THE DANGER OF BACKSLIDING."
For Demos hath forsaken me, and embraced this present world. — 2 Tim. IV. lOt
Blessed St Paul, being now an old man, and ready to sacrifice his dearest blood for the sealing of that truth which he had carefully taught, sets down in this chapter what diverse entertainment he found jjoth from God and man in the preaching of the gospel. As for men, he found they dealt most unfaithfully with him, when he stood most in need of comfort from them, Demas, a man of great note, in the end forsook him. Alexander the coppersmith, — thus it pleaseth God to try his dearest ones with base oppositions of worthless persons, — did him most mischief. Weaker Chris- tians forsook him, &c. But mark the wisdom of God's Spirit in the blessed apostle in regard of his different carriage towards these persons. Demas, because his fault was greater, by reason of the eminency of his profession, him he brands to all posterity, for looking back to Sodom and to the world, after he had put his hand to the plough. Alexander's opposing, because it sprung from extremity of malice towards the profes- sion of godliness, him he curseth : ' The Lord reward him according to his works.' Weaker Christians who failed him from want of some measure of
* ' The Danger of Backsliding' forms No. 10 of ' The Saint's Cordials,' 2d edit., 1637. It had previously appeared in the 1629 edition, under the title of ' Experience Triumphing; or the Saint's Safety,' from 2 Timothy iv. 17, 18. Probably the change of title was owing to other sermons having been published in the interval, under the title ' The Saint's Safety,' for which see Vol. I. pp. 2Q3-334. There was no separate title-page for the ' Danger of Backsliding ' in the 2d edition, but that of the first is as follows : — ' Experience Trivmphing, or. The Saints Safetie. In One Sermon. Wherein is shewed, how the Comfort of Former Experiences of Gods Good- ness and Mercy, doe and ought support and stay the soule for the expectation and assurance of Deliuerances and helpe for time to come, &c. Prseluccndo Pereo. Vprightnes Ilath Boldnes. Psal. 63, 6, 7. When I remember thee vpon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches : Because thou hast beene my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wangs will I reioyce, London, Printed in the yeare 1629.' It may be proper to state that tho present Sermon, from the second edition, is much shorter than in the first, the explanation being that Sibbes had elsewhere, c. g., in ' The Saint's Safety ' supra, used the omitted portions, and so had wished it to appear in its abbreviated form thereafter ; another incidental confirmation of my supposition that the text of the Saint's Cordials of 1637 had received his sanc- tion.— G.
t Misprinted 1 Timothy in second and third editions. — G.
THE DANGER OF BACKSLIDING. 409
spirit and courage, retaining still a hidden love to the cause of Christ, their names he conceals, with prayer that God would not lay their sin to their charge. But whilst Paul lived in this cold comfort on earth, see what large encouragement had he from heaven ! Though all forsook me, yet, says he, ' God did not forsake me, but stood by me, and I was deliverfed out of the mouth of the lion,' ver. 17.
Obs. In the words we have, 1. This remarkable observation, that it is the lot of God's dearest children to be oftentimes forsaken of those that have been most near unto them. Thus it was with Christ himself. His disciples fled and left him, Mat. xxvi. 56. David complaineth that his friends for- sook him, Ps. cxix. 87, and xxvii. 10. And Elias mourueth because he was ' left alone, and they sought his life also,' 1 Kings xix. 10.
Reason 1. And God sutlers his dearest children to be thus forsaken, that they may be made conformable to their head Christ Jesus, who was left alone of his beloved disciples, and had none to comfort him.
Reason 2. Again, God sutfers this to draw them to the fountain, that they might fly to Christ, in whom all true comfort lies, and see whether he is not better than ten sons, as Eli spake to Hannah, 1 Sam. i. 8. The Lord oft embitters other comforts to men that Christ may be sweet to them. Our hearts naturally hang loose from God, and are soon ready to join with the creature. Therefore we should soar much aloft in our meditations, and see the excellencies of Christ, and adhere to him. This will soon take off the soul from resting upon other props. When David began to say, ' My hill is strong,' then presently ' his soul was troubled,' Ps. XXX. 6, seq. Out of God there is nothing fit for the soul to stay itself upon ; for all outward things are beneath the worth of the soul, and draw it lower than itself. Earthly things, such as are riches, honours, friends, &c., are not given us for stays to rest upon, but for comforts in our way to heaven. Whatever comfort is in the creature the soul will spend quickly, and look still for more ; whereas the comfort that we have in God, ' is un- defiled, and fadeth not away,' 1 Peter i. 4.