Backsliders prone to murmur. very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. 9 Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time. Jer. 8: 5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. Hos. 11:7 My people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the Most High, none at all would exalt him. Mat. 16: 6 Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. [See 19, 695.] 24. Backsliders prone to murmur, despond, and distrust providence. Gen. 42: 36 Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. 1 K. 19: 4 Elijah went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die: and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers Job. 3: 1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day. Pe. 73: 2 As for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps nad well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency 14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. Is. 49: 14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Jer. 20: 14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born. Lam. 3:2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness. but not into light. 3 Surely against me is he turned; he turn eth his hand against me all the day. 7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy 8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. Jonah 4: 1 It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet Backsliders iuscnsible-in darkness-threatened. in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? [See 9, 171, 272, 700.] 25. Backsliders insensible of their state. Hos. 7:8 Ephraim is a cake not turned. 9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. Rom. 2: 17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness. Rev. 3: 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. [See 704.] 26. Backsliders walk in darkness. Job 23: 8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. Is. 59: 2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Mat. 6: 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkIf therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! [See 707.] ness. 27. Backsliders threatened and visited with evils. Ex. 32: 9 The LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people: 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. Ezra 8: 22 The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. Backsliders called to repentance - hard to reclaim. Pr. 14: 14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. Jer. 2: 19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. Hos. 6: 4 0 Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. 5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. Zep. 1: 4 I will cut off the name of the Chemarims with the priests: 6 And them that are turned back from the LORD. Heb. 10: 38 The just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. [See 19.] 28. Bucksliders called to repentance. Jer. 3: 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: 22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Hos. 10: 12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in inercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. 14: 1 0 Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Rev. 2: 4 I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. -3: 1 I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 29. Backsliders hard to reclaim — need re-conversion. Lk. 22: 31 The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hatk Backsliders sometimes repent-Mosaic baptisms. desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Gal. 4: 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you, 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. [See 143, 166.] 30. Backsliders, when reclaimed, heartily repent and confess their sins. Job 40: 3 Job answered the LORD, and said, 4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. 5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. Ps. 102: 3 My days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. 4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. 7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house-top. [See 124, 356, 603.] 31. Mosaic wishings, &c. BAPTISM. Ex. 29: 4 Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. Lev. 8: 5 Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done. 6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. Num. 8: 5 The LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. Mk. 7: 2 When they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled (that is to say, with unwashen) hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the market, except they wash [Gr. Baptisontai,] they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing [Gr. baptismous] of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and tables. Lk. 11: 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed [Gr. ebaptisthe] before dinner. Figurative baptism. Heb. 9: 10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings [Gr. baptismois,] and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. 32. Figurative cleansing, baptisms and circumcision. Ps. 51: 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Is. 4: 4 When the LORD shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion. Mat. 3: 11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. -20: 22 Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? Lk. 12:50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Jn. 3: 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Ac. 1: 5 John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Rom. 2: 28 He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God, - 6: 3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. 1 Cor. 10: 1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 12: 13 By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. -- Gal. 3: 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Col. 2: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circum. cision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Euried with |