Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-10-14
Repentance Is Turning To God

II repentance is more than feeling,
more than fear, more than conviction,
more than reformation what can re-
pentance be? / am told that the
E, word repent in the Old Testament
means to sigh or to groan, and in the
| New Testament, to turn around. In
these two meanings we have fair
understanding of what constitutes re-
pentance. 1t is being sorry for sin
and turning away from sin with Gods
| help. Repentance is coming back
to and walking with God. And we
must come back as far as We have
wandered away. Some one may ask,
isn't faith the hand that takes the
gift which God offers man." Ger
tainly, but repentance is the feet
which bring you where the hand of
faith can reach out and receive the
gift.
Repentance is the one great delib-
crate act of the soul that brings it
| back into favor with God. Neither
the fact that it is not an easy thing
| to do and is difficult to understand
any justifiable excuse for to delay
| in turning unto God There are
some things we do not have to under
stand before being benefited by them.
Ii one had to explain electricity or
sit in darkness and never ride an ell
ectric car until he understood cleo
| tricity We would not receive much
benefit from it today but We under
stand enough to turn the button and
that gives us light. You may not
fully understand repentance but you
do know enough to enable you to
I'm oil Sin
wanderings to God and pledge your
repentance enough to flood your soul
with the waters of salvation.
A story is told of Peri who wished
to enter heaven and was told that
admission would be granted him if
he would bring the most valuable
thing in the world After securing
specimen of finest gold he winged
his fight to the gates of heaven but
the guarding anged said, Gold is
no passport here, we do not buy and
sell in heaven. We pave our streets
with better gold than that" Peri
would not be defeated so he return
ed to the earth and was wandering
along the bank of stream and saw
little child with upturned face
asleep under a tree. Peeping from
behind the tree was skulking des-
perado looking upon the child and
God painted on the canvass Of his
recollection and memory, the thought
of the time when he was as pure as
the morning dew and of his sainted
mother, and tears of repentance roll
ed down his cheeks. Peri ran and
caught those falling tears and winged
his fight again to the gates OF heav-
en-. The angel bowed and said,
Come in--you have brought the
most valuable thing on earth in the
sight of Coda penitent's tears"
O, that such tears might be shed
here tonight!
wish / could preach repentance
as effectively as an old man of whom
once heard. 1t is said that great
camp meeting q scholarly minister
preached on repentance in such a
polished and scientific way that the
| longer he preached the more con-
| fused became his audience. When
| this sermon was finished an old man
arose from one of the front seats in
the audience and asked, "Will you
allow me five minutes to preach
StTIlOH Oli rum thV
great audience came the word as
from one man. go ahead" The
old man leaning heavily upon his
cain began to walk down the aisle
toward the rear of the building, and
every step he took he said in start
ling words, II am goin to hell" You
can imagine the effect of this. The
people began to arise all over the
building to see him go until all were
on their feet When he was about
two-thirds of the way down the aisle,
and the interest was at fever heat,
he turned suddenly around and said,
Il am going to heaven" When he
reached the platform he said, THAT
is repentance How many of you
are ready to turn from the path to
hell to the path to heaven" And
great many arose and turned to God.
How many will do that tonight? Turn
from your past life, my friend, and
give your heart to Jesus, that is re-
pentance. If you will do so now
come forward and give me your
hand. May God help you to put
your good resolution into execution
now!