Yet grievous as these wounds are, God will heal them, if we be truly penitent. There are two ways in which he will heal sin : its guilt he will heal, by the blood of his Son ; its poiver and pollution, by the influences of his Spirit.
He will heal its guilt, by the blood of his Son : there is no other balm than this : this alone can avail for the remission of sin : nothing but that which satisfied God will ever satisfy us : nothing but that blood which made an atonement for sin, can ever wash away its stain from our guilty consciences. That however will cleanse from all sin : God once opened on the cross a fountain for sin and uncleanness ; nor has it lost any of its cleansing efficacy : the deepest wound may be healed in a moment, if it be only sprinkled with this precious blood : nor will God ever fail to impart this balm to any soul that makes application for it : " though their sins may have been as scarlet, they shall be made white as wool ; and though they may have been red as crimson, they shall become white as snow."
But God will destroy the power, as well as cleanse the guilt of our backsliding : and this he will do by the influences of his Spirit. It would be to little purpose that he forgave the guilt, if he did not also subdue the power, of our corruptions : for, however frequently they might be forgiven, they would still rage with unabated fury ; the wounds healed for an instant would still be breaking out afresh; nor would our souls attain to any abiding purity or peace. God therefore will cast salt into the bitter fountain of our hearts: he will "put his Spirit within us, and cause us to walk in his statutes :" he will give us "grace sufficient for us:" he will strengthen us to resist temptation, and to fulfil our duties : and though we cannot expect to arrive at sinless perfection whilst we are in this world, yet shall we be so far healed, that " no sin whatever shall have allowed dominion over us."
This then is the first blessing which every penitent may expect ; the guilt and power of his sins, yea, even of his most grievous backsliding, shall be healed ; and, whereas there was " no soundness in him, but (as the prophet says) wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores," " his health shall spring forth speedily," " the lame man shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing."
But is this all that the penitent may expect? No; God has in store for him a higher and richer blessing : it is great indeed to have one's backslidings healed ; but it is greater still to enjoy the light of God's countenance, and to have his love shed abroad in one's heart : yet this also shall be vouchsafed to every repenting sinner : God says in my text, " I will heal their backsliding ; I will love them freely." God will feel a joy and a delight over the returning Prodigal ; " To this man," says he, " will I look, that is of an humble and contrite spirit:"