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ficial to you, than your fresh feelings, and your sensibly felt zeal in your younger times, Prov. xvi. 31.

(3.) Fears of backsliding and apostasy, from the examples of others, removed.

There are yet others, it may be the same, when they observe that many who are of longer standing than themselves, who have had much more knowledge, and have made a further progress in the practice of godliness than they, are yet fallen fearfully into some gross sin or sins; yea, some of them are departed from the faith, and have embraced with Demas this present world, either in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or pride of life, 2 Tim. iv. 10. They are some of them fallen to popery, or some other false religion; wherefore they fear that they shall fall away also, and that their hearts will deceive them in the end.

That the falls of others should make all that stand to take heed lest they fall, is the express will of God, 1 Cor. x. 12. It is a high point of wisdom for you to observe and do it. Likewise to fear so much as to quicken you to watchfulness and prayer, is an holy and commendable fear; but to fear your total or final falling away, only because some that have made profession of the same religion are fallen, is without ground.

For it may be, those whom you see to be fallen away, never had any other than a form of godliness, and never had more than the common graces and gifts of the Spirit. For if they be quite fallen from the faith, it is because they were never soundly of the faith, 1 John ii. 19. Moreover, grant some of them who are fallen, had saving grace; may they not, with David, Psa. li., and Solomon, Eccles., recover their falls? This you should hope and pray for, rather than by occasion of their falls, to trouble yourself with false and fruitless fear.

(4.) Fears of apostasy in times of persecution.

Lastly, Some yet fear, that if persecution should come because of the word and religion which they profess, they should never hold out, but shall fall away.