Remember, too, that when our Lord Jesus was exalted, He not only gave us repentance by sending forth the Holy Spirit, but by consecrating all the works of nature and of providence to the great ends of our salvation,
so that any one of them may call us to repentance, whether it crow like
Peter's cock, or shake the prison like the jailer's earthquake. From
the right hand of God our Lord Jesus rules all things here below, and
makes them work together for the salvation of His redeemed. He uses both
bitters and sweets, trials and joys, that He may produce in sinners a
better mind toward their God. Be thankful for the providence which has
made you poor, or sick, or sad ; for by all this Jesus works the life of
your spirit and turns you to Himself. The Lord's mercy often rides to
the door of our hearts on the black horse of affliction. Jesus uses the
whole range of our experience to wean us from earth and woo us to
Heaven. Christ is exalted to the throne of Heaven and earth in order
that, by all the processes of His providence, He may subdue hard hearts
unto the gracious softening of repentance.
Besides,
He is at work at this hour by all His whispers in the conscience, by
His inspired Book, by those of us who speak out of that Book, and by
praying friends and earnest hearts. He can send a word to you which
shall strike your rocky heart as with the rod of Moses, and cause
streams of repentance to flow forth. He can bring to your mind some
heart-breaking text out of Holy Scripture which shall conquer you right
speedily. He can mysteriously soften you, and cause a holy frame of mind
to steal over you when you least look for it. Be sure of this, that He
who is gone into His glory, raised into all the splendor and majesty of
God, has abundant ways of working repentance in those to whom He grants
forgiveness. He is even now waiting to give repentance to you. Ask Him for it at once.
- Charles Spurgeon (All of Grace, Chapter 16: How Repentance is Given)
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