The Nature and Reasonableness of Evangelical Repentance

Jlnd the times of this ignorance God winked at; hut now commandeth all men every where to repent. — Acts xvii: 30.

The text is a part of Paul’s discourse before the Athenian philosophers. The times of ignorance to which he alludes, were the times of heathen idolatry. The phrase winked at,” does not mean that God, of course, overlooks the sin of ignorance. It is not the meaning of this, or of any other text in the Bible. The servant who knew his Lord’s will and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes; and the servant who knew not his Lord’s will, and who committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. They that sin without law, are not saved, but perish without law. It was not their sin, but their ignorance, or the times of this ignorance that God overlooked. Because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, he gave them up — lie made no further efforts by raising up prophets to warn them. No commission had been given to preach the gospel to all nations. Even our Saviour when he first commissioned the twelve apostles, said “go not in the way of the gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans, enter ye not. But go rather Lo the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But now a new commission had been given. The antithetic form of expression shows this. The times of this ignorance God winked at, but the times have altered. God now commandeth all men every where to repent.

“No more the sovereign eye of God

O’eiiooks the crimes of men,
His heralds are despatched abroad,

To warn the world of sin.”

Paul now appears at Athens, acting under this high commission. The text is the application of his discourse.

The great object of gospel preaching is to bring sinners to repentance. The subject though common is very important; for without repentance, there is no pardon nor salvation. So long, therefore, as there is one sinner out of Christ, so long it will be necessaiy for ministers to preach repentance.

I propose to consider,
I. The nature.

11. The reasonableness of evangelical repentance.

I. The nature.

Repentance implies that we are sinners. The gospel without ceremony addresses all men as sinners. The command to all now to repent, is proof positive that all are sinners. This is generally admitted. But something more is necessary. Repentance implies conviction of sin. Without conviction no sinner ever did, or ever will repent. But conviction itself is not repentance; nor is it necessarily connected with it. Conviction may rise to the highest degree — the sinner may see and feel that he is lost — he may be for a long time in this state, and still his heart be as proud and stubborn as ever. This hundreds and thousands have felt. It was so with Peter’s hearers on the day of Pentecost. Although pricked in the heart, Peter did not say, ‘poor mourning souls” — taking it for granted that they were penitent. But he presumed the contrary; and urged upon them the duty of immediate repentance.

Repentance implies confession of sin. “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid.” The sinner who has long refused to retire to confess his sins to God, will now be constrained by the powder of conscience to cry for mercy. And those who do not confess their sins, may know that they have never repented. ‘’ He that covereth his sins, shall not prosper.” But the sinner may be constrained by the power of con’science to confess his sins — he may do it often, by day and by night — he may cry long and loud for mercy, and after all, never repent. His heart may be as proud and stubborn as ever. This hundreds and thousands have felt. They have lost their concern and have shown that their hearts were never broken for sin. All that I have stated the sinner may experience, and yet never repent. What then is repentance?

It implies not only conviction and confession, but forsaking of sin. ‘^ Whoso confesseth andybrsaA-e/^ his sins, shall have mercy.” Unless the sinner breaks off his sins by righteousness, however much he may confess them — however much he maybe distressed on account of them, he is not sincere, and God will not accept him.

Repentance implies loathing of sin. “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, hut now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.” “And then ye shall remember your ways, and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled, and ye shall loathe yourselves, in your own sight, for all your evils, that ye have committed.”

Repentance implies sorrow” for sin, because it is committed against God. “Against thee, thee only have I sinned.” “Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee.” And against Christ. “And they shall look on me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only child; and shall be in bitterness, as one is in bitterness for his first born.” Repentance is godly sorrow — or sorrow arising from love to God. The penitent feels a sweet pleasure mingled with his sorrow.

“Let humble, penitential wo,
With painful, pleasing anguish flow,
And thy forgiving smiles impart
Life, hope and joy to every heart.”

II. The reasonableness of evangelical repentance.

Are there any present who have not repented — what I have here to say, will be addressed to you.

That repentance is your most reasonable duty, is evident from the fact that the law which you have broken is most reasonable. Also

From the fact, that sin is odious in itself. How reasonable that you should feel sorrow for that which is so odious in the sight of all holy beings. If you were required to feel sorrow for some good conduct, it might seem hard; but it is only because you have done wrong, that 3’ou are required to repent. Your sins have been committed against God, whose character is infinitely lovely, and is it not reasonable that you should repent.

Your sins have been committed against Christ who died for sinners — and is it hard that you should be required to feel sorrow for sins which have contributed to nail the Saviour to the cross? What a heart must that be which does not melt in view of a Saviour’s dying love?

It is no more than you require of others — parents of children — you of your neighbors. When they injure you, you feel that they ought to repent. And how is this? Are you of more consequence than your Maker?

Christ and his apostles preached that men should repent; and God now commandeth all men every where to repent. Remember this is not my command, but God’s; and whether we urge it or not, it will be binding upon you.

Whose duty is it to repent? The text answers. All 7nen every where — the high and the low — the rich and the poor — the learned and the ignorant. The king must come down from his throne, and sit in sackcloth — the anxious sinner, however distressed — the thoughtless sinner, however hard and stubborn may be his heart, all are commanded to repent.

When is it their duty to repent? Doubtless it is their duty to repent, when God connnands them to do it. And what says the text?. God noio commandeth all men every where to repent. If it is not the duty of the sinner to repent now, it never has been his duty, and it never will be. If we cannot urge immediate repentance, we cannot urge it at all. If the sinner finds it hard to repent to-day, it will be harder to-morrow. The longer he delays, the greater will be the number of his sins, and the harder will be his heart. And my hearers, if you cannot repent now, you never can. Do not misunderstand me. I do not say you never will. But you have no good reason to think you ever shall.

Paul preached the duty of immediate repentance; and has thus set an example for all other preachers of the gospel. Surrounded by rows of Athenian philosophers, with wonderful adroitness he says, *’ As I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown God.^ “Having selected his text, he begins, ^’Whom, therefore, ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” ‘^ God who made the world, and all things therein” — It was as though he had shot ten thousand suns into chaos.

With awful solemnity, he pressed home the subject, “God now commandeth all men every where to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” Just as surely as Christ was raised from the dead, so surely, ‘^ all who are in their graves shall hear his voice and come forth; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation.”

Mark the effect of Paul’s discourse. It divided his audience into three parts.

Some mocked.

Others said, we will hear thee again of this matter.

But some clave unto him.

Here were the scoffers — the doubters — and the believers. A number believed, among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris. To the honor of divine grace their names are recorded.

0, what a preacher was Paul!

“There stands the messenger of truth — there stands

The legate of the skies — his theme divine.

His oflice sacred, his credentials clear.

By him the violated law speaks out

Its thunders; and by him, in strains as sweet

As angels use, the gospel whispers peace.”

By all the solemnity of the judgment day, I entreat you, my hearers, immediately to repent.

“Together in his presence bow.

And all your guilt confess;
Accept the ofl’ered Saviour now.

Nor trifle with his grace.

Bow, ere the awful trumpet sound,

And call you to his bar.
For mercy knows the appointed bound,

And turns to judgment there.”