Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

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BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience." This is written
in the belief that repentance implies the making of restitution
where this is possible. This seems in harmony with the very
meaning of the word, and with the Saviour's approval of the
conduct of Zaccheus (Luke 19:8, 9). Dare we say that Adam
Clark's words are too strong: "No man should expect mercy
at the hand of God, who, having wronged his neighbour, refuses,
when he has it in his power, to make restitution. Were he to
weep tears of blood, both the justice and mercy of God would
shut out his prayers if he make not his neighbour amends for
the injury he has done him"? At any rate, such words emphasise
that repentance is not a maudlin sentiment. A. R. Main,
M.A.
728. "True repentance, like that of Zaccheus, affects eye, ear,
hand, foot : he saw he was a sinner, heard the message of
salvation, took hold of Christ by faith, and ran joyfully in the
way of obedience."
729. "Years ago," says J. Wilbur Chapman, "I was in an oldfashioned
camp-meeting in the United States. They told me
that the preceding summer they had a very distinguished doctor
of divinity there from the city of New York, and he had
preached to them on repentance in such a scholarly way that
they were not at all sure they ever had repented, and the longer
he preached the more confused they were. At that meeting,
also, was a famous old preacher who was known all over the
State. He was not much of a speaker. His grammatical mistakes
were many, but God used him. When the doctor of
divinity finished his celebrated sermon on repentance this old
man rose up and said : 'Will you allow me to preach on repentance?
I will take five minutes to do it.' The doctor of divinity
consenting, he began to walk down the aisle, and every step he
took he said this : T am going to hell.' You can imagine the
effect of that. A little bit startled, the people began to get up
all around the building to see him go. He got about two-thirds
of the way down the aisle, and the interest was at fever heat,
when suddenly he turned squarely about and said : 'I am going
to heaven.' Getting up on the platform, he said : 'That is
repentance.'
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