81. Царская милость, законопреступникам обещанная, и объявленная, и являемая обращающимся

It happens that the Tsar, wanting to pardon and correct criminals of the law and depraved people, who themselves perish and cause great harm to the Fatherland, with the promised mercy distracts them from their villainous deeds, and, leading them to a correct life, declares everywhere by decree that if they, having voluntarily admitted their crime, correct themselves and henceforth live decently, then all their villainous deeds will be left to them and will not be remembered, and they themselves will be in live in peace and quiet, like other sons of the Fatherland. And those who, having felt the king’s mercy towards themselves, receive mercy from the King, act in accordance with the declared decree. So God, the Heavenly King, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, desiring to have mercy on sinners, through His holy Word declares repentance to them, so that they would leave behind their sins and turn to Him with true regret and contrition of heart, and correct themselves. "Repent!" (Matthew 3:2). And when they do this, the Good and Humane-loving God promises to forgive all their sins, whatever they have committed, and not to remember them. “If a wicked man turns from all his iniquities, he will live and not die; ...all his sins that he has committed will not be remembered to him” (Jer.31:34; Ezek.18:21-22). The Merciful God affirmed this merciful promise of His “by His oath,” so that poor sinners would not doubt His promise, and would not be afraid to turn and come to Him in repentance. “As I live,” says the Lord God, “I do not want the death of the sinner, but that he should turn... and live” (Ezek.33:11; Heb.6:13, 17-18; Ezek.45:22-23). This great and unparalleled mercy of God, declared to the whole world, was heard by many sinners, many robbers, fornicators and harlots, and other serious sinners, and kissed it with love, and, abandoning their vile deeds, hastened with repentance to their Merciful Creator, and received mercy from Him and, having been cleansed by repentance, became His friends and entered His eternal kingdom. Sinner! Why do you hesitate, hearing such a merciful saying from the Heavenly Father? Publicans and repentant fornicators delight the kingdom of heaven, why do you remain in your sins and linger in them, as if on someone else’s side? God, as a loving Father, is waiting for you! Come on, come to your senses and hasten with repentance to the Heavenly Father. Truly, I tell you, he will receive you with joy, and with merciful eyes he will kindly look at you, and “he will take pity on you and, running, will fall ... on your neck and kiss you.” Don't be afraid! He will not give you any reprimand for your malfunction and your excommunication, but he will order you to be dressed in “the best clothes” and given a ring on your hand and boots on your feet. Then the Angels of God will rejoice in you. Then the same word will be said about you: “This son of mine was dead and is alive, he was lost and is found” (See Luke 15:20, 22, 24). Let us hasten, let us hasten, poor sinner, to the Heavenly Father, while He waits and the doors of His kingdom are open! Lawbreakers who despise the declared royal mercy and become embittered in their villainy, do not want to give up evil and destructive deeds, worthily turn the royal mercy into great anger, and having already been convicted by the court, they will be executed to the fullest extent of the law. They did not want to accept the declared royal mercy for correction and for their benefit, so they will recognize his justice and his righteously vengeful hand. Then the royal anger will flare up greatly against such insensitive and ungrateful people. Likewise, sinners who now hear preached repentance and God’s mercy shown to those who repent, but do not want to sincerely convert, give up their sins and do repentance, instead of God’s mercy, they will recognize His truth and vengeful hand. “He will rain down snares on the wicked: fire and brimstone, and a stormy spirit—their portion is out of their cup” (Ps. 10:6). “But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. This is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). Then they will actually recognize for themselves those terrible threats that they now hear in God’s holy word. Those who show God’s mercy do not want to know about themselves, so they will know His vengeful truth. Now God calls and promises mercy, and then He will send them away and pour out His righteous wrath on them. Now he says: “Repent”, and then he will say: “Answer”: Now he says: “Come to Me,” and then he will say: “Depart from Me.” Where? “Into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Now he listens to those who repent and pray to Him, and then sinners will hear: “I don’t know you, you didn’t recognize Me, and I don’t recognize you, you didn’t listen to Me, and I don’t listen to you.” “I called, and you did not listen; I extended My words, and you did not heed, but you rejected My counsels, and did not heed My reproofs. So, I will laugh at your destruction; I will rejoice when destruction comes upon you" (Prov. 1:24-26). And again: “I called, and you did not listen; I spoke, and you did not listen, but did what was evil in Me and chose what was displeasing to Me. Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My servants will eat, but you will hunger; Behold, My servants will drink, but you will... crave; Behold, My servants will rejoice, but you will be ashamed; My servants will rejoice in the joy of their hearts, but you... will cry out in the pain of your heart and mourn out of brokenness of heart” (Isaiah 65:12-14). Sinners! Let us fear God’s prohibitions, let us repent while repentance is preached. Let us gratefully accept God's mercy while it appears. Let us turn to God while he is calling and waiting. Let us pray to Him while He listens to those praying. “We are messengers on behalf of Christ, and it is as if God Himself exhorts through us; On behalf of Christ we ask: be reconciled with God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. We, as companions, beg you so that the grace of God will not be received by you in vain. For it is said: in an acceptable time I heard you and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 5:20–21, 6:1–2). “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls; for My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” says the Lord (Matthew 11:28–30). “Or do you neglect the riches of God’s goodness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that God’s goodness leads you to repentance? But, due to your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds: to those who, by persistence in good deeds, seek glory, honor and immortality - eternal life; and to those who persist and do not submit to the truth, but indulge in unrighteousness - rage and anger. There is tribulation and distress for every soul of every man who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek” (Rom. 2:4–9). You might be interested in: