Drawing Back.
Zion's Advocate, Vol. 42, No. 12, December 1903.
"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back into perdition; but of them who believe to the saving of the soul." Hebrews x. 38, 39.
The Hebrews to whom the letter bearing that title was addressed, were the Jews who resided in Judea, who had embraced Christianity. Having given up the rites and ceremonies of that national people, believing them to have bee fulfilled in Christ as the antitype, and having professed the religion of the despised Nazarene. They were subjected to the hatred of their countrymen as well as persecutions at the hand of heathen Gentiles. Doubtless many of them were wavering and unstable. Temptations to apostasy were strong, and it seems to have been the object of the apostle in writing this letter to them to fortify them against these temptations. The letter, however, applies in a general way to the church of Christ in all ages and under all circumstances. We desire to consider the text given above with this general application.There are two classes of professors, very distinct as to their real nature, though their appearance at times may be quite similar. One class is entirely destitute of the vitality of the religion they profess. They possess the form while they lack the power of godliness. These apostatize from their profession under the least trial. It takes but little to drive them out of the professional path in which they have been formally walking. Usually they manifest great zeal in the start, but their zeal is soon seen to abate. They drop back in the house of God as though they do not feel at home among the members. When service is over they hurry away and seem not to wish to speak to any of those who had been so kind as to receive them in though they were so unworthy of the favor conferred upon them in being received. Finally, and often very soon, they absent themselves from the worship of God except when they have nothing else to do, and seem to want to go only when they expect to see a crowd there.
Such professors are sometimes heard to criticise the other church members even in the presence of enemies of the church. They are naturally disposed to regard themselves as examples of true piety, though they are drawing back from the very profession they have made. When they are reminded of their negligence by their pastor or lay-brother, they often frame flimsy excuses; such as, "I was too busy." or "I didn't feel well," &c., &c. But it is known that they are not too busy or too feeble to go to town, or to the country, or to fairs and picnics of a worldly character, any day in the week. They don't seem to be ashamed to be seen at church on Sunday (when they have nothing else to do), or to be seen at Union Meetings and Associations even on week days.
These are "clouds without water, carried about of winds." They are "spots in the feasts of charity" of which God's children are real partakers. They "speak evil of those things which they know not, but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves." The church of Christ has always been infested by such nominal professors. Sometimes they come so near the line of true piety, and show such zeal in the dear cause, that it seems impossible to distinguish them from the true sheep. The wolf underneath the sheepskin is so completely hidden that he is received among the deceived flock without fear. Still their howl is not like the bleating of the sheep, and their walk is very aft to betray them. Look at them draw back! Could any thing else be expected of them? They are only tares, and when the evidence of their real character is full ripened they may be plucked out without danger of disturbing the growth of the wheat. When the artificial flower loses its comeliness, it is cast into the waste basket and finally thrown out among the rubbish.
Now it may be that every one who reads this, who is sensible of having drawn back somewhat, and of having been very slack and remiss in duty at times, will take our description of a hypocrite to himself and say, "The editor means me!" Please do not be too ready to apply to yourself what we have written. If you think we must have had you in our mind while writing, however, you cannot blame us for it. Such a thought on your part only proves that you feel somewhat guilty. We are not at all responsible for that thought. If you are a child of God and have been drawing back you ought to be made to feel ashamed of it, for the life within you may be stirred up in this way and you may be thus induced to repent of your neglect and amend your ways. If you are just such a one as we have depicted it is well enough to get rid of you, and the sooner we succeed in doing so the better for the church. But we beg to assure you that the real children of God sometimes draw back as well as hypocritical professors. It may be you belong to this class, you poor, halting, blundering one. If you do, we do not want to beat you with a club, but we would like to take you up in the arms of our affections and assist you to fill your place again among the throng of active obedient saints. Gently, kindly and lovingly would we deal with you. Oh! may the Spirit of God give us words to use, just such as will be a balm to your bleeding soul, a cordial to your languishing spirit, and an invigorating stimulus to your faltering foot-steps! We pray for strength to "lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."
A straying, straggling one is often found to be a real sheep of the Master's fold. Sheep and lambs sometimes get sick or become crippled. Their appetite fails them, and they are not found among the flock when feeding time comes. Such a state may arise from different causes. Some are really ignorant of what their actual duty is, and for want of knowledge they allow the common affairs of life to allure them from the line of their duty until a great degree of interest is lost. They think it is not their indispensable duty to attend their meetings every month on Saturday. They imagine that they can do no real good by being at their church, and feel that the state of their mind is such that they will not be benefitted themselves by going. Under this frame of mind they are easily induced to absent themselves from God's house by what seems to be necessary work at home or elsewhere. Just as certain as they cultivate this tempting notion their wonted interest in the church will lag, they will become sickly and lose their appetite for sweet gospel food.
Now we want to press an important truth upon the mind of all who have drifted in this waw into habits of carelessness and neglect. It is the solemn and indispensable duty of every member to be in his place at the house of God at every regular and stated meeting, especially on days set apart for the business of the church, unless hindered by real sickness, or too great distance, or some other absolutely unavoidable circumstance. This is a covenant you entered into, my dear one, when you applied for membership in the Old Baptist church and was received by her as one of her body. If your church meets thus one Saturday in every month you ought by all means to be there, not six, eight, or even eleven times, but twelve times in the year! Do you understand? It would look better for you to miss on Sunday than on Saturday, for then it will not have the appearance of a miserly, stingy spirit. But if you will attend Saturdays there is no doubt that you will come around all right on Sundays. Don't forget what we say on this line. You never entered into a more binding obligation in all your life. No business affair can come in and release you. None whatever.
Why, strange as it may seem, we have known church members to stay at home because company came to see them at their meeting time. Could they not have taken their company with them? But it may be explained that their company did not come prepared to attend church, or that they did not care to go. Very well, then let them know that they can stay and "keep house" in you absence or return to their homes and visit you at another time when it will suit your convenience. We have a great deal of company, but wouldn't it require a "select" class to keep us from our higher and more sacred duty? Indeed it would! It would be necessary to go out of the world to select them.
The first year of our married life we lived on a rented farm in which our wife's brother, William, was an equal partner with us. The season was very unfavorable. It was very wet and the farm was poorly drained, so in spite of the ambition of two industrious boys we found ourselves very much behind with our work on the first Saturday in June. We arose early that morning and worked with all our might till about ten o'clock. We then said to our partner, who was also tugging away for dear life, "Will, you can do as you like, but we must quit now and go to church, for this is our meeting day." Will said, "John, I wouldn't treat you that way. Just see how much there is to do here!" We answered mildly and in the kindest of tones, "I can't help it. I've done my best all the month and now I will attend my meeting. I am sure I can make a living and do my duty." So we hurried off to the sacred place where God's dear name was praised and the sweet gospel was preached. We were hungering for it and feasted on it, and lost nothing by the transaction. We were not always so faithful as we were then, but this we now regret. Sure we are that in all our faithfulness we have been rewarded a hundred fold.
It may be you have been neglected by your pastor. He may have seemed to forget you. At any rate you may feel that he has not visited you as he ought to have done, and so you have grown cold and indifferent in regard to your duty. Suppose we grant this to be true; can that be an excuse for you? It may be he has had to work hard for his own support in addition to spending a great deal of time from home serving churches. Do you stop to think of all that ? It may be he has lost interest in you because you have lost interest in the church, which he ought not to have done. Does that excuse you? By no means.
Some get "hurt" at some of the members and draw back and neglect their duty on that account. This is so very wrong. O my dear guilty one, repent of this wrong, return to your first love, do your first work, and fill your place in the house of God as you ought to do.
"If any man draw back," says the original writer of our text, "my soul shall have no pleasure in him," and every pastor can say the same. Those members who draw back, and fail to attend their meetings, are a distress instead of a pleasure. We have gone on our way to serve the brethren and seen a negligent one at work in the field. Our eyes have filled with tears at the sad sight, while with a heavy heart we have journeyed on to the house of God to meet the few dear, faithful ones. At such times we have felt more like weeping on the door-step than standing in the pulpit. Oh! if the draw-backs but knew our feelings, and how bad such conduct is, surely they would not treat us and our worthy Master and his precious cause with such shameful disrespect. If we are not worthy, we know that the Lord we serve is! Any slight shown to his cause is a slight shown to him! Has he not done enough for you to merit your respect, love and esteem?
Rally, straggling ones, rally to the front! Put on the whole armor and come! Catch fresh zeal from the Captain of your salvation, and stand by his servants who hold up the banner. Listen at Him say, "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching."
J. R. D.
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