| femedy, t h at is the Blood of Christ. But H e says, " T a ke with you words'' and "I Will heal you" for the asking. Severe as Ivas My freproof; though I have torn, I will peal; thdugh I have smitten, I will bind you up (6:1); neither the Assyrian, nor l a r eb could heal, or cure your wound (5:13). | can and will. ' • C o m e, Ve disconsolate, where'er ye lan- guish, • Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel; H e re bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish, • E a r th has no sorrow t h at Heaven cannot heal." | (2) "I will love them freely." For He fcved us before we loved H im (1 John 4:9). jgMamma, I love 'oo because 'oo loved me ffirst." "If God so loved the world t h at He • a v e anything I shall not be afraid of Him f ny more." J u st as light cannot help shin- ; 3ng love cannot help loving, a n d' God is ijfcve (1 John 4:8, 16). (3) "Mine anger is [ll'jrned away from him." " T he kindness Jind love God our Saviour toward man has Appeared" (Tit. 3:4), but men will not be- Weve it. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their iniqui- ] «ies unto them";Sfthink of the loving kind - ['«ess involved in t h at fact! "As though God llilid beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's steid, be ye reconciled to God" (2 f o r . 5:19, 20). God loves you; His anger is turned away; look up, behold, He is look- i ng down Upon you with tender love, wa i t- i n g to bless you. Smile back at Him. " T a ke with you words." Tell Him you are sorry, Itnd that your trust hereafter shall- be in »Tim. I All doubt as to the verity of the Scrip- t u re is dispelled by practical tests of its s t a t e m e n t s. The Bible will be found to fit "n-nto every human experience. In our les- « o ri todiy, Israel is viewed a s. a backslidden •prodigal and the Lord is seen as a gracious « " a t h e r , longing for the home-coining of His • w a y w a rd son.' The Old and New Testa- jBrnents have remarkable companion pictures. •Bod is the same in every dispensation. The Ifievil has painted a fearful picture of God. fee portrays H i m as a hard, harsh and cruel • f a s t e r , ready with a whip to inflict awful •punishment upon the sinner. This is a • e v i l i sh lie. The very opposite is the truth. K\~e marvel t h at God should ever have loved l u c h vile sinners as we are, Rom. 5:8. How • o u l d He set His affection upon us and love lisr Jno. 3:16. There was never anv good In us, Rom. 3:12. Never anything to com-
IV. T HE PROMISE OF PROSPERITY. (1) "As the dew." The Lord will refresh and restore by His Word' which "drops as the rain, and distils as the dew" (Deut. 32:2), and by His Spirit (Act' 2:17). (2) "Grow as the Illy"; the Hebrew name in- dicates its dazzling whiteness and- purity; yet out of wh at muck it may have sprung! (3) "Root as Lebanon." The roots of Leb- anon grasp the immovable -rocks, while the tops stand defiant to . every wind t h at blows (Eph. 3:17-19; 4:14). (4) "Beauty as the olive," which is an evergreen; and (5) "Smell as Lebanon" famed for its pure and pungent scent, "a sweet-smelling savor" (Eph. 5:2)./ (6) "Under his shadow." I s- rael shall, be a , blessing (Isa. 2;l-4; Rev. 21:24), and this is true of all believers. (7) "Revive as corn." Either grow and flourish as the buried seed; or as fed by .bread; or as reviving others, or with bread. (8) "As the vine" (John 15:1-8). - (9) " F r om Me is thy f r u it found." We are barren till we re- turn' to 'God. Even then without. Him we can do nothing, but by abiding in H im we can bear much fruit. "All my springs are in Thee" (Psa. 87:7). V. WHO A P P R E H E ND ALL, THIS. . (.1) " T he wise . . . prudent". (Psa. I l l : 10; 1 Cor. 2:12; Jas. 1:5).. (2): " T he ways of the Lord are right,"' and they only are right who walk in thosie' ways. . ()3 " B ut . . . . stumble," "They stumble' at God Himself, at His All-Holy Being, Three and One, they stumble at His attributes, they, stumble a t His providence, they stumble at His acts; they stumble at His interference with them; they stumble at His require- ments,". mend us to a Holy God, yet He has taken us .to Himself, placed us in His family, Col. J 1:13; gfve unto us His own name, Jno. 1:12, honored us with His fellowship, 1 Jno.. 1:8, and enriched us with the promise of heirship, Rom. 8:17. Oh, the marvel of it! Instead of being grateful and loyal, we t r a m- ple His requests under our feet, leave His presence, go back into the wicked world and dishonor. His name. We drag our g a r- ments, in the mire and filth of the world, bringing reproach upon His name. Of e.n believers... con sort with Satan and practically renounce vallegiance to Him. In practically renounce allegiance to Him. He stretches out : His great a r ms of love and e l l s them back to His bosom of love. Oh, wh at an evil and bitter thing it is to for- sake Him, Jer. 2:19. Wh at a blessed thing to get back into fellowship with Him, 1 Jno. 1:9. May we be kept from backsliding, fey v ; e live to magnify the grace of t h at God who is rich in mercy, Eph. 2:4, and may we live to the praise of the glory of His grace whereunto He lias ma de us ac- cepted in the beloved, Eph. 1:6.
Pith and Pivot.f-T.C.H.
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