the divine nature, before he can loathe and hate his sins, on the account of their contrariety to God. He must have a feeling sense that there is pardoning mercy with God for sinners, before he can, with courage and sincerity, apply for forgiveness to a just and holy God. He must have a believing discovery which God is accessible by sinners, "have access with boldness to the

of the way in before he can throne of grace."

not "

He must see and feel that there is safety in venturing a guilty soul in the hands of Christ, and no where else, before he can look to his blood for cleansing from guilt, and to his grace and strength for victory over his corruption. He must be united to Christ "as a branch to the vine," before he can bring forth fruit meet for repentance. Without this, he may be driven into desponding fears, and to legal attempts for safety; but he can'fly for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before him." The true penitent, therefore, approaches God's presence with a deep impression of his guilt and unworthiness, and of his just desert of an eternal rejection from God; but then he comes before a mercy-seat. Though he is forced to acknowledge, that, if God should mark iniquity, he could not stand before him; he yet remembers, that "with God there is forgiveness that he may be feared," and that "with him there is plenteous redemption." The true penitent looks to the blood of Christ, as what alone can cleanse away his numerous and aggravated sins; and from thence he takes encouragement to mourn out the Psalmist's language "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with

wash me, and I shall This is the prospect,

hyssop, and I shall be clean; be whiter than the snow." which both encourages and invigorates his cries for mercy, and embitters his sins to him; and which makes him loathe them all, and long for deliverance from them all. Is God infinitely merciful and ready to forgive, (says the penitent soul,) and have I been so basely ungrateful, as to sin against such astonishing goodness, to affront and abuse such mercy and love? Is sin so hateful to God, that he has so severely punished it in the person of his own dear Son? How vile, how polluted, and abominable must I then appear, in the eyes of his holiness and justice, that am nothing but defilement and guilt; "from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, nothing but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores !" Has the blessed Saviour suffered his Father's wrath for my sins? Have they nailed him to the cross, and brought him under the agonies of an accursed death; and shall I be ever reconciled to my lusts any more, and go on to crucify the Son of God afresh? Is there pardoning mercy to be had; and shall I slight the blood of Christ, set light by 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, self-condemning 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 guilt 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 mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for grace and strength, as well as pardon and freedom from condemnation.

to the

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; notwithstanding all their former religious appearances, discover the alienation of their hearts to God and his laws, by their sinful and sensual lives; and (as the Apostle expresseth it) show themselves enemies in their minds by their wicked works.

But, on the contrary, the sincere Gospel-penitent sees an admirable beauty and excellency in a life of holiness, and therefore groans after higher attainments in it. He is sensible how much he has transgressed the law of God, how very far he is departed from the purity and holiness of the divine nature.

He mourns, that his that his practice is so

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." nature is so contrary to God; 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 imperfections; 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 fellow

ship 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