Repentance and salvation

My mom was preparing her ladies Bible study, and pulled out a book she's had for years. I've never seen her read it, but its always been there. Its called "Genesis to Deuteronomy" (catchy title, don't you think?) by C.H.Mackintosh, first published in the 1880's.
I found this quite-long quote to be fascinating.

Our divine Master called upon sinners to repent and believe the Gospel. Some would have us to believe that it is a mistake to call upon persons dead in trespasses and sins to do anything. "How", it is argued, "can those who are dead repent? They are incapable of any spiritual movement. They must first get the power ere they can either repent or believe."
What is our reply to this? A very simple one indeed-our Lord knows better than all theologians in the world what ought to be preached. He know all about man's condition-- his guilt, his misery, his spirtual death, his utter helplessness, his total inability to think a single right thought, to utter a single right word, to do a single right act; and yet, He calls upon men to repent. This is quite enough for us. It is no part of our business to seek to reconcile seeming differences. It may seem to us difficult to reconcile man's utter powerlessness with his responsability; but"God is his own Interpreter, and He will make it plain". It is our happy privilege, and our bounden duty, to believe what He says, and do what he tells us. This is true wisdom, and it yields solid peace. Our Lord preached repentance, and he commanded his apostles to preach it; and they did so constantly.