September 17

12 ¶ Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD, for I am married unto you; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those

days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

God pities the backslider, just as the general on the field of battle pities the wounded who are carried bleeding by their comrades to the rear. He says: "Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord: and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever."

"I know of a father, who, after his son came back the fourth time, said, 'No! I forgave you three times, but I will never forgive you again.' And the son went off and died. But God takes back His children the thousandth time as cheerfully as the first. As easily as with my handkerchief I strike the dust off this book, God will wipe out all our sins. Oh, this mercy of God!"—T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.

"You cannot believe too much in God's mercy. You cannot expect too much at His hands. He is 'able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.' No sin is so great but that, coming straight from it, a repentant sinner may hope and believe that all God's love will be lavished upon him, and the richest of God's gifts granted to his desires."—Maclaren.

Closet Promise.—The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.—Lam. iii. 25.

I'll take my cross and bear it ever, For Jesus, day by day;

He'll give me grace to bear it bravely, He'll help me watch and pray

I'll take my cross and bear it ever, The cross for me He bore;

Soon glory-crowned I'll reign in heaven With him for ever more.

"No cross, no crown!" Then welcome ever The cross He bids me take;

I'll bravely bear, and murmur never, The cross for Jesus' sake!

—Mrs. C. M. S. Burr.