155. Fountains of Repentant Tears.

And when he thought thereon, he wept. - Mark 14:72.

REPENTANCE is wrought by the Spirit of God. But he works it in us by leading us to think upon the evil of sin. Peter could not help weeping when he remembered his grievous fault.

Let us at this time—

I. STUDY PETER'S CASE, AND USE IT FOR OUR OWN INSTRUCTION.

He considered that he had denied his Lord.

· Have we never done the like?

· This may be done in many ways.

2. He reflected upon the excellence of the Lord whom he had denied.

3. He remembered the position in which his Lord had placed him, making him an apostle and one of the first of them.

· Have we not been placed in positions of trust?

4. He bethought him of the special intercourse which he had enjoyed. He and James and John had been most favored (Matt. 17:1-13; 27:36-46; Mark 5:37-43).

· Have not we known joyous fellowship with our Lord?

5. He recollected that he had been solemnly forewarned by his Lord.

· Have we not sinned against light and knowledge?

6. He recalled his own vows, pledges, and boasts. "Although all shall be offended, yet will not I" (verse 29).

· Have we not broken very earnest declarations?

7. He thought upon the special circumstances of his Lord when he had so wickedly denied him.

· Are there no aggravations in our case?

8. He revolved in his mind his repetitions of the offense, and those repetitions with added aggravations: his lie, his oath, etc.

· We ought to dwell on each item of our transgressions, that we may be brought to a more thorough repentance of them.

II. STUDY OUR OWN LIVES, AND USE THE STUDY FOR OUR FURTHER HUMILIATION.

1. Think upon our transgressions while unregenerate.

2. Think upon our resistance of light, and conscience, and the Holy Spirit before we were overcome by divine grace.3. Think upon our small progress in the divine life.

4. Think upon our backslidings and heart-wanderings.

5. Think upon our neglect of the souls of others.

6. Think upon our little communion with our Lord.

7. Think upon the little glory we are bringing to his great name.

8. Think upon our matchless obligations to his infinite love.

Each of these meditations is calculated to make us weep.

III. STUDY THE EFFECT OF THESE THOUGHTS UPON OUR OWN MINDS.

1. Can we think of these things without emotion?

· This is possible; for many excuse their sin on the ground of their circumstances, their constitution, their company, their trade, their fate: they even lay the blame on Satan, or some other tempter. Certain hard hearts treat the matter with supreme indifference.

· This is perilous. It is to be feared that such a man is not Peter, but Judas: not a fallen saint, but a son of perdition.

2. Are we moved by thoughts of these things?

· There are other reflections which may move us far more. Our Lord forgives us, and numbers us with his brethren. He asks us if we love him, and he bids us feed his sheep.

· Surely, when we dwell on these themes, it must be true of each of us: "When he thought thereon, he wept."