A Caveat to the Standing Christian, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
I Now come to the ſecond point of Doctrine, and note from my Text,
Obſerv.That it concerns all who profeſs godlineſs to take heed to themſelves leſt they fall away from their profeſſion. The Apoſtle principally aimeth at Profeſſors in this his Caution; He that thinketh he ſtandeth, that is,
1. He that conceiteth himſelf to be in the ſtate of grace.
2. He that conceiteth he ſhall perſevere to the end, that thinks within himſelf, he ſhall (as David ſpeaks of the Sun) rejoyce like a giant to run the courſe of Chriſtianity.
For explication obſerve theſe diſtinctions: there is a twofold falling away,
Partial,
Total.
Diſtin. 1 1. Partial; when a Profeſſor falls from degrees of his holy profeſſion; there is love in him ſtill, but there is not his firſt love; there is zeal in him ſtill, but there is not the firſt zeal; he takes more liberty then formerly, walks in a broader way, removeth the ancient bounds of godlineſs. I ſhall ſpeak of this in the laſt Doctrine.
2. Total falling away; and this is when a man caſteth off the yoke of Chriſt, and puts his neck under the yoke of Belial, ſhakes hands with his profeſſion, and embraceth profaneneſs, or as Demas ſhook hands with Chriſt, and embraced this preſent world; or falls from the ſhew of godlineſs into an open ſhew of profaneneſs, takes no delight to ſit with Mary at the feet of Chriſt, but loveth to fit in the ſeat of the ſcornful.
Diſtin. 2 Total falling away is twofold,
Temporary,
Final.
1. Temporary, for a time; when men depart from God and Chriſt, as Noah's Dove went from the Ark, who having tyred her ſelf abroad, and finding no reſting place for the ſoles of her feet, returned again to the Ark: Thus many a Profeſſor falls off from God and his ways, flutters up and down in the world, but finds no peace in conſcience, no content in the ways of ſin, returns to God again: Such was the falling away of Solomon, who did for a while caſt off God, fall into the fond and inordinate love of women, and inſatiably too, of many women; he had ſeven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines, 1 Reg. 11.1.3. and that which was worſe, into the love of ſtrange women, idolaters, of whom the Lord had given a charge to Iſrael, Ye ſhall not go in unto them, neither ſhall they go in to you: and to outward incontinency he added ſpiritual adultery; his wives turned away his heart from God, ver. 4. he fell to idolatry, and followed after ſtrange gods, erected Temples to the Idols which his wives adored, ſet up Altars, Ornaments, Prieſts, and all upon Mount Olivet, before the face of the Lord in his Temple, 2 Kings 23.13. he gave himſelf to all pleaſures and vanities under the Sun (as appeareth by his book of Eccleſiaſtes, which he wrote after his return), but could find no contentment in all, nor in any thing under the Sun; therefore ſee what he ſaith, Eccleſ. 12.13. here is the ſumma totalis, totum officii, totum conatus, totum faelicitatis; the whole duty, the whole endeavour, the whole happineſs of man. This was Iſraels revolt, Hoſ. 2.7. and ſome Divines conceive, that Demas thus fell away for a time, and returned again.
2. Final falling; to fall irrecoverably, to caſt off God and his ways for ever; when men go from God and his ways, as Noah's Raven went from the Ark, that fled away and never return'd again. The word foreign frequently uſed in Scripture, ſignifieth to depart from that which we formerly ſtood to; it is a military word; for among Souldiers ſuch a one was anciently called foreign,foreign transfuga. qui ordinem ſuum & locum in acie datum turpiter deſeruit, that baſely deſerted his place and rank aſſigned him in the battel, vel qui ad hoſtes transfugit, who fled away to the Enemy: Such a one then is an Apoſtate, who falls away and departs from that faith he formerly ſtood to and maintained, and becometh the ſervant of ſin, and the vaſſal of Satan. This is called in Scripture, a turning away from following the Lord, Pſal. 125.5. Sound Chriſtians, like Caleb, follow the Lord fully, but the unſound Chriſtian turneth away from following of him. It is likewiſe called, a leaving the paths of righteouſneſs, Prov. 2.13. a going backwards, and not forwards, Jerem. 7.14. it is called a departing from the faith, 1 Tim. 4.1. when a man doth deſpight to the Spirit of grace, flings away the ſtrictneſs of holy walking, caſts off the yoke of Chriſt, and turneth the grace of God into laſciviouſneſs, this is a woful apoſtacy; this is that which the Apoſtle meant in Heb. 6.6. where he uſeth the word foreign, which ſignifieth the falling of reprobates, as learned Zanchy Zanch. in Heb. 6 6.noteth, ſuch who ſtumble and fall, and never riſe more, who never ſtay till they fall headlong into everlaſting deſtruction: This was the fall of Hymeneus and Alexander, of whom the Apoſtle ſaith, they made ſhipwrack of their faith and of a good conſcience; it is impoſſible to recover a Ship once daſht into pieces running upon a rock, and the Apoſtle ſaith of ſuch, it is impoſſible for them to repent.
Diſtin. 3 This total and final Apoſtacy is twofold.
1. Open and notorious; a falling from open profeſſion into open profaneneſs; a falling from open profeſſion into open oppoſition of the ways of God: Thus Alexander the Copper-ſmith fell away and oppoſed Paul's preaching, which was worſe then to withſtand his perſon; doctrinal oppoſition is far worſe then perſonal. Great was the Apoſtacy of Bolſ…cus, whom the Papiſts afterward hired to write Calvin's Life, where ſo many lines, ſo many lies. Baldwin, another Apoſtate, changed his Religion at leaſt 3 or 4 times for advantage. Petrus Carolus was alſo an odious Apoſtate, and troubler of the Church. What a notorious Turn-coat was Ecebolius, who under the Emperour Conſtans was a zealous Chriſtian, under Julian again a bitter Pagan; but when Julian was dead, and Chriſtianity reſtored, he returns to Chriſtianity again!
2. There is leſs open, and a not ſo notoriouſly ſcandalous falling away; ſuch as theſe are ſtill Swine, who return to the mire, and wallow in it without much noiſe; they backſlide in heart from God: Some Profeſſors fall like Stars from the Firmament, all take notice of them; others go out like a candle put under a buſhel, little obſerved: Oh take heed of falling from God in any of theſe kinds!