gesUve. Repentance is not made of so much importance in our presentations of the gospel as it was by the apostles, but for their use of it we may find some adequatf) reasons. 1. The tcachin" of John the Baptist, and his requirement of repentance a.; pieparatory to the recepti~n of Messiah, retained its influence upon them. 2. When their Master had sent them out on their trial mission, he had given them this distinr,t mesBA.ge, "Repent: for tho kingdom of heaven is at band." 3. When their Lord had been shamefully crucified, by the scheme':! of the leaders and representatives of the nation, and they had been confirmed in their belicf in his Messiahship by his 1·esurrection and ascension, they felt that the judicial murder of the Messiah was the greatest of national crimes, and so they realized how essential was repentance as preced- ing a profession of faith in him. They had spoken to Jews who, as a nation, through its representatives, had said," His blood be on us and on our children," and therefore St. Peter, when answering their question," What shall we do?" on the day of Pentecost, said," Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (eh. ii. 38). And in his sermon following on the l1ealing of the Jame man, he said," Repent ye therefore, and be converted" (eh. iii. 19). And wheu called to plead before the great council, he further declared concerning Christ, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repent- ance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (eh. v. 31). Having this prominent to their minds as the very gist and essence of the gospel message, the Jerusalem disciples spoke in accordance with it when they accepted St. Peter's explanations, and said, "Tbeu bath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." 'l'he force of the combi- nation of these terms," repentance" and " life," will be felt if we consider- !. REPENTANO!: AS THE FIRST GOSPEL DEMAND. 'l'he distinct meaning of the term should be noticed, and the precise meaning of the two Greek equivalents for our one word "repentance" may be pointed out. It is in the higher sense that the term is used by the apostles, and it includes (1) conviction of sin; (2) sorrow for sin; (3) desire to be delivered from sin; (4) serious purpose to put away and resist sin. If the gospel wen, merely some educational or even some moral scheme for elevating the race, it need make no demand for" repentance." It is a scheme for the deliverance of men from the penalty and the power of sin, and this it can never effect save as it can work along the line of man's own will. And the only sign and expression of a man's sense of sin and desire to be freed from it is this "repentance" which the gospel demands. It is the only attitude which the gospel can meet, the only state of mind and feeling with which it can deal. A man is closed in and buttressed against Divine salvation, redemptioa by grace, until he "truly and unfeignedly repents," and so feels the need and value of Divine forgiveness, healing, and life. This point may be fully illustrated and enforced, and it may be shown that still the preaching of the gospel fails that does not make firnt demand for repentance. St. Paul's great address to the learned Athenians has this for its point and application: "The limes of this ignorance God winked at; but now com- mandeth all men everywhere to repent" (eh. xvii. 30). II. REPENTANCE IB THE Fm:;T SIGN OF LIFE. The way in which our Lord made !1is disciples familiar with the term "life" should be pointed out. Right relations with God are spoken of as "life," "eternal life." Those relations into which we may come through the Lord Jesus Christ are emphatically recognized as "life;" the only true, eternal, spiritual life. It is this "life" into which the disciples recognize that the Gentiles are admitted. When this is fully apprehended, the place of repentance in relation to the life will be readily recognized. 'l'o feel sin and the need of a Saviour is the first sign of the life; it is its first breath; with it the life necessarily begins. M~u absorbe<l iu self find a new life when self is crushed in the dust. Men" dead in trespasses and sins" are raised up, to look and breathe and speak, when sorrow for sin comes to them. This is well illustrated in T. Moore's familiar poem of 'Paradise and the Peri,' in 'Lalla Rookh.' The most precious thing on earth, that which may even ?pen heaven's gate to the banished peri, is the tear that falls from the eye of the pemtent Binner. III. REPENTANCE GIVES PLACE TO LIFE, It is here cRlled ·"repentance unto life." R~pentance is a step up to something else. Repentance_ is e. temporary c?nilition of mmd e.nd feeling, through which o. mo.n passes to somethu~g better, son:ething perma- neni. Show how it pe.sses (1) into the joyous sense of forgiveness; (2) 1Dto the blessed tim AO'I'S otr TllE APOSTLES. (mt. u. l""-80.
life of trust in the living Saviour; and (3) into the infinite happinoes of setting our lo\'e upon Christ, and finding ourselves sanctitied by the responses and gracious workings of his love to U!I.. In conclusion, urge th11t repentance is still the one and only threshold of life. " Humbled" we must be "under God's gracious hand," before we can be "exalted iu his due time." We dare not hold back to-day our Lord's demand of" repentance unto life."-R. T.