Trusting After Failure

‘-’’ As a prodigal, that hath 07ice broken after he hath been set tfp, is 7tot trusted with a like stock again; so Gods children may not recover that largeness of spirit, andfubiess of inward strength and comfort, which they had before. Many after a great disease do not jrgain that pitch of health which fortnerly they had., but they carry the fruits of their disease with them to their This is not always the case, for it may happen, as with Peter, that the bankrupt believer may so prosper in grace as to be richer than before his failure; but we fear that Manton here mentions the general rule. Men do not care to ride a broken-kneed horse: if it has been down once, it may be down again. A wise father does not care to restore a son to a position for which he has proved himself to be unfit. Even so has the Lord dealt with many backsliding ones: like David, they have been restored, but never to their former peace, prosperity, and power. Into the army of our Lord the deserter is received with gladness; but he must begin in the ranks, and must prove his fidelity before he is again entrusted with a commission. A fallen one, when restored, may have gained in self-knowledge, but he must necessarily be a loser in many other respects.

A little boy, who had fallen into the habit of falsehood, was made by his father to drive a nail into a post every time he had exaggerated, or told a lie. At last the habit was conquered, and in several trials the boy had displayed complete truthfulness. Then his father allowed him to draw out some of the nails, and this was repeated till no nail was left in the post. The little fellow, so far from being proud when every nail was gone, exclaimed, “Alas, father, the holes are there, where the nails used to be!” Just so does evil leave its marks. However fully restored, the fallen professor seldom loses the memory of impurity, and does not easily regain his injured influence. He is always weak in those points which led to his former fall, and, for the most part, weaker all round.

O Lord! if thou hast counted me faithful, putting me into thy service, I pray thee keep me from being either unfaithful to my charge, or negligent in my life. Let me be so upheld that I shall not have need to be picked out of the mire, and set on my feet again.