Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/28

 cried, " Turn ye, turn ye "; for why will ye wander from the source of life and blessedness, and die, O House of Israel? That repentance was the keynote in the preaching of all " the former prophets " will be seen at a glance if I quote here only a few of their chief utterances.

Taking the books as they are now arranged in the Old Testament Canon, without strict regard to chronology and beginning with Isaiah his chief message to the generation in which he lived, after denouncing their sins, may be summed up in the proclamation found in the 55th chapter:

" Seek ye Jehovah while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon"

Jeremiah was again and again sent with the gracious message:

" Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; and I will not cause My face to fall upon you in anger: for I am the gracious One, saith Jehovah, and I will not retain anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God" (Jer. Hi. 12, 13).

Ezekiel's touching appeal to the people in the Name of God, who solemnly bids the prophet proclaim that He has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, I have already quoted. It was repeated again and again in the course of his ministry. Hark, for instance, to his cry in the 18th chapter:

" Repent, and be turned from your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed, and iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions; and make you (or ‘get you’ ) a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye. die, O house of Israel? "

And these were but the continuance and repetition of the still earlier voice of Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Zephaniah, who cried:

" O Israel, return unto Jehovah thy God; for thou hast