The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-03-21

COURSE ON REPENTANCE.
Those who braved the bad travelling
and inclement weather overhead and
attended service at Trinity church on
Sunday morning were favored with a
most helpful sermon by Rev DR. Syl-
vcster Clark of Bridgeport. His text
was Psalm 81: -, ''According to the
multitude of Thy mercieS do away
mine offences. Wash me thoroughly
from my wickedness." He said in
part: The Psalmist had in mind in
many places Instructions and helps for
those who would repent. But this
51st Psalm is the fullest and deepest
utterance on the subject. What is it
which leads up to repentance? What
gives it it's first breath of life and is
the force by which it persists? Sinful
man exposed to temptation and yield
ing to its pressure. out of adjustment
with everlasting Righteousness, diSlO-
Gated and broken, without strength,
50 fast in prison that he cannot come
forth, if he have any hope, any heart
to recover himself, it is because out of
the horrible pit he could lift his eyes
to the Only Light, and say: "Have
mercy upon me, O God, according to
the multitude of Thy mercies do away
with mine Offences
What is the nature of repentance?
yNl.nt tc tinO o1o TO-
will help us much in answering this
question to remember that all human
morality, our duties, our religious
privileges, have these three relations,
viz. to God, to ourselves and to our
fellOwmen. Our repentance therefore
must be first to God. A confession,
full and open, unhesitaJing and unre-
served. Repentance is not easy and
natural. In fact much attempted re-
pcntance is weak and defective, per-
haps fails at it's first step. What is
more common than profeSSed regret of
sin, acknowledgment of sins of impa-
thence, injustice, dishonesty, or any
other mixed with excuses and explain
ations? How full are the hearts of
human kind with the criticism Of the
World-and God created it, governs it..
And how little likely to come out of
such hearts is true repentance toward
God. AS the ocean is ever restless
and unsatiStied and throughout all
days and nights rolls the waves of it's
complaint upon every shore; under the
pleasantest sunshine still drenching
the sands which whispers to it's dis
content. and under storms roaring out
rebellion, lifting itself and throwing
itself against the face of the headlands
and cliffs. So that other ocean, human
life, is never silent, in its best mood,
murmuring and repining and in the
worst, utterng blasphemy and rage
against high Heaven. 1t is repentance
indeed when man turns away from
that state of mind and acknowledges
to God his sin, takes it all upon him
self and heartily says "Against Thee
only have 1 sinned.'
In the second place repentance lr
it's relations to our fellowmen is Sc
we're and eXacting in it's demands tha
we should stop wrong doing, if i1
word or deed we are guilty, and shoult
make immediate restitution and rep
aration to the utmost of our pOWe
for the wrongs which we have done
Eat no food, wear no clothing
which you are not likely to pa
for when payment is due. Rel
aration and restitution is al
essential part of true repentance
A man comes to you with regretfu
look upon his face and informs yo'
thus: 81 came to tell you that I ar
repenting and have to acknowledge t
you that in such transaction so man
years ago I wronged you out of
Thousand dollars. 1 am really SORT
for it. Good day" Then as he turn
to go away with the interview eviden
ly finished, you speak quietly and sa,
"But, sir, the thousand dollars:
''Ah yes,' he returns answer, g.
bought with the sum bank stock.
''Transfer it to me-" you suggest. A
which he. becomes indignant and a
gumentative: "You forget" he e
claims, "that have repented of it.
have acknowledged to you that
cheated you out of it," and withO'
going any further he calls the busine
IS ended. If in some way he cannot
shaken out of his delusion under sue
D a false repentance, shaken out of
) into honesty, then there is but OF
I. certainty in his case, he is on the his
j.. road to the bottomless pit.
And there must be public acknov
edgment of wrong doing if the wrol
doing was publicly done. In a lar
girls school near the beginning of t.
te school year, some miSdemeanOr W
committed. a new girl, little kno7
- by the principal and scholars, was ;
cused and, although innocent, "
held in suspicion by the whole scho
After 10 weeks the principal began
have better opinion of the SchO
and in month or two ascertain
that she was innocent of the mis-
meanor. The principal invited
scholar into her private office and
fOrmedh her that although she had h.
an unfavorable opinion of her it '
w now changed, and in particular s
wished to expresses her regret of lay!
to her charge an offence of which !
was not guilty. A right beginni
but she must 60 further. Publicly
had put blame upon an innocent +
son; she must as publicly take it of
[1 And thirdly, if the sin has tai
J upon itself still larger proportions
is drawing after itself wide-spr