Page images
PDF
EPUB

As, I understand, the Gospel is preached in purity in your neighborhood, I would hope that you continue to hear the word; and that you know the truth, not only in word, but in power. I trust your friendship will excuse me, when I exhort you to be firm and steadfast in the religion you profess. It was with much sorrow and regret that I observed that coldness in Divine things, which was evident in your conduct for some time previous to your leaving London, and which was especially manifest in your neglect of those ordinances you once regularly attended: ordinances instituted by our blessed Lord, as gracious helps in our pilgrimage through this vale of sorrow. Shall we profess the name of Jesus, and treat his Sabbaths with contempt, by absenting ourselves from his house, or by neglecting public prayer, and entering but in time to hear the sermon; thus proving ourselves not worshippers, but hearers only; or after spending the former part of his day in slumbering or trifling, shall we pay him the honor of a cold attendance on the evening service of his courts? What opinion would you entertain of one who professed himself your servant, and treated the privileges and assistances you bestowed on him in like manner? would you not spurn him with contempt, and consider him as an ungrateful, execrable wretch? Apply this to your treatment of Jesus, who not only granted those privileges, but gave his very life to purchase them for you.

You are now honored in providence as the head of a family: as such you are more particularly called upon to be vigilant and watchful over every part of your conduct, lest, by the baneful influence of bad example

(which has more weight than a thousand precepts) you encourage those under you in the ways of sin; and Satan will avail himself of every advantage in the conduct of superiors, to promote the interests of his kingdom. You are, as it were, the watchman over your little flock: the importance of which situation is awfully shewn in the 33d chapter of Ezekiel. If you use not diligence to bring them to Christ, you are, in a measure, accountable for the loss of their souls.

Consider, my friend, how dreadful it must be to stand at the bar of that Jesus whom we have slighted, and hear a child or brother charging us with having had the care of their education, and that we never taught them they were sinners; never shewed them their only hope and remedy as such; never called on them to join in prayer to Him who has instituted a throne of grace for sinners; nor in praise and adoration to Him from whom we receive every blessing that we enjoy. On the contrary, how delightful must it be to hear them say, "I was placed by thy gracious providence under such an one; he taught me to look unto Jesus as my only hope for salvation; he prayed earnestly with me and for me; and thou hast graciously answered him, by bringing me through my pilgrimage with comfort and joy! reward him, O Lord, an hundred fold into his bos

om!"

Remember, my dear friend, by thus slighting the Lord who bought us, we are treading under foot the Son of God, and counting the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing; of which we have a remarkable picture in Hebrews (x. ver. 25 to 31;) and our sin will be aggravated in a higher de

gree, as we have sinned against the light. Should we die in a state of apostasy from God (which, may he avert!) every ordinance we have attended, every ser mon we have heard, every privilege we have enjoyed, will appear in the great day of account but as so many witnesses against us; at a period when repentance will not be known, and when we shall be ready to say to the rocks, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. What an unspeakable mercy is it, that we have a God so long suffering, who will receive the returning prodigal, and heal the penitent backslider!

Fly then to Jesus, who stands ready to embrace you; seek an interest in him; by falling prostrate at the throne of grace; pray earnestly for the direction and support of the Holy Spirit; without which, the strongest is unable to resist the numerous attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Forgetting those things which are behind, may you look to those which are before, and press toward the mark of the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus with joy.

Dear Sir, bestow a thought on these things: if the remonstrances are wrong, I willingly retract them; if right, you will not pronounce me impertinent. Love and friendship dictate what I write; and the only end I have in view is the holiness, the usefulness, the happiness, the final salvation of my much esteemed friend. It is for this, and this only, I have now taken my pen in my hand; and for this I shall often bend my knees before God, and thereby prove myself to be

Your sincere and affectionate friend,

J. T.

ANSWER TO THE FOLLOWING QUERY:

What are the best Means of Preservation against Backsliding?

IT is usual with us to confine the idea of a backslider to a good man. I apprehend the Scriptures do not use the term always in this sense. Backsliding always supposes a religious profession; but does not necessarily imply that this profession is sincere. The ungodly Israelites, who had not the fear of God in them, are termed backsliders in Jer. ii. 19. Saul and Judas would be accounted backsliders in the scriptural sense of the term, as well as David and Peter. The backslidings of the latter were partial, and of the former total.

But I shall suppose the querist to be a good man, and that he feels a proneness to depart from the living God: perhaps some particular temptation may entangle him, or easy-besetting sin perplex him: he may have had several narrow escapes from open scandal, and may be apprehensive that, in some unguarded moment, he may be drawn into that which may ruin his future peace and usefulness.

Were I a stranger to such exercises; I should be but ill qualified to write upon the subject. The case of backsliders has lately been much impressed upon my mind.* Great numbers, I am persuaded, among professing Christians, come under this denomination. At

* The writer of this article takes the liberty of saying, that having been forcibly struck a few months since with certain cases of this sort, he wrote out his thoughts at the time, on the species, symptoms, and effects of backsliding from God, with the means of recovery; and which will probably soon appear in print.

present, I shall only offer three or four directions to the consideration of the querist, or any other whose case they may suit.

First, Every mean should be used that may stop the avenues of temptation, or prevent its coming in contact with the evil propensities of the heart. If there be nitre in our habitations, it becomes us to beware of fire. Such was the counsel of our Lord to his disciples, in a season of peculiar danger: Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. He had himself entered that field, and came out a conqueror: but he knew what was in man, and counselled them rather to avoid than court the contest. In cases where the heart begins to be seduced by temptation, it will soon become restless, solicitous, and importunate; it will moan after it, and be exceedingly fruitful in devices to get into the way of it; it will persuade conscience, for once at least, to be silent; it will blind the mind to the evil, and paint the desirableness of the good; and if all this will not do, it will promise to be only a looker-on, or that thus far it will go, and no farther. But if thou hast any regard to God or his cause, or to the welfare of thine own soul, CONSENT THOU NOT! Temptation leads to sin, and sin to death. Whatever company, amusement, occupation, or connexion, has frequently caused thee to offend; that is the eye that requires to be plucked out, lest thy soul bleed in the end, beneath the stroke of God's displeas

ure.

Secondly, Beware of the first stages of departure from God. All backslidings begin with the heart. Jer. ii. 19. From hence are the issues of life. Private prayer, it may be, at first becomes wearisome; no communion

« PreviousContinue »