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if
IS
THE AGGRAVATIONS
OF
BACKSLIDING.
lively exercises
of
grace,
and
so
far
fall in with
sin
and
a
neglect
of
duty, as
to
be
uneasy
at
the thoughts
of God.
A
despondency
in
his mercy,
will
bring
a
murmuring
at
all
his
dealings,
so as
to say,
Lord,
why
hast thou
dealt
thus
with me
?
Yet, saith the
Lord,
still,
though he be
uneasy
at
me,
I
will
not
be
uneasy
at
him
:
I
think
on
him
with
pleasure, because
I
resolve
to
recover
him
;
though
he
be
unwilling
to
return
to
me
I
pity
him, he
knows
not
whither
he
runs
when he
runs
from
me,
I
will
call
him back
;
he may
for a season look
like one
that
is
ut-
terly dead
in
trespasses and
sins,
but
it cannot
be said,
as
to
a
christian, any otherwise but
that
he
sleepeth.
He
looks
like one
that
is
dead
in sins,
but
I
will
awaken him
again
;
he
is
uneasy
at
the thoughts
of
me,
but
I
will
ma-
nifest
myself to
him with such love, as
shall make myself
the most delightful object
of
his
thoughts;
he shall
re-
ceive
my
kindness with
wonder
and
all
thankfulness.
He
now
murmurs at
my
dealings,
but
he shall see
that
all
my
ways
are
faithful
ways,
and
all
my
dealings are deal
-
lings
of
love and kindness.
It
is
sad,
very
sad, when he
is fallen
to this low
degree
of
Christianity,
but yet
God
has
his
healing methods.
Secondly,
To
shew
the greatness
of
the grace
that
is
contained
in
this text,
let
us
consider
what
are
the
ag-
gravations
in
their
departure
from
God.
I.
Great
folly
and
stupidity
to
forsake the
living,
all-
seeing
God, and
to
pursue
the
creatures
as though life
were
expected
from them.
It
is
such a love
that
God
calls to
the inanimate
creatures
to
stand amazed
at
it.
Jer.
ii. 12.
"
Be
astonished, O
ye
Heavens,
at
this,
and
be horribly afraid,
be ye very
desolate, saith the Lord
;
has a nation
changed
their
gods, which
yet are
no
gods
?
Pass
over the
isles
and
see,
consider
diligently
if
there
be
such
a thing
;
but
my
people
have changed
their'
glory for
that
which
does
not
profit:
they
become more
brutish, saith
the
Lord,,
than
any
of
the
nations
afar
off:"
and
this
is
declared
in words, very expressive
of
the
highest
folly,
in
Jer.
v. 12.
and
following
verses.. Rebel-
lion,
revolting,
turning
aside from
God
to
the creature,
is
an
instance
of
such
folly,
that
God
has expressed it
in
such language
as
should make it
appar
to
us
the
most
obstinate, the
most impudent,
and
the most hateful
of
all