The Grenada sentinel., 1903-06-27


ineness of repentance like that Of the
counterfeit often gives out sound
equal to that of the genuine coin, but
the test is found in its ability to stand
the appIicat tion of the acid. The spuri-
Gus coin will be eaten into by the biting
fluid, and the bogus repentance will be
revealed when the biting circum-
stances of desire and temptation again
are felt. Repent ye, but the fruits of
that repentance must prove whether
it really is repentance or only mo-
mentary troubling of conscience. which
feeling will evaporate before the heat
of trial.
CAUL was sorry for his act Of DISC
) bedience which cost him the sharp
rebuke of the prophet and the king
dom, but repentance never moved with
in his heart and he went headlong to
miserable death. David not only felt
sorry for his great sin, but he repented
| in sack cloth and ashes, and later
wrote: "The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit; a broken and contrite
heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise."
| The sorrow of his heart was mani
tested in the outward life of his
| changed conduct. The rich young
| ruler left Jesus sorrowful, but re-
pentanee did not come to make him
willing to give his all to the Lord and
help him to lead a new life in humble
service. All who came to John and
were baptized in the Jordan made
profession of repentance, but it was
only as Pharisees and Sadducees gave
expression in their outward lives of
''puro religion and undefiled," it was
only as the people gave that others
might have raiment and meat, 1t was
only as the publicans in their tax gath
ering only exacted that which they
| were entitled to, it was only as the SOL
diers violated no mans person or
rights did not bear false witness, and
did not plot mutiny and rebellion, that
| the genuineness of the repentance
| which they professed was made evil
dent. See how strikingly this is ex-
emplified in the experience of Zaccheus.
! He quit ext tortion, he restored the goods
he had taken wrongfully, and Jesus
declared: ."This day is salvation come
to this house." And all throughout
Jericho and the surrounding country
it was soon known that Zaccheus had
repented and become a changed man,
for the widow, the struggling trades
man and farmer whom he had robbed
in his tax gathering were made to re-
joice with a fourfold return OF their
goods, and the poor of the city were
warmed and fed and clothed by the
generous gifts which the converted
publican gave even to the half Of his
great possessions.
. UT the test of genuine repentan is
u found not only in the changed life,
but in the patience manifested in that
life when the accumulated conse-
quences of past mistakes and misdeeds
press upon the soul. God forgives, but
He does not always remove the con-
sequences of sin. The boy who drove
nail into the post every time he told
a lie, and who, after he had filled the
post full, began to draw them out
one by one, whenever temptation was
overcome and he told the truth, was
panied by the fact that the nail holes
were still there with their disfguring
marks It is so with the sin marks anc
failures in the life. The scars remain
Careless neglect of duty, the seeking
of the qualification of selfish desire'
. and aims may plunge one into Difficult
ties which are exceedingly trying ant
painful, and the genuineness of the re
pentance for the wrong and evil that
have crept into the life is measured b,
the patience with which those Difficult
ties and trials are faced. The bringing
forth of fruits meet for repentance
; here has it's realization. That IS no
repentance which is sorrow because
, the consequences of sin and wron,
. doing must be endured. Repentance
; that arises simply from a desire to es
. cape the penalties of sin is not genuin
repentance.
The prisoner in the dock is sorry be
t cause of the punishment which is abou
| to be inflicted upon him for his wrOnl
doing. He makes profession of re
/ pentance in the hope, perhaps, that h
may escape the penalty OF his si
5 wholly or in part. While he feels tn
, penalties of sin pressing hard upo
] him he is repentant, but once escape
. ! from the consequences of sin, he fol
: gets the professed repentance and
t soon back into the old ways and the oil
t life. But real repentance would fin
= expression in patiently enduring th
consequences of the wrong doing an
the turning from ways which woul
y make repetition of the sin and wron
: doing possible 49,
: THE message Of John was %h
:" | same to all. People from a
: classes and conditions in life sough
e him out in his wilderness retrea
/: There were the religious teachers an
e great numbers of common peopl
: there were the rich and the poor, th
r public officials and the soldiers An
u to one and all. the message Of job