The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-10-19
About BacksliQilg.
A SERMON BY REV. CHAS. G..
FINNEY.


What Constitutes a Backslider
as Defined by an Able and Ex-
perienced Writer and Preacher.
TExT.-The backslider in heart shall be
filled with his own WayS.-PrOv. 14:l4.
In discussing this subject l will
state
1. What backsliding in heart is
| not.
2. What backsliding at heart is.
3. What are evidences of back
sliding in heart:
I. What backsliding in heart is
not. a. 1t does not consist in the
subsidence of highly excited religious
emotion. The subsidence of religious
feelings may be an evidtnee of a back
slider's heart, but it does not consist in
the cooling off of religious feeling.
2. What backsliding in heart is.
a. 1t consists in taking back that con-
secration to God and His service, that
constitutes true conversion. b. 1t is the
leaving, by Christian, of his first
love. 6. 1t consists in the Christian S
Withdrawing himself from that state of
entire and universal devotion to God,
which constitutes true religion, and
coming again under the control of
self pleasing spirit. d. The text
implies that there may be backslidden
heart, when the form of religion and
obedience to God are maintained. AS
we know from consciousness that men
perform the same or similar acts from
widely different, and often from
opposite motives, we are certain that
men may keep all the outward forms
of religion, when in fact, they are
backslidden in heart. There is no
doubt, that the most intense selfshness
often takes on a religious type, and
there are many considerations that
might lead a backslider in heart, to
keep up the forms, while he had lost
the bozOe> of godliness in his soul.
z. What are evidences Of back
slidden heart. a. A want of interest
in the conversion of souls or in the
published accounts or narrative of
revivals of religion is also evidence
of backslidden heart. The same is
true of missions and missionary work
and operations. The loss of interes:
in benevolent enterprises generally is
evidence of a backslidden heart. If
you were ever converted to Christ,
you have had an interest in all
benevolent enterprises that came within
your knowledge. Religion consists in
disinterested benevolence. Of course
the converted soul takes the deepest
interest in all benevolent efforts to
reform and save mankind. In good
government, in Christian education,
in the cause of temperance, in pro-
visions for the poor, and in short in
every good word and work, just is
proportian as you have lost interest in
these you have evidence that you are
backslidden in heart.
X
b. The loss Of interest in truly
spiritual conversation is another evil
dence of backslidden heart. "Out
of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh." This our Lord
Jesus Christ announced as law of
our nature. No conversation is SO
sweet to truly loving heart, as that
which relates to Christ and to our
living Christian experience. If you
find yourself losing interest in conver-
sing Of heart religion and, of the
various and wonderful experiences of
Christians, if you ever knew what the
true love of God is, you have fallen
from it, and are backslider in heart.
6. The loss of interest in the question
of sanctifcation is an evidence of
backslidden heart. l say again, the
loss of interest, for, if you ever truly
knew the love of God, you must have
had great interest in the question Of
entire conservation to God or Of entire
sanctifcation. If you are Christian,
you have felt that sin was an abom-
ination to your soul. You have had
inexpressible longings to be rid of it
forever, and everything that could
throw light upon that question of
agonizing importance, was most in
tensely interesting to you. If this
question has been dismissed, and you
no longer take an interest in it, it is
because you are backslidden in heart.
d. An uncharitable state of mind
in regard to proiessed converts, is also
an evidence of a backslidden heart.
Charity or love, hopeth all things, and
beleveth all things, and is very ready
to judge kindly and favorably Of those
who profess to be converted to Christ,
will naturally watch over them with
interest, pray for them, instruct them,
and have as much confidence in them
as it is reasonable to have. A disposi
ton, therefore, to pick at, criticise, and
censure them, is an evidence of back
slidden heart.
t. A backslidden heart will further
reveal itself in praying almost ex-
clusively for self and tor those friends
that are regarded as parts Of self. 1t
is often striking and even shocking to
attend a backslider's prayer-meeting,
and l am sorry to say that many
prayer meetings of the church are
little else. Their prayers are timid
and hesitating, and reveal the fact that
they have little or no faith. Instead
of surrounding the throne of grace and
pouring their hearts out for blessing
on those around them, they have to
be urged up to duty, to take up their