Secondly, The art and contrivance of this short saying, whereby this truth may the better be insinuated into our minds; and here, (1.) I shall take notice that here are two different persons spoken of, the backslider in heart, and the good man. (2.) That both desire to be filled or satisfied. (3.) That the one taketh his own ways, and the other God's direction. (4.) That in the event they are both filled, but in a different sense. (5.) That, rightly understood, every one hath this from himself; the backslider is filled with his own ways, and the godly person hath his own choice, and eats of the fruit of his doings.
I. Let us state the character of these different persons, for that is the clue to guide us to the understanding of all the rest ; for according to this the difi'erent course and end must be determined. Well, then, the backslider in heart and the good man are opposed.
First, The backslider in heart is he that turneth his heart from God and his ways, and daily groweth worse and worse. The word may be rendered doubly, either aversus corde, or reversus corde ; and so it is meant either of the ordinary wicked person, or of the apostate ; the one turneth away from God after counsel, the other after trial.
1. It is meant principally and chiefly of the ordinary wicked person, who turneth his heart back or away from wisdom and her invitations ; as see the parallel place : Prov. i. 30, 31, ' They would none of my counsel ; they despised all my reproof : therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.' Where the same notions are used ; and it is presently added, ver. 32, ' For the turning away of the simple shall slay them.' Though men never professed godliness, yet their refusing to hearken to the call of wisdom, or the counsel of God, doth bring them under this character, the perverse or averse in heart. He that turneth away from his chief good, and the way that should lead to the enjoyment of it, and indulgeth his lusts and vain pleasures, he is the man. So the general corrup- tion of mankind is described : Rom. iii. 12, ' They are all gone out of the way ; ' that is, the way that leadeth to true happiness. So Job, professing his innocency, useth these expressions: Job xxiii. 11, 12, ' My foot hath held his steps ; his way have I kept, and not declined ; neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips.' In which words his intent was not to prove that he was no apostate, but that he was no hypocrite or wicked person, which was the matter in debate between him and his friends.
2. You may comprise the apostate, because scripture must not be straitened in the exposition of it ; he that falleth away from those ways
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of holiness and rigliteousness, wherein he walked for a time, either through the terrors or through the delights of sense. Against the one the church protesteth : Ps. xliv. 17, 18, ' All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant : our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way.* Where apostasy from God and his commandments is expressed. So Zeph. i. 6, * Them that are not turned back from the Lord, and those that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for him.' They know a better way, and have walked in it, but at length are discouraged with troubles and afflictions, or allured by worldly avocations and advantages, and so desert their holy course, and the covenant of their God wherein they were engaged. Now the word ' heart ' is emphatical ; take it in either sense, and it showeth —
[1.] That the fountain and beginning of backsliding is in the heart. They distrust God : Heb. iii. 12, ' Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.' Or grow weary of God, and therefore neglect their duty to him : Isa. xliii. 22, ' But thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob ; thou hast been weary of me, 0 Israel.' At least have not cor tale, a renewed heart : Deut. V, 29, ' Oh, that they had such an heart in them that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always.'
[2.] It noteth their plenary desertion ; not a slipping back through infirmity and inadvertency in some particular actions, but their hearts were wholly estranged from God, and they deliberately and wilfully gave over themselves to their corruj)t affections : their hearts are turned away from the right way.
Secondly, The opposite is the good man ; and he is one —
1. That seeketh after the chiefest good, and adhereth constantly to God in Jesus Christ, as his only felicity : Ps. iv. 6, 7, ' Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us ; thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time when their corn and their wine in- creased ; ' Ps. Ixxiii. 25, ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ; and there is none on earth I desire besides thee.' Goodness is determined by respect to the chiefest good, whether it be applied to persons or things.