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I. THE SADNESS OF APOSTASY.

1. Many take up a profession of Christianity who afterwards go away.

(1)  The matter of fact. They ran well, and to all appearances judged by outward standards, were excellent Christians.

(2)  To what this is owing.

(a)  Largely from the want of the root of grace within;

(b)  From insufficiently counting the cost.

(c)  The want of a sensible joy in Christ as soon as was expected.

2. The sadness of their case.

(1) In general it is worse than if they had never made a profession of Christ (2 Peter 2:20, 21).

(a)  As the Holy Spirit is grieved, and it may be, retired, their recovery is more doubtful.

(b)  As they have put themselves out of the way of the Spirit's influence it cannot be expected that it should follow them.

(c)  As Satan has got faster hold of them.

(2) As their case is now worse than it was at the beginning, so by forsaking Christ they judge them- selves unworthy of eternal life and out of the way of heaven. In the day of judgment they will be convicted of base ingratitude, the greatest treachery and unfaithfulness and of the most unaccountable folly.

II. CHRIST'S TENDER CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF HIS REAL DISCIPLES.

1. How this appears.

(1)  In His incarnation and death;

(2)  In His intercession;

(3)  In His approachableness.

2. Whence it proceeds from.

(1)  Their being ransomed by Him (1 Peter 1:18);

(2)  Their being entrusted to Him by the Father (John 6:38, 39);

(3)  Their being not only His servants and friends, but the members of His body;

(4)  Their being specially loved by Him;

(5)  Their danger through apostasy and their blessedness through abiding with Him.

III. THE BELIEVER'S REASON FOR CLEAVING TO CHRIST.

1. They are sensible that they have no one but Christ to whom to go.

2. They dread the thought of going away, considering its sin, folly, misery and ingratitude.

3. How many soever revolt from Christ, sincere believers will and ought to cleave to Him still.

(1)  To repair the dishonour cast upon Him by apostates and to witness that He never gave any just occasion to leave Him.

(2)  To show that their choice of Him is not built on what others say, but upon what they know and experience of Him.

(D. Wilcox.)

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KJV: From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

WEB: At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.