doning 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! How will heaven ring with eternal hallelujahs on my account! 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.'

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 exer cise 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. Now, 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 forgot; 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, self-condemning, 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 so much deadness, formality, and hypocrisy in his duties; so much carnality, worldly-mindedness, and unbelief in his heart; so much prevalence of his sinful affections, appetites, and passions; and so many foils by the sin that easily besets him; that he cannot but "groan, being burdened, while he is in this tabernacle." Repentance, therefore, is the daily continued exercise of the Christian indeed, until he puts off mortality. He will not leave off repenting, till he leaves off sinning; which is not attainable on this side heaven. • Have I hope (says the penitent soul) that God has pardoned my sins? What an instance of pardoning mercy is this! How adorable is that wonderful grace which has plucked such a brand out of the fire! And am I still daily offending against such mercy and love? And am I still so formal, lifeless, and hypocritical? Am I yet doing so little for him who has done so much for me? Ah, vile sinful heart! Ah, base ingratitude to such amazing goodness! Oh for more victory over my corruptions, for more thankfulness for such mercies, for more spirituality and heavenly-mindedness! How often have I been mourning my infirmities! And must I yet have cause to mourn over the same defects? How often pursuing and designing a closer walk with God! But what a poor progress do I yet make, save in desires and endeavours! How would the iniquities of my best duties separate between God and my soul for ever, had I not the Redeemer's merit to plead! What need have I, every day, to have this polluted soul washed in the blood of Christ, and to repair to the glorious Advocate with the Father, for

the benefit of his intercession? Not a step can I take in my spiritual progress, without fresh supplies from the fountain of grace and strength; and yet how often am I provoking him to withdraw his influences, in whom is all my hope and confidence! "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" › Thus the true penitent "goes with his face Zion-ward, mourning as he goes;" and thus, in his highest attainments of comfort and joy, will he find cause to be deeply humbled before God, and to wrestle with him for renewed pardon, and new supplies of strengthening and quickening grace.

The difference between these two sorts of penitents is very apparent. There is the same difference as between the running of water in the paths after a shower, and the streams flowing from a living fountain of water: a legal repentance lasting no longer than the terrors which occasion it, but an evangelical repentance being a continued war with sin, till death sounds the retreat. Once more:

6. A legal repentance does at most produce only a partial and external reformation; but an evangelical repentance is a total change of heart and life, and universal turning from sin to God. As some particular more gross iniquities most commonly lead

the way to that distress and terror, which is the life of a legal and insincere repentance; so a reformation of those sins too frequently wears off the impression, and gives peace and rest to the troubled conscience, without any further change; or, at best, there will be some darling lusts retained, some right hand or right eye spared, some sweet morsel rolled under