Is there pardoning mercy to be bad? and shall I slight the blood of Christ, make light of the gracious offer, and perish in sight of a Saviour? May I obtain strength from the Lord Jesus Christ, for victory and dominion over my corruptions? and shall I not both resolve in his strength against them, and lie at his foot, that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus may make me free from the law of sin and death?' Have I dishonoured God so much already, loaded my precious Saviour with so many horrible indignities, and brought such a weight of guilt upon myself? and is it not now high time to bid an utter defiance to my most darling lusts, the greatest enemies to God and my own soul?” Such as this is the language of a gospel repentance. And though there may be a sincere repentance without full evidence of an interest in Christ, there can be none without a believing view of the infinite merit of his blood, and the safety of bringing a guilty soul to that fountain for pardon and cleansing, as I will endeavour to show you more particularly.

You cannot but see the great distinction, and even contrariety, between a guilty flight of the soul from God, like Adam after his fall, and an humbling, selfcondemning flight to God's pardoning mercy, like the prodigal when returning to his father's house; between legal, slavish, self-righteous endeavours to atone for our sins, and make our peace with God, and repairing only to the blood of Christ for cleansing from all our sins; between mourning for our misery and danger, and mourning for our sins, as they are against God, against a precious Saviour, against infinite mercy and love; and, in a word, between attempting a new life by the strength of our own resolutions and endeavours; and looking only to

the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for grace and strength, as well as pardon and freedom from condemnation.

3. A legal repentance flows from an aversion to God and to his holy law, but an evangelical repentance from love to both. The distress, the terror, and amazement, that awakened sinners are under, arise from their dreadful apprehensions of God, and his terrible justice. They know that they have greatly provoked him, are afraid of his wrath; and therefore want some covert, where they may hide themselves from his presence. They might before, perhaps, have some pleasing apprehensions of God, while they considered him as being all mercy without justice; and while they could hope for pardon, and yet live in their sins. But now, they have some sense of his holiness and justice, he appears an infinite enemy, and therefore most terrible to their souls. They are consulting indeed some way to be at peace with him, because they are afraid the controversy will issue in their destruction. They resolve upon new obedience, from the same motives that slaves obey their severe tyrannical masters; while the rule of their obedience is directly contrary to the bent, bias, and disposition of their souls. Were the penalty of the law taken away, their aversion to it would quickly appear, and they would soon embrace their beloved lusts with the same pleasure and delight as formerly. This is frequently exemplified in those who wear off their convictions and reformations together; and who, notwithstanding all their former religious appearances, discover the alienation of their hearts to God and his laws, by their sinful and sensual lives.

But on the contrary, the sincere gospel penitent sees an admirable beauty and excellency in a life of

holiness, and therefore longs after higher attainments in it. He is sensible how much he has transgressed the law of God, how very far he has departed from the purity and holiness of the Divine nature. This is the burden of his soul. Hence it is, that he walks in heaviness, and waters his couch with tears. He mourns, not because the law is so strict, or the penalty so severe; for he esteems the law to be holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good; but he mourns, that though the law be spiritual, he is carnal, sold under sin. He mourns, that his nature is so contrary to God, that his practice is so contrary to his will; and that he can make no better progress in mortifying the deeds of the flesh, in regulating his affections, appetites, and passions, and in living to God. So that with the mind he himself serves the law of God, though in much imperfection; and though, by reason of his remaining carnality, he is forced to acknowledge and lament, that with the flesh he serves the law of sin. The true penitent is breathing with the same earnestness after sanctification, as after freedom from wrath. He does not want to have the law bent to his corruptions, but to have his heart and life fully subjected to the law and will of God. There is nothing he so much desires, besides an interest in Christ and the favour of God, as a freedom from sin, a proficiency in faith and holiness, and a life of communion and fellowship with God. "Oh," says the penitent believer, "what a wicked heart have I, that is so estranged from the holy nature of God, and from his righteous law! What a guilty wretch have I been, who have walked so contrary to the glorious God, have trampled upon his excellent perfections, violated his holy law, and made so near an approach even to the nature of the devil! Oh for the cleansing

efficacy of the blood of Christ, and the renewing influences of his Holy Spirit, to purify this sink of pollution, and to sanctify these depraved affections of my soul! Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me!' Let this separating wall between God and my soul be broken down! Let me be made a partaker of the Divine nature, and be brought near to God, whatever else be denied me! Oh that my ways were directed, that I might keep thy statutes! Oh let me not wander from thy commandments; but deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live and keep thy word.” Such as these are the aspirations of a sincere repentance. A language which flows from a true love to God and his law, and an earnest desire of conformity to both.

But you will inquire, perhaps, Is there no difference between repentance and love to God? Are not these different graces of the Spirit? and have they not their different exercises and operations? I answer, Yes: they are truly different and distinct ; but they always have a joint exercise, in a truly gracious soul. As faith is truly distinct from repentance, and yet every child of God is a penitent believer; so is love likewise distinct from repentance, and yet neither of these graces can exist without the other. We cannot truly love God, unless our sins are made hateful to us in repentance. We cannot sincerely turn to God, until we value his favour, and take pleasure in a conformity to his will. As these graces, therefore, are joint productions of the blessed Spirit in our regeneration, so are they joint companions in the exercise of the Divine love. From this reflection you may see the reason why some of the same things necessarily occur in this discourse of repentance, which you met with in my last letter,

when treating upon the difference of a true and false faith.

By these hints, you may plainly see the very great difference between a legal and an evangelical penitent. The one looks upon God with dread, terror, and aversation of soul: the other mourns his distance from him, and longs to be more transformed into his image and likeness. The one still loves his sins in his heart, though he mourns that there is a law to punish them: the other hates all his sins without reserve, and groans under the burden of them, because they are contrary to God and his holy law. The obedience of the one is by mere constraint: the imperfections of the other are matter of continual grief; and he is constantly longing and striving after great degrees of grace and holiness. The one can find no inward and abiding complacency in the service of God: the other runs the ways of his commandments with delight, and takes more pleasure in obedience than in any thing else.

4. A legal repentance ordinarily flows from discouragement and despondency; but an evangelical repentance from encouraging hope. I have already considered, how a legal repentance is excited and maintained, by terrors of conscience and fearful apprehensions of the wrath of God. Some, indeed, by their external reformations, pacify their consciences, get settled upon their lees, and cry peace to their souls, and so their repentance and their anxiety both come to an end. But whilst their concern continues, their desponding fears are the very life of it. Their sins, both for number and nature, appear dreadful to their affrighted consciences, as they frequently violate their purposes and promises of new obedience. They are therefore afraid, that God will never pardon and accept such rebels as they have been; and though they