The Glory of Christ
456
457
John Owen
Lord thy God;” yet she had fallen by her iniquity. Times of public apostasy are often accompanied with partial defects in the best: “Because iniquity aboundeth, the love of many shall wax cold,” Matt. xxiv. 12. (3.) When God designs to heal the backsliding of his people by sovereign grace, he gives them effectual calls unto repentance, and the use of means for their healing: so he does here by his prophet, “O Israel, return; take with you words.” And if I could see that God did stir up his faithful ministers to apply themselves in a peculiar manner unto this work of pressing vehemently all their congregations with their duty herein, and let them know that there is no other way to prevent their ruin but by returning unto the Lord, according to the ways of it here prescribed, I should not doubt but that the time of healing were at hand. 4. The means prescribed unto this end, that our backslidings may be healed in a way suited unto the glory of God, is renewed repentance: and this acts itself, — (1.) In fervent prayer. “Take with you words, and say.” Consider the greatness and importance of the work before you, and weigh well what you do in your dealing with God. The matter of this prayer is twofold. [1.] The pardon of all iniquity; that is, the taking of it away; and no sin is omitted, all being now become equally burdensome: “Take away all iniquity.” When the souls of sinners are in good earnest in their return unto God, they will leave out the consideration of no one sin whatever. Nor are we meet for healing, nor shall we apply ourselves unto it in a due manner, without some previous sense of the love of God in the pardon of our sin. [2.] Gracious acceptation: “Receive us graciously.” The words in the original are only וְקַח טוֹב. “And receive good;” but both the words being used variously, the sense eminently included in them is well expressed by — “Receive us graciously.” After we have cast ourselves under tokens of thy displeasure, now let us know that we are freely accepted with thee. And this also lies in the desires of them who design to obtain a healing of their backslidings; for under them they are sensible that they are obnoxious unto God’s displeasure. (2.) Affectionate confessions of the sin wherein their backslidings did consist, or which were the occasions of them. “Asshur shall not save us;” — “We will say no more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods.” Fleshly confidence and false worship were the two great sins that had now ruined the body of the people. These believers themselves had an accession unto them more or less, as now they have unto the prevailing sins of the days wherein we live, by conformity unto the world. Of these sins God expecteth a full and free confession, in order unto our healing. (3.) A renewed covenant engagement to renounce all other hopes and expectation, and to betake themselves with their whole trust and confidence unto him; whereof they express, first, the cause, which was his mere grace and mercy, “For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy;” and, secondly, the effect of it, which is praise and thanksgiving, “So will we render the calves of our lips.” And some things we may hence farther observe as unto the case under consideration. As, — [1.] Although God will repair our spiritual decays and heal our backslidings freely, yet he will do it so, or in such a way, as wherein he may communicate grace unto us, to the praise of his own glory. Therefore are these duties prescribed unto us in order thereunto; for although they are not the procuring cause of the love and grace from whence alone we are healed, yet are they required, in the method of the dispensation of grace, to precede the effect of them. Nor have we anywhere a more illustrious instance and testimony of the consistency and harmony which is between sovereign grace and the diligent discharge of our duty than we have in this place; for as God promiseth that
134