"He is Faithful that Promised."
"I will heal their backsliding."--HOSEA xiv. 4.
Restoring Grace.
Wandering again! And has He not left me to perish? Stumbling and
straying on the dark mountains, away from the Shepherd's eye and the
Shepherd's fold, shall He not leave the erring wanderer to the fruit of
his own ways, and his truant heart to go hopelessly onward in its career
of guilty estrangement? "My thoughts," says God, "are not as your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." Man would say, "Go, perish!
ungrateful apostate!" God says, "Return, ye backsliding children!" The
Shepherd _will_ not, _cannot_ suffer the sheep to perish He has
purchased with His own blood. How wondrous His forbearance towards
it!--tracking its guilty steps, and ceasing not the pursuit till He lays
the wanderer on His shoulders, and returns with it to His fold
rejoicing! My soul! why increase by farther departures thine own
distance from the fold?--why lengthen the dreary road thy gracious
Shepherd has to traverse in bringing thee back? Delay not thy return!
Provoke no longer His patience; venture no farther on forbidden ground.
He waits with outstretched arms to welcome thee once more to His bosom.
Be humble for the past, trust Him for the future. Think of thy former
backslidings, and tremble; think of His forbearance, and be filled with
holy gratitude; think of His promised grace, "and take courage."
"REMEMBER _THIS_ WORD UNTO THY SERVANT, UPON
WHICH THOU HAST CAUSED ME TO HOPE!"