HOSEA XIY. 4. J THE KETURNING BACKSLIDER. 299
angels and creatures for his servants, Heb. i. 14, for wliose sake ' all things must needs work together for good ? ' Rom. viii. 28.
TBE FIFTH SERMON.
I will heal their hackslidiyxg , I will love them freely : for mine anger is turned away from them. — Hos. XIV. 4.
The snperabounding mercies and marvellous lovingkindnesses of a gracious and lo^ing God to wretched and miserable sinners, as we have heard, is the substance and sum of this short, sweet chapter, wherein their ignorance is taught, their bashfulness is encouraged, their deadness is qilickened, their untowardness is pardoned, their wounds are cured, all their objections and petitions answered; so as a large and open passage is made unto them, and aU other miserable penitent sinners, for access unto the throne of grace. If they want words, they are taught what to say ; if discouraged for sins past, they are encouraged that sin may be taken away ; yea, all iniquity may be taken away. ' Take away all iniquity.' If their unworthiness hinder them, they are taught for this, that God is gracious. ' Receive us graciously.' If their by-past unthankfulness be any bar of hindrance unto them, they are taught to promise thankfulness. ' So will we render the calves of our lips.' And that their repentance may appear to be sound and unfeigned, they are brought in, making profession of their detestation of their bosom sins, of false confidence and idolatry. * Asshur shall not save us ; we will not ride upon horses ; neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods.' And not only do they reject their false confidence, to cease from evil, but they do good, and pitch their affiance where it should be. For ' in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
None must therefore be discouraged, or run away from God, for what they have been, for there may be a returning. God may have a time for them, who, in his wise dispensation, doth bring his children to distress, that their delivery may be so much the more admired by themselves and others, to his glory and their good. He knows us better than we ourselves. How prone we are to lean upon the creature. Therefore he is fain to take from us all our props and supports, whereupon we are forced to rely upon him. K we could do this of oiu'selves, it were an excellent work, and an undoubted evidence of the child of God, that hath a weaned soul in the midst of outward supports, to enjoy them, as if he possessed them not ; not to be pufied up with present greatness, not to swell with riches, nor be high-minded; to consider of things to be as they are, weak things, subordinate to God, which can help no further than as he blesseth them. But to come to the words now read.
* I will heal their backshding, and love them freely,' &c.
After that the church had shewed her repentance and truth of returning to God : now in these words, and the other verses, unto the end of the chapter (saving the last verse, which is a kind of acclamation issuing from all the rest of the foregoing verses, ' Who is wise, and he shall understand these things ? ' &c.), is set down an answer unto that prayer, repentance, and reformation which the church made ; all the branches of which their former suit the Lord doth punctually* answer. For they had formerly' * That is, ' point by point.' — Ed.
800 THE EETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON V.
■prayed, 'Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; do good unto us.' Unto which he answers here, * I will heal their backsliding,' &c.
Which is thus much : I will pardon their iniquities, I will accept graciously of them, I will love them freely, and so of the rest, as will appear afterwards ; and, in sum, God answers all those desires which formerly he had stirred up in his people. Whence, ere we come to the particulars, observe in general,
Obs. Where God doth give a spirit of jyrayer, he will ansicer.
It needs no proof, the point is so clear and experimental. All the saints can say thus much from their experience of God's gracious dealing with them ; and the Scriptures are full of such instances and promises, which we all know. To name a place or two for all the rest, ' Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me,' Ps. 1. 15. So in another place, ' And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer ; and whilst they speak, I will hear,' Isa. Ixv. 24. It hath been made good to persons, as Daniel, Elijah, Solomon, Jacob, and others ; and it hath been, and is, made good unto all ages of the church, from time to time, and shall be unto the end of the world. And therefore the pro- phet sets down this as a conclusion undeniable from the premises, ' 0 thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come,' Ps. Ixv. 2. Whence he draws this excellent consolation, * Iniquities prevail against me ; as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.'