What is repentance unto life?
Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience.
Proofs
- Repentance unto life is a saving grace, (Acts 11:28)
- whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, (Acts 2:37–38)
- and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, (Joel 2:12; Jeremiah 3:22)
- doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, (Jeremiah 31:18–19; Ezekiel 36:31)
- with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience. (2 Corinthians 7:11; Isaiah 1:16–17)
Additional Exposition
Section 1
Is true repentance, repentance unto life?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: God hath unto the Gentiles granted repentance unto life, (Acts 11:18)
Is there then a repentance that is not so?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Judas repented and went and hanged himself, (Matthew 27:3, 5)
Is true repentance a grace?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Christ is exalted to give repentance, (Acts 5:31)
Is it wrought by the word as an instrument?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Is not my word like a fire, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29)
And by the spirit as an agent?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: I will pour upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace, and they shall mourn, (Zechariah 12:10)
Is it a saving grace?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: It is repentance unto salvation, (2 Corinthians 7:10)
And shall none be saved without it?
Answer: No.
Proof: Thou, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up wrath, (Romans 2:5)
Section 2
Is there such a thing as legal repentance?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself? (1 Kings 21:29)
And may this be attended with great terror?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: It is a spirit of bondage unto fear, (Romans 8:15)
And with some external reformations?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Herod observed John, and when he heard him, he did many things, (Mark 6:20)
But is gospel repentance quite of a different nature?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Ye sorrowed after a godly sort, (2 Corinthians 7:11)
Section 3
Does true repentance imply conviction of sin?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: He is convinced of all, (1 Corinthians 14:24)
And is this conviction deep?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: They were pricked in their hearts, (Acts 2:37)
And painful?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: A wounded spirit who can bear? (Proverbs 18:14)
And abiding?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Thine arrows stick fast in me, (Psalm 38:2)
And in a sense mortal?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Sin revived and died, (Romans 7:9)
Doth this conviction extend to the sin of our nature?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: In sin did my mother conceive me, (Psalm 51:5)
And to the corruptions of the heart?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: The whole heart is faint, (Isaiah 1:5)
And to all actual sins?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did, (John 4:29)
And to the filth of sin as well as the guilt of it?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Behold I am vile, (Job 40:4)
Can those therefore be said to repent who are not so much as convinced of sin?
Answer: No.
Proof: I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright; no man repented of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? (Jeremiah 8:8)
Section 4
Does repentance imply sorrow for sin?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: My sorrow is continually before me, (Psalm 38:17)
But may there be a sorrow without repentance?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance, (2 Corinthians 7:9)
Is true sorrow for sin genuine and free?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Mine eyes pour out tears unto God, (Job 16:20)
Is it upright and sincere?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his own (Zechariah 12:10)
Is it pungent and strong?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: The people wept very sore, (Ezra 10:1)
And does it love to be private and retired?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: And the land shall mourn every family apart, and their wives apart, (Zechariah 12:12)
Section 5
Doth repentance imply hatred of sin?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: What I hate, that do I, (Romans 7:15)
And hatred of ourselves for sin?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: I abhor myself, (Job 13:6)
Is this hatred of sin universal?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: I hate every false way, (Psalm 119:128)
And irreconcileable?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:2)
Section 6
Is true repentance attended with a view of God’s mercy?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: There is forgiveness with thee, (Psalm 130:4)
And a hope in that mercy?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: There is hope in Israel concerning this thing, (Ezra 10:2)
Is a hope in God’s mercy a leading step to repentance?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance, (Romans 2:4)
And therefore where there is no hope can there be no true repentance?
Answer: No.
Proof: Thou saidst there is no hope, I have loved strangers, and after them I will go, (Jeremiah 2:5)
Section 7
Is repentance attended with holy shame?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: I am ashamed and blush, (Ezra 9:6)
And anxious fear?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: What carefulness it wrought in you— yea what fear, (2 Corinthians 7:11)
And a clearing of God?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: That thou mayest be clear when thou judgest, (Psalm 51:4)
And an humble submissive demeanour towards men?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him, (Lamentations 3:30)
Will penitent sinners confess their sins?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: I acknowledge my sin unto thee, (Psalm 32:5)
And aggravate their sins?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled, (Daniel 4:5–6)
And make reparation where it is possible?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: If I have taken away any thing from any by false accusation I restore him fourfold, (Luke 19:8)
Section 8
Does repentance imply a turning from sin?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: If I have done iniquity, I will do so no more, (Job 34:32)
Doth the true penitent turn from his beloved sin?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: I kept myself from mine iniquity, (Psalm 18:23)
And from all sin?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Repent and turn yourselves from all your abominations, (Ezekiel 14:6)
And so as never fully to return to it again?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Ephraim shall say, what have I to do any more with idols? (Hosea 14:8)
Section 9
Doth true repentance also imply a return to God?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: If thou wilt return, O Israel, return unto me, (Jeremiah 4:1)
And to Christ?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: Ye are returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, (1 Peter 2:25)
And a return to ourselves?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: He came to himself, (Luke 15:17)
And to duty?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: I turned my feet unto thy testimonies, (Psalm 119:59)
But can we thus turn ourselves?
Answer: No.
Proof: Surely after that I was turned, I repented, (Jeremiah 31:19)
Section 10
Do true penitents perform duty from a different principle than they did before?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: For the love of Christ constraineth them, (2 Corinthians 5:14)
And in a different manner?
Answer: Yes.
Proof: They serve God in a newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter, (Romans 7:6)
But do they perform it in a perfect manner?
Answer: No.
Proof: For in many things we offend all, (James 3:2)