6r6 THE BACKSLIDER'S WAYS EXAMINED. Fifthly, What methods God takes to heal them, when outward methods of conversion have been used in yain. First, What are those ways which the text mentions, I have seen his ways, SSA, In general the text,hints at n,n immoderate love of some finite created object; " for the iniquity ofhis covetousness was I wroth, and smote " him:" but what is said of this one sin may be said concerning many other sins, concerning any depar- ture from the living God, whether the pursuit of the riches of this world, or the acquiring of honours amongst men, or the indulging of our flesh by sensuality and ease, or manyof them together. When the thoughts Are continually running out after some created, good that the soul has exalted too near to God ; when the will is continually pointing out after it, the desire and love are fixed upon it, and it has a greater aversion to what would hinder it of this created good than, it has to sin and iniquity. When we are more :anxious about these things than those of anöther world ; when this continues and abides on the mind for á season ; when all the powers of the body and soul are exercised in the pursuit after it. For though there is a secret love to God kept alive in the heart of the saints through all backslidings, yet sometimes the spark is so covered by ashes, that it cannot be discovered by themselves or others. I have seen his ways," saith God, " yet I f` will heal hire." I have seen that he loves the creature more than me, but yet I love him more tltr I do other creatures ; his love is weaned from me in a great degree, but my love was to him from eternity, and shall be with him for everlasting : it is this eternal love of God the creator towards us that is the springof his healing grace, when our love sinks down from the creator, and termi- nates upon the creature. This is the general character of the sin here mentioned, and it is accompanied with these four concomitants. I. A forgetfulness of God in the course of his life. lie loth not walk with God as he did before. His con- versation is not in Heaven as once it was: One would think that this is something strange, that a saint should forget his God, that a child should forget his father : but I have seen these forgetful ways òf his saitli god,
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