If In illustration of the change in life and position which this meant, the story of Marie Antoinette has been told, how she took off her old robes and put on new, as she entered France to become its queen. It just meant that she had put off the Austrian princess, and put on the French queen. So it is to be with us. Our repentance must mean a new life, in the freedom of sons. It must mean amendment of heart, and character, and will: the putting off of the old man, the putting on of the new.*
2. The prodigal said to himself: "I will arise, and go, and say." What is the meaning of these three expressions? They are of the simplest kind and belong to the common vocabulary of every- day life. Yet there is contained in them a perfect description of what is required of every man in the act of repentance. Every man who "repents him truly of his former sins" must first " arise " — must then " go " — and must then " say."
' Christina G. Rossetti, Poems, 251. ' V. L. Johnstone, Sonshiji, 66.
296 THE RETURN TO THE FATHER
(1) " I will arise." That means strictly " stand upright." For sin drags a man downwards, and the first step towards repentance from sin is to refuse to remain at the low level to which one has sunk. Get on your legs ! Look up to Heaven, to the God and Father of us all ! We know that, even as regards our bodies, it means something to keep them from bending and stooping towards the ground. We know that the downcast look and the drooping head are to be avoided. Only when we are in grief, or in disgrace, are these postures allowable. We see, then, that even our bodies teach us the need of uprightness. But this lesson, which even our bodies teach us, is in like manner the first lesson which the soul has to learn in the act of repentance. Eepentance is, in the first instance, a looking upward, a standing upright. It consists in saying, " I will not wallow any more on the ground. I feel that there is something within me which requires to be lifted above the level to which I have hitherto descended. Why should I not look beyond my past experiences to a better and higher life in the future ? "
^ I spent a very interesting and on the whole a very encouraging time in Northampton. I preached twice — once on Sunday at the dedication of St. Crispin's, and once on Sunday at St. Sepulchre's. It certainly was a great fact to see two hundred and fifty hona-fide Northampton shoemakers filling nearly half the new church ; and to have pointed out to me churchwardens and committee-men, zealous Churchmen and communicants, who two years ago were fierce Bradlaughites and infidels. I talked with one of these. I shall not easily forget the quiet earnestness and modesty of the man, nor the way he spoke of his conversion through hearing a sermon on the Prodigal Son. " It was that," he said, " that did it." I felt at the moment what a Divine unending power there is in that great word of Christ. How mightier than all our words and deeds ! How often in the world's history has that word, " I will arise and go to my Father," moved hearts that nothing else could move ? ^
I will arise, repenting and in pain;
I will arise, and smite upon my breast And turn to thee again;
Thou choosest best; Lead me along the road Thou makest plaia
* Life of Archhisho}) Magee, ii. 204.
ST. LUKE XV. 17-20 297
Lead me a little way, and carry me
A little way, and hearken to my sighs,
And store my tears with Thee, And deign replies To feeble prayers ; — 0 Lord, I will arise.^
(2) " I will go." That means strictly, " I will go on a journey." The man must not only stand upright in his present position, he must take up a new position. Now this new position is a long way off from the position which he at present occupies, and there- fore a journey is required. Indeed the chief source of his un- happiness has now come to be precisely this very fact, that though he hates his former sins, he is still living in the midst of those sins. He is there where he ought not to be — far, far away from his Father's house, a stranger in a strange land. So then all his efforts must be concentrated on a removal of himself, of his body not less than his soul, from the hateful house of bondage in which he is at present dwelling. " I will go," he says, " leave it all behind me, place myself out of its reach." And so he girds up his loins, takes with him his weapons, and starts on his journey.
H Mr. Spurgeon, after preaching on " Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean," received the following letter : —
" I feel so happy to tell you that the Lord has pardoned a poor outcast of society. I got into your place, in a crowd, hoping nobody would see me. I had been out all night, and was miser- able. While you were preaching about the leper, my whole life of sin rose up before me. I saw myself worse than the leper, cast away by everybody ; there is not a sin I was not guilty of. As you went on, I looked straight away to Jesus. A gracious answer came, ' Thy sins, which are many, are forgiven.' I never heard any word of your sermon, I felt such joy to think that Jesus died even for a poor harlot. Long ere you get this letter, I trust to to be on the way to my dear home I ran away from. Do please pray for me that I may be kept by God's almighty power. I can never thank you enough for bringing me to Jesus."