HIGHWAY REPENTANCE. HE Greek wor (metanoia), translated repentance in our English New Testament, signifies an aftermind, a change of mind. Inasmuch, however, as the phrase to change one's mind has a conventional and limited sense, often implying merely a change of opinion, of purpose, or plan, it is very necessary that we do not confine the change of mind which the New Testament enforces, and which God lays as a command upon "all men everywhere," by our idiomatic usage of the term. The extent and quality of a change of mind must depend upon the circumstances in which that change takes place. A belle who is dressing for a party, and who, having first decorated her hair with jewels, has afterwards, from some consideration, substituted a wreath of flowers, has changed her mind. But this metanoia-the change of mind in a case like this-is very different from that which takes place in the condemned murderer, when, in the solitude of his cell, reflecting upon his erime, he becomes conscious of his enormous wickedness and of its fearful penalty. A change of mind in this latter case has elements in it which are absent from the former. There is a sense of impending punishment, a sorrow for the wrong done to the victim of his anger, an acquiescence in the sentence under which he lies. We should not apply the word repentance to the change of mind in the former case, but for the latter we know no other word. To say that that man had changed his mind, would, to an English ear at least, sound frivolous. And yet, if by the term change of mind we understood all that that phrase really contains, it would express the entire truth.* *It is not, of course, intended that the feeling described as possessing. K No great study of words is necessary to convince us that in some cases common usage increases, in others diminishes, the radical power of a word. The question of an amended translation of the Bible has been much discussed, and we all feel that the more truthful rendering of a word is a boon of which we cannot estimate the magnitude. But if a translator of Matt. xi. 21 told us that " Tyre and Sidon would long ago have changed their mind in sackcloth and ashes," we doubt if many would prefer his reading. It may help us in defining the change of mind which God requires in "all men everywhere," if we consider the relations existing between man and God. God made man perfect, and he believed and trusted his kind Creator. But the tempter belied God, and the man believed the tempter. A metanoia, a change of mind, was thus produced, and man fell. God, in his wisdom, did not destroy sin in the bud, but suffered it to develop its baneful fruit. From Adam to Moses death reigned because of sin. Then God divided men, and placed the people of Israel under circumstances of special favour, established a covenant between Himself and them, and promised them all blessing on condition of their obedience: "This do and thou shalt live." The failure of Israel was the failure of the race. The husbandman had taken a choice slip of the vine of the earth; had planted it in a very fruitful hill; had fenced it round and gathered out the stones thereof. He looked that it should bear grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes (literally, poisonous berries, see Isa. v.). Men would call it a waste of time in a husbandman, who, having made such a trial of any plant with such results, should repeat his experiment. God is the great Husbandman, and He does nothing superfluously. While the Jews, under the law, were hardening their the mind of the criminal is a definition of New Testament repentance. It is but an illustration of one phase of the subject. THE KING'S HIGHWAY, hearts, and thus preparing themselves for blaspheming the Holy Ghost and murdering the Son of God, the Gentiles without law, professing themselves wise became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Iniquity had come to the full it was manifest that man under law, and man without law, was an utterly corrupt and evil creature. : John the Baptist came and laid the axe to the root of the tree. No more parleying with man, no more concession to the hardness of his heart (see Matt. xix. 8), no more trying whether, under any possible circumstances, man could be reclaimed. John's testimony was, that every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. But the law, by making the offence abound, had given overwhelming evidence that every human tree was utterly and hopelessly evil. Of old time God had said, "The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant," but briers and thorns have come up over it, and "in the wilderness of Judea" John preaches, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." John preached the baptism of repentance, and the angel Gabriel expounded the term when, quoting Malachi, he said to Zacharias, "He shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just." The cry, "Repent ye," was repeated by the Lord who came "not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance," and was echoed by the apostles, who preached, "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." But if the preacher now bids men repent, does he not tell them to do something before coming to Christ, and so interpose an impassable barrier between them and Him? We reply, that the command to a man to be anything other than he is, is as impracticable as to bid him do anything. And therefore the rule which forbids the preaching of repentance, rejects also the word of reconciliation which God hath committed unto us, and forbids us, as ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech by us, to pray in Christ's stead, "Be ye reconciled to God." But if this is ground which no true man would take, then we say that this word of reconciliation is but repentance differently expressed. Change of mind toward God -repentance toward God-" to turn the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just." "Repent" is a command, and "Be ye reconciled" is an entreaty. But to the longing soul the command is a loving invitation, and to the soul full of earth, and self, and sin, the kind entreaty is a hard command. Men hear the voice from heaven according to the condition of their hearts; some say, "It thundered;" others, that "An angel spake" (John xii.). . But to require faith as a condition of salvation is to interpose a barrier just as impassable as to demand repentance, for faith is as far beyond the reach of man as repentance; both are alike the gifts of God. And this leads us back to that precious passage in 2 Cor. v., "All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation: to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." "God was in Christ," there was the efficacy of the cross. Christ is in the word, there is the power of the preaching; and whether the word be "Repent, ," to an unawakened sinner, or "Believe,” to an inquiring and repentant sinner, Christ is in the word spoken. We preach Christ-Christ crucified, Christ risen-and He who bid the man stretch forth his withered hand, and said to the widow's son and to the ruler's daughter, "I say unto thee, Arise;" and to Lazarus, "Come forth!" will surely stand by his own ambassadors, whether, fastening their eyes upon a lifelong cripple, they bid him in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk; or in the same name command all men everywhere to repent; or, in Christ's stead, beseech them to be reconciled to God. Did Jesus mock the sleeping bodies which He raised to life; or Peter and John torture with impossible commands the lame man lying at the Beautiful gate of the house of prayer? Nay, verily. And by how much the undying soul is more precious than the poor clay tabernacle she shall so soon put off, by so much greater is the certainty that the only wise God our Saviour will never say to men, "Repent," "Believe," "Be reconciled," without giving, with the command, to every willing soul, the power to obey. So far as the Father and Christ are concerned, neither faith nor repentance comes in question. The Father was pleased and satisfied with his Son's work; but when the sinner's acceptance comes in question, then both repentance and faith are needed. The work of Christ is irrespective of us-of our feeling faith, repentance, &c. It is a sweet savour of God, whether we will have it or not; but the moment we come to appropriate this, then repentance, and faith, &c., are brought into question. The object of the preacher should be to lead the sinner to repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. This is not wrought by crying Repent," or "Believe," apart from the exhibition of the fallen condition of man, on the one hand, and the redemption work of Christ, on the other. Before a man repents, he must be convinced of sin; before he believes on Jesus, he must know what He has done. The preaching of Christ crucified effects all this. The lifting up of Jesus to sinner |