backsliding and decays as to degrees of grace and holiness are many: -
CHAPTER 15.
Decays in grace caused by indwelling sin - The ways it does it.
2. THE means whereby indwelling sin prevails on believers to backsliding and decays as to degrees of grace and holiness are many: -
(1.) Upon the first conversion and calling of sinners to God and Christ, they have usually many fresh springs breaking forth in their souls and refreshing showers coming on them, which bear them up to much faith, love, holiness, fruitfulness, and obedience; as on a land-flood, when many lesser streams run into a river, it overflows, and rolls on with a more than ordinary fulness. Now, if these springs be not kept open, if they prevail not for the continuance of these showers, they must decay and go backwards. We shall name one or two of them: -
[1.] They have a fresh, vigorous sense of pardoning mercy. As this is in the soul, so will its love and delight in God, so will its obedience be; as, is the sense of gospel pardon, so will be the life of gospel love. Luke 7:47, "I say to you," says our Saviour of the poor woman, "Her sins, which were many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Her great love was an evidence of great forgiveness, and her great sense of it: for our Saviour is not giving a reason of her forgiveness, as though it were for her love; but of her love, that it was because of her forgiveness. Having in the foregoing parable, from verse 40 and onwards, convinced the Pharisee with whom he had to do that he to whom most was forgiven would love most, as verse 43, he gives an account of the great love of the woman, springing from the sense she had of the great forgiveness which she had so freely received. Thus sinners at their first conversion are very aware of great forgiveness; "Of whom I am chief," lies next their heart. This subdues their hearts and spirits to all in God, and quickens them to all obedience, that such poor cursed sinners as they were should so freely be delivered and pardoned. The love of God and of Christ in their forgiveness constrains them to live to God.
[2.] The fresh taste they have had of spiritual things keeps up such a relish of them, that worldly contentments, whereby men are drawn off from close walking with God, are rendered undesirable to them. Having tasted of the wine of the gospel, they desire no other, for they say, "This is best." So was it with the apostles: "Will you also go away?" John 6:67. They answer by Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life," verse 68. They had such a fresh relish of the doctrine of the gospel and the grace of Christ on their souls, that they can entertain no thoughts of declining from it. As a man who has been long kept in a dungeon, if brought forth into the light of the sun, finds so much pleasure in it, in the beauties of the old creation, that he thinks he can never be weary of it, nor shall ever be contented to be under darkness again; so is it with souls when first brought into the marvellous light of Christ, to see the beauties of the new creation. They see a new glory in him, that sullies the desirableness of all earthly diversions. And they see a new guilt and filth in sin, that gives them a hatred of its old delights and pleasures.
Now, whilst these springs are kept open in the souls of converted sinners, they constrain them to a vigorous, active holiness. They can never do enough for God; so that often their zeal as saints puts blots on their prudence as men, as might be instanced in many of the martyrs of old.
This is the first way that indwelling sin prepares men for backsliding in grace and obedience, - it attempts to stop or taint these springs.
1st. It works by sloth. It prevails in the soul to neglect continual thoughts about the things that influence it to fruitful obedience. If care be not taken, and all means that are appointed of God to keep a living sense of them on the soul, they will dry up; and so the obedience that should spring from them will do so also. Isaac dug wells, but the Philistines stopped them, and his flocks had no benefit by them. Let the heart neglect even a little the gracious, soul-affecting thoughts of the love of God, the cross of Christ, the greatness and excellency of gospel mercy, the beauties of holiness, they will quickly become