St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-07-25
feeling will evaporate before the heat
of trial.

.
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 repentet
in sack cloth and ashes, and later
wrote: 1.-THE sacrifices of God are {
broken spirit; broken and a contrit.
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
pentance did not come to make him
willing to give his all to the Lord anG
help him to lead a new life in humble
service. All who came to John anG
were baptized in the Jordan made q
profession of repentance, but it was
only as Pharisees and Sadducees gave
expression in their outward lives Of
pure religion and undefiled," it was
only as the people gave that Others
might have raiment and meat, it 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 OF
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.
Hequit extortion, 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 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 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.
PUT the test Of genuine repentance 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
a 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 tempta ton was
overcome and he told the truth, was
panied by the fact that the nail holes
were still there with their disfguring
marks. 1t is so with the sin marks and
in the life. The scars remain.
Careless neglect of duty, the seeking
Of the qualification of selfish desires
and aims may plunge one into difficult
ties which are exceedingly trying and
painful, and the genuineness of the re-
pentance for the wrong and evil that
have crept into the life is measured by
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 not
which is sorrow because
The consequences Of sin and wrong
doing must be endured. Repentance
that arises simply from desire to es-
cape the penalties of sin is not genuine
The prisoner in the dock is sorry be-
cause of the punishment which is, about
10 be inflicted upon him for his wrong
LONG. He makes profession of re-
,entance in the hope, perhaps, that he
nay escape the penalty of his sin
Wholly or in part. While he feels the
penalties of sin pressing hard upon
him he is repentant, but once escaped
rom the consequences of sin, he for
,ets the professed repentance and is
DON back into the old ways and the old
life. But real repentance would find
in patiently enduring the
of the wrong doing and
he turning from ways which would
make repetition of the sin and wrong
DING possible. How repeatedly Israel
vas brought to shallow repentance
IS she felt the woes of her evil ways
rushing in upon her, and then as soon
S relief came she was back in the old
,athway of idolatrous practices. That
vas not real repentance. The soul is
o easily deceived in the quality of its
epentance. At the time it believes
hat the repentance is deep and gen
inc, but as the impression wears of |
here is a drifting back into the old
rays. It has not stood the test. The
ruits of repentance then are not only |
present expression but future en-
urance and altered life.
r HE message of John was the
same to all. People from all |
Lasses and conditions in life sought
i'm out in his wilderness retreat.
here were the religious teachers and
reat numbers of common people.
here were the rich and the poor, the
ublic officials and the soldiers. And
o one and all, the message Of John
he Baptist was "repent ye," "bring
orth therefore fruits meet for repen-
ance." And to all the world to-day
ne same message sounds forth. IRE
entye." "Bring forth therefore fruits
leet for repentance" Repentance and
,e evidences. of that repentance were
he necessary preparations for the COM
II of the Lord. Jesus entering Jera-
alem rs the King rode over pathway
,rewn with palm branches and gar
rents Of the enthusiasts who hailed
i'm as King. But the pathway over
hich Jesus rides to the soul Of man
one which is paved with repentance
I'd the fruits which are meet for that