The Tupelo journal., 1903-07-03
THERE are two aspect. to this mes

been born again. Both are called to an
attitude of repentance. One to the
saving of the soul, the other to the
putting off, more and more, of the flesh
and the putting on more and more Of
Christ. Repent, 0 Soul! that has
not felt the cleansing and, saving power
of Jesus blood, because "the Kingdom
of Heaven is at hand" Repent, o
Christian! because upon the failures OF
to-day you are to mount by the help
of Jesus to a W and better self
tomorrow. There is to be practical
evidence in your life Of that repent
ance. 1t is not the cry of the soul
when in peril and face to face with
death, and then utter forgetfulness Of
that cry when the peril is passed and
deaths grim hand has been withdrawn
without claiming his victim. All, how
often is wrung from the lips the agon-
lied cry of seeming repentance, and as
the storm passes and the bark of life
once more apparently sails on a quiet
sea, the soul forgets the cry and the
peril. And again on it goes in its in
difference to its desperate need, while
just ahead are the rapids and the brink
of eternity. That cry in the hour Of
peril was not the cry of repentance.
Had it been so, the fruits of that re-
pentance would have wrought the al
tered life. Genuine repentance would
have brought the Saviour into the life
and heart with His transforming
power. Repent!-not because you may
be worse than some n else-you may
be the best man in town or the COM
munity in which you dwell-but the
question of repentance does not hinge
upon our relative worth as measured
by human standards, but upon our re-
lations to GCd. Repent ye! because it
is a holy and just God with whom you
have to do. Repent We! because "all
have sinned and come short of the
glory of God" because there is saliva
ton in no'other name under Heaven,
and because, show shall we escape, if
we neglect so great salvation?" Re-
pentance is the first step which the
sinner must take. There may be very
NJ SlCSS VI III. Jul liz cSS
innate which God places upon men
must be taken. Mani is a sinner. And
if say that we have no sin, we de-
ceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
u.s." but if we repent and confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
unrighteousness."
LERE is the soul conscious Of sin
/ and manifesting repentance, and
yet longing and desiring to take
with it all the old life with
it's indulgences. The soul is
alarmed over the thought of what it
must give up. 1t clings to former as
sociates, habits and manner of life.
Where this is the case, measure the
degree of repentance. Such repentance
is either enthusiastically small, OF else
altogether a negative quantity. Re-
pent! but bring forth fruits meet for
repentance. In this matter of re-
p%entance there are just two who are
involved-God and the soul. God the
righteous One and man the sinner.
When the sinner takes his eyes off God
and focuses them upon the things
about him these temporalities are mag
nified and the sense of God is lost.
With this comesa lessened degree of re-
pentance, and so little of the fruits of
repentance in the life as to be hardly
perceptible. This is one of the sad con-
& - IL. - la-
cred standards. and the bringing of the
world into the activities of the
churches and the lives of the Chris
tians, are reducing the consciousness
of the need of repentance. John the
Baptist and his message are needed to-
day. The cry must be raised on every
hand: Repent We! Repent ye! Re-
pent, unsaved soul, because your peril
is great, the time is short, and Jesus
stands patiently waiting to enter over
the roadway of your sincere repent
ance. Repent, o Christian! of that
love for the world and the things of
the world which is so filing your heart
and life. Repent of that indifference
towards the lost souls all about you.
Repent of your selfish love of ease
which permits you to stay away from
Gods house when you as a member
there have a regular appointment to
meet your Lord there and help sustain
His worship. Repent of your shallow
ness and hypocrisy which encourage
and allow you to get up and testify in
meeting to repentance for past short
comings and aspirations for a better
life, and which, like the vapor which
vanishes before the searching rays OF
the sun. disappears utterly before the
light, glib, cosby conversation which
fills Gods house after meeting. Re-
pent because you go away from the de-
votional meeting or the preaching serv-
ice thinking not of God and His serv-
ice, speaking not to the honor and
praise of the Lord. but in sharp criti-
cism of the preacher, of the service,
and of pretty much every n who
came under your notice. Repent, o
Christian! because your life at home
and in the office bellies most awfully
your profession. Repent for all these
things. for all in your life and heart
which is contrary to Gods will and pur-
pose for you, and let that repentance
which you feel bear its fruit in an al
tered life.
THUS prepare the way of the Lord.
| There is a double way in which
genuine repentance prepares the COM
ing of the Lord. Spiritually-the tears
of true repentance always catch the