TCR 530, 535 - How Should a Person Repent?

TCR 530

The question then is, How ought a person to repent?
The answer is, Actually; that is, by examining himself,
recognizing and acknowledging his sins,
praying to the Lord and beginning a new life.
There can be no repentance for a person
without self-examination . . . ;
but examination must lead to a recognition of his sins,
their recognition to the acknowledgment that they are in him;
and these three duties
to the confession of his sins before the Lord,
prayer for help,
and then the beginning of a new life.
This is actual repentance.

TCR 535

Actual repentance, which consists in self-examination,
in the recognition and acknowledgment of one's sins,
in prayer to the Lord,
and in beginning a new life,
is exceedingly difficult
in the Reformed Christian world for many reasons
which will be given in the last article of this chapter;
therefore an easier kind of repentance
will be mentioned here.
When this is present in a person
who is meditating and intending any evil,
it causes him to say,
"I am thinking of this, and intending it;
but as it is a sin, I will not do it."
By this means the temptation from hell is broken,
and its further entrance prevented.
It is a remarkable fact
that it is easy for any one to rebuke another
who is intending evil, and say to him,
"Do not do this, because it is a sin,"
and yet it is difficult for him to say the same to himself.
For in the latter case it is a matter of will,
but in the former a matter of thought,
easily communicated because very superficial.

Inquiry was made in the spiritual world
as to who could exercise this repentance,
and they were found to be
as rare as doves in a vast wilderness.
Some said that they could do it,
but that they were not able to examine themselves
and confess their sins before God.
However, all who do good from a religious motive
certainly avoid actual evils;
yet seldom do they reflect
upon the interior things of the will,
imagining that they are not in evil
because they are in good;
in fact, that the good conceals the evil.
But, my friend,
the first essential of charity is to shun evils,
as the Word, the Decalogue, Baptism, the Holy Supper
and reason itself, all teach;
for how can any one shun evils and put them away
unless he examines himself?
and how can good become good
unless it is inwardly purified?
I know that all people of piety,
and all people of sound reason,
will assent to this when they read it,
and see that it is genuine truth;
yet there are few that will act accordingly.