INTRODUCTION.
DUTY OF REPENTANCE.[1]
We have seen that religion is not confined to the intellect, but
brings into exercise the strongest feelings of the heart. Love to God, and
delight in his will and works, have been shown to be essential elements; and
these are affections which do not play on the surface, but move the soul from
its lowest depths. If, in our study of religious truth, we have proceeded thus
far without feeling, without strong feeling, our labor has been unprofitable,
and we would do well to begin anew. No time should be lost in securing the
main end for which God's truth should be studied; and if heretofore we have
treated it as we do the truths of other science, we should persevere in this
course no longer, lest the profane use of sacred things become habitual, and
provoke God to deny us his illuminating grace.
Love to God, and delight in his will and works, are holy and pleasurable
exercises of the mind; but religion in a sinful being is necessarily attended
with pain. To be at ease in sin, is a proof that the heart is dead, "dead in
trespasses and sins." Every one whom the spirit of God quickens, becomes
sensible of sin, and feels the pang of a broken heart on account of it. The
anguish of remorse may be alleviated by a sense of pardoning mercy; but the joy
of pardon cannot stop the flow of penitence. Like the woman to whom much had
been forgiven, the believer, while receiving his pardon with overflowing joy,
does not lose his sense of sin, but is ready to wash the feet of his Lord with
tears. These tears have their sweetness.
The necessity of repentance is abundantly taught in the sacred volume. The
language of Christ is explicit, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish."[2] We have no right to consider our
selves in the way to eternal life, if we are strangers to repentance. Nor will
it suffice to have been at some time alarmed about our sin. A false
repentance, which needs to be repented of, satisfies many a deluded soul.
Genuine repentance is a deep-felt and abiding sense of sin, a condemnation of
ourselves before God on account of it, a turning away from it with abhorrence
and loathing, and a fixed purpose of soul never again to commit it, or be at
peace with it. This sense of sin drives the soul to Christ, and unites with
the exercise of faith in Christ, to distinguish genuine religion from the
counterfeits with which the world abounds.
Reason teaches that it is the duty of men, as sinners, to repent of their
sins. When one man has given just occasion of offence to another, by the
common consent of mankind it is his duty to be sorry for his offence . If
we have no sorrow for having offended God, we treat him with less respect than
is due to a fellow-worm. Not to be sorry is to justify the offence , and
virtually to repeat it. God searches our hearts, and knows our inmost
thoughts; and, if we remain impenitent after having sinned against him, it is
as if we told him to his face that we did right to treat his authority with
contempt. Our impenitence insults the majesty of heaven, and defies his
wrath.
But the duty of repentance is not left to be inferred from the common sense of
mankind. It is true, that no command to repent is found in the decalogue.
That summary of duty was given to men as men, and not as sinners. It was not
designed to restore man to the favor of God, and, therefore, did not treat with
them as sinners. But when the gospel began to be preached, its first
proclamation was, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."[3] In all the ministry of the gospel, this is the
first duty required of men. Without it, not a step can be taken in the way of
return to God; and, without it, there is no possibility of obtaining the divine
favor. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." It is, therefore, of
the very highest importance to understand what repentance is, and to have such
views of truth as will tend to produce it in our hearts.
When we approach a fellow-man whom we have offended, to offer to him our
confessions, and seek his pardon, it is expected that we shall be sensible of
having done wrong, shall regret the deed, blame ourselves for it, acknowledge
his right to be displeased, and resolve, perhaps promise, to do so no more.
All this must exist in repentance toward God, if we do not mean to repeat our
insults to the Searcher of hearts. We may deceive a man like ourselves with
professions of penitence that are insincere, and designed merely to propitiate
him, but God cannot be deceived, and to attempt it is to mock him.
In order to sincere repentance toward God, it is indispensable that we should
understand that we have sinned against him. Men do not usually compare their
actions with his righteous law, but with the actions of other men. We walk
according to the course of this world, and are satisfied if we conform to such
rules of conduct as are esteemed reputable among men. Multitudes pass through
life without any proper conviction of sin, and die impenitent, who have never
examined and tried their conduct by a higher rule. To undeceive such persons,
and to strip them of such false and delusive pleas, it is necessary to convince
them that he course of this world is downward and wicked, and that their
conformity to it should alarm rather than satisfy them. The doctrine of
universal total depravity, is therefore conductive to true repentance.
We do not truly repent of an offence to a fellow-man and sincerely ask
pardon, unless we believe that he has just cause to be offended. If his
displeasure has arisen from mere mistake, we expect to appease him by giving
such information as will correct his mistake. If he has become displeased
through mere captiousness, we may justify ourselves before him, and convict him
of the wrong. In order to the exercise of genuine repentance towards God, we
must know that he has a right to be displeased with us, that he has made no
mistake in the matter, and that every attempt of ours to convict him of wrong
in the case, will be abortive. To impress all this deeply on our minds, it is
only necessary we should be fully convinced that we are under just condemnation
from God, and that all our pleas in self-justification are without
foundation.
Good men have been accustomed to draw motives to penitence from the doctrines
that have been mentioned. David humbled himself before God, with a confession
of his natural depravity. "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me."[4] He viewed his sin with
the greater abhorrence, as he saw and confessed the justice of the condemnation
which it received from his Judge. "That thou mightest be justified when thou
speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."[5]
True penitence is rendered more deep and pungent by a view of the wretchedness
and helplessness which sin has brought upon us. So Paul exclaimed, "O wretched
man that I am; who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"[6]
[1] Matt. iii. 2. Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
Acts xvii. 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth
all men everywhere to repent.
[2] Luke xiii. 3.
[3] Matt. iii. 2.
[4] Ps. li. 5
[5] Ps. li. 4.
[6] Rom. vii. 24.
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