Your prayer for forgiveness and repentance is itself a token of mercy, for the desire to confess and to turn from sin is worked in the renewed heart by the Holy Spirit. The word of the Lord to you is, There is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. Not with man only, but with God Himself, and that forgiveness is to be obtained from God through Jesus Christ His Son.
It is a divine forgiveness, I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake. It is surprising forgiveness, so surprising that the Lord repeats it lest any should doubt it, and it is complete forgiveness. He has no buts in His forgiveness. You make a clean breast in confession and He will give you a clean breast by absolution. Whatever your sins may have been, however great your guilt, there is forgiveness with God even for you, and it is to be had now through the blood of Christ who died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. A sigh, a groan, a genuine confession of sin, a believing glance of the eye to Christ on Calvary, and all is done, your sin has passed away.
And as to repentance, do not think it is a thing that happens at the commencement of the spiritual life and then is ended. Repentance lives as long as faith. There is a carnal repentance that is of the flesh and fears only judgment, but true repentance, the repentance which is the work of the Spirit of God and which God accepts, gives God glory. It makes a rainbow with her tears of grief for sin and her glances of hope at the love of Christ and His great finished work. It stands at the Cross and sees sin forgiven and then repents more than ever, saying, I know they are forgiven, but now their pain to me is all the grief and anguish they laid, my Lord, on You. Such repentance purges the soul from dead works and leads you to look out of self to Christ, and to Christ only.
Therefore make full confession before Him who will not mark iniquity against those who are in Christ, and ask Him to create in you a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within you. Think of the goodness of God and let it lead you to repentance, to hate sin because it is committed against so holy, so good, so glorious a Being as the infinitely blessed God, and to love Him who has provided eternal forgiveness for Christ's sake.
We join our prayers with yours that you may know this forgiveness in its fullness and that sweet sister Repentance may be your constant companion, keeping you near the Saviour and restoring to you the joy of His salvation.