Attend an afternoon meeting at old man Parks’s.  Stay all night at James Parks’s.

TUESDAY, June 7.  Meeting at Bethel.  Speak from Mark 4:24.  Afternoon meeting at Jacob Cosner’s.  Speak from Hebrews 6:4, 5, 6, 7.

These words have a fearful sound, and much thought should be given to their interpretation; and they should be well considered and due self-examination gone through before any one presumes to apply their terrific meaning to himself.  After much study and research, I am led to believe that they apply specifically to the apostate Jews.  The rejection and crucifixion of Christ was their great sin.  “His blood be on us and on our children,” they cried.  They invoked and accepted the guilt of his cruel death.  But God, in that mercy which endureth forever, was willing to forgive even this sin upon their repentance and faith.  The veil was removed from the eyes of some.  They “were enlightened; they tasted of the heavenly gift,” which is the Lord’s pardoning mercy.  They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost; they tasted of the good Word of God; they felt the powers of the world to come; that is, they were impressed with a belief in a future state:  and all these expressions summed up together mean that they became Christians.

But some of these Christians departed from the faith.  They stumbled and fell.  In this act they rejected the Christ the second time, and put him to an open shame.  This, in God’s sight, was just the same as crucifying him afresh.  They had crucified him once, and were forgiven, because they did it ignorantly in unbelief.  But now these that have been enlightened to the extent described in the text cannot be excused on the ground of ignorance, because they were enlightened to know what they were doing.  Their rejecting him must therefore be a deliberate, willful act.  Can any one ever repent of what he has done deliberately, understandingly, premeditatedly, and with clear knowledge of all the facts in the case?  Paul, at least here in the text, says that it is impossible to renew these apostate Jews to repentance.

But let none of us, brethren and sisters, be unnecessarily alarmed at the text; but let us rather repent, if we have sinned, and draw near and yet nearer to our blessed Jesus and only Savior in a loving and faithfully obedient life.  We need not fear that he will ever cast us off.  “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast off.”  The Christian’s only danger lies in his casting the Lord off:  not in that he will reject us, but in that we reject him.  But, beloved Brethren, take courage.  Ye do not feel, I know ye feel not, to cast off your Lord and say to him:  “Depart from me, for I desire not the knowledge of thy ways!” Ye rather say:  “Come, Lord Jesus.”  Come into my soul.  Fill me with thyself: 

  “Take my body, spirit, soul;
  Only Thou possess the whole.”

This is just the way he wants you to feel.  He wants you to give yourself wholly to him.  He also says:  “Rejoice evermore:  pray without ceasing:  in everything give thanks:  for this is the will of God respecting you.”