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and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.

II. It Implies Godly Sorrow for Sin.

MAT. 26: 69. Now Peter sat without in the palace and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

LUKE 7: 36. And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster-box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now, when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he

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saith, Master, say on. a certain creditor, which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss but this woman, since the time came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore, I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him, began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace.

JER. 50: 4. The children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping, they shall go and seek the LORD their God.

JOEL 2:12. Turn ye unto me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.

2 Cor. 7: 9. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

2 KINGS 22: 19. Because thine

heart was tender,...and thou hast rent thy clothes and wept before me, I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Ps. 34 18. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

51: 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

147: 3. The LORD healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

III. A Renunciation of Sin.

MAT. 21: 28. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go, work to-day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir; and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

ISA. 55: 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.

1: 16. Cease to do evil; learn to do well.

JOHN 5: 14. Behold thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

2 CHRON. 6: 36. If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near; yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly: if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray

toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwellingplace, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

JAMES 4: 7. Submit yourselves therefore to God.... Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Be afflicted and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy, to heaviness: humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

T DEUT. 30: 1. And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; that then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the utmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: and the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the

fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandinents and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

IV. Confession of Sin to God.

LEV. 26: 40. If they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers;.. if their uncircumcised hearts be humbled; ... then will I remember my covenant.

Ps. 32: 5. I said, I will confess my trangression,.. thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.

PROV. 28: 13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but, whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

JER. 3: 13. Acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God.

MAT. 3: 5. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

ACTS 19: 18. Many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds. Many also of them that used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men.

1 JOHN 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

V. Restitution.

NUM. 5: 5. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, when a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty; then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed. But if the man have

no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recom→ pensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.

§ S. MEANS OF REPENTANCE. I. Reflection.

DEUT. 32: 29. O that they were wise; that they understood this; that they would consider their latter end. JOB 23: 15. When I consider, I am afraid of him.

Ps. 4 4. Commune with your own heart on your bed, and be still. 1 SAM. 12: 24. Consider how great things the LORD hath done for thee.

ROM. 2: 4. Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.

Ps. 50: 22. Consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

119: 95. I will consider thy testimonies.

ECCL. 7: 14. In the day of adversity consider.

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5: 1. They consider not, that they do evil.

ISA. 1 3. Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Ho. 7: 2. They consider not in their hearts, that I remember all their wickedness.

HAG. 1: 5. Thus saith the LORD, consider your ways.

LUKE 19: 41. He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes,

II Study of God's Word,

Ps. 19: 7. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple... The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever, The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey or the honey comb. Moreover by them is thy servant

warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward.

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Then Peter man's blood upon us. and the other Apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God The God of our rather than men. fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and for

119:9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto, according to thy word. -71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. - 93. I will never forget thy precepts, for with them thou hast quickened me. - 101. Igiveness of sins. And we are his have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep thy word. -104. Through thy precepts I get understanding. Therefore I hate every false way. -130. The entrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple. (See "Means of Grace." p. 131.)

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III. Inducements.

MAT. 10: 26. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that shall not be known.

24: 42. Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also

ready for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily, I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

ACTS 5: 27. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council and the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command you, that ye should not teach in this name? and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this

witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

ACTS 17: 30. God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained.

JAMES 4: 18. Go to, now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue a year, and buy and sell and get gain : whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (See "Goodness of God,” p. 29, and Future State.")

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§ 4. REPENTANCE ILLUSTRATED.

I. Instances of Penitence.

JUDGES 3: 9. And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. - 12. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm-trees. So the children of Israel served Eglon, the king of Moab, eighteen years. But when the children of Israel eried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer.

10: 10. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, we have

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sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

T1 Sam. 12: 9. And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. And they cried unto the LORD, and said, we have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jepthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

2 CHRON. 15: 4. When they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

DAN. 4: 30. The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have builded, for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the glory of my majesty? 33. And he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen.

And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lift up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High. — 37. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, and extol, and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judg

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ment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

LUKE 19: 8. And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

23: 39. And one of the malefactors, which were hanged, railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering, rebuked him, saying, dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

T ACTS 9: 1. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high-priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul! Saul! why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling, and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus, and he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

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