George Macdonald

The Hope of the Gospel - Original Edition George Macdonald

In the first place, the user of the phrase either defines the change of mind he means as one that has for its object the pardon of God, or as one that reaches to a new life: the latter seems to me the more natural interpretation by far. The kind and scope of the repentance or change, and not any end to be gained by it, appears intended. The change must be one of will and conduct-a radical change of life on the part of the man: he must repent-that is, change his mind-not to a different opinion, not even to a mere betterment of his conduct-not to anything less than a sending away of his sins. This interpretation of the preaching of the Baptist seems to me, I repeat, the more direct, the fuller of meaning, the more logical.