The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-02-24

Mr.. SIP u>f g e o
once said, mo one can slide back who
has not first slid forward" and it 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 if 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."
Were it mot 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, We 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 az
Fiction at the hands of the heather
Israel had turned tic Assyria for help.
instead of Jehovah, and this had been
one of the causes as well 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, a nation that used
! horses in it's warfare. Israel was
| no longer to trust in the horses OF
! Egypt if 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; l will love
/ fhnYo froolxy min fc I'm cd
| away fran 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 bis wounds, and
! the next promise-sI will love them
freely" or eagerly as the word
might be rendered 1t is the picture
of the father in the story of the prodi
gal, who seeing his son afar off 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
for he says. Il will be as the dew unto
Israel" The dew was everything to
the land of Palestine in the absence OF
such rains as we experience in the
occident. and It is the type of the
Holy Spirit in the believers heart
and life. AS God gave the dew tc
Israel. keeping her fresh and greer
and fruitful. so he gives his Holy
Spirit to those who come to him ii
Christ for like spiritual blessing.
The Believers Blessings.
Carrying out the type. God says o.
the backslider who has returned te
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 ant
his smell as Lebanon They tha
dwell under his shadow shall return
they shall revive as the corn. ant
grow as the vine The scent there
\ of shall be as the wine of Lebanon
We cannot dwell on all these beauti
4 full figures. but they speak of growth
aid strength, and extensive influence
(, They speak of the beauty and the
fragrance of the Chriatian life. ant
It's, beneficence to othefs in the high
est and trust sense, and all because
the favor of God is resting upon him
If you are backslider, no mattel
how long or how far YOU have wan
E dered from God, be- comforted toda.
to return to him In the faith of Chris
and start again IA the path Of hol,
pilgrimage,