Page:AceticLibraryV2PreparationForDeath.djvu/146

 and will not turn away His face from you, if ye return to Him." (2 Chron. xxx. 9.) God will never turn away His face from him who returns to His feet; no, because He Himself invites him, and promises to receive him directly he returns. " Yet return again to me, saith the Lord." (Jer. iii. I.) " Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of Hosts, and I will turn unto you." (Zech. i. 3.) Oh, the love and tenderness with which God embraces the sinner who returns to Him! Jesus Christ wished us to understand this, when He gave us the parable of the lost sheep, which when the shepherd had found he laid on his shoulders, saying, " Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost." (S. Luke xv. 6.) And afterwards Jesus adds, " There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." (Ibid. 10.) And much more did the Redeemer wish us to understand this, by the parable of the prodigal son, signifying that He is that Father, Who, seeing His lost son return, runs to meet him, and before he can speak embraces him, and kisses him, "And ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (S. Luke xv. 20.)

The Lord goes on to say, that if the shiner repents, his sins will be forgotten, as if they had never been committed. " But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, .... he shall surely live, he shall not die." (Ezek. xviii. 21.) Then He adds, " Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." (Isa. i. 18.) As if He had said, Come, sinners, "let us reason together;" if I do not pardon you, reprove Me, and treat Me as an unfaithful one. But no; for God will never cast a heart from Him that humbles itself and repents. " A broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise." (Ps. li. 17.)

The Lord glories in showing mercy and in pardoning sinners: " And therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you." (Isa. xxx. 18.) And how long dost thou wait to be pardoned? Not one moment: " Thou shalt weep no more; He will be very gracious unto thee." (Isa. xxx. 19.) Sinner, says the prophet, thou hast not long to weep; for at the first tear the Lord will be moved to pity thee: " He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when He shall hear