Remedy (1). The first remedy against this device of Satan is. solemnly to consider, That there are many scriptures that do dearM evidence a possibility of the sai/nts fallvng i/nto the same sins wfa recm they here formerly repented. 'I will heal their backslidiugs, I will love them freely : for mine anger is turned away from them,' saith the Lord by the -prophet Hosea, chap. xiv. 4. So the prophet Jeremiah speaks: 'Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you : for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I
i See Ps. exxvi. 6, arid xlii. 7, 8.
2 A backslider may say, Opera el impensa periit, all my pains and charge is lost.
2 Cor. II. 11.] against satan's devices. ni
will not keep mine anger for ever. Turn, O backsliding Israel, saith the Lord ; for I am married unto you : and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion,' chap. iii. 12, 14. So the psalmist : ' They turned back, and dealt unfaithfully with their fathers ; they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.' And no wonder, for though their repentance be never so sincere and sound, yet their graces are but weak, and their mortification imperfect in this life. Though by grace they are freed from the dominion of sin, and from the damnatory power of every sin, and from the love of all sin, yet grace doth not free them from the seed of any one sin ; and therefore it is possible for a soul to fall again and again into the same sin. If the fire be not wholly put out, who would think it impossible that it should catch and burn again and again I1
Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, seriously to consider, That God hath nowhere engaged himself by any 'particular promise, that souls converted and united to Christ shall not fall again and again into the same sin after conversion. I can- not find in the whole book of God where he hath promised any such strength or power against this or that particular sin, as that the soul should be for ever, in this life, put out of a possibility of falling again and again into the same sins ; and where God hath not a mouth to speak, I must not have a heart to believe. God will graciously pardon those sins to his people that he will not in this life effectually subdue in his people. I would go far to speak with that soul that can shew me a promise, that when our sorrow and grief hath been so great, or so much, for this or that sin, that then God will preserve us from ever falling into the same sin. The sight of such a promise would be as life from the dead to many a precious soul, who desires nothing more than to keep close to Christ, and fears nothing more than backsliding from Christ.2
Remedy (3). The third remedy against this device of Satan is, seri- ously to consider, That the most renowned and now croivned saints have, in the days of their being on earth, relapsed into one and the same sin.3 Lot was twice overcome with wine ; John twice wor- shipped the angel ; Abraham did often dissemble, and lay his wife open to adultery to save his own life, which some heathens would not have done : ' And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me ; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, as he is my brother/ Gen. xx. 13. David in his wrath was re- solved, if ever man was, that he would be the death of Nabal, and all his innocent family ; and after this he fell into the foul murder of TJnah. Though Christ told his disciples that his ' kingdom was not of this world,' yet again, and again, and again, three several times they
1 The sin of backsliding is a soul-wounding sin, ' I will heal their backsliding.' You read of no arms for the back, though you do for the breast. When a soldier bragged too much of a great scar in his forehead, Augustus Caesar (in whose time Christ was born) asked him if he did not get it as he looked back when he fled.
2 In some cases the saints have found God better than his word. He promised the children of Israel only the land of Canaan, but besides that he gave them two other kingdoms which he never promised. And to Zacharias he promised to give him his speech at the birth of the child, but besides that he gave him the gift of prophecy.
3 A sheep may often slip into a slough, as well as a swine.
112 PRBCIOtJS REMEDIES [2 COR. II. 11.
would needs be on horseback ; they would fain be high, great, and glorious in this world. Their pride and ambitious humour put them, that were but as so many beggars, upon striving for pre-eminence and greatness in the world, when their Lord and Master told them three several times of liis sufferings in the world, and of his going out of the world. Jehoshapliat, though a godly man, yet joins affinity with Ahab, 2 Chron. xviii. 1-3, 30, 31 ; and though he was saved by a miracle, yet soon after he falls into the same sin, and 'joins himself with Ahaziah king of [srael, who did very wickedly,' 2 Chron. xx. 35-37. Samson is by the Spirit of the Lord numbered among the faithful worthies, yet he fell often into one gross sin, as is evident, Heb. xi. 32. Peter, you know, relapsed often, and so did Jonah ; and this comes to pass that they may see their own inability to stand, to resist or overcome any temptation or corruptions, Jude 14, 15, 1G.1 And that they may be taken off from all false confidences, and rest wholly upon God, and only upon God, and always upon God ; and for the praise and honour of the power, wisdom, skill, mercy, and goodness of the physician of our souls, that can heal, help, and cure when the disease is most dangerous, when the soul is relapsed, and grows worse and worse, and when others say, ' There is no help for him in his God,' and when his own heart and hopes are dying.2
Remedy (4). The fourth remedy against this device of Satan is, to consider, That there are relapses into enormities, ami there a/re relapses into infirmities. Now it is not usual with God to leave his people frequently to relapse into enormities ; for by his Spirit and grace, by his smiles and frowns, by his word and rod, he doth usually preserve his people from a frequent relapsing into enormities ; yet he doth leave his choicest ones frequently to relapse into infirmities (and of his grace he pardons them in course), as idle words, passion, vain thoughts, &c.3 Though gracious souls strive against these, and complain of these, and weep over these, yet the Lord, to keep them humble, leaves them fre- quently to relapse into these ; and these frequent relapses into infirmi- ties shall never be their bane, because they be their burden.