RESTORING MERCY IMPROVED. 629 ther, the compassion of our Saviour, and the kind in- fluences of the Spirit, who heals all our sins. II. We may hère see how various and unconfined is our heavenly Father in his dealings with his -backsliding children. Now he chastises gently; if this be not suffi- cient, he grows wrath and hides his face, and withdraws his Spirit from them, and uses keener darts ; but if all these are too little, then almighty grace takes the stub- born soul. into his hands, and Overlooking all the guilt of the unworthy prodigal, resolves that he shall be reco- vered by sovereign love. O the depth of the wisdomand contrivance of God for our good ! How unsearchable are his ways, and his mercies, as well as his judgments, past finding oat. III. How well is it for sinners, that nave resisted many methods of grace, that there is such a word as this in the book of God. Such lines, as we said before, are not to be found in every page of scripture ; that when Odd has tried so many methods of recovery on a sinner, and he has rejected them all, that then he should use his almighty grace. " I have seen his ways, and I will heal him." This he does, lest they should sink into despair, and run away from. him into final apostacy. For when a child of God has rebelled against his Father, and bas gotten his conscience a little hardened by a continuance in sin, God has repeated his strokes upon him, and he found his heart no softer. Then blessed be God for such a word as this is ; there is mercy and love that, can recover, when chastising providence would have not had' this blessed effect. IV. How very dishonourable to such grace is the sin of Unbelief. Flast thou, O sinner, had the disease of thy spirit arise so high as to make thee despond when there is so mighty, so all- sufficient a healing medicine. Al though thou hast found a varietyof methods unsuccessful, yet when God sees that one thing will not do he uses.ano- ther; he takes the soul into his own hands, and touches it and heals it. Let us say with the leper, " Lord, if "thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, thou canst heal " me." And where there has been such faith, the soul has, as it were, heard the Lord say, " I will ; be thou " clean." Besides,' let those that have backslidden from 2 s 3
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