The Recall
ROYAL COMMANDMENTS.
SEVENTH Day.
—_——~O0-—
The Recall.
*O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.'
| Flos. xiv. 1.
HANK God that He does not let ib. il, 6 His children go on comfortably when they wander and fall!
Have we not known (God grant we may never again know!) a wretched mental nausea, a sense of discomfort and restlessness, a misgiving that something is wrong, though we can't say what? no actual pain, no acute attack of anything, but a nameless uncomfortableness, most easily described by a negative, that we are of 'as in months Jot xxix 2 past.'
If this is the present state of any reader, do let me most earnestly and affectionately entreat you not to remain tb. xv. 11, 12. els
THE RECALL,
one day—no, not one hour—in this most dangerous state, the beginning of backsliding, and already a fall from your
' own stedfastness' and your ' first love.' | 2 Pet. iii. 17.
'Remember from whence thou art | Rev. ii 4 s. fallen;'? look unflinchingly at your position, and recognise frankly the difference between to-day, and the past days of closer walking and happy abiding.
Do not let yourself drift on, or you 'will revolt more and more' till | Isai 5.
'the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Every day's delay will make your case worse.
Do not shrink from asking Him to show you how and why it is that you have fallen, The 'beautiful crown' | Ezck.xvi-ra which He put 'upon thine head' in 'the time of love,' would not have | ib. xvi. 8.
'fallen from our head,' but 'that we | Lam. v. 16, have sinned.'
It is 'by ¢/éwe iniquity' | Hos. xiv. 1 that 'thou art fallen,'—iniquity personal and real, though very likely unguessed by any one, and hidden even from thine own eyes.
Perhaps the knowledge of this is already sent; ifso, listen!
'AndIsaid, | Jer. it x
ROVAL COMMANDMENTS.
after she had done all these things, Turn thouunto me.' Andagain, though you may have gone after other ' lovers,'
Jer. iii. x.
' yet return again to me, saith the Lorp.'
Oh forsake the thoughts as well as the way, and return unto the Lord, and He will abundantly pardon.
For when Isa. lv. 7.
' He showeth them their work and their transgressions, He also 'commandeth that they return from iniquity.'
Job xxxvi. g10.
And why?
Five infinitely gracious reasons are given.
'Return!... for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity ;' the very thing which seemed the barrier to return!
'Return! ... forI am meree Hos. xiv. x.
Jer. iii. 12. ciful, saith the Lorp.'
'Return!... for I have redeemed thee.'
'Return!
Isa. xliv. 22.
Ps. cxvi. 7.
. forthe Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.'
'Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and Hos. vi. x, He wi? heal us.'
All these gracious words for you! and the Lord Himself waiting that He may be gracious!
Will you keep Him waiting till a more 'convenient season'?
Isa. xxx. 18.
Acts xxiv.25.
To whom are you called to return?
Ah! think of 'hat—not to a state or —
THE RECALL.
position merely; not only 'to thy rest,' but to 'the Lord thy God ;' ¢Ay God, Ps. exvi. 7.
Hos. xiv. 1.
'our own God;' to Him who has betrothed you unto Him for ever; to Ps, Ixvii. 6.
Hos. ii. 19.
Him who chose you unto Himself to be His peculiar treasure; to Him who remembers better than you do from whence you have fallen.
Hear Him saying, 'I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals.' 'How shall I give thee up?'
What pathetic yearning this is over you, even you!
Will you not say, a
Ps, CXXXV. 4.
Jer. ii, 2.
Hos. xi. 8. ib. il. 7. will go and return to my first husband ; for then was it better with me than now.'
Is intention enough in this matter?
Listen again to the arousing words of your Lord, 'If thou z/# return, . saith the Lord, return unto Me;' in other words, 'Now, then, do it.'
Stay no more at being willing to return, but Jer. iv. 1
2 Sam. iti.18.
' Return ye NOW!'
It will be harder to-morrow—nay, harder an hour hence than now.
He who first caused you to approach, will cause you to return ; Jer. xviii. 11.
Ps. Ixv. 4.
Jer. xxx. 3, so you shall not be left unaided, for !
ROVAL COMMANDMENTS.
Hos. xiii. 9. | 'In Me is thine help' even for returnLam. v.21. | ing from self-destruction.
And then—oh, what wealth of proLuke xv. 22, | mises to the returning one! what robes job xxii, 23 | and rings and heavenly music!
'If ee thou return, .
. thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity .. .; then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto
God. « 4:2 He shall shear theespee Thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee : the light shall shine upon thy ways.'
For He hath Hos. xiv. 4. | said, 'I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.'
Return !
O fallen ; yet not lost !
Canst thou forget the life for thee laid down, The taunts, the scourging, and thethornycrown?
When o'er thee first my spotless robe I spread And poured the oil of joy upon thy head,
How did thy wakening heart within thee burn !
Canst thou remember all, and wilt thou not return?