March 13

“Then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled lit in unto him into the ark.” — Genesis viii. 9.

HEARTED out with her wanderings, the dove returns at length to the ark as her only resting-place. How heavily she flies — she will drop — she will never reach the ark! But she struggles on. Noah has been looking out for his dove all day long, and is ready to receive her. She has just strength to reach the edge of the ark; she can hardly alight upon it, and is ready to drop, when Noah puts forth his hand and pulls her in unto him. Mark that: “pulled her in unto hi7n.” She did not fly right in herself, but was too fearful, or too weary, to do so. She flew as far ar she could, and then he put forth his hand and pulled her ir unto him. This act of mercy was shown to the wandering doT c, and she was not chidden for her wanderings. Just as she wti she was pulled into the ark. So you, seeking sinner, with oil your sin, will be received. “Only return” — these are two gracious words — “only return.” What! nothing else? No, “only return.” She had no olive branch in her mouth this time, nothing at all but just herself and her wanderings; but it is “only return,” and she does return, and Noah pulls her in. Fly, thou wanderer; fly, thou fainting one, dove as thou art, though thouthinkest thyself to be black as the raven with the mire of sin, back, back to the Saviour. Every moment thou waitest does but increase thy misery; thine attempts to plume thyself and make thyself fit for Jesus are all vanity. Come thou to Him just as thou art. “Return, thou backsliding Israel.” He does not say, “Return, thou repenting Israel” (there is such an invitation, doubtless), but “thou backsliding one,” as a backslider with all thy backslidings about thee. Return, return, return! Jesus is waiting for thee! He will stretch forth His hand and “pull thee in” — in to Himself, thy heart’s true home.