I.
THE original words in the New Testament, which, in our version of the Bible, are translated Repentance, are metameleia and metanoia. The former of these words signifies “An after carefulness,” or an uneasy feeling of regret and dissatisfaction, for what has been done, without regard either to duration or to effects. It denotes barely a change of feeling, whether it be to the better or to the worse; such a sorrow, as is not productive of a real change of conduct, and does not imply it. It does not imply a consideration either of goodness or badness, but merely of change, from whatever motive or cause. It is therefore the word, which is usually employed by the sacred Writers, to express repentance of any sort. And indeed, according to the common acceptation of the term with us, a man may as properly be said to repent of a good, as of a bad action. A covetous man will repent of the alms, which a transient fit of compassion, may have incited him to bestow. The original word, then, signifies remorse or dissatisfaction with one’s self, for what one has done. On the other hand, the last of those words, signifies “A change of mind,” of judgment, of disposition, of purpose, and of conduct. It denotes properly, a change to the better; a change of mind that is not transitory, but durable, and productive of good conduct. It implies not only sorrow and remorse for what is past; but a change of disposition and of conduct, for the future. When John the Baptist, our Lord, and His Apostles, inculcate this change of mind as a duty, or mention the necessity of it as a doctrine of Christianity, metanoia and metanoës, are the terms which they invariably employ. One or other of these, is the word commonly used, to express the habit and exercise of that repentance, which is evangelical, and abiding, and not to be repented of.
The repentance, then, which is in the New Testament required of sinners, is such an entire change of mind, or of views and sentiments respecting sin and salvation, as discovers itself by a genuine sorrow for sin, a firm resolution to hate and forsake it, and a sincere endeavour, so to return to God in Christ, as to walk with Him in newness of life; the sincerity of which, is to be evidenced by fruits meet for repentance. This as was hinted above is true repentance. And as it is the gift of God, the purchase of Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit, it is a saving grace. Implanted by the Spirit at regeneration, it is so inseparably connected with salvation, as to constitute an essential part of it. In the Scriptures it is called, “repentance to salvation,” and “repentance unto life” (Acts xi. 18); as it proceeds from, and evidences, spiritual life in the soul, and as it prepares for, and issues in, the perfection of life eternal; as also to distinguish it from the sorrow of the world, which worketh death (2 Cor. vii. 10). It is also styled, “repentance toward God;” because in the exercise of it, a sinner turns from all known sin, to the love and the service of God (Acts xx. 21). True repentance is not a transient act, as if a sigh, or a pang of sorrow for sin, amounted to it. No; these may indeed be acts of true repentance, while they issue from a heart sincerely penitent; but repentance itself, instead of being a passing act, is an abiding principle, a lasting disposition of soul, a gracious principle lying deep in the heart, disposing a man, at all times to mourn for, and turn from sin (Zech. xii. 10). The waters of godly sorrow for sin, in the renewed heart, will continue to spring up there, while sin is there; though the spring may, through remaining hardness of heart, be much obstructed for a time. After the heart has, at the sinner’s first conversion, been smitten with evangelical repentance, the wound still bleeds, and will continue more or less to bleed, until the band of glory be put about it, in the holy place on high. If, therefore, a man regards repentance, only as the first stage in the way to heaven; and instead of renewing daily his exercise of it, satisfies himself with concluding, that he has passed the first stage, the truth of his repentance is very questionable. The man, who does not see his need of exercising repentance daily, may have a counterfeit, but cannot have a true repentance. He may have a superficial sorrow for his sins, and even such remorse gnawing his conscience, as may be the first moving of the worm that shall never die, as that of Judas was; and yet, be a total stranger to that evangelical repentance, which is both a saving grace and an abiding principle. In the heart of the true penitent, a wonderful and permanent change, has been graciously effected. He is irresistibly constrained, to abandon his former views of sin, of salvation from sin, and of the pleasantness and beauty of holiness, and to embrace sentiments altogether opposite. Such a change is produced in his inclinations and affections, that he no longer takes pleasure in unrighteousness, but delights in the law of God and in obedience to it after the inward man. And the more pleasure he takes in holiness, the more deep, and even delicious, will his sorrow for sin be, and the more vigorous will his endeavours be, to turn from all sin to God. And yet, so far is he from meriting any blessing from God, by his exercise of true repentance, that he is laid under fresh obligations to him, for having granted to him, the inestimable blessing of repentance unto life. The more of it he receives from God, the more he is bound to honour Him, by a lively and a frequent exercise of it.
Having thus glanced at the formal nature of evangelical repentance, I now proceed to consider, what the Exercise of it includes.
I. It imports deep Humiliation of soul before the Lord.
It is by the high way of pride, that sinners depart from God; and it is by the low way of humiliation that they return to Him. The grace of Christ, brings elect sinners down from their high conceit of themselves, and lays them low at the footstool of a gracious God. It makes them humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt them in due time (1 Pet. v. 6). As it was with Benhadad’s servants (1 Kings xx. 31, 32), so it is with true penitents. By faith, they understand that the King of Israel is a merciful King; by repentance, they put sackcloth on their loins, and ropes on their heads, and in that humble posture, they come to Him. Evangelical humiliation, is the immediate consequence of a true sense of sin, and of a spiritual apprehension of pardoning mercy. It consists in lowliness, or self-abasement of mind before God, and esteeming others better than ourselves; in having low thoughts of ourselves, and a deep sense of our extreme meanness, hatefulness, weakness, and unworthiness in the sight of God: or, it is the sense that a true Christian has, of his own despicableness, odiousness on account of sin, and utter inability for the smallest good thought, word, or work, and that with a suitable frame of heart. In true humiliation, the believing sinner sees the hatefulness of his iniquity, and the inexpressible odiousness of his heart and life, because of sin; and he has an answerable frame of spirit, a disposition to abhor and abase himself as a sinner, to exalt Christ alone, and voluntarily to deny and renounce himself. The hypocritical or legal penitent, is lifted up with an high opinion of his humiliation, and is ostentatious of it; whereas the true penitent, is deeply humbled for the pride of his heart. He accounts himself one of the least of saints, and is disposed to think others better than himself (Phil. ii. 3). He sees that his humiliation is very small, in comparison of what it ought to be, and that his pride is very great, and exceeding sinful. He is a thousand times more quicksighted, in discerning his pride and self-righteous temper, than his humility. On the contrary, the hypocrite is blind to nothing, so much as to his pride, and quicksighted to nothing, so much as to his show of humility. Evangelical humiliation, then, is a principal part of the exercise of true repentance. The sincere penitent, so discerns and feels the plague of his own heart, as to think less favourably of himself, than he can do of others, or they of him.
Secondly, The exercise of true Repentance, includes godly sorrow for sin.
The remorse of the evangelical penitent, is a sorrowful remorse, a deep contrition of heart; not so much for the punishment to which he has exposed himself, as for the indignity he has done to a holy, a gracious, and a merciful God. The apostle Paul styles it, “Sorrow according to God, or, godly sorrow” (2 Cor. vii. 10), not only, to distinguish it from the sorrow of the world which worketh death; but to shew that it is grief for sin because it is sin, because it is an infinite offence given, and an infinite dishonour done, to a holy, a good, and a gracious God; a transgressing of His holy and righteous law, a defacing of His moral image, a piercing of His dear Son, and a grieving of His Holy Spirit. Trusting, that the spotless Lamb of God was pierced for his iniquities, the true penitent mourns, not so much for himself, as for Him (Zech. xii. 10). And so real, so deep, is his penitential sorrow, that though there were no conscience to accuse, no judge to condemn, no devil to affright, no hell to torment; yet he would mourn and be in bitterness, for having offended that God who hath loved him, pierced that Saviour who died for him, and grieved that adorable Spirit who sanctifies and comforts him. “Against thee, thee only have I sinned,” says the Psalmist, “and done this evil in thy sight” (Psal. li. 4). His penitential sorrow springs, not only from a true sense of the infinite hatefulness of his innumerable sins; but also from the faith of redeeming mercy, and from his love of God, and of his holy law. His godly sorrow springs likewise from his views, of the infinite majesty, excellence, holiness, and amiableness, of that transcendently glorious God whom he has insulted; of the injustice and base ingratitude, of which he has been guilty; and of the infinite obligations to obedience, which he has violated. Now, that his views of sin are changed, he feels deep regret, bitter remorse, and intense sorrow, for what he has done against his gracious God and Father. His iniquities appear to his mind, inexpressibly odious, and they become a heavy burden, too heavy for him. He mourns bitterly for them, and still mourns that he cannot mourn more. His heart is broken, and as it were melted, when he considers the odiousness, and the multitude of his crimes, against that gracious God, who all the time was full of infinite love to him. He grieved the Holy Spirit by committing sin, and he himself is now grieved in repenting of it. The adamantine heart, is dissolved into tears of godly sorrow; the rock is struck by the rod of evangelical truth, and the waters gush out. This is that rending of the heart, which the Lord requires (Joel ii. 12).
(To be continued.)