universe are against Him doing so. The good, it may be, of millions
of immortal beings, is involved. He dare not, and He _cannot,_ until
there is a change of mind _in you._ You must repent. "Except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish."

Well, if repentance be an indispensable condition of salvation, let
us glance at it for a moment, and try to find out what repentance
really is; and, oh! how full of confusion the world and the church
are upon this subject! I say it, because I know it by converse with
hundreds of people. May the Holy Spirit help us!

Well, first, repentance is not merely conviction of sin. Oh! if it
only were, what a different world we should have to-night, for there
are tens of thousands on whose hearts God's Spirit has done His
office by convincing them of sin. I am afraid we should be perfectly
alarmed, astounded, confounded, if we had any conception of the
multitudes whom God has convinced of sin, as He did Agrippa and
Festus. Oh! I could not tell you the numbers of people, who, in our
anxious meetings, have grasped my hand, and said, "Oh! what would I
give to feel as I once felt! There was a time, fifteen, or seventeen,
or twenty years ago," and so on, "when I was so deeply convinced of
sin that I could scarcely sleep, or eat--that I could find no rest;
but, instead of going on till I found peace, I got diverted, cooled
down, and now, I feel as hard as a stone." I am afraid there are tens
of thousands in this condition--once convinced of sin.

There are thousands of others, who are convinced _now_. They say, "Yes,
it is true what the minister says. I know I ought to lay down the
weapons of my warfare against God; I know I ought to cut off this right
hand, and pluck out this right eye." They are convinced of sin, but they