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CHAPTER XII.

REPENTANCE AND INTERCESSION.

6 HIM HATH GOD EXALTED WITH HIS RIGHT HAND, TO BE A PRINCE AND A SAVIOUR, FOR TO GIVE REPENTANCE TO ISRAEL AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS.'-ACTS, V. 31.

6 MY LITTLE CHILDREN, THESE THINGS WRITE I UNTO YOU THAT YE SIN NOT; AND IF ANY MAN SIN, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS; AND HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS.'-1 JOHN, II. 1, 2.

'JESUS began to Preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.' (Matt. iv. 17.) The first thing in receiving a Divine Command is to come truly to the knowledge of what the Command is. By many a Divine Command is only understood to be what the World holds it to be. It is taken second-hand with the World's interpretation, or with the World's disregard; not fresh with the warm impulse of Life and Power from the Heart of Him who gives it. The Divine Precepts and Commands are regarded as utterances of the Past, that are to be accommodated to the Present as far as circumstances and change of opinions admit; but such acceptance can never prove the blessed reality of that declaration of the Lord, The words that I

speak unto you they are Spirit, and they are Life (John, vi. 63.) God the Holy Spirit by whose inspiration the Divine Word was given, speaks that Word to-day, 'As it is said, To-day if ye will hear His voice!' (Heb. iv. 7.) Those who take the written Word from the written Page alone, not fresh as a living utterance breathing from God upon the soul, can never know its Power.

'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.' These are not words sounded with the trumpet blast from Mount Sinai, while the mountain quaked, and the awe-struck people were afraid to draw near. They are the first teaching of Him of whom St. John says, The Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. (John, i. 17.) These words then must be full of Grace and Truth. Even as when He said, 'Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.' (Matt. xi. 28.) 'Repent!' What is it but saying in other words, 'Come unto Me!' For what is Repentance but the turning of the heart to God? The World has ensnared, or Sin deceived, or Self engrossed, and but for His Sovereign Grace we should return to God no more. But the voice of Love pleads with our hearts wandering each in our own way; it says, 'Return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words and turn to the Lord; say unto Him, Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, so will we render the praises of our lips.' (See Heb. xiii. 15.) And the

voice that recalled the wandering heart replies, "I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away.' This fourteenth chapter of Hosea gives us a true picture of Repentance. It is the love of God in Christ Jesus recalling the soul, bringing it back with a gush of sorrow to the Heart from which it had wandered; and binding it with that forgiving Love in renewing Grace for ever. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him, from Me is thy fruit found.' The whole chapter reveals God in Christ reconciling the World unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them (2 Cor. v. 19), as we see again in the words of Emmanuel, God with us, recorded in the fifteenth of St. Luke-though Centuries of Time with all their Generations had passed between. 'I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.' (Mal. iii. 6)

Yet there are probably few things, if any, that the mind of man, untaught by the Spirit of God, has a more dreary impression of than Repentance. May not the religious mind sometimes aid in confirming this impression by associating what is dismal to the eye and ear with any time held to be connected with Repentance? But Repentance is not a grace of the soul that can be shut up to times; it is a living fountain that, once unsealed by the Blessed Spirit, flows on for ever; often deepest when holy joy most

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overflows; and best aided by all that quickens the soul into living warmth.

Many a heart not knowing what true Repentance is, supposes it to be a hard step before the way of Life can be entered; a dark shadow, gloomy and chilling, before the Light of Heaven can brighten on the soul; a dull and heavy time when only Sin must be remembered, when nothing questionable must be done even though there be 'no great harm in it!' They think Repentance must come some day, they hope it will, but Oh, not now! The World looks so pleasant now! Or the feeling is, Repentance wants time and thought, and I have no leisure now; or my life is so full of care and trouble now that when I do think of anything else I want a little brightness. All proving that they have not known the Father. (1 John, ii. 13.) 'Ye neither know me nor my Father; Father; if ye had known me ye should have known my Father also.' (John, viii. 19.)

Ask what Repentance is of the lost Son clasped in the Father's embrace, when he breathed his very soul into the Father's bosom, saying, Father, I have sinned!' A sense of want drew him home. 'How many hired servants of my Father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my Father.' He returned in confession. And will say unto Him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy Son.'

The depth of his Repentance was when the Father ran, while he was yet a great way off, and fell on his neck and kissed him. The deeper our knowledge and feeling of the love we have sinned against, the deeper the sorrow of heart for that Sin.

When was the moment of deepest Repentance in the hearts of Joseph's Brethren? Not when they said, 'We are verily guilty concerning our Brother!' They were convinced of their Sin then. Not when they found the money in their sacks, and were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house; not even at the 'I, Joseph!' when they were troubled at his presence, and could not answer him; but when alone with him he fell upon each Brother's neck, and wept, and kissed him; then they knew the Brother they had sinned against; then, when his perfect love had cast out fear, their sorrow and their love flowed forth unhindered by any personal apprehension. That hour of Repentance, of sorrow and of joy, through the years of Earth, and it may be through the ages of Eternity, they must recall with ever fresh awakened feeling.

It was the look of love that Jesus, bound, accused, and smitten, turned and cast on Peter which brought Repentance to his soul. The Disciple was hurrying on with hardening heart and words of cursing, when he met that eye in its fathomless depth of love; it recalled him in a moment, for Sin's separating distance is gone the instant the