A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. The woful Backſliding of many Profeſſors, and the way of their Recovery.
MAny Profeſſors are gone back mightily from the Lord, ſome by error of Judgment, ſome by looſneſs of Converſation and deadneſs, and formality, as if they had never been acquainted with the Lord: Its hard to come to a true ſenſe of it, becauſe a man may keep up the outward profeſſion of Religion, he may grow in Gifts, may be in Churchfellowſhip, and yet be much backſliden in his Spirit: if the Lord will make uſe of any thing here written to make any ſenſible of it, and recover them out of it, it were a great Mercy.
Several ſigns of a backſliding Profeſſor ſhall be laid down.
1. Sign, If the Conſcience be not ſo tender as to ſin, as it hath been, that is a ſign of a backſliding heart; I do not ſay if the Conſcience be not ſo ſcrupulous, but if it be not ſo tender: for when a man comes from under the Law and the Spirit of bondage, he ſhall not have ſuch a ſcrupulous conſcience as he had before, as people in that condition many times will ſcruple Whether they may eat or drink, becauſe they are unworthy of the creature, with iunumerable other Scruples of that kind; and it is a great Mercy to be freed from a ſcrupulous conſcience; its one way by which God doth in a way of Judgement deprive men of the uſe of the lawfull comforts of this life when they have them in poſſeſſion: but I ſpeak of true tenderneſs of Conſcience a heart ſtanding in a holy fear and aw of Gods word: ſuch a tender Conſcience as Joſeph had, Gen. 39.9. How ſhall I do ſuch great wickedneſs, and ſo ſin againſt God?
2. Sign, If there be a general neglect of ſecret Duties, or conſtant deadneſs or formality in them, this is a ſign of a backſliden heart, when a ſoul could have watcht for opportunities to pray, and could have prayed with groans and ſighs that can not be uttered, and now duties are generally neglected, or we have nothing but hard hearts, and dry eyes in them.
3. Sign, If there be a general neglect and careleſneſs of aſſembling our ſelves with the Saints, and holding communion with them: its rare to ſee a man that hath left meetings and Communion of Saints, that doth not fall wofully either as to error of converſation.
4. Sign, If there be an itch upon the Spirit after novelty of opinions and teachers; and a diſregard of thoſe whom the Lord hath made Inſtruments of good to us heretofore: thus the people forſook Paul, 2 Tim. 1.15. Were not the Galathians much backſliden that now ſlighted Paul, whom God had made an Inſtrument of ſo much to them that they would have parted with any thing to him?
5. Sign of backſliding is, If Profeſſors grow worldly and earthly who have ſat looſe from the world heretofore: Do we ſee a Profeſſor that now holdeth his hands from doing good to poor Saints, and grows now an oppreſſor, and is all for racking, and that which is called now in theſe days by the fine word Improvement: know that, that man is backſliden, and gone back.
6. Sign, If men grow careleſs of offending their Brethren, and will grow touchy with a whole Church. Men uſually when they break with God in ſome ſecret way, they are never well till they have broken with his People: time was when they could have born more from a ſingle brother then now they can with a whole Church.
7. Sign. If men quite leave off uſing means to convert their Relations and Neighbours, to draw them to Chriſt; time was when thou hadſt a heart to be ſpeaking of the ways of God to thy friends and neighbours, and now thou canſt come into their company, and nothing but Complements or Worldly diſcourſe: If men leave off to take care of the publique cauſe and intereſt of Chriſt, and mind not whether Religion get ground in the town and country, this is a ſad ſign of a backſliden heart.
8. Sign. If men grow careleſs of Goſpelinſtitutions, as hearing the word, Church-fellowſhip, breaking of bread: O, ſometimes you counted it above all earthly things to have a name in Gods houſe, and to ſee the Lords goings in the ſanctuary: and now you have no ſtomack: its a ſign of want of Spiritual health.
9. Sign. If that though there be ſome ſtirring affections now and then; yet if the conſtant frame of the heart be worſe then formerly, this is a ſign of a backſliden heart; A man through obſtructions may have fluſhings in his face which may make him look wel; but if his conſtant complexion be pale and wan, we ſay he is not right: ſo here; if our hearts are grown dead in duties, hard after the commiſſion of ſin, backward to duties, and our thoughts generally vain, it ſhews ſome great diſtemper, though at times by fits we have ſome ſtirring Affections.
10. Sign. When we grow high and are puft up with our knowledge, that now all the Saints in Town and Country are nothing to them, and all their gifts they think are nothing to theirs.
11. Sign. When we grow intimate companions of wicked men; the falling at ods with the Saints, and the falling in with wicked men, is a ſad ſign of a backſliden heart; they are both put together, Mat. 24.49. eating and drinking with the drunken, and ſmiting our fellow ſervants.
12. Sign. If we cannot bear oppoſition from the world in our Chriſtian courſe as we have done, but are fit to comply: time was when we made nothing of ſcoff and jears, and now we can ſcarce bear them, but are fit to ſuit our ways to the world, that they may let us alone, this is a ſad ſaln Spirit.
13. Sign, If a mans heart is not affected with the thoughts of Gods free Grace in Chriſt as heretofore, this is a ſad ſign of a ſpiritual conſumption: time was when a Sermon of free Grace was like the honey and the hony comb; but if ever God recover us, the Doctrine of Gods free Grace in Chriſt will be the ſweeteſt Doctrine in all the world to us.
I ſhall not ſtand to aggravate this backſliding and revolting from the Lord, the Lord aggravate it upon our Spirits; only that (1) Though the ſould be recovered, and come ſafe to heaven, yet it hinders our preſent ſerviceableneſs to God, and now is our working time; Heaven is the time of receiving, our time of enjoying. (2) The backſliding of profeſſors grieves the Spirit of God more then the ſins of other men. (3) They bring an evil report upon the ways of God, that thoſe that are without will ſay, See what their Religion is, its only a little heat, a ſudden paſſion, ſuch a one hath done going to Sermons and Meetings now. (4) Its a mighty diſ heartning to young Beginners to ſee old Profeſſors backſlide and grow ſo dead. Satan perſwades them that they will do ſo too, and therefore you had as good never enter upon the profeſſion of Religion: you ſee the ways of God are ſo ſtrict that they ſoon grow weary of them; thus Satan temps many young Beginners. (5) Backſliden Profeſſors are dangerous company for any body; wicked men are hardened by their company, and thriving Saints are deaded and offended. (6.) That is a great aggravation of our ſin herein, that it is without all cauſe; as the Lord ſaid, Jer. 2.5,6,7. What iniquity have your Fathers found in me, that they have forſaken me? Doth not God keep a good houſe, and doth he not bountifully reward, that we run away from him? (7.) Wicked men are conſtant, they don't fall off from their wayes, and ſhall we fall off from the wayes of God? Jer. 2.11,12,13. Have the Nations changed their Gods? but my people have changed their God for that which cannot profit: O ſhall the Heathens be conſtant to their dumb Idols, and ſhall not we be conſtant to the living God? (8.) Slighting of God after we have had ſome acquaintance with God is quite contrary to the courſe of his dealings with us, Ezek. 36.11. God promiſes to be better to us in the end then in the beginning: He will give us more Communion with him, and glory afterwards then he hath done yet, and if God be better and better to us, ſhall we grow worſe and worſe to him? God forbid.
Now O that we might recover, that we might remember from whence we are fallen, and Repent and do our firſt works.
1. Bathe our ſelves by faith in the blood of Chriſt for the pardoning of all our backſlidings; look upon God in Chriſt as not ready only to pardon our ſins when we were in groſs ignorance, but to heal all our back-ſlidings, becauſe he loveth us freely, Hoſ. 14.4. Jer. 3. the beginning. Look upon our Father as having a beſt Robe to put upon a poor Prodigals back, and ſhoos to put upon his feet: though the poor backſliden ſoul hath ſcarce a ſhoo to his foot, as we ſay, he hath worn out all. (2.) O look for freſh and new workings of Gods Spirit upon our hearts, to create in us clean hearts, and renew right ſpirits within us: Its ſaid of the Lord, that he reneweth the face of the earth: that he doth every Spring, when Winter hath made the earth to look as if it were cloathed with ſackcloath: the Lord in the Spring putteth on a new face and dreſs upon the earth: the Birds ſing, the Trees flouriſh, the graſs grows: this is our caſe in our Winter of backſliding, a Winter indeed, O look that God now ſhould bring a ſpring time upon thy heart, is there not need? (3.) O look at the heart to be renewed: a clean heart ſaith David, good Lord, after his backſliding, Pſalm 51.10. O I would have that bone ſet right, that I may walk in thy Statutes: that inſtrument well tuned; Dauid doth not ſay only Lord, let me never commit Murder and Adultery again, but Lord give me a clean heart; O that hath bred all this miſchief, the foulneſs of my heart, Lord therefore cleanſe that. (4.) If ever the Lord quicken us again, be more watchful and keep cloſe to God; if we recover out of this dangerous diſeaſe, let us have more care of our ſouls health, have a care of ſpiritual ſurfets. (5.) And look that our Recovery be through, that the humour be not only diverted, but purged away. (6.) Count all our outward enjoyments nothing, but ſit mourning in Sion until God graciouſly viſit us. (7.) Labour to ſee not only in general that we have backſlidden, but particularly wherein, that we may return no more to folly.
And thoſe who yet have thriving ſpirits, keep in with that God that ſmiles upon you; ſay not that it is impoſſible that thy ſoul ſhould wander as a Bird from her Neſt, but watch and pray leſt you enter into temptation. Often conſider that theſe laſt times will be times of much backſliding of Profeſſors, 2 Tim. 3. O get particular and diſtinct Knowledge wherein Profeſſors do commonly backſlide, and get your hearts deeply affected with them; and remember what ſpecial notice God takes of thoſe that keep cloſe to him in a time when many fall off: Thus he took notice of Noah, Gen. 7.1. and of the ſons of Zadock, Ezek. 44.15.
Expect to be tempted and tried by an hour of temptation, and look not only to be tryed as to converſation, but as to Judgement; as to Opinions, Sathan will have a bout with you with that Weapon of Error: How many are fallen off that way; but labour to have more grounds out of the Word and clearer light for all you hold: Let plain Chriſtians who have no skil in Controverſies, yet furniſh themſelves with Scriptures for every point, as for the Godhead of Chriſt, Juſtification by Chriſt, and the like, and labour to have your hearts given up to the Truth you know: put not your ſelves upon Temptations in hearing every body, ſuſpect thoſe Opinions that neither further your Communion with God nor his moſt holy People, but ſtraiten you in both; ſtick cloſe to the Word, and not move a hairs breadth from it: Don't love to diſpute againſt that which you are convinced to be Truth, to ſhew your parts and reach; Take in the benefit of other light in your doubts, and look up to the Spirits guidance to lead you into all Truth.