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and salvation are actually conferred would be hard, and indeed palpably upon sinners, may be thus illus- unjust, to send him, with all his trated. A state-criminal, under sen- imagined good qualities, sincere tence of death, is thus addressed obedience, and good intentions, to by his prince: "You deserve to keep company with thieves, mursuffer the rigour of your sentence: derers, and prostitutes in the botno excuse can be made for your tomless pit. Such indeed is the rebellion, nor one alleviating cir- self-love and self-partiality of mancumstance found in your case: yet, kind, that you will find few, if any, by my own clemency, I am disposed even of the vilest characters, who to show mercy, so that I may but have not something of this kind to do it honourably; and so, as effec- plead in arrest of judgment: every tually to express my disapprobation man's own faults seem to himself of your crime for an example to more venial than those of other others. I will, therefore, seat my-men, and his supposed good qualiself upon my royal throne, sur-ties and actions more estimable; rounded by my nobles, and multi-and thus the sinner "flatters himtudes of my subjects, as witnesses self in his own eyes, until his iniof your submission and my cle-quity be found to be hateful." But, mency. Do you then approach and especially, this is the grand objecprostrate yourself in my presence, tion of the rich, the moral, and the publicly and humbly confess your pharisaical. These would bid high guilt, acknowledge you justly merit and do much, yea, almost any thing to be immediately led to execution, but this, which is so intolerably then throw yourself upon my royal mortifying to their self-preference. mercy, and crave your life at my On this ground principally numbers hands. In this humbling method, reject the gospel, part from Christ, and in no other, will I forgive your and come short of salvation : as crimes, and become your friend."- there is no difference; for all have I speak not here of that redemption sinned," all are condemned, none price which Immanuel paid, that can make satisfaction: all then that "God might be just and the justi- are saved must condemn themselves, fier of him who believeth;" but and submit to be saved by grace merely of the glory of God's justice alone, through faith in the Son of in our condemnation, and of his God. But whilst such persons mercy in our salvation; which he proudly hesitate and object, the requires to be unreservedly and cor- publicans and harlots being brought dially acknowledged by every one who comes to him for pardon.

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to true repentance, approve of this humbling method, and enter into the kingdom of heaven before them.

But an impenitent sinner always rejects, and generally is affronted VIII. Without repentance there with, this preliminary of peace and can be no preparation of heart for reconciliation. He stands upon his that "holiness, without which no vindication, and holds fast his pleas man can see the Lord." All true and excuses. If he allow that he Christians are zealous of good works. hath his faults, he insists that he being taught by " the grace of God hath his virtues, and expects that which bringeth salvation, to deny they should be accepted by way of ungodliness and worldly lusts, and compensation. He hopes also to to live soberly, righteously, and do something more by way of aton- godly, in this present world." The ing for his faults; and thinks it Christian indeed is very far from

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perfection in good works, and there-hypocrisy: " for if ye forgive not fore he cannot be justified by them; men their trespasses, neither will neither does he at all depend on your heavenly Father forgive your them: but, by his sincere obedi- trespasses." So that without reence, his unreserved observation pentance no man can serve God here, of Christ's commands, he proves or be saved in the world to come. that he is a true believer, and no Lastly, Without repentance there hypocrite; he glorifies God, adorns can be no meetness for heaven. the gospel, and promotes the real Without a correspondent disposigood of mankind. tion, without an appetite prepared

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But by deep repentance alone is for the object, there can be no gratithe heart prepared for such a holy fication. A holy heart relishes and conduct. Without this, there can delights in holiness, and is thus be no" ceasing to do evil, or learn- prepared for the enjoyment of a ing to do well;" no "hating the holy heaven. But he who despises evil, and loving the good;' no and disrelishes holiness in this abhorring the evil, or cleaving to world could find no happiness in that which is good." Without re- that place, where all the joys are pentance we cannot really love God, holy, and where consequently all desire his glory, reverence his ma- the employments would be irksome jesty, or delight in his law and to him. No impenitent sinner has service. Mere moral and relative this "meetness for the inheritance good behaviour in the world, with- of the saints in light;" because he out any due regard to God; or cannot relish and delight in holimere external performances in reli-ness: for as soon as he becomes of gion, may subsist without repent- this disposition, he must in proporance: but that holiness which re- tion abhor unholiness, and abhor spects the authority of God, as himself for his sinfulness; that is to Law-giver and Judge, which springs say, he must repent of his sins. from love of him and his com- The whole company of the remandments, and is intentionally deemed are likewise represented as directed to his glory, can only be joining in cordial and unreserved produced from a heart renewed praises unto God and the Lamb; unto repentance. giving all the glory of their salva

Especially that deep sense of tion to the rich mercy of the Father, personal unworthiness, which is and the precious blood of the Sapeculiar to the true penitent, pre-viour. These praises imply an pares the heart to exercise genuine acknowledgment of the justice of gratitude, contentment, patience, the sentence executed upon the unmeekness, forgiveness of injuries, godly: nay, they imply that they and love of enemies. These dispo- themselves might justly, and should sitions and duties form a very con- certainly, have perished, with their spicuous part of the Christian cha- fellow-rebels, had not Jesus interracter, as delineated in the sacred posed with his atoning blood. But Scriptures: but no impenitent man could any impenitent sinner join can really exercise these graces, or this worship with sincere delight? perform these duties, whatever ap- Many openly arraign the conduct of pearances he may occasionally the Judge in condemning sinners to assume. Yet if this be not our eternal misery and every impenicharacter and conduct, our hope is tent heart is disposed to quarrel merely presumption, our profession with this part of the divine conduct.

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PART II.

The Nature of Repentance.

Nor would the case be different,| were it possible for a person of this description to enter into heaven: he would secretly condemn his Maker for severity, in eternally punishing I SHALL not spend my time in critiothers for the very crimes which he cally inquiring into the etymology, himself had committed, and never or the meaning of the words which repented of; he must dissent from are translated repentance in our those praises in his heart, which version of the Bible. Suffice it to arise from a principle of which he observe that μsтaμɛhoμal, one word allows not; namely, that distin- frequently used, signifies to be afterguishing grace and atoning blood wards careful or uneasy: and METAhave made all the difference be-voa, that more commonly used, tween him and those in hell: he signifies a change of mind, of judgcould not in sincerity allow that ment and disposition; which ideas God would have been glorious, severally and conjunctly express though he had left him to perish. the nature of repentance, as it may But there is neither hypocrisy, nor more fully be learned from the discordant voice, nor unholiness, in general tenour of the Scriptures. I those happy mansions; therefore no would then define true repentance impenitent sinner shall ever enter to be " A genuine sorrow for sin, into them. attended with a real inclination to

Because our self-love renders us undo, if it were possible, all that we so unwilling to believe this impor- have sinfully done; and consetant truth; because Satan with quently an endeavour, as far as we such artifice endeavours to draw off have it in our power, to counteract our attention from it; because we the consequences of our former evil are so reluctant of ourselves duly conduct; with a determination of to consider it; and because the mind, through divine grace, to walk entangling pursuits and interests, for the future in newness of life, the pleasures, maxims, and exam- evidenced to be sincere by "fruits ples of the world, have such a ten-meet for repentance;" that is, by dency to lull us into a fatal security all holy dispositions, words, and in this respect; I have the more actions. Enlarging on this definiimportunately laboured these multi-tion, I shall have an opportunity of plied demonstrations of the necessity expressing my sentiments on the of repentance. Surely, sinner, I nature of real repentance, and dishave gained my point, fixed thy tinguishing it from various counterattention, and fully convinced thee, feits.

that thou hast cause to repent, I. Repentance comprehends "a oughtest to repent, and must either genuine sorrow for sin." This imrepent or perish. Surely thy heart plies that there is a spurious sorrow is by this time in some measure on account of sin, which a man may suitably affected with the important have to excess without real repentsubject; and thou art even now, ance. This kind of sorrow arises with pressing anxiety, inquiring, from self-love, alarmed with the fear "What then is repentance?" Be- of punishment without regard to seeching the Lord to assist and bless the just desert of it. A man is the attempt, I shall endeavour with indeed grieved; yet not that he hath all possible seriousness and plain- sinned, but that God exceedingly ness, to satisfy this inquiry. hates sin, is determined to punish

it, and is able to execute this deter- ever, this general persuasion fremination in spite of all opposition. quently excites, from time to time, He is extremely sorry that the law considerable uneasiness of consciis so very strict, and greatly terri-ence to him who considers himself fied when he reflects on the danger impenitent. But when men falsely to which he stands exposed: but he imagine that they have repented, is not grieved at heart for the odious or do repent, this uneasiness ceases, ungrateful part he hath acted. In and they continue impenitent with human affairs many, under con- a quiet mind.

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demnation of death, appear thus Let me here entreat the reader penitent, whose insincerity is de- to pause, and put a few questions tected by a pardon, and they rush on the subject to himself. upon the commission of new crimes. it not been thus with me? Is it not Many penitents of this description so to this hour? Do I not keep my we meet with on sick-beds, or in conscience from reproaching me, circumstances of imminent danger or silence its friendly admonitions, they are under excessive terrors, by some general apprehension, that shed abundance of tears, and make I am at times a penitent?" I bemany fair promises; but when the seech thee leave not this consideraalarm is over, their repentance is tion, till thou hast carefully exrepented of, and their concern lost amined it, as in the sight of God, in company and worldly pursuits. and with the day of judgment beThey likewise abound among the fore thine eyes. Most certain it hearers of the gospel. Like Felix, is that multitudes live all their when the word of God is brought lives in a continued course of sinhome to their consciences, they ning and repenting in this way; tremble, and perhaps weep: but and at length die impenitent. they are soon quieted; and return But a man may be really sorry to the pursuit of their worldly in- for particular sins, without being a terests and pleasures with unabated true penitent. Conscience somealacrity: many of these embrace times so reproaches men for certain false and loose schemes of religion, enormous violations of all laws, huare buoyed up with presumptuous man and divine, as to render them hopes, and practically say, "let us a terror to themselves: yea, they sin on, that grace may abound." are exceedingly sorry that they ever Having got over their alarm, their committed those particular crimes, repentance is finished; they live and would gladly undo them were without remorse for the past, or ten- it possible: and yet this hath noderness of conscience for the present, thing in it of the nature of true renor have they any trouble in gene-pentance. Thus Judas repented of ral about their sins; except per- betraying Christ, confessing his chance, some outrage to common guilt, making restitution, and even decency shame them before their seeking to prevent the consequences fellow sinners. of his base treachery; indeed he

These transient alarms and con- was so stung with remorse, that he victions are most effectually made could not live under the anguish, use of by Satan, to keep men from but became his own executioner. true repentance. A general per-Yet he was not a true penitent; for suasion prevails, that we ought to the Lord assures us, "It had been repent, though few understand the good for that man had he never real nature of repentance. How-been born."

And we do not find that he ever injustice and ingratitude of which expressed the least remorse for his he hath been guilty, and the complihypocrisy, his covetousness, or his cated odiousness of his conduct. other wickedness of heart and life, As every sin partakes of the same which he had continued in all his nature, and implies the same disredays. The case is often the same gard to God, he mourns for all, and with murderers, who are unspeak-every one; whether man were inably troubled for one act of violence jured by it or not; whether it were to a fellow creature; but not in the secret or open; a sin of omission, least concerned for all the contempt, or of commission; and whether it ingratitude, and enmity, of which were or were not contrary to the they have been guilty towards God. notions, maxims, customs, and alAnd the same is often observable lowance of the world. Yea, every in respect of many other notorious sinful temper, imagination, and inoffenders. This sorrow is not ex-clination; every idle, unprofitable cited by a conviction (resulting from word; every evil action of his whole knowledge and reflection), of deep life, as upon examination it recurs criminality, in having sinned hei- to his remembrance, excites afresh nously by disobeying a good God, his godly sorrow. In proportion and breaking a good law; but it as he recollects the numberless inarises from the horror of having stances of God's unwearied patience done violence to natural light and and kindness to him, in former years, their own consciences, to that de- he becomes more sensible of his gree, that none of their former ex- own ingratitude, forgetfulness, and cuses and pretences can pacify them: disobedience: and the further he God having preserved thus much of is enlightened to see the glory of himself and of his law in our reason God, the more hateful all sin apand conscience, as a check upon pears, and the more he mourns over natural depravity, and to bridle the his own offences.

headstrong corruptions of those, who As therefore the glory of the dineither fear him nor regard men; vine character shines forth more yet cannot act out all their evil pur-illustriously from the person and poses, without becoming their own suffering of Jesus, than from all the other works of God, the true peni

tormentors.

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But the sorrow of a true penitent tent's sorrow will be more or less is for sin, as committed against God, intense, in proportion to the degree being rebellion against his rightful of his spiritual apprehensions, and authority, and transgression of his realizing views, of that great event. holy law. Against thee, thee When with fixed attention he can only have I sinned, and done this meditate on the divine Surety for evil in thy sight." Psalm li. 4. sinners, agonizing in the garden and He mourns after a godly sort, with expiring on the cross; when he can a godly sorrow, or a sorrow which realise to his mind, in the exercise directly regards God. 2 Cor. vii. of faith, who he was that suffered; 9, 10. His sorrow springs from the and what he endured from the consideration of the majesty, purity, cruelty and insult of men, the power and excellency of that glorious Being and malice of Satan, and the avenging whom he hath offended, the reason-justice of the Father; and whereableness of the law which he hath fore he suffered, even that he might transgressed, the obligations to obe-bear our sins, and expiate our guilt: dience which he hath violated, the then, in an especial manner, his

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