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face to face." How far then doth except where the repentance is the general frame of his spirit, when counterfeit, and the faith dead. Gehis mind is comparatively dark and nuine repentance and faith are twin unaffected, come short of the per- graces produced together, thriving fection of repentance! Over this together, and forwarding each every sincere Christian mourns, and other's growth. It is true, some for this seeks forgiveness. exercises of faith precede, and pro

The

For similar reasons the fruits of duce repentance in the regenerate repentance do nothing towards soul: but repentance precedes, and atoning for our sins, meriting a re- makes way for that exercise of faith ward, or justifying us before God. which interests the soul in the meTake a familiar illustration: You rits of Christ for salvation. owe your tradesman a sum of mo- belief of the existence and perfecney; and you now continue to deal tions of God, his law, and governwith him for ready money only ment; of our relations, obligations, yet the old debt is not by this dimi- and accountableness to him; of the nished. But should you daily pur- future state, the day of judgment, chase to the value of a crown: and heaven and hell, always precedes only pay daily one shilling, your repentance, and is influential in debt would rapidly increase.-Per-leading man to it: a belief of sevefect obedience is no more than what ral truths respecting Jesus Christ is due to our Creator: so that after and his salvation, generally, though we have by sin for years run in perhaps not always, precedes. But arrear with him, did we obey, for he must be already in some degree all the remainder of a long life, as penitent, who can cordially approve perfectly as an archangel, our love and embrace that salvation; for and obedience would be no more whilst a man remains impenitent, than his due for the present, and his proud heart will have insupercould do nothing towards discharg-able objections to it; insuperable, I ing the old account: even with the say, in any other way, than by that apostle Paul's obedience the debt change of judgment and disposiwould rapidly increase. Sure I am, tion, which is denominated repentwhilst I now write, that I this mo-ance. ment am more deeply deserving of

som."

The salvation revealed in the condemnation than ever; because, gospel exalts God upon the throne, though I hope sincerely penitent, and requires the sinner to submit I daily add recent transgressions to his authority and righteousness, to my former sins, and shall cer- and give him the whole glory of his tainly perish, if Jesus do not plead salvation. This appears most equitfor me, "Deliver him from going able to the true penitent, and to down into the pit-behold the ran- him alone. "Let God be glorified, says he, by all in heaven and earth, This salvation, through the ran- whatever becomes of me; but som and intercession of the Son of should he mercifully save so vile God, every true penitent cordially and worthless a rebel, I shall be an approves, and thankfully embraces, eternal monument of the richness and shall certainly participate. My of his mercy, and the power of his brethren, an impenitent believer grace." The gospel is intended to and a penitent unbeliever are ideal put honour upon the law: "It is characters, which have no existence holy, just, and good," says the peniunless in some men's imaginations: tent soul: "I consent unto it that it

is good," and I have deserved its subdued, his ignorance removed, awful curse for my vile transgres- grace communicated, strength resions: I rejoice to see this holy newed, and every thing bestowed law magnified, in the obedience freely, without money and without unto death of God incarnate: 1 price, which can raise him from the long to have it written in my brink of hell, and the borders of heart by the finger of the Spirit: despair, to the lively hope of an and my prayer is, "O that my ways inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, were directed to keep thy righteous and unfading. Christ appears to precepts!" The gospel shows sin him "the Pearl of great price," to be exceedingly sinful, and dis-" the Chief among ten thousand, covers its infinite odiousness and and altogether lovely." "He counts just demerit; the true penitent, and all but loss for the excellency of the he alone, irreconcileably hates all knowledge of him." To him he sin, even that which was his most flees, though with trembling heart, darling indulgence. The gospel lest he should meet with a repulse; abases the sinner, silences his ex-with trembling hand he lays hold on cuses, rejects his pleas, strips him this only hope; to him he cleaves in of his distinctions; and, without the midst of discouragements and regard to his learning, wisdom, delays, and answers every rising wealth, honour, morality, or amia- despondency with "Lord, to whom ble character among men, treats shall I go, thou hast the words of him as a sinner condemned to die, eternal life." Nothing but impedeserving and fitted for destruction. nitent pride and love of sin render To this the true penitent, and he men blind to the glory, deaf to the alone, cordially submits. "I loathe voice, or negligent to the salvation and abhor myself." "To me be- of our Lord Jesus Christ: nor can longs shame and confusion of face," any thing but a penitent sense of is the genuine expression of his the evil of sin, and the misery of a humbled heart. sinner, reconcile the proud heart of man to this salvation.

The gospel honours Christ as the First and the Last, the Beginning Though repentance therefore does and the End, the All in all: thus not in any degree merit pardon; yet he appears to the true penitent, and it is that disposition of mind which to none else. In his person, under-both prepares the soul to receive it, taking, righteousness, atonement, and renders the possessor a meet resurrection, mediatorial exaltation, object on whom a holy God may offices (as King, Priest, and Pro- honourably bestow it: and no furphet), intercession, instructions, ex- ther obstacle remaining, divine jusample, and Spirit of grace, he ap- tice being satisfied in the sufferings pears to the humbled sinner altoge- of the Redeemer, the point yielded ther suitable, sufficient, and preci- by the sinner's repentance, that he ous. On every other side despair did deserve to perish, and is saved lowers: the glory of God, and the by free grace; and his heart being honour of the law, demand his de- now rendered willing to be saved struction but here hope brightens; in the appointed way; he shall, here he sees God glorious, and sin- without all doubt or delay, have salners saved; here he sees every vation, and the consolation which thing exactly suited to his wants springs from it.

and his desires; here he may have Were more encouragement needhis sins pardoned, his corruptions ful, I might lead your attention to

PART IV.

The proper Season for Repentance.

the many examples with which the comparison with this "one thing word of God furnishes us, of sinners, needful." Arise then, and be doing, who had committed the most atro- and the Lord will both assist and cious crimes, and borne the most prosper your endeavours. infamous characters, for complicated long-continued guilt, who on repentance were pardoned and saved. It will be enough to recite a few of their names: such were Manasseh; the woman who was a sinner,-a SUCH persons as are but superficially scandalous and notorious sinner acquainted with the credulity of the thief on the cross; Saul the man, and the artifice of Satan; as persecutor; and the very men who have taken but little notice of the crucified the Prince of Life! These workings of their own hearts, and instances are doubtless recorded made but little observation of what purposely for the encouragement of passes around them, may be apt to those, who are ready to conclude conclude this part of our subject that their sins are too many and too needless: yet, trust, it will be great to be forgiven; and they form found to be of great importance, and a very important proof and exem- essentially necessary to discourse plification of our doctrine; that no concerning the proper season of redegree of guilt can exclude the true pentance.

penitent from forgiveness, through The words of the Psalmist, quoted the blood of Christ. For although by the Apostle, comprise what I our Lord speaks of some who sin shall urge on this head: " To-day, against the Holy Ghost, and shall if ye will hear his voice, harden not never be forgiven; and the apostle your heart." The present time alone John mentions a sin unto death, is ours: yesterday is irrecoverably which they who have committed gone; to-morrow we may be in etershould not be prayed for: yet St. nity! Were then all of you in the Paul extricates us out of this diffi- prime of youth, I would endeavour culty, by informing us, "that it is to enforce on all the necessity of impossible to renew them to repent- early repentance.

ance," which forms indeed an aw- To such then I first address myful warning to those who harden self. Consider, young sinner, that their hearts against conviction and custom is second nature: thy inlive in impenitency, but affords no nate depravity forges the chains exception to our doctrine, and needs which hold thee in bondage, but give no discouragement to the peni- custom rivets them upon thee. This tent soul. is not mere speculation,-it is the And now, sinners, you see the language of inspiration. "Can the necessity of repentance, the real Ethiopian change his skin, or the nature of it, and the abundant en- leopard his spots? then may he, couragement you have to repent. I who is ACCUSTOMED to do evil, learn would hope that from regard to your to do well."

eternal welfare, you will set about Repentance may be considered it in good earnest; not only in pre- either as the work of divine grace ference to your vain amusements in us, or as our own work by the and dissipations, but even to your assistance of divine grace. "Work most important business and inter-out your own salvation with fear ests, which are of no consequence in and trembling; for it is God that

worketh in you to will and to do of out it you must perish in your sins. his good pleasure." Doubtless it is Even now, therefore, I call upon always alike easy to Almighty God, you, in the name of God, to repent to change the heart and renew the and turn to God, and to do works sinner; yet the sinner, when thus meet for repentance. Listen not to influenced to will, and to do, may your corruptions, to your compafind vastly more difficulty in some nions, to the cruel murderer of souls, cases and circumstances than he who would persuade you that it is would in others. When worldly in-soon enough yet. Millions are now terests, cares, and projects, toge-in outer darkness, who on earth inther with customary indulgences, tended some time to repent, but have added strength to your lusts, imagined they had time enough you will find repentance vastly more before them. Perhaps there are arduous than at present. You will scarcely any who did not once think then find it vastly more difficult to as you are now thinking, and flatter cease to do evil, and to learn to themselves as you do. Will you do well," to separate from the un- also trifle with the Almighty, till godly, and to habituate your appe- his patience be wearied out, and he tites and passions to control. If cut you off, as he hath those who you now delay, and should hereafter thus provoked him before you; and repent, you will bitterly know what send you to be their companions it is to "pluck out a right eye, and whose example you would imi to cut off a right hand." When to the tate +?

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opposition to lusts grown ungovern- Do you imagine you shall find able by gratification, and remorse less difficulty, or have more resolufor sins which exceed calculation, tion to break through difficulties, bitter reflection* on the irrepara- hereafter? Alas! your difficulties ble mischief which you have been will daily both be multiplied and doing all your life, you add what it gather force; and you will find less will cost you to renounce the friend- and less inclination or resolution to ship, to withstand the persuasions encounter them. Fear, shame, and and enticements, to resist the argu-conscience will make gradually ments, to face the scorn and bear more feeble resistance; restraints the reproach of those comrades in of education will wear off, and you iniquity, with whom you are hither-will grow bolder in iniquity. Findto happily unconnected: whilst per- ing respite from punishment, you haps your own children, trained up will grow more secure and hardened in wickedness, or the wife or hus- in sin, till perhaps God will give band of your bosom, whom you have you over to incurable obstinacy. ignorantly espoused, may be among Do you imagine that sinful pleathe number of those who are an sures can afford you more satisfacoffence unto you. Are you there- tion, than is to be found in serious fore in youth, in early youth, yea, godliness? Poor deluded souls! I in childhood! You are not too compassionate your case, whilst I young to be sinners, both by nature abhor the blasphemous supposition. and practice; evil dispositions and Once I thought the same; I bless evil actions render repentance both God for undeceiving me, and beg of needful and reasonable; and with- him to grant you the same mercy. * Consider in this place, what has been

urged, of the necessity of restitution, Part + Jer. xiii.-Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! Second. He who repents early, escapes wilt thou not be made clean? When shall that difficulty. it once be?

"There is no peace, saith my God, calm content with the present, and for the wicked." "Vanity and vex-serene expectation of the future: ation" are stamped upon all created and these form a "peace of God, enjoyments; they consist of eager which passeth all understanding.' expectations; continual anxiety, Victory over the fear of death, and disappointments, and mortifica- a well grounded and lively hope of tions; a few turbulent short-lived eternal happiness, support the soul gratifications, insipid amusements, in adversity, and increase the enand fatiguing pursuits of pleasure.joyment of prosperity. ContemplaThe mind of the poor deluded man tion on the glories of the divine who thus seeks happiness where it character, and the wonders God is not, is uneasy in waiting for the hath wrought, issuing in admiring season of enjoyment; surfeited and love, adoring gratitude, and fervent dissatisfied even with the moment praises, inspires the soul, at some he longed for; pained at the retro-seasons," with joy unspeakable, spect; alarmed when he looks for- and full of glory." A life of comward to death and judgment; and munion with God, a uniform walk he can find no respite from anxiety, in his pleasant ways, an increasing but by banishing reflection, and assurance and experience of his foregoing the noblest privilege of love, fill the Christian's peaceful the rational nature. Your smiles, soul with an abiding satisfaction; ye votaries of pleasure! are hypo- which nothing greatly interrupts, critical; your mirth affectation; but the stirrings of corruption, the your heart is heaviness in the midst force of temptation, and the imperof your loudest peals of laughter; fection of his obedience. By these, remorse of conscience and forebo- at times, guilt burdens his mind, ding fears often disturb even your and sorrow oppresses his heart: yet most jovial hours, and extort the even godly sorrow itself rather inunwilling sigh; but they render so-creases than lessens his enjoyment: litude and reflection bitterness; and if he for a season be unhappy, whilst the least remembrance of it is not because he is religious, but death, or symptom of its approach, because he is no more so. Nor is excite a horror I have felt but can- there any rational satisfaction which not describe. he doth not enjoy with more real This is earthly, ungodly pleasure, relish, because with more moderaeven when health, affluence, and all tion, than others do: for real reliconceivable advantages concur to gion abridges us of no enjoyment add relish to it: but when sickness but that which is irrational, debasseizes the poor wretch who knows ing, or inordinate. In short, a flash no other joy; when poverty and of lightning, which for a moment inadversity depress, and death ap-terrupts and then increases the midproaches, his case is so miserable, night gloom, bears more comparison and his anguish so intolerable, that to the cheerful genial light of the no words can sufficiently express it. sun, than the most exquisite gratiBut true religion is the source fications of sin, to those joys which of the sweetest serenity, the most the real diligent Christian experirefined delight, the most exquisite ences from day to day. "Come, enjoyment. From conscious inte- taste, and see how gracious the grity, peace with God, submission Lord is, and how blessed they are to his will, and reliance on his pro- who trust in him."

vidential and gracious care, spring But doth Satan persuade you,

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