Hosea 14:2. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him,-
He puts the words into our mouths; for he knows that, sometimes, we feel as if we cannot give proper expression to our repentance. We feel it, but we cannot utter it; so he puts the very form of the confession into his children’s mouths: "Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him,"-
Hosea 14:2. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Sin has had the mastery over you; therefore, ask to have it taken away by pardon, and by the cleansing which shall deliver you from the influence and power of it! Do not ask the Lord merely to take away some of your sin, but say to him, "Take away all iniquity. Especially, if I have indulged some darling sin that has been my ruin, take that away." "Take away all iniquity, and receive us." "Thou canst not receive us with our sins ‘upon us. Wilt thou press us to thy bosom while we are black and foul with iniquity? No, that cannot be; so, first take away all our sin, and then receive us. Receive us again into favour with thee, into a conscious sense of thy love. Receive us when we come to thee in prayer. Receive us when we come to the communion table. Receive us as thou didst at the first, as thy sons and daughters." "Receive us graciously." "We cannot hope to be received on any other footing but that of thy free and abounding grace; for even if thou dost forgive and cleanse us, we shall be sinners still, and shall still need thy grace and mercy." "Receive us graciously; so will we render." "When thou hast put away our sin, and received us, then we will begin to serve thee; and we will bring to thee, not the calves of the legal sacrifice; for a sense of thy love will make us feel that thou delightest not in burnt offering; but we will render unto thee the calves of our lips,-our testimony to thy faithfulness,-our declaration of thy truth,-our prayer,-our praise."
Hosea 14:2. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him,-
He puts the words into our mouths; for he knows that, sometimes, we feel as if we cannot give proper expression to our repentance. We feel it, but we cannot utter it; so he puts the very form of the confession into his children’s mouths: "Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him,"-
Hosea 14:2. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Sin has had the mastery over you; therefore, ask to have it taken away by pardon, and by the cleansing which shall deliver you from the influence and power of it! Do not ask the Lord merely to take away some of your sin, but say to him, "Take away all iniquity. Especially, if I have indulged some darling sin that has been my ruin, take that away." "Take away all iniquity, and receive us." "Thou canst not receive us with our sins ‘upon us. Wilt thou press us to thy bosom while we are black and foul with iniquity? No, that cannot be; so, first take away all our sin, and then receive us. Receive us again into favour with thee, into a conscious sense of thy love. Receive us when we come to thee in prayer. Receive us when we come to the communion table. Receive us as thou didst at the first, as thy sons and daughters." "Receive us graciously." "We cannot hope to be received on any other footing but that of thy free and abounding grace; for even if thou dost forgive and cleanse us, we shall be sinners still, and shall still need thy grace and mercy." "Receive us graciously; so will we render." "When thou hast put away our sin, and received us, then we will begin to serve thee; and we will bring to thee, not the calves of the legal sacrifice; for a sense of thy love will make us feel that thou delightest not in burnt offering; but we will render unto thee the calves of our lips,-our testimony to thy faithfulness,-our declaration of thy truth,-our prayer,-our praise."