REPENTANCE UNTO SALVATION

"Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of." -II Corinthians 7:10 [KJV]

By legal preaching, setting forth the curses of the law, and the terrors of hell, a sinner’s conscience may be made to tremble under the dread of damnation. He may be said to repent. “Judas thus repented himself, and said, I have sinned.” He might be sorry for it. His sin might make his heart ache, and fill his soul with horrors. But here was no godly sorrow. God was not in all his thoughts. No repentance unto salvation: this was out of his sight. His repentance was unto damnation. For “he went out and hanged himself,” (Matthew 27:5.) Natural fears and legal terrors may excite sorrow without the grace of repentance. 

(1st.) What then is godly sorrow? It springs from God, it is excited by the views of God, it is directed to God, and arises in the heart on account of God. With David the soul cries, “against Thee only have I sinned,” (Psalm 51:4.) The heart is pierced to the very quick with anguish, for having sinned against a God in Christ, a sin pardoning, a soul comforting, a most affectionate Father. This is the sorrow of faith. It is grateful to God. 

(2dly.) It worketh repentance. It causes the soul to change its mind and its conduct. Its mind. Sin and Satan had deceived it. It foolishly fancied there were some sweet charms in sin, that could make it quite happy. But O, it now feels the wormwood and gall of it. It looks at its sin, and looks at its Saviour, and cries, O my Lord and my God, could I ever be so mad as to turn from Thee to sin! I lament my folly. Jesus pardon me. Its conduct. Godly sorrow causes the soul to turn away from sin with loathing and detestation, and to turn to the Lord, with humble faith, holy hope, ardent desire, and earnest cry, O my Jesus, “restore to me the joy of Thy salvation: cast me not away from Thy presence: take not Thy Holy Spirit from me,” (Psalm 51:11, 12.) Though sin has made me miserable, yet Thou and Thou only canst make me happy. 

(3dly.) This repentance is unto salvation. It brings the soul to Jesus. “There is salvation in Him and in no other,” Acts 4:12. 

(4thly.) This is not to be repented of. O my soul, canst thou ever change thy mind, concerning the precious salvation of Jesus, by repentance unto life, from a godly sorrow for sin! Beware then of those “fools who make a mock of sin,” (Proverbs 14:9.) Of those mad fools, who deride godly sorrow for sin, and laugh at all repentance as downright legality. But says Jesus, “except ye repent, ye shall all perish,” Luke 13:3.

‘Twas for my sins my dearest Lord 

Hung on the cursed tree, 

And groan’d away a dying life, 

For thee, my soul, for thee.

Whilst with a melting, broken heart, 

My murder’d Lord I view, 

I’ll raise revenge against my sins, 

And slay the murd’rers too.

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)