3. They judge it no hard matter to retrieve themselves out of this state, but that which they can easily do, when there is an absolute necessity of it. But this is a false no- tion also. Recovery from backsliding is the hardest task in Christian religion, and which few make either comfortable or honourable work of.
In this state, I say, men are apt by such false reasonings to deceive themselves unto their eternal ruin; which makes the consideration of it the more necessary.
Wherefore, I say, lastly, upon the whole, that whoso find themselves under the power of this wretched frame, who are sensible in themselves, or at least make it evident unto others, that they are under a decay in their spiritual condi- tion ; if they rest in that state, without groaning, labouring, endeavouring for deliverance from it, they can have no well- grounded hopes in themselves of life and immortality ; yea, they are in those ' paths which go down unto the chambers of death.'
I cannot let this pass without something of advice unto them who find themselves under such decays, are sensible of them, and would be delivered from them, and I shall give it in a few words.
First, Remember former things; call to mind how it was with you in the spring and vigour of your affections, and com- pare your present state, enjoyment, peace, and quiet, with what they were then. This will be a great principle of re- turn to God ; Hos. ii. 7. And to put a little weight upon it, we may consider,
1. God himself makes it on his part a ground and rea- son of his return unto us in a way of mercy, and of the con- tinuance of his love ; Jer, ii. 2. Even when a people are under manifold decays, whilst yet they are within the bounds of God's covenant and mercy, he will remember their first love, with the fruits and actings of it, in trials and tempta- tions, which moves his compassion towards them. And the way to have God thus remember it, is for us to remember
BEING SPIRITUALLY MINDJ^iD. 457
with delight and longing of" soul that it were with us as in those days of old, when we had the love of espousals for God in Christ; Jer. xxxi. 18—20.
2. It is the way whereby the saints of old have refreshed and encouraged themselves under their greatest despond- encies. So doth the psalmist in many places, as for instance, Psal. xlii. 6. * O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.' David in the time of his persecution by Saul, when he wandered up and down in deserts, wildernesses, and solitudes, had, under his fears, distresses, and exercise, great, holy, spiritual communion with God, as many of his Psalms composed on such occa- sions do testify. And the greater his distresses were, the more fervent were his affections in all his addresses unto God. And he was never in greater than when he escaped out of the cave at Adullam, and went thence unto Mizpeh of Moab, to get shelter for his parents ; I Sam. xxii. 3. Then was he in the land of the Hermonites, the hill Hermon being the boundary eastward of the Israelites' possession next to Moab; Deut. iii. 8, 9. There no doubt David had a blessed exercise of his faith, and of all his affections towards God, wherein his soul found great refreshment. Being now in great distress and disconsolation of spirit, among other things under a sense that God had forgotten him, ver. 9. he calls to mind the blessed experience he had of communion with God in the land of the Hermonites, wherein he now found support and refreshment. So at other times, he called to remem- brance ' the days of old,' and in them his ' song in the night,' or the sweet refreshment he had in spiritual converse with God in former times. I have known one in the depth of distress and darkness of mind, who going through tempta- tion to destroy himself, was relieved and delivered in the in- stant of ruin, by a sudden remembrance that at such a time, and in such a place, he had prayed fervently with the en- gagement of all his affections unto God.
Wherefore you that are sensible of these decays, or ought so to be, take the advice of our Saviour, * Remember whence you are fallen;' call to mind the former days ; consider if it were not better with you than now ; when in your lying down, and your rising up, you had many thoughts of God, and
458 THE GRACE AND DUTY OF
of the things of God, and they were sweet and precious unto your souls? when you rejoiced at the remembrance of his holiness? When you had zeal for his glory, delight in his worship, and were glad when they said, ' Let us go to the house of God together?' When you poured forth your souls with freedom, and enlarged affections before him, and were sensible of the visits and refreshments of his love ? Re- member what peace, what tranquillity of mind, what joy you had, whilst it was so with you ; and consider what you have gotten since you have forsaken God, in any measure or de- gree. Dare to deal plainly with yourselves. Is not all wherein you have now to do with God, either form, custom, and selfishness, or attended with trouble, disquietment, and fears ? Do you truly know, either how to live, or how to die ? Are you not sometimes a terror unto yourselves ? It must be so, unless you are hardened through the deceitful- nessof sin. What have all your lovers done for you, that you have entertained in the room of God in Christ, and spi- ritual things ? Speak plainly, have they not defiled you, wounded you, weakened yon, and brought you into that condition, that you know not what you are, nor to whom ye do belong ? What are your thoughts when you are most awake, when you are most yourselves ? Do you not some- times pant within yourselves, and say, * O that it were with us as in former days.'