II.
(Continued from page 260.)
The sorrow of evangelical repentance, is inward and real sorrow. It is not a bowing down of the head as a bulrush (Isa. lviii. 5), nor a disfigured countenance. It arises from inward principles of faith and love; and so, it makes the man mourn in secret before the Lord. It is deep sorrow, sorrow which descends deeply into the heart. To dig deep, was the security of the house that was founded upon a rock (Luke vi. 48). Penitential sorrow is a pricking or piercing of the heart, as with spears and swords, or a compunction of heart (Acts ii. 37).—But is godly sorrow deeper in the heart, than the deepest grief on any worldly account? If we calculate merely by feeling, or by the moving of the affections, it is plain that, it does not always appear deeper than other sorrows. But, if we compute by the fixed disposition of the heart, it is as evident that, it is deeper than them all, and exceeds the greatest of them. Persons are usually moved more sensibly, by a less degree of sorrow, than by a greater. The greatest grief is often above tears. Penitential sorrow settles more deeply, and continues more firm, than any other grief. It is also a lively sorrow, a grief that quickens the soul. The sorrow of the world worketh death; it indisposes a man for activity in duty. But godly sorrow, quickens a man to the spiritual performance of duty (2 Cor. vii. 11). The former arises from slavish dread, which chills and stiffens the soul, and so renders it unfit for action; the latter, from faith and love, which warm the heart, and dispose it to be ardent and active (Luke vii. 47). It is an universal sorrow. The evangelical penitent is grieved in heart, not only for his own iniquities, but for those of others (Psal. cxix. 136). He never mourns sincerely for any one sin, who does not mourn for all; and he never grieves aright for the iniquities of his life, who does not bewail bitterly the sin of his nature. It is moreover an operative sorrow. It “worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of” (2 Cor. vii. 10). Godly sorrow and turning to God, are inseparable. Evangelical sorrow in the heart, is a spring which, as it runs, works out the love, power, and practice of sin. In a word, It is sorrow which continues in the heart, as long as sin remains in it. The grief of the legal penitent, is like a summer-flood, which is soon over; but the sorrow of the evangelical penitent, is like a living spring, which, in a greater or less measure, always sends forth water.
In the third place, Another ingredient in the exercise of true repentance, is hatred of all sin, accompanied by self-loathing.—
True hatred of sin, under the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, flows from faith working by love to God; and it is a holy abhorrence of every sin, as infinitely hateful to Him. This hatred is universal against all sin, whether it be known or unknown. “I hate,” says the Psalmist, “every false way” (Psal. cxix. 104). It is irreconcilable to any known sin. “I hate the work of them that turn aside,” says also the Psalmist; “it shall not cleave to me” (Psal. ci. 3). It is constant without intermission. It is a hearty detestation, an utter abhorrence, of all sin as sin, and of every appearance of sin; an utter abhorrence of it, as peculiarly odious, as inexpressibly abominable; a detestation of it in its nature, as the greatest of all evils, the worst of all enemies, as the most inveterate enemy, not only of the precious soul, but of that God, whose nature is infinitely lovely and loving. The more the true penitent is enabled to trust, that Jesus was wounded for his transgressions, and was bruised for his iniquities, the more he abhors them. In the sufferings and death of the Lamb of God, he sees what infinite wrath, what tremendous punishment, he as a sinner deserves. And when he cordially trusts, that the Lord Jesus so loved him, as willingly to endure all that punishment for him, his iniquities appear inexpressibly hateful in his view, and he longs to be able to hate them with perfect hatred. He abhors sin as the worst of all evils, worse even than the evil of suffering; and were he left to his choice, without fear of ever being called to account, he would not choose sin; for he abhors it, because of its contrariety to the holy nature and law of God.
True hatred of sin is accompanied by self-loathing.
“Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations” (Ezek. xxxvi. 31). The true penitent loathes, not only the sin which dwells in him, and the innumerable transgressions which have been committed by him, but he loathes himself as a sinner. Seeing, in the glass of the loving kindness, sparing mercy, and holy law of God, and of the doleful agony and anguish of his dear Redeemer, the unutterable deformity, odiousness and demerit of his sins, he abhors himself, for his iniquities and abominations. “Wherefore I abhor myself,” says Job, “and repent in dust and ashes” (Job. xlii. 6). He does not indeed loathe himself as a creature; but he loathes, he is disgusted with himself as a sinner. He looks on himself as a most deformed, a most polluted object. He now rejects with holy indignation, all the vain excuses for sin, which he used formerly to make, and with which he satisfied his conscience. He accuses, judges, and condemns himself. He is accordingly represented as smiting on his breast (Luke xviii. 13); thereby declaring that, he considers his depraved heart within, as the source of all his other abominations, and that, he justly deserves to be struck at the heart and to die, for his innumerable and aggravated crimes. He sees now, that his heart and his life, are a most loathsome spectacle; all as an unclean thing, and that all his righteousnesses are as filthy rags. He loathes himself, therefore, and renounces all confidence in himself.
(To be continued.)