be centered upon opposing natures. For instance, it is impossible for man to admire honesty and dishonesty; to love temperance and intemperance; to enjoy peace and strife. It is equally impossible for man to both love and possess sin and righteousness. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye can not serve God and mammon." Mat. 6: 24. It is impossible to love