20. The Use Of Faith In A Time Of General Decline In Religion
THE USE OF FAITH IN A
TIME OF GENERAL
DECLINE IN RELIGION
"The just shall live by his faith."—HAB. 2:4.
I am now come to the last thing that was proposed to be spoken to, and with which I shall conclude the subject, namely,—
3. How we may live by faith, under an apprehension of great and woeful declines in churches, in church-members, in professors of all sorts, and in the gradual withdrawal of the glory of God from us all on that account.
I would speak unto three things:— (1.) That this is such a time of decline among us, among churches, among church-members, and professors of all sorts and ways throughout this nation; yes, and other nations too, where there are any that fear God.
(2.) That this is, and ought to be, a cause of great trouble and trial to all that are true believers. And then,—
(3.) I shall show you how we may live by faith in such a season,—what it is faith will do to support the soul at such a time.
(1.) That it is now such a time of decline, there are too many evidences of it. I will name a few things:— [1.] A sense of it is impressed upon the minds of all the most discerning and diligent Christians, those who engage most in self-examination, or pay the most attention to the ways of God. I have heard multitudes testifying of it; complaints are received from many in this nation, and the neighboring nations, that there is a significant decline in the power of grace and life of faith, among all sorts of believers. Some of them will go further in their evidence, and tell us that they find the effects of it in themselves; they find it a matter of great difficulty, requiring significant watchfulness and diligence, to maintain their former spiritual states; and even after all their efforts, they do not achieve their desire. To reinforce this evidence, we are all convinced of it, or else we are blatant hypocrites; for I cannot count how often I have heard it prayed over in this very place. Thus, there is a conviction sent forth from God upon the hearts and minds of spiritual, selfexamining believers, that churches, church members, professors, and they themselves, are experiencing spiritual decline. This is the first evidence; and therefore, in such a season, it was the most faithful part of the church that made that sad complaint in Isaiah 63:17, "O LORD, why have you made us stray from your ways and hardened our heart from your fear?" They were aware that there was a judgment from the hand of God upon them.
[2.] The evident lack of love that exists among churches, among church members, among believers, is another sign of decay. I will not speak of the lack of love among churches towards each other; but as for love among church members, we barely have a trace of it remaining among us. Where
people have relationships, where they have acquaintances, where they have been long-time friends, where they share similar dispositions and interactions—there is an appearance of love; and where they align in a group or faction, there is an appearance of love. But on the pure spiritual basis of Christianity and church membership, we have, I say, barely a trace of it left among us. I remember how it was with us, when it was a joy of heart to see each other's faces;—where there was sincere, undiluted love; love accompanied by pity, compassion, condescension; indeed, love accompanied by delight. But it is dead in churches, dead among believers.
[3.] Another indication of this decay is the lack of delight and diligence in the ordinances of gospel worship. These ordinances used to bring joy to the hearts of all who feared God; but now there is so much apathy, coldness, and indifference—so much undervaluing of the word, self-absorption, pride, and such a belief that we know everything—so little effort to tremble at every truth, no matter how it is presented to us—as provides clear evidence of the terrible decays that have befallen us. Dead preachers! Dead listeners!—everything is declining among the churches of God and believers in these nations. This is accompanied by two serious evils; one of which I only recently became aware of (but upon investigation, I find it to be a much greater evil than I initially thought), namely, people—under the impression that they do not see others invigorated or quickened as they used to be by the ordinances of divine worship, and finding no such thing in their own hearts either (most likely finding themselves becoming lifeless and useless)—have adopted the belief that these ordinances have come to an end, and that they should no longer participate in them. This happens even to some who have long walked soberly and with great diligence in the use of ordinances: some in this city, and in other places, are led by foolish
delusions to this belief, because they do not find the spirit, life, and power of the word and ordinances in themselves and, as they believe, in others. A godly and learned minister, who showed me a discourse written on this subject, in defense of ordinances, informed me of such a large number falling into this abomination, that I did not think it had been possible. This is one of the evils.
The other evil that accompanies it is this—that this apathy and indifference towards ordinances, and reluctance to submit to the yoke of Christ therein, against all objections and arguments of the flesh, has become so prevalent among us, and has progressed so far, that all attempts at reformation are futile. People may create divisions, and do I don't know what; but this I know, there is no way to achieve any reformation, except for people to commit their hearts to return to God with more delight in his service than there has been. Some completely abandon the assemblies; some attend with great indifference—exercising their freedom, sporadically, at their leisure. Aren't these things signs of significant decay among us? To me, they are. I am not speaking specifically about this congregation, but about the state of all churches that I am aware of or can hear about in these nations.
[4.] The last sign I will mention of this decay among us is our worldliness —conformity to the world, and complacency. These issues have been addressed so often, and no reformation has followed, that they are now seen as routine words; and I am discouraged from speaking about them anymore.
But rest assured, this conformity to the world, and this complacency that is still found among us, is a strong indication that the glory of God is departing from us. Ministers preach against worldliness, complacency, etc., but it makes no impression on people's minds; for we can hardly provide an
example of any, even the slightest reformation. These things clearly show that we are all in a state of significant decay.
(2.) Awareness of this general decay among churches, church members, and believers should be a concern and burden on our minds. If we think everything is fine with us, and are content while we are free from external troubles, and do not worry about our decays, I will not say we are hypocrites, but we are certainly poor, low, lifeless, carnal, unspiritual
Christians. I intended to address these three points, to show you— [1.] How God is dishonored by this general decay;
[2.] How the world is offended and scandalized by it; [3.] How the ruin of churches is hastened by it;—which will assuredly befall them, unless God recovers us from this poor state: but I shall set aside these things, and proceed:— (3.) Suppose it is so (and we do complain about it to one another, not knowing what the outcome will be, nor what it may lead to),—how shall we live by faith under this Consideration? What is the work of faith in this state? If things are so (and I wish anyone could prove they are not; but suppose, for once, that they are so), and our souls are burdened with the apprehension that they are so,— then what will faith do to enable us to pass through this exercise, and to live for God?
I will tell you something of what I find. And if God does not help you to better things, make use of these, and improve them, so that you may give glory to God by believing under this condition also:—
[1.] Faith will remind the soul that despite this also, Christ has built his church upon that rock, that it shall not be utterly prevailed against. "The promise," says faith, "extends itself as well to the inbred adversaries of our
own souls, unbelief, deadness, and all these things, as to our outward enemies." Matt. 16:18, "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Though we were all dead, helpless, lifeless, poor creatures,—though we had retained almost nothing but outward order, and had lost the very vigor and essence of faith and obedience,—yet Christ's church shall abide and stand, and those that belong to him shall be preserved. "Such and such have turned apostates," says the apostle, 2 Tim. 2:19, "Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows those who are his." Here is my ground of hope, despite all this, though one falls after another, though one decays after another,—"Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure;" and it has a seal upon it, "The Lord knows those who are his." Everyone whom he has effectively called, and built upon the rock, Jesus Christ, shall be preserved, whatever befalls the rest of the world. To see such a confluence of all manner of dangerous evils from without as are coming this day upon the church of God; and to see, in the meantime, so many evidences of a decaying spiritual state in believers themselves; it will put faith to exercise itself upon this promise of Christ,—"Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." If you find your spirits at any time pressed with these things, if nothing better occurs at hand, exercise faith upon this promise of Christ, and upon the firm standing of the foundation of God,—that he knows who are his, and will carry them through all these difficulties, and land them safe in eternity.
[2.] Faith will also remind the soul that God still has the fullness and residue of the Spirit, and can pour it out when he pleases, to recover us from this woeful state and condition, and to renew us to holy obedience to himself. There are more promises of God's giving supplies of his Spirit to
deliver us from inward decays, than there are for the putting forth the acts of his power to deliver us from our outward enemies. And God is as capable of doing the inward work,—to revive and renew a spirit of faith, love, and holiness, of meekness, humility, self-denial, and readiness for the cross: he is able, with one word and act of his grace, to renew it; as he is able, by one act of his power, to destroy all his enemies, and make them the footstool of Christ, when he pleases. Live in the faith of this.
The psalmist says, in Ps. 147:16, 17, "He scatters the hoarfrost;" and the result is, the earth is frozen—he brings death upon it. But he says, in Ps.
104:30, "You send forth your Spirit; and you renew the face of the earth."
Similarly, there is deadness upon all churches and professors, to some extent, at this time;—but God, who has the fullness of the Spirit, can send him forth and renew the face of the soul,—can give professors and profession another face; not to adorn and deceive, as is often done now; not so high and haughty, not so earthly and worldly, as is now so commonly seen; but humble, meek, holy, broken-hearted, and self-denying. God can send forth his Spirit when he pleases, and give all our churches and professors a new face, in the verdancy and flourishing of his grace in them.
When God will do this I do not know: but I believe God can do this; he is able to do it,—able to renew all his churches, by sending out supplies of the Spirit, whose fullness is with him, to recover them at the due and appointed time. And more; I truly believe that when God has accomplished some ends upon us, and has stained the glory of all flesh, he will renew the power and glory of religion among us again, even in this nation. I truly believe it, but not as I believe the other things I have mentioned to you: for those I believe absolutely,—namely, that Christ has built his church upon a rock, and that nothing shall ever finally prevail against it; and that God has the fullness
and the residue of the Spirit to renew us again to all the glory of profession and holy obedience. These I propose as truths that are infallible, that will not fail you, and upon which you may risk your souls to eternity. And if your faith in these things will not give you support and comfort, I do not know what else will.
[3.] When your souls are perplexed within you about these things, your faith will say to you, "O my soul, why are you cast down? Are not all these things foretold to you,—1 Tim. 4:1, 'That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith;' 2 Tim. 3:1–5, 'That in the last days perilous times shall come;' because men should have 'a form of godliness, but deny the power?' Has it not been foretold that churches shall decay, and lose their first faith and love, in examples that have been set before you?" "Why are you surprised?" says our Saviour, John 16:4, "These things have I told you, that, when the time shall come, you may remember that I told you of them."
I was never closer to a surprise than by this one thing, how it could possibly be, that after so many instructions,—after so many mercies, trials, fears,— after so many years carrying our lives in our hands, and so many glorious deliverances, there should yet be decays found among us, and such regression. It is a great surprise to one who considers it correctly. But seeing it is foretold that so it shall be, "let us live by faith:" God has some great end to accomplish out of it; and then all will be well. "When I have performed my whole work upon Mount Zion," says God, "then," etc., Isa.
10:12.
[4.] And finally, faith, if it is in exercise, will put every soul in whom it is upon special attendance to those duties God calls him to in such a season.
This accomplishes and completes our living by faith under such a trial as
this is. If faith is in us, and in exercise, it will put us upon all these duties that God requires of us in such a season:—
1st. It will put us upon self-examination, to see how far we ourselves are engaged in these decays, and have contracted the guilt of them.
2nd. It will put us upon great mourning, due to God's withdrawal from us.
Thirdly, it will prompt us to be watchful over ourselves and each other, so that we are not overtaken by the means and causes of these decays.
Fourthly, it will inspire us to have zeal for God and the honor of the gospel, so that it may not suffer due to our missteps.
In a nutshell, faith will do something; but on our part, we do little or nothing. Faith will do something, I repeat, wherever it is, when it is stirred up to exercise; but as for these special duties, in relation to these decays that all believers have fallen under,—Oh how little we do in any kind! If only we could advise each other on what to do under these decays,—to assist each other in recovering from them! This, then, is what we are called to, and is required of us,—namely, faith in the faithfulness of Christ, who has built his church upon the rock, so that, no matter how bad things get, it shall not be prevailed against;—faith in the fullness of the Spirit, and his promise to send him to renew the face of the church; faith in understanding the truth of God, who has foretold these things; and faith prompting us to those special duties that God requires at our hands in such a season.