May 5
The Universal Command to Repentance
The Christian's Daily Treasury"But now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." — Acts xvii. 80.
HAVING taken a glance at the condition of the world previous to the coming of Christ, let us now look at
THE STATE OF THINGS AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GOSPEL. The heralds of salvation are to go forth into all parts of the habitable globe, and exhort all mankind to repentance. Note
Its nature. There are two sorts of repentance, legal and evangelical: the one arises from a fear of hell, the other from a love of holiness; the one refers to some particular crimes, the other to all sin; the one is by fits and starts, the other is gradual and increasing; the one is like the pouring down of water from a cloud in a storm, the other is like the gentle but perpetual flowing of a fountain. Genuine repentance includes the conviction of the conscience, the contrition of the heart, the confession of the mouth, and the conversion of the life.
Its necessity. We must repent to testify our obedience to God, to show our hatred to sin; for the reception of pardon, and for deliverance from hell. Those who do not sorrow for sin here, must weep because of it hereafter; if you have not repentance unto life, you must have sorrow unto death.
Its extent: "all men everywhere." Sin has infected every part of the world, therefore all need salvation; it has been committed by every man, therefore all are commanded to repent. Matthew Henry calls this "the practical part of Paul's sermon before the university."
Its time: "now," in the Christian era; now, at the present period; now, while God is waiting to be gracious, and Jesus welcomes you, and the Spirit bids you come, and the Gospel warns you of delay, and ministers entreat you, and the church is ready to rejoice over you, and evil spirits are watching you, and angels long to strike their harps anew on your return to your heavenly Father. The cloud that hangs over us, which the frequent vapors of our sins have made, except it dissolve, and fall down again in sweet showers of godly tears, is reserved to be the matter of a dreadful storm.