A Caveat to the Standing Christian, Chapter 11 – Chapter 14
CHAP. XI.
SECT. I.
Ʋſe 1. LEt the firſt Uſe of this Point be for caution to you; take heed to your ſelves leſt you thus fall away: ſpiritual caution is a ſpecial prevention of falling away, neceſſary (if ever) now to be preſſed upon you: Now here I ſhall ſhew you what you muſt eſpecially take heed of, that ye may ſtand, and not fall away.
1. Take heed of unbelief. Heb. 3.12. the Apoſtle tells us, that the Jews were excluded from Gods reſt becauſe of their unbelief; God ſware in his wrath that they ſhould not enter into his reſt; that was terrible; let us take heed therefore leſt there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God: An evil heart of unbelief it is an Hebraiſm, put for the evil unbelieving heart, where the Apoſtle deſcribeth unbelief by an elegant paranomaſia, foreign. Unbelief is the cauſe and root of total and final apoſtacy, and departing from God, 2 Theſſ. 2.10, 11, 12. where the Apoſtle ſheweth the cauſe of that great apoſtacy which was to be in the Church at the diſcovery of Antichriſt, and why Antichriſtian lies ſhould more prevail with men then the truths of the living God, namely their unbelief, they received not the truth in love, and they believed not the truth. What was the cauſe of the rich young mans departing from Chriſt, but his unbelief? he was not perſwaded he ſhould have life eternal, if he ſhould ſell all that he had, and give to the poor; wherefore he went away ſorrowful: So Alexander's caſting off his faith, and a good conſcience (which is the Ark wherein God lays up this precious Manna) was the cauſe why he proved ſuch an enemy to Paul, and became a final and an irrecoverable Apoſtate. Unbelief is the cauſe alſo why men in times of trial fall off from God, and decline the holy profeſſion of his truth; for God hath times of trial of his peoples faith and profeſſion; as,
1. When a mans worldly advantages and the ways of God are put to the queſtion, whether you will forſake Chriſt and embrace this preſent world, or embrace Chriſt and forſake the world, and that there is a neceſſity of one, unbelief will put a man upon the choice of the world, and the rejection of Chriſt; unbelief put Demas upon this choice, had he believed the promiſe of life eternal, he would not have embraced this preſent world: no unbelieving heart will follow Chriſt when worldly advantages fail; give them no more loaves, they will make no more profeſſion.
2. Times of perſecution are trying times; unbelief makes many a man to fall off, and to depart from God in times of Goſpel-troubles, when Religion is in diſgrace, and the Profeſſors thereof are troubled: When Paul was brought before Nero, at his firſt anſwer no man ſtood by him, but all men forſook him: Thoſe hearers in the Parable of the Sower, that are repreſented by the ſtony ground, they heard the Word gladly, made a fair profeſſion for a time; but when perſecutions and afflictions aroſe, in time of temptation or trial they fell away, becauſe they had no root in themſelves, they were not by faith rooted in Chriſt; they heard the Word gladly, but did not mingle the Word with faith. Reproaches and perſecutions for the Name of Chriſt, are the bluſtering and ſtormy winds that drive the Ship of a temporary faith upon the rocks, and bring an irrecoverable ſhipwrack upon it: if you do not in ſuch times as theſe, heartily believe and cloſe with Gods promiſes, you will certainly fall: Gods way of rewarding his Servants for the preſent is more by promiſe then by pay; if therefore you will not reſt in his word, you will fall from his ſervice: Unbelief in the heart, like the worm in the root of Jonah's gourd, will make your Religion wither in a ſhort time. Fides eſt nervus Religionis, faith is the ſinew of Religion; if the ſinew ſhrink, Religion will ſhrink. Sampſon's ſtrength lay in his locks; the whole ſtrength of Religion lieth in the lock of faith; if luſt or the world cut off that, you will (as Sampſon) grow as weak in Religion as other men are.
SECT. II.
2. Take heed of profeſſing Religion for carnal ends, either to enrich or advance your ſelves; take heed of following Chriſt for loaves, of crying up Religion as Demetrius and his rabble did Diana, for ſilver ſhrines; take heed of the wicked ſuppoſition of corrupt men, that gain is godlineſs, that profeſs godlineſs for gain-ſake; becauſe if godlineſs brings no gain in according to expectation, ſuch a Profeſſor will fall from Religion to follow after gain. Doubtleſs Judas propoſed gain as the end of his Diſcipleſhip; ſo when he ſaw Chriſt would not enrich him, then he would betray Chriſt, and the Phariſees ſhould: the Scripture noteth this of him, who when he was angry at Mary, becauſe of the ointment which ſhe beſtowed on Chriſt, pretending it was better that it had been given to the poor, not that he regarded the poor, but becauſe he had the bag. It is conceived by Interpreters, that the forward man that ſaid to Chriſt, Maſter I will follow thee whitherſoever thou goeſt, Math. 8.19, 20. when he hears Chriſts anſwer (The Foxes have holes, and the Birds of the air have neſts, but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head), that he forſook Chriſt; if Chriſt hath no preferment for him, then he will have no regard of his ſervice. Such men think not that God is an heart-ſearching God, who if he ſeeth carnal ends and worldly luſts cheriſhed in the heart, and covered over with a religious mantle, will in time uncaſe ſuch Hypocrites, pluck off their mask of godlineſs, and diſcover their baſe ends and luſts unto the world to their ſhame: Fooliſh worldlings! ye miſtake Chriſt in propoſing great things to your ſelves in ſerving him; becauſe he plainly tells you of loſſes, hatred, perſecution and poverty; he ſheweth you all the contempt of the world: it is the Divels way to preſent to us the glory of the world. He that takes up the profeſſion of Religion with love to it, will ſtand to it whatever become of it, he will leave worldly riches to cleave to poor truth; as Muſculus that forſook great preferments at Lutzelſtein Abbey, to become a Preacher of the Goſpel in a poor Village, where he had not a bed to reſt upon, but was fain to lye on ſtraw, and to dig in the Town-ditch to get bread for himſelf and family; he was a man of a choice ſpirit, and of eminent parts and learning: It is otherwiſe with the unſound Chriſtian, he will keep on the ſhore, and not launch too far into the deep, but ſo that if a ſtorm ſhould ariſe, he might ſoon get to land again.
SECT. III.
3. Take heed of laying an ill foundation at firſt: Ill foundations are ruines of ſtately buildings; ill foundations of profeſſion are the ruine of many eminent Chriſtians, ſo reputed. Math. 7. if we lay not the foundation in broken-heartedneſs, in faith, in ſincerity, in love to the Goſpel and the ways of Chriſt, called by our Saviour a building on the rock, but lay it in duties, in religious education, in parts and gifts, called by Chriſt a ſandy foundation, great will be the fall of ſuch Profeſſors in ſtormy times. A broken-hearted, ſincere, believing Chriſtian, is the ſtout and ſtanding Chriſtian. Pools will ſoon dry up, if there be not a ſpring to feed them; ſo Chriſtianity will wither away, if there be not a principle of grace within to feed it; there muſt be ſomething within to enable us to a conſtant progreſs in a religious courſe. Ariſtotle ſaith, that the Heavenly Orbs keep their courſes conſtantly, becauſe they are moved by Intelligences: but I am ſure, a Chriſtian will move conſtantly in his Chriſtian Orb, if the Spirit of grace whirl him about; without this many forward Profeſſors are like the Almond-tree, that firſt bloſſometh, and is the firſt that is pinched with froſt: Many looſe Chriſtians never gave up themſelves fully to Chriſt, therefore they ſtay not long with him: Grace (ſaith a Judicious Divine) is one of thoſe rare things that laſt long, and ripen by leiſure:Torſhel's Hypocr. He that takes up Religion for by-ends, that mans profeſſion will ſoon have an end.
4 Take heed of making an extemporary profeſſion of Religion, to profeſs Religion on a ſudden, in ſome heat or humour: Many men begin to build Towers, and to wage war with Principalities and Powers in heavenly places without premeditation what the charge and danger will be: It is Chriſts own advice, Luke 14.28. that when we go to build an houſe, we ſhould firſt ſit down and conſider what it may coſt us, and whether we be able to finiſh it. There are ſuch fooliſh builders in the Church, who on a ſudden raiſe up a religious ſtructure, without conſidering what it will coſt them; if Religion be like to coſt ſuch a man his credit, his profits, pleaſures, his eſtate and life, he then falls off. So likewiſe there are many ſuch religious Souldiers, who begin to wage a religious war, and never firſt conſider that they muſt conteſt with a hating, ſcoffing, contradicting world of enemies, againſt Divels, and Divels incarnate; therefore when God in his providential diſpoſals and commands puts them upon ſuch hard ſervice, they leave the field, and forſake Chriſt their Captain. A man that ſeriouſly thinks before-hand what Religion will c…ſt him, what oppoſitions he muſt meet withal, will hold out, he will go on undauntedly: I know (ſaith he before hand) I ſhall be ſcoff d at for Religion; I know I ſhall be hated of all men; I know that if I will live godly in Chriſt Jeſus I muſt ſuffer perſecution; I know I muſt bear the Croſs if I will be a Chriſtian, and part with my life too; Therefore ſhall ſuch a man as I flye?
5. Take heed of conſulting with fleſh and blood in matters of godlineſs; ask their counſel, and they will adviſe thee to take heed of niceneſs, of ſtrictneſs, of ſingularity (as they call Religion) leſt you undo your ſelf and yours, like Peter's advice to our Saviour, Maſter pity thy ſelf; or it may be give the like advice; or perhaps give thee deſperate advice, ſuch as Job's wife gave him, Curſe Religion, and dye; make no more ado. Our Saviour would by no means ſuffer the Diſciple when he called him, to go to his friends again, Math. 8.22. leſt they by their carnal advice might have drawn him away from following Chriſt. Carnal advice was the ruine of Spira.
6. Take heed of a fruitleſs performance of holy duties, of giving way to ſpiritual deadneſs and formality in religious ſervices: a barren fig-tree will be cut down, a dead tree will be pluckt up by the roots.Chryſoſt. Homil. in Math. Chryſoſtom expounds the ſheep-skins which wolves have on them, to be heartleſs, formal performances: What are the ſheeps-clothing, ſaith he, but counterfeit ſhews of Religion, counterfeit alms, counterfeit prayer, counterfeit faſting? That man that ſerves God heartleſly, finds no ſweetneſs in his ſervice; where there is no reliſhing of the goodneſs of Gods ſervice, it is much if ſuch fall not away.
7. Take heed of ſtanding at a ſtay in Religion, and of non-proficiency in Religion: It is an Axiom in Chriſtianity, That not to go forward, is to go backward: He that is not with me, is againſt me; he that gathereth not with me, ſcattereth, ſaith our Saviour: He that goes not forward in Religion, goes backward, ſaith Leo. Leo Magnus.The ſtate of a Chriſtian, ſaith Chryſoſtom, is like a Ship ſailing with the wind againſt the ſtream; now if the wind be ſtronger then the ſtream, it is carried againſt the ſtream; but if the wind ſlacken, it ſtands not ſtill, but goes backward: So it is with a Profeſſor that is gone thus far, and hath ſet up his reſolution to go no farther, he ſoon declines and goes backwards.
CHAP. XII.
Ʋſe 2. A Second Uſe ſhall be of Expoſtulation with thoſe that are ready to fall away from God: Our Saviour ſpeaks to you as he did to his Diſciples, when the multitude forſook him, Will ye alſo go away? will ye go away with the Judaſſes and Demaſſes, why ſhall you and I part hands? why will ye caſt me off from being your God? look from the ends of the world, and ſee whether there be any God like unto me; if there be, then go and ſerve that God: what will ye put your hand to the plough, and look back? if ſo, you judge your ſelves unworthy the Kingdom of Heaven. O remember the relation that we ſtand in to Jeſus Chriſt! Is not he the great Shepherd and Biſhop of our ſouls, and ſhall not the ſheep hear the voice of the Shepherd and follow him? Is not Jeſus Chriſt the husband of his Church, and ſhall not the wife dwell with the husband? Is not Jeſus Chriſt the hen to gather her chicken under her wings, and ſhall not the chicken come under her wings, and keep there? yet how many are there that run away from Chriſt, notwithſtanding ſo many bonds to tye them to him! Conſider, that the Angels in Heaven are glad with the converſion of a ſinner, and ſhall we make them ſad at our Apoſtacy, if they could be ſad; and make the hearts of Divels glad? O let it not be ſaid of you, as Paul of the Galathians, Ye did run well for a time, O what hath bewitched or beſorted you that ye are turned aſide! Chriſt ſaith, Where I am there ſhall my ſervant be alſo: Are ye willing to be with Chriſt hereafter, and will you not follow him here? do you think to run away from him here, and be with him in Heaven? if you leave him, he can ſoon have other and better followers, but be ye ſure ye ſhall never find ſuch a Saviour, ſuch a Maſter again. Conſider how unwilling God is to part with you, though you have been guilty of ſome revoltings; Hoſ. 11.7, 8. ſee how God ſaith in the like caſe, My people are bent to backſliding from me, &c. How ſhall I deliver thee up Ephraim? how ſhall I deliver thee, Iſrael? thou art bent to backſliding, and deſerveſt I ſhould give thee up, yet I cannot tell how to do it.
CHAP. XIII.
Ʋſe 3. LEt me now call upon lapſed and backſliding Chriſtians to take notice of their ſad condition, and bewail their loſs: Take that counſel given to the Church of Epheſus, Rev. 2.4, 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen, and from whom thou art departed; thou art departed from God the fountain of life. If a ruſh go out of the water, it quickly withereth; and if a ſoul depart from God, it will ſoon decay: Let all thoſe that are in this eſtate, bewail their ſad condition: Time was, they were as trees planted by the rivers of water, ſpreading and flouriſhing, their fruits were fair and full; but now they are become as trees in the wilderneſs, in a forlorn eſtate; their ſweet Spring is turned into a ſad Autumn; their firſt days were their beſt days, and their laſt their worſt days: Time was, they were full of livelineſs in Gods ſervice; but now they are cold and dead, their halcyon days are fled away, and the bonds of death have taken hold of them: Ah! let ſuch a one ſay, My heart was once the Temple of God, and the Throne of Chriſt, I had ſweet commerce with God, receiving lively oracles from his mouth daily; but now I ſit in the region of darkneſs: time was, his ſtatutes were my ſongs in this vale of Boehim; but now I taſte no ſweetneſs in them: while I kept cloſe with God, the tears which I abundantly poured forth were as pleaſant waters to me; but now the fountain is ſtopp'd, and theſe ſtreams are dried up and gone: my heart was wont to melt in duty; but now my comfort is gone, and that heart that was once an heart of fleſh, is now become an heart of ſtone: Oh what is become of the chain of graces that were linked together within me? where are thoſe operations of faith? where is that lively hope? where are thoſe overflowings of love that once I had? where are thoſe holy deſires, thoſe heavenly raptures, thoſe enflamed affections, thoſe heavenly ejaculations, thoſe ſpiritual diſpoſitions, that once met in a bleſſed conjunction in my ſoul? I that was once under the guardianſhip of Angels, am now conſtrained (like Daniel) to lie down in the den of horrour among devouring Lions: Time was, I had recourſe to God, and oh how ſweet was the repaſt I had in his preſence! but now my God is gone, my glory is departed! I entreat thee, O backſliding ſoul, to remember from whence thou art fallen, and lament thy doleful eſtate, and reckon that in this condition thou art more miſerable then thoſe that never taſted that God is gracious, becauſe once thou waſt in a happy condition; Miſerum eſt fuiſſe faelicem; it is a miſerable thing once to have been happy: The wicked think they are well enough without God, becauſe they never knew what it was to enjoy him; but this is the backſliders miſery, that he hath loſt him whom once he did enjoy.
CHAP. XIV.
Ʋſe 4. LEt me now perſwade backſliders to return to God; reſolve with the Church, Hoſ. 2.7. I will go and return to my firſt husband; for then it was better with me then now: make haſte to recover out of this ſad eſtate, the buſineſs requires ſpeed; what the Angel ſaid to Peter, I ſay to you, Ariſe quickly, Act. 12.7. while you are in this condition you are at a great and conſtant loſs; you loſe much peace, much inward ſtrength, many refreſhings from Gods Spirit, many love-tokens from Chriſt, many taſtes of ſpiritual delights; therefore make haſte and return, do as the Diſciples, when Chriſt called them, they left all and followed him; and as David, when for a time he had declined; I thought on my ways, and turned my feet to thy teſtimonies, Pſal. 119.59, 60. I made haſte, and delayed not to keep thy commandments: Oh do not delay your returning to God! if your hearts tempt you to delay, conſider that delay is but a modeſt denial; when men have a mind to put away repentance, they put it off: God requires a preſent returning to him, the longer you delay, the deeper you run into Gods debt, and run the more under the power of ſin. I will propound a motive or two to encourage ſuch perſons to return.
1. Conſider Gods willingneſs to receive ſuch as return to him: David's heart longed to go forth to meet his ſon Abſalom; the Father of the Prodigal made haſte to receive and welcome his ſtraying ſon, that went from him into a far Country, and rejoyced that he that was loſt, was found again: God calls upon ſuch to return; Return ye back-ſliding children: Oh that every backſlider could ſay with the Church, Behold we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God, Jerem. 3.22.
2. Turn to him, and he will heal all your backſlidings, Hoſ. 14.4. There is no Phyſitian in heaven or in earth can cure this falling-ſickneſs, but God only: he will not only heal you by the application of the blood of Chriſt to pardon you, but alſo by the application of his Spirit of grace to renew and eſtabliſh you in grace; and when the Lord healeth his peoples backſlidings, he will never upbraid them with what they have done; he looks upon backſliding Ephraim upon his repentance, as a pleaſant child, and though God ſpake againſt him, yet his heart is ſtill upon him; I remember him ſtill, I will ſurely have mercy upon him, Jerem. 31.20. But if after all this you will not return, the Lord may ſhut you up in a deſperate ſtate for ever: Joh. 8.21. I go away (ſaith Chriſt to the obſtinate Jews) and you ſhall ſeek me, but you ſhall dye in your ſins: Oh conſider, that hereafter you may find God as inexorable as now you are obſtinate, and then though you ſhould ſeek him, he may leave you to dye in your ſins, and then wo unto you if you dye in ſuch a condition; then the back-ſlider in heart ſhall be filled with his own ways, Prov. 14.14. Backſliders ſhall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices; the turning away of the ſimple ſhall ſlay them, Prov. 1.31, 32.