dare not neglect duty, they come with horror into the presence of God, as to an inexorable judge; and have nothing to keep their souls from sinking into despair, but their good designs and endeavours, which yet are too defective to give them comfortable hope. And what is all this, but a most ungrateful undervaluing the blood of Christ, limiting the goodness and mercy of God, and an implicit denying the truth of the whole gospel of God our Saviour? Thus they are fleeing from the mercy of God, while they pretend to flee to it. But I need not enlarge upon this head, it being so near akin to what was observed under the last.

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I proceed, therefore, to show, on the other hand, that though the true gospel penitent may have a deeper impression of the greatness and atrocious nature of his sin and guilt, than even the awakened, terrified legalist himself, yet he dares not yield to any despairing thoughts of God's mercy. Faith opens the door of hope, and therefore the door of repentance, as I observed before. True it is, that the gospel penitent may meet with many discouraging doubts and fears; but these are his infirmity, not his repentance. The apostle tells us, we are saved by hope." This it is which gives life and activity to every grace; and to repentance in particular, as I have had occasion to hint before. And it is yet needful further to observe, that though a fear and jealousy of our own sincerity may be consistent with a true repentance, and perhaps sometimes serves to further its progress; yet all doubts of the faithfulness of the gospel promises, or of the extent of the Divine mercy; all apprehensions of our not being elected, of our having sinned away the day of grace, or of our having sinned against the Holy Ghost; all imaginations that our sins are so circumstanced, as not to admit of pardoning mercy or the

like; these are directly destructive of or inconsistent with the actings of a true repentance. As repentance is a hatred of and separation from all sin without reserve, it must certainly be a flight from, and an abhorrence of unbelief and despair, the greatest of all sins. And the further the soul flies from these, the more is it conformed to the gospel of Christ, and the more is it in the way of mercy. It is not therefore sufficient for the sincere penitent to be sensible that God is infinitely gracious, and that the blood of Christ is infinitely meritorious, and that there is forgiveness with God for the greatest sinners, if he still maintains some reserve in his mind, with respect to his own case. But he must be likewise persuaded, that he either already hath, or that he may obtain, a personal interest in this redeeming, pardoning mercy, in order to his approaching to God as a Father; and in order to his being in love with the ways of God, and to his serving him with a cheerfulness and delight. This is not only necessary, in order to the first exercise of a true repentance; but the sincere christian will always find, that if by darkness, difficulty, or temptation, he is brought into a really discouraged, desponding frame, he is thereby rendered so much the more incapable of godly sorrow for sin, of delighting in God, or of a spiritual performance of any duty of religion. We may be jealous and distrustful of ourselves; but we must not despond and be jealous of God, if we would maintain the exercise of any saving grace.

"I confess," says the truly penitent soul," that my sins are like the stars in the firmament, and like the sand on the sea shore for multitude; that they are of a scarlet and crimson dye; and that it is of the infinite patience of God that such a guilty wretch is out of hell but yet as great, as dreadfully aggravated as my

sins be, the merit of a Redeemer's blood is sufficient

to atone for them all, and infinite mercy is still greater than my greatest sins. Though my iniquities have abounded, God has encouraged me to hope, that his grace shall abound much more to the returning sinner. It must be astonishing mercy indeed, if I am saved; but such mercy is offered in the gospel; and blessed be God, I am not excluded from that gracious offer. Though I have naturally no power to comply with the terms upon which pardoning mercy is set before me; yet the gospel provides a remedy in that case also, and I am encouraged to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for all supplies of grace. I will therefore cast my guilty soul at the footstool of a sovereign God, and rely on infinite mercy through a Redeemer. I will depend upon the blood of Christ, which cleanseth from all sin. I will constantly repair to his fulness, that from thence I may receive, even grace for grace; and in that way I will hope for that blessed sentence from his gracious mouth, Thy sins, which be many, are forgiven thee.' Oh how will mercy triumph over such sins as mine! How great glory will God bring to the riches of his infinite grace in the salvation of such a sinner as I, if ever I am saved! Surely I have sinned enough already, let me no more add to the number and guilt of my sins, by distrust of God's mercy, or by doubting the faithfulness of his invitations and promises. Whether I have already obtained a saving interest in Christ or not, I am resolved to hope in his mercy, and to lie at his feet, whatever the issue be."

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So great is the difference between a legal and an evangelical repentance: as great as between desponding fear and encouraging hope, as between being affrighted by a sight of our sins, into an incapacity to trust God or serve him with delight; and being

allured by his infinite mercy to seek his favour, expect forgiveness through the blood of his Son, and to serve him with the disposition of children.

5. A legal repentance is temporary, wearing off with the convictions of conscience, which occasion it; but an evangelical repentance is the daily exercise of the true christian. We have too sad and numerous instances of such, who will for a while appear under the greatest remorse for their sins; and yet quickly wear off all their impressions, and return to the same course of impiety and sensuality, which occasioned their distress and terror; and thereby declare to the world, that their goodness, like Ephraim's, was but a morning cloud and an early dew. And besides these, there seem to be some who quiet their consciences, and speak peace to their souls, from their having been in distress and terror for their sins, from their reformation of some grosser immoralities, and from a formal course of duty. They have repented, they think, and therefore conclude themselves at peace with God; and seem to have no great care and concern about either their former impieties, or their daily transgressions. They conclude themselves in a converted state; and are therefore easy, careless, and secure.

These

may think, and perhaps speak loftily of their experiences; they may be blown up with joyful apprehensions of their safe state; but have no impressions of their sins, no mourning after pardon, no groaning under the burden of a wicked heart, imperfect duties, and renewed provocations against God. I fear we have too many such in the present times, who will go on flattering themselves in their own eyes, until their iniquities are found hateful. I might add, there are many that, while under the stings of an awakened conscience, will be driven to maintain a solemn watch

over their hearts and lives, to be afraid of every sin, to be conscientiously careful to attend every known duty; and to be serious and in earnest in the performance of it. By this imaginary progress in religion, they gradually wear off their convictions, and get from under the terrors of the law; and then their watchfulness and tenderness of conscience are forgotten; they attend their duties in a careless manner, with a trifling, remiss frame of soul, while the great concerns of an unseen, eternal world, are but little in their minds; and all their religion is reduced to a mere cold formality. They still maintain the form, but are unconcerned about the power of godliness. In some such manner, a legal repentance always leaves the soul short of a real, sanctifying, saving change.

On the other hand, a saving, evangelical repentance, is a lasting principle of humble, self-abasing, selfcondemning, mourning for, and abhorrence of all the sins which the penitent discovers, both in his heart and life. The true penitent does not forget his past sins, and grow careless and unconcerned about them, as soon as he obtains peace in his conscience, and a comforting hope that he is reconciled to God; but the clearer evidences he obtains of the Divine favour, the more does he loathe, abhor, and condemn himself for his sins, the more vile does he appear in his own eyes, and the more aggravated and enormous do his past sins represent themselves to him. A sense of pardoning mercy makes Paul appear to himself the "chief of sinners," and speak of himself as a pattern of hope to all that shall come after him. The true penitent not only continues to abhor himself on account of his past guilt and defilement, but finds daily cause to renew his repentance before God. He finds