Do No. 237. ON REPENTANCE. "God now commandeth all men every where to repent." Acts xvii, 30. SINNER, do you hear this? Listen! God commandeth all men every where-he commandeth you to repent. you ask, "What have I to repent of? What have I done so much against him?" Why, you have broken his commmandments, and "the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified,' Dan. v. 23. You have not, perhaps, been a swearer, a drunkard, a thief, a whoremonger, a sabbath-breaker, a liar: but all your life you have been "leaving undone the things which you ought to have done, and doing the things you ought not to have done." Your own conscience tells you that you have. And do you ask, What have I done? Rather, what have you not done, and what do you not deserve from a righteous God? "Return But now God commandeth all men to repent. unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord," Mal. iii. 7. What a mercy that he hath not called you to judgment! Suppose he had-what could you have said? What could you have done? But "he is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," 2 Pet. iii. 9. Behold him, stooping from the throne of his glory, and in the compassion of his heart addressing you,-in his word, by his providence, by his ministers and his people, by this little tract, he calls upon you, he entreats you, he commands you, to repent. "I do repent," said a man who was one day exhorted by his neighbour. "I never commit sin, but I am sorry for it afterwards." So was Cain but he grieved because of his punishment, not at his sin. So was Judas: but he was the son of perdition, and, having hanged himself, "went to his own place." And how can a man be said to repent of sin, if he" forsakes it not?" Repentance is godly sorrow for sin--a change of mind and disposition towards God-a THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, INSTITUTED 1799; 4 No. 237.-On Repentance. already so hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin, that the gospel fails to affect you now, will it succeed, think you, hereafter, when your heart shall have become more hardened still? Remember, it is God that gives "repentance unto life," and never, but as the effect of his Spirit, can you obtain it. This he gives to those who in good earnest seek it: and this, "waiting to be gracious," he promises to you. "Turn you at my reproof," says he. "Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.' But can you expect him to wait your pleasure, and patiently stand by whilst, in the hardness and impenitence of your heart, you insult his glorious majesty, trample under foot his laws, and sabbath after sabbath, nay, day after day, despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering? Hear his own words: "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh," Prov. i. 24-26. "Therefore, to-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart," Heb. iii. 15. "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee. Behold! now is the accepted time: behold! now is the day of salvation!" 2 Cor. vi. 2. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, "who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification," Rom. iv. 25. "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins,' Acts v. 31. ་་ Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord," Acts iii. 19. London: Printed for THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY; and sold ai the Depository, 56, Paternoster-row; by J. NISBET, 21, Bernersstreet, Oxford-street; and by other Booksellers. [Price 1s. 4. per 100.] Considerable Allowance to Subscribers and Booksellers BOL |