But did you ever hear of a backslider bidding the Lord Jesus Christ “Goodbye”; going into his closet and saying “Lord Jesus, I have known Thee ten, twenty, or thirty years: but I am tired of Thy service; Thy yoke is not easy, nor Thy burden light; so I am going back to the world, to the fleshpots of Egypt. Goodbye, Lord Jesus! Farewell”? Did you ever hear that? No; you never did, and you never will. I tell you, if you get into the closet and shut out the world and hold communion with the Master you cannot leave Him. The language of your heart will be, “To whom shall we go,” but unto Thee? “Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). You could not go back to the world if you treated Him in that way. But you left Him and ran away. You have forgotten Him days without number. Come back today; just as you are! Make up your mind that you will not rest until God has restored unto you the joy of His salvation.
A gentleman in Cornwall once met a Christian in the street whom he knew to be a backslider. He went up to him, and said:
“Tell me, is there not some estrangement between you and the Lord Jesus?”
The man hung his head, and said, “Yes.”
“Well,” said the gentleman, “what has He done to you?”
The answer to which was a flood of tears.
In Revelation 2:4–5, we read: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left the first love. 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.” I want to guard you against a mistake which some