The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-02-20


once said. mo one can slide back who
has not first slid forward" and 1t Is
only the believer on the Lord Jesus
Christ who has taken that forward
step. Alas! that there are SO many
backslidden Christians in the visible
church, but thanks be to God that
there Is hope for them II they will re-
turn unto him.
Notice the text closely. God has
not cast off his people. but they have
cast themselves off. He still says.
return unto the Lord thy God" call
ing himself their God although they
had forsaken him. And furthermore,
Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity."
Wez~ 4. vot for their iniquity there
would have been no separation be-
tween him and them.
But his grace does not end here.
since he tells them how to return.
Take with you words and turn to the
Lord" Not works" but words"
This does not mean that the words
will not be followed by the works, but
only that the words must come be-
fore the works can really be done.
They must be words of confession,
Take away all iniquity'; words OF
faith, receive us graciously"; words
of promise, so will we render the
calves (praises) of our lips; words
of repentance, "Asshur shall not save
us. we will not ride upon horses.
neither will we say any more to the
work Of our hands, ye are our gods;
words Of trust and confidence. for In
thee the fatherless findeth mercy"
That allusion to "Asshur," or AS
| SYRIA" Is interesting. In her af-
| Fiction at the hands OF the heather
Israel had turned to Assyria for help.
instead OF Jehovah. and this had been
one OF the causes as we'll as one OF
the effects of her backsliding. but Je-
hovah now calls upon her to cease
trusting In that arm Of flesh and to
trust in him. And so the reference
to horses" Is an allusion to her con-
fidence in Egypt. nation that used
horses In its warfare. Israel was
no longer to trust in the horses OF
Egypt II she would have Gods favor.
who could bring victory to her arms
without such material assistance.
How God Meets the BacksIider.
And how comforting are the words
of Jehovah that follow later. On the
supposition that Israel will return as
he has indicated, he exclaims: Il
will heal their backsliding; | will love
them freely. for mine anger is turned
away from them. will be as the dew
unto Israel" The backslider is like
a sheep which has wandered from the
fold and become torn by the briers
or the wild beasts, or suffered injury
by falling over the rocks. He Is
wounded in soul and needs healing
and binding up OF his wounds. and
this God promises him. But think OF
the next promise-"T will love them
freely" or eagerly" as the word
might be rendered. II is the picture
of the father in the story Of the prodi-
gal. who seeing his son afar of runs
out TO meet him in the gladness OF
his heart oh. what God and Father
we have. Who would not return to
him! And yet God does even more
than this for the returning prodigal,
| lot ne says, VIII OS 40 'hC NN" uhNS
Israel" The dew was everything to
the land of Palestine in the absence OF
such rains as we experience in the
occident. and II is the type OF the
Holy Spirit in the believers heart
and life. AS God gave the dew to
Israel. keeping her fresh and green
and fruitful. so he gives his Holy
Spirit to those who come to him In
: Christ for like spiritual blessing.
The Believers Blessings.
Carrying out the type, God says oi
the backslider who has returned tc
him. that 'he shall grow as the lily
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon
.. His branches shall spread. and his
beauty shall be as the olive tree and
his smell as Lebanon. They tha
, dwell under his shadow shall return
they shall revive as the corn. and
grow as the vine The scent there
~ shall be as the wine OF Lebanon.
We cannot dwell on all these beauti
full figures. but they speak Of growth
D and strength, and extensive influence
? They speak of the beauty and th'
5 fragrance OF the Christian life, AM
!, its beneflcence 10 others In the high
i est and trust sense. and all becaus'
the favor Of God is resting upon him
II YOU are backsllder. no matte
row long or how FAR you have wan
II - -