Never Be Afraid to Return to God

It is vain for some to think, 'Oh, we must not look to our own salvation so much; this is self-love.' That is true if we sever the consideration of the glory of God's mercy and goodness from it. We hinder God's glory if we do not believe his mercy in Christ to us. We wrong both ourselves and him. Let us yield to him the glory of his mercy, and let us think that when we sin, we cannot glorify him more than to take recourse to his mercy. When Satan tempts us to run from God, as he will do at many times, then keep this in mind: God has set himself to be glorious in mercy above all other attributes. God will account himself honoured if we return to him. Let this thought be as a city of refuge. When the avenger of blood follows you, flee immediately to this sanctuary. Think: 'Let me not deny myself comfort and God glory both at once.' Though sins, after conversion, stain our profession more than sins before conversion, go still to the glorious mercy of God. To seventy times seventy, there is yet mercy. 'We beseech you be reconciled' (2 Cor. 5:20), said Paul to the Corinthians, when they were in the state of grace and already had their pardon. Let us never be discouraged from going to Christ.
But I have offended often and grievously. With men, offences often cause permanent alienation, but with God this is not so. As often as we have spirit to go to God for mercy and spread our sins before him with broken and humble hearts, we may receive pardon. How does God show himself and his glory to Moses? 'The Lord, the Lord, gracious, merciful, long-suffering' (Exod. 34:6). He will be known by those names.
If you find your conscience wounded with any sin, do not hold back from God any longer. Come and yield, lay down your weapons; there is mercy ready. It is a victorious, triumphing mercy over all sin and unworthiness. Look upon God in the face of Jesus Christ. In the face of Christ God is lovely.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Glorious Freedom, pp. 81-83 [88-90]
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