ANSWER TO THE FOLLOWING QUERY: IT What are the best Means of Preservation against Tis 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 fenfe. Backfliding always supposes a religious profession; but does not neceffarily imply that this profeffion is fincere. The ungodly Ifraelites, who had not the fear of God in them, are termed backsliders, in Jer. ii. 19. Saul and Judas would be accounted backfliders, in the fcriptural fenfe of the term, as well as David and Peter. The backflidings 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 fome particular temptation may entangle him, or easy-befetting fin perplex him: he may have had feveral narrow efcapes from open scandal, and may be apprehenfive that, in some unguarded moment, he may be drawn into that which may ruin his future peace and usefulness. Where I a stranger to fuch exercises, I should be but ill qualified to write upon the fubject. The case of backsliders has lately been much impressed upon my mind. Great numbers, I am perfuaded, among profeffing christians, come under this denomination. At present, I shall only offer three or four directions to the confideration of the querift, or any other whose cafe they may fuit. First, Every mean should be used that may stop the ave nues of temptation, or prevent its coming in contact with the evil propenfities of the heart. If their be nitre in our habitations, it becomes us to beware of fire. Such was the counsel of our Lord to his difciples, 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 foon become rest. less, folicitous and importunate; it will moan after it, and be exceedingly fruitful in devices to get into the way of it; it will perfuade confcience, for once at least, to be filent; it will blind the mind to the evil, and paint the defirableness 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 nof arther -But if thou hast any regard to God or his caufe, or to the welfare of thine own foul, CONSENT THOU NOT! Temptation leads to fin, 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, left thy foul bleed in the end, beneath the stroke of God's difpleasure. 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 with God in it: it is then occafionally neglected: hence public ordinances ceafe to afford their wonted pleasure; christian fociety is dropped; the world takes up your attention, and you have little or no time to spare for religion: fome carnal acquaintance, perceiving you to be coming, draws you on; recommends you to read fome one of the liberal productions of the times, by which you are to learn that there is no need to be fo rigid in religion, and no harm in frequenting the theatre, or in devoting a part at least of the Lord's Day to visiting, or amusement. These are a few of the feeds of death, from whence have sprung many a bitter harvest. "Beware of fin, then crush it at the door; BUNYAN. Thirdly, If thou hast in any degree been drawn aside, give no rest to thy foul till thy fin is crucified, and thy conscience reconciled by the blood of the Crofs. It is too common for fin to be worn away from the memory by time and new occurrences, instead of being washed away at the gofpel fountain: but where this is the cafe, the stain is not removed, and its effects will fooner or later appear, perhaps, in a form that may cause the ear of every one that heareth it to tingle. He that honoureth me, saith the Lord will I honour; and he that despiseth me, shall be lightly esteemed. we care so little for the honour of God's name, as to be unconcerned for fecret faults, we may expect he will care as little for the honour of ours, and will give us up to fome open vice, that fhall cover us with infamy. If Fourthly, If fome extraordinary temptation, or easy-besetting fin perplex thee, bend not thy attention fo much to the fubduing of that particular evil, as to the mortification of fin in general; and this not fo much by directly oppofing it, as by cherishing opposite principles. - We may heal an eruption in a particular part of the body, and yet the root of the disease may remain, and even be gathering strength. We may alfo be employed in thinking of our fins without gaining any afcendency over them: on the contrary, they may, by those very means, obtain an afcendency over us. If we go about to quench a fire by directly contending with it, we shall presently be confumed by its flames; but by applying the opposite element, it is subdued before us. It is thus that the scriptures direct us: Walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. The heart cannot be reduced to a vacuum: if spiritual things do not occupy it, carnal things will. It is by walking with God, and converfing with the doctrine of the Cross, that we shall become dead to other things; and this will go to the root of the evil, while other remedies only lop off the branches. GAIUS. ORIGINAL LETTER OF THE REV. MR. TOMS. REV. AND DEAR SIR, Hadleigh, April 28, 1783. I T has frequently recurred to my thoughts, fince peace has been restored with New England, that about the year 1753, at a meeting of the Ministers at Sudbury, Dr. Doddridge being the preacher, after dinner the Dr. proposed to the affembled Minifters, perhaps fifteen or twenty, (I cannot recollect exactly, but I was one of the number) that an attempt should be made, to engage the Body of Proteftant Dissenters to unite in maintaining a Missionary in America, among the Heathen Indians, after the manner of our brethren in Scotland, who have long done it; and not without the fmiles of Heaven on the labour of love. "I have read in print," said the Dr. "That Mr. David Brainerd, one of their Miffionaries, was profpered to the conversion of a town of favage Indians, who were brought to such faith, humility, diligence, prayerfulness and fanctity," says the writer, "as furpaffes all I ever read of, to be so general." He refers to the Life of the Rev. David Brainerd, by Jonathan Edwards, M. A.- I remember, Sir, when Dr. D-ge proposed his scheme to the Ministers at Sudbury, among other things, he said, "It appeared a reproach, that so respectable a body of men as the Proteftant Dissenters through England did put no helping hand towards promoting and fpreading of the Gofpel among the Indian nations of America, and this, when the Scots have an honourable Society for the Propagation of Chriftian Knowledge," &c. Can you, Sir, recollect aught of the Doctor's design and plan? Can you put me into a way of being informed? Could not the Rev. Job Orton fatisfy the defire? I wish to know, and having fet my hand together with the other minifters, (no one dissented) would gladly spend some of the remaining fands of life speedily. The Doctor's death, foon after the meeting above-mentioned, broke off the pious, truly chriftian and benevolent attempt I defire, Sir, to excite my brethren to take up this matter into ferious confideration (I am not likely to be a provoker long. Heb. x. 24.): And you, Sir, in particular; and as Dr. Gibbons, &c. &c. are your intimates, wish to have your thoughts concerning fetting fuch a scheme on foot. Have wrote to enquire of the Rev. Mr. Harmer, whether he can recollect the Doctor's proposal, though am not certain he was there. Mr. Ford and Mr. Hextal, the only perfons I remember they are gone into eternity years paft. This mite, in essay, is humbly laid at the foot of Him to whom we are indebted far beyond ten thousand talents-ourselves-our all. To his protection, direction and bleffing, commending you and yours, I remain, with respects, to all friends, 19 MR. EDITOR, Arethe ne T the general meeting of the Religious Tract Society you last month, which I had the pleasure. of attending, the following ideas ftruck me on the eafe and Practicability of extending the influence and utility of the Society; and I drop these hints for the information of others, who have not had the opportunity of making the fame ob. fervations. 1. I find a number of little societies are forming in the various towns and villages of many counties, (fome by the aid of small weekly subscriptions, of a penny or two pence each) to purchase cheap tracts to circulate among the ignorant or profane. Among the diffenters, many of the churches or congregations might take up this object; and there is no doubt but, like others, they would find the advantage in the increase of their congregations, by the access of many whe have never been in the habit of attending any place of worship. 2. Where even this object were thought too difficult, or in many cafes in addition to the above, little congregations, or village libraries might be instituted at the small expence of half a guinea or a guinea, with a few volumes of cheap familiar tracts, for circulating among the poor who are willing to read; but unable or unwilling to purchase for themselves. 3. Those ministers, in or out of the establishment, who are in the habit of itinerating in the unenlightened part of the kingdom, should be furnished by their congregations with a liberal number of such tracts, for circulating in their travels. A Lastly, in the selection of tracts, the greatest care should be taken not to destribute any of a fectarian tendency, or with the least allusion to political subjects; and am happy to say, that their idea appears to have been kept in view in. all the publications of the above society. Μ. Α. IT THE TRUE BALANCE. T is observed by Solomon, "that a false balance is an "abomination to the Lord; but a just weight is his "delight." As this is undoubtedly true when taken in a literal sense, so, I think, it cannot be less so, when confidered in a fpiritual. The world not only abounds with dif. honeft tradefmen, but with difhonest professors, who, with the balance of deceit and error, deceive many. It is, therefore, of fome importance to enquire what is the true baVOL. II. U |
