Speaking on repentance, Dr. Brooks, of St. Louis, well remarks: “Repentance, strictly speaking, means a ‘change of mind or purpose;’ consequently it is the judgment which the sinner pronounces upon himself, in view of the love of God displayed in the death of Christ, connected with the abandonment of all confidence in himself and with trust in the only Saviour of sinners. Saving repentance and saving faith always go together; and you need not be worried about repentance if you will believe.”
“Some people are not sure that they have ‘repented enough.’ If you mean by this that you must repent in order to incline God to be merciful to you, the sooner you give over such repentance the better. God is already merciful, as He has fully shown at the Cross of Calvary; and it is a grievous dishonor to His heart of love if you think that your tears and anguish will move Him, not knowing that ‘the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.’ It is not your badness, therefore, but His goodness that leads to repentance; hence the true way to repent is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.’ ”
Another thing. If there is true repentance it will bring forth fruit. If we have done wrong to anyone we should never ask God to forgive us, until we are willing to make restitution. If I have done any man a great injustice and can make it good, I need not ask God to forgive me until I am willing to make it good. Suppose I have taken something that does not belong to me. I have no right to expect forgiveness until I make restitution.
I remember preaching in one of our large cities, when a fine-looking man came up to me at the close. He was in great distress of mind. “The fact