Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-08-08
&eading fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
l0riginall
REPENTANCE.

hLI ANVIL.
1t is not our intention to write long ,theo-
logical essay on this cardinal doctrine of the
Bible. 1t is very important that we under
stand distinctly what is meant in the Bible
by repentance; but it is no less important
that we do not, in practice; mistake repent
ance for something else. Weset'a1t by say
ing that all men, according to their own no.
tions, repent 1t is impossible to conceive of
a human being who has never, in the common
acceptation Of the word, repented. To make
such supposition would be to imagine some
member of the human family unspotted by
the stain of sin, and free from all faults and
failings. To. err is human. All, men are
conscious Of violating law and SHINING against
their own body and spiritual interest. For
such conduct every intelligent creature must
be sorry. He mourns over his temporal losses
thus incurred, and shudders when he looks
beyond the narrow line which divides time
and eternity. When the prodigal compares
his tattered rags of to-day with the purple
and fine linen of former days, he is sorry for
his sins. Heis in earnest. There is no mock
cry in the case. His tears are not forced.
When the honorable man does an act which
furnishes his fair reputation, and which de-
grades him in society, he is sorry. He groans
His soul is filled with disquieting thoughts.
There is no hypocrisy in all this. 1t is real.
The practical question which is suggested by
these and similar cases is, are they cases of
genuine repentance, or ought they to be
placed under some other head? For various
reasons this is an important question to every
man. Why, it may be asked, have we forsa-
ken some sins which we once practiced with
a real relish? Why are we sorry when we
commit certain crimes? These acts come un-
der the head Of good deeds.
God commands us to forsake our sins he
also says that broken and contrite heart
is pleasing sacrifice. We must be careful
to make distinctions when there are real diff
ferences. We may forsake our sins and still
have real relish for them; and we may have
worldly shame for our crimes when we have
a real love for them in our hearts.
This may seem strange; but it is most as
suredly true in fact There are thousands of
sins that we long to perpetrate; but we are
afraid the commission of such acts would ruin
us in the eyes of the world. Circumstances
alter cases. We are one thing in one place
and another thing in another place. We are
very sorry for our sins often when we learn
that they have been discovered; but before
the discovery was made, we were not in the
least disquieted. The truth is, we fear men
far more than we do our Maker. We are
fool-hardy and reckless so long as we keep
our fellow-men in the dark; but so soon as
our neighbors find out our sins, our consci-
ences goad US into painful and humiliating
confessions.
A little examination will convince any can
did mind that an act or deed which God
commands is good and commendable in us
only when done with proper motives. To
forsake sin and be sorry for it, is commenda-
BILE in the sight of God only when the mo-
tives which prompted us so to act, are COM
mendable in the sight of God. So far as So
ciety is concerned, it is great blessing when
a sinner forsakes his sins. 1t is blessing to
everybody with whom he comes in contact !;
but before we conclude that repentance is
pleasing in the sight of God, we must know
that the motives which prompted it were
pleasing to God.