ST. MARK 83
demoniac envy. But, ah! thank God His true penitents have uttered that cry in very different tones. Job said, "I have sinned," and humbled himself under the mighty hand of God, and God exalted him. David said, "I have sinned," and in a voice broken by sobs sang the dirges of his De profundis and the wailing of his heart, and went forth to find the dark spirits of incest and fratricide walking in his house, but also to find that God restores to godly sorrow a clean heart and a free spirit. The prodigal said, " Father, I have sinned," and rose, poor boy, from the husks and swine and the far country to fling himself, weeping as if his heart would break, into his loving father's arms.^
^ There was once at Westminster School a singularly innocent boy whose name was Philip Henry. Though he was a Noncon- formist the stern royalist headmaster. Dr. Busby, loved him, and severe as he was he never chastised him but once, and then with the words, "And thou, too, my child." A holier boy, a holier man, never lived. A contemporary said of him, " Should angels come from heaven it is my sense they would not be heard with greater reverence. We praise all virtues in admiring him," Yet when Philip Henry was far advanced in years a young man said to him, " Mr. Henry, how long do you mean to go on repenting ? " • Sir," he meekly answered, " I hope to carry my repentance to the very gates of heaven." ^
^ Towards the end of his life, than which none has been seen more perfect outside the Gospels, St. Francis of Assisi wept so much over his sins that he injured his eyesight ; but he would listen to no remonstrance. " I would rather choose to lose the sight of the body than to repress those tears by which the interior eyes are purified that they may see God." As George Herbert lay a-dying he said, " I am sorry that I have nothing to present to my merciful God except sin and misery, but the first is pardoned, and a few hours will put a period to the latter." Francis Quarles, the author of the Emblems, expressed great sorrow for his sins, and when it was told him that he did thereby much harm to himself, he answered, They were not his friends that would not give him leave to repent. And Bunyan learned " that none could enter into life but those who were in downright earnest, and unless they left the wicked world behind them, for here (in the narrow road) was only room for body and soul, but not for body and soul and sin." One of the ablest men of his time used to say of Erskine of Linlathen that he never thought of God but the thought of Mr. Erskine was not far away ; yet Principal Shairp informs us that, in this holy man's last years, all who conversed intimately with him were struck with "his ever ' F. W. Farrar. « Ibid.
84 THE GREAT TEXTS OF THE BIBLE
deepening sense of sin, and the personal way in which he took this home to himself." Penitence is one of the signs of true religion in every age.^
^ The following curious dream was related to me by the woman who had the strange experience. She dreamed that she entered a large room where many people were on their knees in prayer. An old man with flowing beard was walking about ; a man like one of the old prophets. She asked him where she was, to which he replied, " What, do you live in Bristol, and not know where you are ? " " No," she answered. Then he told her that the kneeling people were inquiring how far they were from heaven. She said that she too would like to know. "Follow me," said the old man, and he led her towards an instrument like a telephone with a serpent-like pipe attached. He worked the apparatus and inquired, while the woman stood trembling for the answer. The reply came, " You are not on the road at all." Very sorrowful and shedding bitter tears she turned to leave the room. Just as she reached the door a voice, kind but firm, commanded her to stop. It was the old man's voice. When she turned round he said, " You're all right now." " How ? " she asked ; " I thought you told me I was not on the road at all." " Yes," he replied, " I did, but you are on the road now. You have just turned the corner and got on the right way. Those tears of yours are the tears of repentance, and now you are all right." 2
2. But repentance is more than sorrow. Sorrow for sin is one element of repentance, but you can be sorry without repentance. There is a kind of sentimental sorrow, a sorrow at the thought of coming retribution and exposure, which is mean, selfish, devilish, and is not healthy and life-giving. There is a sorrow that weeps at funerals and sentimental plays. There are multitudes of people who think they are not far from the Kingdom because their tears come easily ; they whisper all sorts of sweet messages to themselves because they can weep. They tell themselves that they are not hard, and therefore there must be hope for them, and all the while they are holding on to forbidden things and walking in forbidden paths.'