First, Some may suppose themselves so far interested in the back- sliding and apostasy described, as that the threatening denounced in the text doth belong unto them also, and that they are now judicially shut up under impenitency; for they say that they had attained unto a greater measure or degree of holiness, unto more readiness, even- ness, and constancy in the duties of obedience, than they do now re- tain. They have fearfully and wofully fallen off from a better frame, into deadness, barrenness, neglect of duties, and it may be in some instance into a sinful course, and that for many days. Hence now they fear, lest as they are sensible that they have forsaken God and
236 THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY.
gone off from him, so he should forsake them utterly, and they
should be sealed up under impenitency.
Ans. As this case too often falls out, so it is often answered, and TI shall not therefore much insist upon it, nor any otherwise but as our present design and discourse is concerned therein, And I] say,—
y It is to be granted that all such backslidings are not only evil and sinful, but dangerous also, as to the issue and event. Whoever, therefore, find themselves under the power of them, or any way over- taken by them, ought not only to consider the guilt of all the par- ticular sins and omissions of duties which they contract, but princi- pally the whole state of their souls, and the danger they are in of being “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin:” for no man in such a state can have the least spiritual assurance or security that he shall not fall totally and finally from God; and whatever persua- sion he hath of that nature, it is but a deceiving presumption that will effectually promote his apostasy and ruin, for there is no word of truth, no promise of God, to assure any of his love and favour whilst they are in such a state. It is therefore unquestionably the duty of every one who is sensible of any evil of this nature, in the frame of his heart or course of his life, to give himself no rest therein, seeing the eternal welfare of his soul is highly in question. But,—
2. There is a decay, a falling away from the degrees of holiness and. obedience that men may have attained, and that, it may be, for a long season, and possibly with respect unto some especial sin, which is recoverable, and which doth not cast persons under the power of it absolutely into the threatening here recorded. What circum- stances are required hereunto and what aggravations of sin have been showed in the opening*of the words. Now, there may be a falling away, and that great and dangerous, which yet riseth not up unto the provocation of the evil here in an especial manner intended. And I judge it may be given as a safe rule in general, that he who is spiritually sensible of the evil of his backsliding is unquestionably in a recoverable condition; and some may be so who are not yet sensible thereof, so long as they are capable of being made so by con- victions. No man is past hopes of salvation until he is past all possibility of repentance; and no man is past all possibility of re- pentance until he be absolutely hardened against all gospel con- victions. Wherefore there is a recoverable backsliding: for,— (1.) Christ calleth men unto such a recovery, which, therefore, he approves of, and will assist them therein who conscientiously apply themselves unto their duty, Rev. ii. 5, iii, 1-3; which latter instance is great in this kind. (2.) God hath promised to recover and heal such backslidings in believers, Hos. xiv. 4. And unto whom this is
DANGERS FROM THE PREVAILING APOSTASY. . See
not encouragement sufficient to endeavour a recovery of themselves, it is to be feared they will wax worse and worse through the power of sin, until it hath full dominion over them; yea, what pretences soever they make to keep themselves off from such endeavours, it is either unbelief or the love of sin that is the sole proper cause thereof. Wherefore,— (3.) If the backsliding whereof men complain from the ways of _ holiness and obedience have not proceeded out of dislike unto Christ and the gospel; if they have not, by the power and deceit wherewith they are accompanied, chosen any other way of duty or sin in his stead,—as there is all necessity imaginable that they should, so there is all encouragement necessary to put them upon the diligent use of all means of a blessed recovery. Suppose their decays have befallen them, or that they have fallen into them, through the power of temptations, the deceitfulness of sin joining with their own sloth and negligence,—which is the highest supposition that can be made in this kind,—yet if they shall say in their hearts that they “ will return to their former husband, for then it was better with them than now,” they had peace and much refreshment in their first ways of faith and obedience, which they will therefore return unto; as the Lord Christ calls upon them so to do, so he is ready in all the promises of the gospel to receive them upon their so dog. Only let such persons remember that the command is urgent on them, as on Lot when he was to flee out of Sodom, and the angel said unto him, “ Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” There is no time of deliberation, much less of delay in this matter. It is for their souls, and the present moment wherein they are warned is the only season for their escape; and if any shall yet linger as Lot did, the Lord Jay hold upon them, and bring them forth by the power of his grace, that they may be delivered! What are the ways whereby this may be done, what duties such persons are with diligence to attend unto, what means they are to use, are not things which at present fall under our consideration. All that I design is, to show that those who thus complain are not cast under any discouragement by this context and its exposition from an endeavour of a recovery, wherein they will find acceptance with God.