but they
have never really been born again. They need to be treated
differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the
incorruptible seed, but who have turned aside. We want to bring the
latter back the same road by which they left their first love.

Turn to Psalm lxxxv. 5. There you read: "Wilt Thou be angry with us
for ever? wilt Thou draw out Thine anger to all generations? wilt
Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee? Show
us Thy mercy, O Lord; and grant us Thy salvation." Now look again:
"_I will hear what God the Lord will speak:_ for He will speak peace
unto His people, and to His saints; but let them not turn again to
folly" (_verse_ 8).

There is nothing that will do back-sliders so much good as to come in
contact with the Word of God; and for them the Old Testament is as
full of help as the New. The book of Jeremiah has some wonderful
passages for wanderers. What we want to do is to get back-sliders to
hear what God the Lord will say.

Look for a moment at Jeremiah vi. 10. "To whom shall I speak, and
give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised,
and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a
reproach; they have no delight in it." That is the condition of
back-sliders. They have no delight whatever in the word of God. But we
want to bring them back, and let God get their ear. Read from the
14th verse: "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My
people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were
they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not
at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall
among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be
cast down, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways,
and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk
therein; and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We
will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken
to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken."

That was the condition of the Jews when they had backslidden. They
had turned away from the old paths. And that is the condition of
backsliders. They have got away from the good old book. Adam and Eve
fell by not hearkening to the word of God. They did not believe God's
word; but they believed the tempter. That is the way backsliders
fall--by turning away from the word of