COME BACK! COME BACK!
All sin is departing from God. Holiness is living near to God. The first thing a sinner has got to do is to return. Repentance is returning to God. How is a sinner to return? God in His infinite mercy and condescension has given to us a form of prayer, an inspired litany of repentance—which may be used by every repentant sinner. There are five petitions in this inspired litany of repentance.
I. Take away all iniquity.—The first thing is deliverance from sin, not from punishment. Though all desire to escape punishment, all do not wish to be freed from sin. Take away all iniquity. Some are apt to pray, Take away all iniquity—except that trick of trade, that habit of mine, that friendship. Others, like Augustine, pray, Lord save me—but not yet. We cannot break away from sin of ourselves. God can help us to do it. He can take it away, and He will, if we come with this petition to Him in sincerity.
II. Receive us graciously.—Receive us into Thy favour. We are in disgrace. In disgrace with God, what wretchedness it brings! A mother who had great power in her eye, looked her disapproval of some wrong act. ‘Mother,’ said her child, ‘punish me, but don’t look at me like that.’ What kind of sinners said this prayer? (see Hosea 4). How can God receive us graciously? Hosea does not tell us, but St. Paul does. ‘He hath made Him to be sin for us Who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.’ For Christ’s sake He receives us graciously.
III. So will we render the calves of our lips.—Calves of our lips means sacrifices of our lips. ‘As long as we live we will praise Thy Name.’ The sinner does not merely wish to get off, but to live to this praise. If only sin is forgiven, he will praise God as long as he lives.
IV. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses, etc.—This, rendered in twentieth century language, means, We will renounce all trust in an arm of flesh. We must not trust to anything we can do ourselves. So many trust in what they can do, instead of Christ. Prayers, tears, religious ordinances, won’t save us.
‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy Cross I cling.’
V. For in Thee the fatherless findeth mercy.—This is a beautiful finish to the prayer. I’m your Father. Who so fatherless as he who has gone away from God! Though the prodigal son, I’m your Father. ‘When his father saw him he had compassion upon him, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.’ To all who use this litany of repentance, the promise is given, ‘I will heal their back-sliding. I will love them freely, for Mine anger is turned away from him.’