The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-11-02
ABOUT BACKSLIDING.
A SERMON BY REV. CHAS. G..
FINNEY.
What Constitutes a Backslider
AS Defined by an Able and Ex-
perienced Writer and Preacher.
PART SECOND

quences of backsliding in heart. The
text says that the backslider in heart
shall be filled with his own ways.
a. He shall be filled with his own
works. But these are dead works /; they
are not works of faith and love, which
are acceptable to God, but are the
filthy rags of their own Righteousness.
If they are performed as religious SER
vices they are but loathsome hypoc-
risy, and an abomination to God |; there
is no heart in them, and to such one
God says, "who hath required this at
your hands?:' 6 Ye are they that justify
yourselves before men, but God know
eth your hearts; for that which is
highly esteemed among men is an
abomination in the sight of God. 1
know you, that you haye not the love
of God in YOU
b. He shall be filled with his own feel
ings. Instead of that sweet peace, rest
and Joy in the Holy Ghost that he
once experienced, he will find himself
in state of unrest, dissatisfied with
himself and everybody else, and as un-
pleasant and unlovely as can be well
conceived. It is often very trying to
live with backslider. They are often
peevish, sensorious, and irritating in
all their ways. They have forsaken
God and in their feelings is more Of
hell than of heaven.
X x x x X
C. They will be filled with their own
prejudices. Their willingness to know
and do the truth has gone. They will
very naturally commit themselves
against any truth that bears hard upon
their self-indulgent spirit. They will
endeavor to justify themselves, will
neither read nor hear that which will
rebuke their backslidden state, and
they will become deeply prejudiced
against every one that shall cross their
path. If any one reprooves them they
account him as an enemy. They hedge
themselves in and shut their eyes
against the light, stand on the defen-
sive and criticise everything that would
search them out.
d. A backslider in heart will be filled
with his own enmities. Such a one
will almost surely lay up things against
those with whom he has any business
or other relations. He will chafe in
almost every relation of life, will allow
himself to be vexed and angry and get
into such relations with some and per-
haps among persons that he can not
pray for them honestly, and can hardly
treat them with common civility. This
is an almost certain result of a back
slidden heart.
e. The backslider in heart will be
filled with his own mistakes.
He is not Walking with God. He
has fallen out of the divine order.
He is not led by the spirit, but is walk
ing in spiritual darkness. In this state
he is sure to fall into many grievous
mistakes and may get entangled in
such a way as to mar his happiness
and, perhaps, destroy his usefulness for
life. Mistakes in business, mistakes
in forming new relations in life, mis-
| takes in using his time, his tongue, his
money, his influence, all will 60 wrong
with him as long as he remains in a
backslidden state.
f. The backslider in heart will be
filed with his own lustings. His ap-
petites and passions, which had been
kept under, have now resumed their
control, and having been so long sup
pressed they will seem to avenge them
selves by becoming more clamorous
and despotic than ever. The animal
appetites and passions will burst forth
to the astonishment Of the backslider,
and ten to one, if he does not find him.
self more under their influence and
enslaved by them than ever before:
q. The backslider in heart will be
filled with his own words. While in
that state he will not and can not con-
troll his tongue. It will prove itself to
be an unruly member, full of deadly
poison, and will set on fire the course
Of nature, and is itself set on fire by
hell By his words he will involve
himself in many difficulties and per-
plexites from which he can never eX-
tricate himself until he comes back to
God.
h. He will be full of his own
trials. Instead Of keeping out Of temp
tations he will run right into tempta-
ton. He will bring upon himselfmul-
titudes of trials that he never would
have had, had he not departed from
God. He will complain of his trials,
and yet constantly multiply them. A
backslider feels his trials keenly, and
while he complains of being tried
by everything around him he is con-
stantly aggravating them, and being
the author of them be seems industri-
Gus to bring them upon himself like an
avalanche.
i. The backslider in heart shall be
full of his own follies. Having rejected
the divine guidance he will evidently
fall into the depths of his own foolish
ness. He will inevitably say and do
multitudes Of foolish and ridiculous
things. Being a professor of religion
these things will be all the more no
ticed, and of course bring him all the
more into ridicule and contempt A
backslider is, indeed, the greatest fool
in the world. Having experimental
knowledge of the true way of life, he
has the infinite folly to abandon it
knowing the fountain of living water
he has forsaken it and hewed out to
himself cisterns-broken cisterns-that
} can hold no water. Having been guilty
of this folly the whole course of hi:
backslidjen life must be that Of foo
in the Bible sense Of the term.
j. The backslider in heart will bt
full Of his own trouble. God is agains