01.10. Of the Ways and Means of Revival, Under Decays of Grace

OF THE WAYS AND MEANS OF REVIVAL, UNDER DECAYS OF GRACE.

CHAPTER X. The Holy Spirit, in a way of efficiency, is the sole cause of a happy revival, under decays of grace. It is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God, that the work of grace is maintained and carried on in the souls of believers. And, therefore, the church in a declining state, and under a deep sense of it, makes application unto God for a revival. "Wilt thou not revive us again ? that thy people may rejoice in thee."

There is but little joy in God, when grace comes under decline. Though the Holy Spirit alone can effect this desirable change in the frame and behavior of withering, barren professors, still various means are appointed of God, which are subservient to this end; and if we neglect to use those means, no wonder that we still have reason to complain, and cry out, 0 our leanness, our leanness ; for the treacherous dealers, even under all our complaints, are dealing treacherously; and, therefore, an alteration for the better cannot reasonably be expected. If we are thoroughly persuaded of this, we shall really desire a time of refreshing from God, to excite us to use diligence, in order that our graces may be revived, and to strengthen what remains that is ready to die.

Much labor and diligence are required unto this. It is not complaining of the sickly condition of our souls, which will effect their cure. Confessions of those follies that have brought diseases on us, though repeated ever so often, will avail nothing towards the removal of them. If we intend the recovery of our former health and vigor, we must act, as well as complain and groan. We must keep at a distance from those persons and those snares which have drawn us into the instances of folly, which have occasioned that disorder which is the matter of our complaint. Without this, we may multiply acknowledgments and expressions of concern for our past miscarriages, to no purpose at all. It is very great folly to think of regaining our former strength, so long as we embrace and dally with those objects, through whose evil influence we are fallen into a sorrowful decline. It is not our bewailing the pernicious effects of sin, that will prevent its baneful influence upon us; except we are determined to forsake that, to which our melancholy disorder is owing, never let us think of recovering our former healthful and vigorous state; for if we do, we shall certainly be deceived to our further prejudice : for such a frame of mind tends to ruin, nor can it be prevented, but by sovereign grace effecting a contrary disposition in us.

I. We must remember from whence we are fallen, and lay to heart the sad occasions of our declension.

Let us recollect what convictions of sin we have had, and what tenderness of conscience they produced. How fearful we were of acting anything that bordered upon evil, out of a regard to the glory of God, as well as the peace of our own minds. What watchfulness against all baits and temptations which were laid in our way to ensnare us, we then exercised. Let us remember how precious Christ was then to our souls. The views we had of the value of those benefits which spring from His obedience, death, and sacrifice. In what manner our souls desired to be "found in Him," and applied to Him for pardon, peace, righteousness, wisdom, strength, and indeed for all that is necessary to our present consolation, holiness, and future welfare. Let us remember how our souls admired and adored the grace of God, which formed the astonishing design of our eternal salvation from ruin which we so Justly deserved; though to effect it, He must part with His own Son from His bosom, and deliver Him up to shame, sorrow, curse, and a penal death; His law and justice requiring it, that we wretched transgressors might be saved. And shall we not call to mind what pleasing wonder possessed our souls, from the consideration of the honor conferred upon us, viz., that God made us His sons, clothed us with the best robe, with fine linen, clean and white, a garment pure, spotless, and of infinite value; adorned our souls with precious jewels, the graces of His Holy Spirit, as tokens of His infinite love to our persons, and the earnest and first-fruits of eternal glory whereunto He called us? Shall we be so ungrateful to our heavenly Father, as to bury in forgetfulness the gracious discoveries of his kindness, grace, and mercy to our souls, when we were overwhelmed with a sense of guilt, curse, and vengeance, which we saw we had contracted, and whereunto we were exposed, without any ground of hope of relief and deliverance, but only from that infinitely glorious object against whom we had been sinning all our days ? Let us remember how sweet the gospel was to us, what a rich treasure, and delightful food it was to our poor famishing souls ; how we delighted in the ordinances of Christ, that we " sat under His shadow with great delight and His fruit was sweet to our taste." The remembrance of these things, on the one hand, may produce joy; and on the other, shame, sorrow, indignation, and revenge against sin and ourselves, when we consider what a melancholy change we have passed under. Oh! surely with shame, blushing, and confusion of face, we must think of our present declension. What want of watchfulness against sin is now found in us, and what near approaches do we dare to make unto it! What a languor is there in our graces! How little is faith, in exercise! And how is our love abated to God, to Christ, to His gospel, His ordinances, and His people.

We cannot wholly be insensible that we are without those gracious visits of divine love from our covenant Father, our only Saviour, our best Friend, and elder Brother, who was born for our help and relief in the worst of adversity, which in time past, our souls enjoyed. And this distance between God and our souls, is the consequence of our sin, sloth, negligence, and base ingratitude. Are our hearts affected with this as they ought to be ? They are not, God knows. We are in a sad slumber, perhaps some are in a dead sleep, as we use to say, and nothing Will wake and rouse them out of their Wretched carnal security, but some shocking and terrible dispensation, which, whenever it comes, will put them into the utmost consternation and terror and they may not be able to determine whether they are of the living in Jerusalem, or sinners and hypocrites in Zion; whose portion will be fearfulness here, and everlasting burnings hereafter, notwithstanding that flourishing profession they once made. Awful thought indeed! Should we not each of us say, What have I done to cause God to hide His face from me? Wherein have I grieved the Holy Spirit, which hath occasioned Him to withhold His benign comforting influences from my Poor soul, through the want of which I am attended with darkness, deadness, loss of spiritual consolation, joy in God; and am at a great uncertainty, in my own apprehension, whether I am in the way to heaven, or in the broad road to hell and destruction ! Oh ! the bitter effects of sin!

II. Consider what Christ required of the church at Sardis, Which many interpreters think is a representation of the church under the Reformation fallen into sad declension; and they apply it to our times. He requires them to "remember how they received," i. e., with what joy they embraced His gospel, and received Himself as held forth therein, in His person, offices, work, and benefits. How they had received His sacred institutions and excellent laws, that they had celebrated the former with spiritual pleasure and great advantage; and submitted to the latter with holy reverence and zeal for His glory as King in Zion. Again, He calls upon them to recollect how " they had heard," what attention they gave to His delightful voice in the promises He expressed, the warnings He gave against sin, temptations, and snares they would meet withal, in the course of their pilgrimage in this world; which suggests that they had been defective in this matter, which was the cause of their deadness and formality; so that they seemed not to have life; at least, no vigor or liveliness were discovered; but they were sunk very much into a dead formality, in the course of their behavior. Moreover, Christ commands them to "hold fast," i. e., His doctrine; this implies that they were in danger of having it either violently or artfully taken from them, by open or secret enemies. Very needful advice for us in our dreadful times. Some, with much cunning insinuation, and all the arts of address, endeavor gradually to lessen our regard to those important doctrines; the rescuing of which from Popish corruption, was the chief glory of the Reformation; an with daring insults, proud confidence, and matchless injustice, do many reproach and vilify those doctrines. What need therefore, have we of this advice, and how well is it suited to our circumstances! Many are sunk into a neutral spirit, and discover no concern at principles are introduced, nor what doctrines are given up. They are but speculative points, (they say) and if they can but promote practical and experimental religion, for their parts, they are quiet and easy, Do not, then, evangelical truths enter into that religion they would advance? Are not those truths the foundation, life, and soul of it? If not, let us boldly renounce it, as no religion of the blessed Jesus; this is what our profession of being His followers obliges us unto, let these cowardly men take that renunciation how they please. If, indeed, they are the ground of that practical and experimental religion these persons pretend it is their design and endeavor to promote, why, then, are they unconcerned about what treatment those doctrines meet with? The introduction of other doctrines than those the Reformers boldly defended against the hellish fury and rage of Rome, brought into the Reformed Church that pride and contempt of spirituality, which have been, and still are nourished by those doctrines, which in the end, unless God prevents it, will prove our ruin, and render the Reformed Church, for corruption in principles, full as infamous, if not more so, than that of Rome, which Christ will "consume with the spirit of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming." Never let us part with those things wherein is continuance, and by which we are to be saved, if saved we shall be, through the fawning and flatteries of these professed friends, but secret enemies of the gospel of Christ. Nor let us ever be frightened out of our faith by the rage, contempt, and scorn that open adversaries pour upon us, because of our regard to the doctrines of God’s sovereign and distinguishing grace ; though, through the defection of many, but few may join us in an opposition to that tide of fury against those precious truths, which flows in upon us with great rapidity. Let us stand our ground, keep firm hold, and quit ourselves like men," in the defense of principles, which ought to be far dearer to us than the most valuable privileges we can enjoy of a temporal nature, yea, than life itself. For if those truths are rent from us, from what source, then, can we derive peace in trouble, strength in weakness, joy In sorrow, light in darkness, comfort in life, or hope in death? And on what may we build an expectation of happiness hereafter, if the doctrines of the Reformation are wrested from us ? On nothing. Though multitudes now desert them, through one cause or another.

These doctrines are, Efficacious grace in the conversion of a poor sinner, communicated on the foundation of eternal predestination to everlasting life. Complete atonement for sin, by the death and sacrifice of Christ. Justification by His righteousness, without any works of our own; and received by faith, in order to our peace, joy, and hope of heaven. Final perseverance in faith and holiness, what shocks so ever we may meet with from sin, Satan, or the world. These blessed truths are the only supports of a divine faith, and heavenly hope; and I am not afraid or ashamed to say, that he is no Christian who is ignorant of their sweetness, power, spirituality, and effectual influence to promote holiness in all its branches; let some clamor as long as they think proper, and charge these glorious truths with licentiousness. But I must acquaint them that there is a time hastening, wherein they will be obliged to give their account to Him, whose these doctrines are, and whose glory is much concerned in them, for all their ungodly and hard speeches against them. They will do well to consider what defense for themselves they shall be able to make. Reproach, slander, falsehood, and contumely, will not be suffered at His tribunal, though now they are permitted to practice these abominable vices, to run down truth, and propagate destructive errors.

III. We must do "the first works," if we design a revival of our graces. This calls for humility and diligence, to both which our proud and slothful hearts are too much disinclined. We must be content to begin afresh, both to learn and practice, since through carelessness and sloth we are gone backwards in knowledge and practice too. It sometimes is with the saints as with schoolboys, who by their negligence are so far from improvement, that they have almost forgot the rudiments of a language or an art they have begun to learn; in which case it is necessary that they. make a new beginning; this suits not with. their pride, but unto it they must submit. So the Christian has sometimes need of being taught again, "what are the first principles of the oracles of God," when for the time he has been in the school of Christ, his improvement ought to be such as would fit him for giving instruction to others in these plain and easy principles. But through negligence he has let them slip. And we must be content to pass through the very same lessons of conviction, sorrow, humiliation, and repentance, we long since learned of the Holy Spirit. Whatever we think of the matter, a revival cannot be without it. This is humbling to our pride, but our past negligence has rendered it absolutely necessary ; besides, we must attend to those duties we formerly did, viz., prayer, reading, meditation, self-examination, hearing, and ordinances; if we do not, we may multiply complaints of our leanness, without adding anything to our vigor, strength, and fruitfulness. As we are, So we shall continue to be, or grow worse, if that can be, unless we use those means which Christ has appointed for our growth in grace. And we must re-assume our former watchfulness against sin, and all occasions of it. Decline all those ways, and that sort of conversation which have proved snares to our souls. This wise part we acted at first conversion, and a new conversion requires our acting the very same part. Perhaps some jolly, loose-walking, merry professors, Who abound in our times, we may have contracted acquaintance with ; and their discourse, with the manner of their behavior, has insensibly tainted our minds at first, and caused us to remit somewhat of our strict watchfulness; this has been followed with those acts of backsliding, whereunto we owe that barrenness of soul we so justly complain of. If this is our case, we cannot by serious advice and a grave example reform them, then let us forsake their company, and get rid of a conversation, by the ill influence of which we may long suffer, if not to the day of our death. Grace will not long thrive under the droppings of a pernicious conversation, nor will it revive where it is Sunk and decayed under that disadvantage. If we throw water upon a low fire, we must surely be sensible that it will not maintain and revive it. Vain conversation is to grace, what water is to fire.

Query. How can this declension consist with promises of growth?

Answer. Our increase in grace is often represented by the growth of plants, which in some seasons is interrupted. As in winter, through the sun’s distance, nipping winds, and pinching frost, they lose all their beauty; but their sap abides in the root, and upon the return of the enlivening sun, through the influence of its quickening rays, the sap ascends, the plant which not long since afforded no pleasing prospect, salutes our eye with a delightful green; it presently buds, its blossoms open, and it yields precious fruits. So the Christian, when the Sun of Righteousness withdraws, and the north wind of temptations blows upon him, at the present he grows not, grace subsides, corruption rises, and the beauty of his profession is gone, and no fruit is brought forth to the glory of God. But, when the Sun of Righteousness returns, with the cheering rays of his graces that have lain hid discover themselves again, he recovers his former beauty, "blossoms as the rose, grows as the Lilly," spreads his roots and bears much fruit to the glory of his Heavenly Father. Let us not then on a sudden, pronounce a, person dead who is, it may be, now barren ;he may have brought forth fruit; and though it is winter with him now, he may see a returning spring, and again afford us a lovely prospect; and for this let us wait and hope.

Lastly, let the saint recovered from backsliding and declension, adore the divine goodness, grace, and mercy discovered in his new conversion. lf he takes into serious consideration, his provoking carriage, and God’s patience, long-suffering, faithfulness to His promises, and the immutability of His love to his person, under all his unworthiness : if he well considers from what a Sad frame he is delivered, and what advantages, divine pleasures, and signal favors he is again brought unto the enjoyment of: if he thoroughly considers what new honors is done him, by making him again fruitful in good works, to the glory of his Heavenly Father, and to the joy and usefulness of his fellow Christians, pleasure inexpressible must flow in his breast. Let him also remember that he is still in a state of imperfection, and snares, and dangers ; and that, therefore, another declension may succeed: for as grace communicated to him at his first conversion, prevented not his former decay, which has been so much to the dishonor of God, and the grief of his soul; so neither may that grace bestowed on him, in this new conversion, preserve him from a future declension. In order to this, renewed supplies of grace are necessary, to keep him in a humble, watchful, and depending frame of soul on his Head of life and influence. Sin, upon this revival, is indeed much subdued ; but he may possibly live to find it act again, with as much violence as ever it did; and grace, may again subside, though it now advances and expands itself in the soul.

However spiritual he now is in his frame, he is not got beyond the reach of temptation, and he is still the subject of that, which under fresh temptations, will not only incline him, but prevail with him also, to act a part (unless divine grace interposes to his succor) that will involve him in the same sorrowful condition he is now emerged out of. It is enough to make one tremble to think what prevalence the flesh has gained, even after the most affecting discoveries of divine love and goodness, that have ever been vouchsafed to saints most eminent for holiness. Some have got their foulest blemishes, after they have received the most signal tokens of divine favor they were ever indulged withal.

Let this teach us humility and caution; they are, I am sure, the useful lessons we ought to learn by those awful dispensations under Which some eminent saints have passed, with whom none of us are comparable in holiness and the power of religion.