Page:The rock of wisdom.djvu/110

 and I believe, according to scripture, that he was the first apostle, and the man whom the Lord loved. Therefore, I do say that there is a great chance for a backslider, if he will do as Peter did, and repent, I believe that God will give him a double talent. One would say why, the reason I say is this, the man has been following Christ for some time and through weakness and fear he forsakes God, and becomes a backslider? I will assign my reason that if the man returns and continues in the faith until death he will receive double, by his being in the way at once, he now knows the danger of falling, for it is said that he that standeth take heed lest he fall from his steadfastness. Hear what the Lord said "Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people sayth your God, speak ye comfortable to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquities are pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Ish. 40. And it is said again, "in a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness, I will have mercy upon thee sayeth the Lord thy redeemer." By this you may see that God has ever been merciful unto the backslider, for according unto the scripture, if our first parents had not sinned, there would have been no need of the gospel, but for their sins was the cause of their being banished out from Paradise. Then there was no other way after they had broken the commandment, only to comply with the requisition of the gospel, and that is by repentance, for he said, I am married to the backslider. Jer, 3: 14. This will show us that man ought not to have but one wife, for it is said what God has joined together, let no man put asunder; that is, I mean of a professor of religion, and a woman, and they depart from each other or any other person is the cause of their separation, there is a great crime committed without there is a reconciliation on both sides, sin lieth at the door, and in a backsliding state. This is one reason why the prophet said "Return, O ye backsliding Israel, and I will love you freely;" that he might give you sufficient grace. I never knew in my life, for a man and woman, being wife and husband, living the life of the gospel, that ever had any call, or even a moving of the mind, to depart, in a temporal sense, much more in a spiritual one, and you may