shall be foi-given him He goes to God with love in
his heart, determining to justify God in whatever he shall do,
yea, even in his own eternal condemnation
Now this sorrow worketh repentance to salvation : it disposes a man to search out all his sins, and to humble himself for them in dust and ashes : it urges him to plead with earnestness the promises which God has made to returning penitents, and humbly to rely upon them : it causes him to seek after a con- formity to God's image; and determines him to glorify his Saviour with all the powers that he has. Such a repentance as this no man ever yet repented of; nor would he ever repent of it, however distressing the means had been by which it had been wrought in him. Every sorrow, short of this, would only issue in everlasting sorrow: but this sorrow invariably works repentance to life.]
Thus we have traced repentance to its source, and seen it in its cause. Let us proceed to trace it,
II. In its effects —
[The Apostle enumerates a great variety of effects pro- duced in the minds of the Christians at Corinth : and his words have certainly a primary reference to that particular people on that particular occasion : but they admirably express also the emotions which are universally produced by true repentance, in whomsoever it obtains. We may therefore be permitted to consider them in that view, or, at least, to accommodate them to that subject.
For the sake of an easy distribution of the subject we shall transpose the first word, and consider it last : we shall then see the effects of genuine repentance in reference to our past, present, and future conduct.
The Corinthians, humbled by St. Paul's reproofs, were studious to " clear themselves" to the world, to the Church, to their monitor, and to God himself; and to shew that they sincerely repented of what they had done amiss. They felt an " indignation" against the sin they had committed, and against themselves for having committed it; nor could they forgive themselves, till they knew that God had forgiven them. Thus will every true penitent endeavour to " clear himself," and render it conspicuous both to God and man, that he is
indeed a new creature He is " indignant," nor can he
endure himself, when he reflects on his past life : when he calls to mind his rebellion against God, and his contempt of Christ's redeeming love, he is covered with shame and con- fusion of face
The Corinthians, penetrated with a sense of their miscon- duct, felt a holy " fear," lest they should ever relapse into the