for mercy, and are horribly tormented with the fear of hell; but it is frequently but a worldly sorrow, for when the fears are gone, gone is the sorrow too, and they return to their evil ways. Men are often sorrowful enough when they have lost anything on which they had set their heart, and so make themselves wretched, and go about in a querulous, discontented manner, murmuring, and repining, and complaining; but it does not lead them to look up to God who chasteneth them, it only makes them miserable, and, perhaps, seek some more shameful and abominable sin, to drive away their moody and uncomfortable sensations. Poor people are often sorry, and talk of their cares, and troubles, and distresses, as if these were a claim upon God, that afterwards they should be happy; but they do not seek God the more, and so learn whether they have much or little to be therewith content. So that all sorrow leadeth not to repentance, but there is a worldly sorrow which worketh death, making men fruitlessly wretched now, and producing a more flagrant rebellion against God, by which the soul is finally destroyed.

Judas betrayed Christ, and Peter denied Him; and it repented Judas that he had done so, and Peter was so sorry that he was moved to most bitter tears. But how different was the nature of their sorrow! for Judas went out and hanged himself, but Peter could hereafter appeal to Him who searcheth the heart, Lord, Thou knowest all things: Thou knowest that I love Thee." And he showed forth his love, in that in many labours and under many crosses he fed Christ's sheep, and planted Christ's kingdom, and at last was crucified for his stedfast affection to Christ.

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But the mark which distinguishes a true sorrow, is, that it shall be "a godly sorrow," according to the will and appointment of God, and felt as in His sight. And so David cried unto the Lord, when he had sinned, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight." It is much to mourn for sin, because it is sin,—to feel that sin is the destruction of the soul's happiness, and that godliness alone gives peace, but that the wages of sin is death. is much to become enamoured of holiness,

It

were it only as a beautiful picture, which it grieves our soul that we are not like. It is much to be painfully sorry at the evil of which we are conscious in ourselves, when we look upon the fair loveliness of God's righteousness, seen in Himself, or seen in the character of His servants. It is much to feel a deep longing after those bright habitations of heaven, where sin cannot enter, and where nothing unholy shall ever be found, and to dread, exceedingly to dread the miserable, sinful home to which, in another world, the wicked are hastening. But this of itself is not enough. Many people wish for heaven, and fear hell, who yet are not seeking the one, or striving to escape the other. Many people lament their own sinfulness, and are taken with amazing admiration at the lives of good people, but yet it goes no further. Nay, I may say more,-I will say that sorrow for sin, if it springs from no other feeling than sin's native ugliness, and a wretched sense that we are sinful, will only work death; if it be no more than this, it will not We must do this, but we We must be conscious that

be godly sorrow.

must do more.

our sin has been a strange and unnatural rebellion against a gracious God; that it has been a breach of our vows of Baptism; that it has been a defiling of the Temple of God. And, moreover, we must bear in mind God's long-suffering, God's goodness, God's mercy, God's forgiveness, and these should lead us to repentance. The deep pangs of soul, which the prodigal felt, doubtless, arose much, nay, principally, from the sense that he was a prodigal son, and had spent in riotous living the sustenance that his Father had given him. And so his sorrow leads him back to his Father's house. Though I know no language sufficiently strong to describe that most poignant, bitter grief, which will rend and break the heart that properly regards its own waywardness, and God's mercy and compassion, yet will such a penitent, in all humbleness and with all abasement, return to his God whom he has offended, and pray Him to receive him again, though he has rebelled against Him, and have mercy upon him for His great mercy's sake in Christ Jesus. That penitent in the Gospel was at the feet of Jesus, washing His feet

with her tears, and wiping them with the hair of her head. Godly sorrow mourns for transgressions, because they are evil, and because they are offences against God, and yet returns to God, because His compassion brings men to repentance, and there is forgiveness with Him, that He may be feared. It is a strange intermingling of self-humiliation and hope in God.

And bringing men back to God, godly sorrow worketh out repentance.

These words tell us very much, of which men are but too often regardless. They think repentance is an instantaneous change of heart, operated in a moment upon receiving some striking warning, or when laid low on the bed of sickness, or in their dying moments, when life must soon be parted with. They would not think so, if they knew what repentance meant. They could not think so, if they had ever tried to repent. For striking warnings, or the hand of God in trouble, so far from being repentance, only sometimes lead to sorrow, and that sorrow is not always godly sorrow, and godly sorrow itself only worketh repentance, is not repentance itself.