having fled for refuge to lay hold on | Having given a brief narration of the hope set before us in the gospel, his own miraculous conversion; he let us receive the trials allotted us, produced his commission to preach as the wise and holy appointments the gospel to the Gentiles:-" I of divine love; let us not judge of have appeared unto thee," says the Lord's dispensations by our feel- the divine Saviour," to make thee ings or reasonings, but by his holy a minister and a witness, both of word; and let us submit to his will, these things which thou hast seen, whatever he may withhold, take and of those things in the which I away, or inflict; assured that he will appear unto thee: delivering manages all our concerns in that thee from the people and the Genmanner, which is most conducive to our eternal interests, and best suited to illustrate the riches of his paternal liberality.

SERMON V.

ON REPENTANCE.

tiles, to whom now I send thee: to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon," says the apostle, "I was not disobedient to the heavenly ACTS, xxvi. 19, 20.-Whereupon, Ovision, but shewed," first to the Jews king Agrippa, I was not disobedient and then to the Gentiles, "that to the heavenly vision: but shewed they should repent and turn to God, first unto them of Damascus, and and do works meet for repentance." at Jerusalem, and throughout all He did not think that in doing thus, the coasts of Judea, and then to the "he was disobedient to the heaGentiles, that they should repent, venly vision:" whence we may and turn to God, and do works assuredly conclude, that in his meet for repentance. view of Christianity, these practical THE propriety and address of the subjects entirely consisted with the apostle Paul's speech before Agrip- doctrines of faith and grace, with pa, Festus, and that august assem- which his epistles abound. The bly, in whose presence he stood several Christian graces may, and as the prisoner of Jesus Christ, should be distinguished, as they have been generally admired: but have their appropriate nature and the faithfulness and courage, with use: but they cannot be separated which he pleaded the cause of the in the person who possesses them. gospel, are perhaps still more de- For instance, an impenitent believer, serving of our attention. He paid and an unbelieving penitent are ideal no court to his illustrious auditors; characters: true faith is a penitent he attempted not to ingratiate faith, and true repentance is believhimself with them, or even to ing repentance: yet the nature and shun their contempt or aversion: use of repentance and faith should while he used the most effectual plainly be distinguished. means of convincing them, not only will appear more evidently, while that Jesus was the promised Mes- from the text we take occasion to siah, but that faith in him was ab- consider,

solutely necessary to salvation, and

This

that all men without exception I. The importance of the subject, ought to "repent and turn to God, as it appears from the Scriptures. and do works meet for repent- II. Certain things which are implied in it.

ance."

III. The peculiar nature of been done in Tyre and Sidon, which repentance and turning unto God. have been done in thee, they had IV. And lastly, The works meet a great while ago repented, sitting for repentance. in sackcloth and ashes." Luke x. 10-14.

was lost and is found, was dead and is alive."

I. Let me call your attention, my Does our Lord say in one place, brethren, to the importance, or pro"the Son of man came to seek and minence of this subject, as it appears to save that which was lost?" He from the Scriptures, especially from elsewhere explains it," I came not the New Testament. to call the righteous, but sinners to John the Baptist was the pre- repentance." Does the good Shepdicted forerunner of the Messiah, herd rejoice and call his friends to who was sent to prepare the way of rejoice with him, when he bas the Lord when he came in human brought home the lost sheep?" So nature among his ancient people likewise is there joy in heaven," the Jews: but how did he execute even " among the angels of God," his important office? He 66 came I over one sinner that repenteth :" preaching, Repent ye, for the and when the prodigal, returning kingdom of heaven is at hand." to his father, was graciously welLet me entreat your serious atten- comed, all the family was called tion to this circumstance :-not- on to rejoice; "for this, my son, withstanding the advantages of that favoured nation, with all their notions and forms of godliness; there On the other hand, Christ" upwas no order of men, no religious braided the cities, in which his sect, no individual whatever, that mighty works had been done, bedid not want repentance, as a pre-cause they repented not." He told paration for welcoming the Messiah, the people, "that the men of Ninand sharing the blessings of his eveh would rise up in judgment spiritual kingdom. Insomuch, that with that generation and condemn the Baptist said to the Pharisees, it; because they repented at the as well as to the Sadducees, "O preaching of Jonas: and behold a generation of vipers, who hath greater than Jonas is here." He warned you to flee from the wrath warned the Jews, that except to come? Bring forth therefore they repented, they would all likefruits meet for repentance: and wise perish." And he summed up think not to say within yourselves, the reasons of his gentleness to We have Abraham to our Father." notorious sinners, and his severity Matt. iii. 7-10. Not long after, in rebuking the Pharisees, in this our Lord himself condescended to remarkable passage;-" A certain preach the gospel; and he too said, man had two sons; and he came to "Repent; for the kingdom of hea- the first and said, Son, go to work ven is at hand." When the apostles to-day in my vineyard. He anwent forth at his command, they swered and said, I will not: but "preached every where that men afterward he repented and went. should repent:" and it appears from And he came to the second and part of his discourse to the seventy said likewise: and he answered and disciples, that they were charged said, I go, Sir; and went not. with the same commission; for he Whether of them twain did the said on that occasion, "Woe unto will of his father? They say unto thee, Chorazin, woe unto thee, Beth him, The first. Jesus saith unto saida; for if the mighty works had them, Verily I say unto you, the

66

:

publicans and harlots go into the boldly exposed the ignorance of kingdom of heaven before you. this renowned seat of pagan philoFor John came to you in the way of sophy, he said, "The times of this righteousness, and ye believed him ignorance God winked at, but now not: but the publicans and harlots commandeth all men every where to believed him and ye, when ye had repent." Acts xvii. 30. And stating seen it, repented not afterwards, that the substance of his preaching beye might believe him!" Matt. xxi. fore the elders of Ephesus, he thus 28-32. expressed himself, Testifying, When our Lord was risen from both to the Jews and also to the the dead, and about to ascend unto Gentiles, repentance toward God, the Father, he said to his apostles and faith toward our Lord Jesus on one occasion, "Go ye, preach Christ." Acts xx. 21. the gospel to every creature: he The same apostle, addressing that believeth and is baptized shall the unbelieving Jews, thus expostube saved: and he that believeth not lates with them, Despisest thou shall be damned." At another the riches of his goodness, and time he instructed them in this forbearance, and long suffering; manner. "Thus it is written, and not knowing that the goodness of thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and God leadeth thee to repentance; to rise from the dead the third day; But after thy hardness and impeniand that repentance and remission tent heart, treasurest up unto thyof sins should be preached in his self wrath against the day of wrath?" name unto all nations, beginning at Rom. ii. 4, 5. To the Corinthians Jerusalem." Mark xvi. 15, 16. he says, Godly sorrow worketh Luke xxiv. 46, 47. We may know repentance unto salvation not to be how the apostles understood their repented of." And he expressed Lord, after they were filled with his fears, that when he came among the Holy Ghost, if we attend to them he should lament many, which Peter, on the day of Pentecost, thus had sinned and had not repented. addressing the convinced Jews, 2 Cor. vii. 10. xii. 21. When he

Repent and be baptized, every described the case of those who had one of you, in the name of Jesus sinned beyond the reach of mercy, Christ, for the remission of sins:" he says, "It is impossible to renew and afterwards, " Repent and be them to repentance;" and on the converted, that your sins may be other hand he directed Timothy, blotted out;" not because your sins" In meekness to instruct those are blotted out; as some modern that opposed themselves, if peradsystems seem to require: and why venture God would give them reshould men alter the order of Scrip-pentance to the acknowledging of tural exhortations, unless they mean the truth." Where it is particuto change or confuse the doctrine larly to be remarked, that repentance of Scripture? Acts ii. 38. iii. 13. is considered as an essential pre

When Peter related the circum-paration of mind for the reception stances of Cornelius's conversion of the truth, in order that they may to his brethren at Jerusalem, they" recover themselves out of the made this remark, "Then hath God snare of the devil, who have been also to the Gentiles granted re- taken captive by him at his will." pentance unto life." Acts xi. 18. 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. Heb. vi. 6. When Paul at Athens, before the And this agrees with Peter's advice celebrated council of Areopagus, to Simon Magus, Repent of this

thy wickedness, and pray God, if this perfect rule: yet all know perhaps the thought of thy heart more than they practise. Every may be forgiven thee." Acts viii. 22. man's conscience therefore must The testimonies already produced testify, if he allow himself time for may probably be deemed more than reflection, that he hath often wilfully sufficient for the purpose: but let neglected his known duty, and acted every one remember, that we are contrary to the conviction of his not only concerned to prove the own mind, for the sake of some truth of the doctrine: it is also idolized worldly object. And this requisite to show that the experi- alone proves, that he ought to ence and exercise of repentance are repent and turn to God, from whom indispensably necessary to salva- he hath in this manner inexcusably tion; and that this hath been a departed.

matter of the last importance in But the wrath of God is rereligion under every dispensation. vealed from heaven, against all I shall however only select one ungodliness and unrighteousness of passage from the Old Testament, men;" and not merely against with which to conclude this part of a few scandalous and enormous our subject. "I will judge you, crimes. Many painful effects of every one according to your ways, the divine displeasure are experisaith the Lord God; repent and enced during the present life, which turn yourselves from all your trans-universally terminate in death: gressions; so iniquity shall not be then the sinner's "body returns to your ruin. Cast from you all your the dust whence it was taken, and transgressions, whereby ye have the soul returns to God that gave transgressed, and make you a new it." Criminals suffer many things heart and new spirit, for why will previous to their trial; but the ye die, O house of Israel? For 1 principal punishment is subsequent have no pleasure in the death of to condemnation: thus "it is aphim that dieth, saith the Lord pointed to men once to die, and God; therefore repent, and turn after death the judgment;" and we ye.” ́ Ezek. xviii. 30-32. Let us are "warned to flee from the wrath then consider, to come;" from which Jesus delivers his people; who must suffer and II. Certain things, which are die like other men. The connecimplied in the language of the text, tion therefore between sin and fu"that men should repent, and turn ture condemnation to everlasting to God, and do works meet for re- punishment, which cannot be espentance." caped without repentance, is clearly It is evidently implied in these implied in the language of the text. words, that all men have sinned. Nor should we forget, that this God would never require any one condemnation is merited; for unless to repent, who had never offended: sin deserves the punishment deyethe commands all men every nounced, there can be no free where to repent." Sin is the trans- mercy in remitting it. When the gression of the divine law, either apostles were sentenced to stripes by omission or commission, by or death, for preaching the gospel, defect or redundance, in thought, they might lament the injustice of word, or deed. Few indeed of the the magistrates, but they could not human race are acquainted with repent of their own conduct in the full extent and spirituality of" obeying God rather than men."

Such persons, as deem the laws of delight supremely in the creature, any country iniquitous, and their in one form or other; while a selfgovernors oppressive, will complain sufficient, independent spirit, a when they suffer for disobedience; proneness to self-admiration, and to but they cannot repent, unless they seek their own will or glory as the be convinced of criminality in them- ultimate end of all their actions, selves. Nor can any man repent constitutes another kind of universal of breaking the law, and falling idolatry. Hence the necessity of under the condemnation of God, repenting and turning to God, as unless he allow that he deserves the supreme object of our love, and the threatened punishment. It the source of our felicity. would carry us too far, to prove or But we must also observe, that illustrate the justice of God in the the text contains an intimation of sentence pronounced against trans- mercy, and of the way the Lord gressors, by stating the rebellion, hath opened, in which the returning ingratitude, and enmity, which sinner may approach him, with full more or less connect with all our confidence of a gracious reception. violations of the divine law; but If there were any one, who had so surely, if crimes against our fellow-grievously offended, that no forcreatures may deserve death, sins giveness would be vouchsafed him, against our infinitely glorious Cre- even if he did most sincerely and ator merit a punishment propor-penitently seek it; God would tionably more dreadful. It is not never command that man to repent, commonly supposed that malefac-and turn to him. When a company tors are sufficiently impartial, even of malefactors have been convicted if in other respects competent, to on the clearest evidence of the most decide on the equity of the laws, atrocious crimes; a command from or to amend the criminal code. It their prince to own their guilt, and becomes us therefore, rather to sub-apply for mercy in a precribed way, mit to the justice of God, and to would be considered as an encousupplicate his mercy, than to reply ragement to expect a pardon. A against him, as if we would condemn hope would spring up in every that we may be justified. breast; and if any, who had unre

The text implies likewise, that servedly complied with this inall have turned away from God. junction, should at last be led to The characters of men are greatly execution, they would think themdiversified, but all "have forsaken selves trifled with; however just the fountain of living waters, to their punishment might otherwise hew out for themselves broken cis-be. Now the Lord hath revealed terns that can hold no water." himself as infinitely merciful to Apostasy from God, or a refusal to the fallen race of men; he hath render him the worship, love, grati- opened a new and living way, for tude, and obedience which he de- our approach to him upon a throne mands; alienation of heart from of grace; he hath invited us to draw him, and a disposition to seek hap-near, and plead the name of our piness any where, rather than in heavenly Advocate, and the merits his favour and service, are universal. of his atoning sacrifice; he hath "All we like sheep have gone commanded all men every where to astray, we have turned every one repent; and from these things we to his own way." All men are confidently infer, that every one, become idolaters; they desire and without exception, who 'through