When John the Baptist began his ministry, he preached, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The blessed Jesus also began to preach, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." "And the apostles went forth and preached that men should repent." After the resurrection of Christ, they were commissioned to "preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Accordingly, Peter preached to the Jews, "Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." Paul in like manner addressed the Gentiles; "God commandeth all men every where to repent ;" and informed them, "that men should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance."

From these, and many other testimonies of the word of God, judge ye, beloved, of the importance and certainty of our subject. No matter of trivial concern which may safely be disregarded, or of doubtful disputation which may plausibly be gainsayed or questioned, now demands our attention. But a subject of equal evidence with the word of "God, who cannot lie," and of importance proportioned to the interests of eternal ages.

Hear me then, I beseech you, with candour and attention; lay aside prejudice and levity, whilst with all seriousness and plainness I discourse concerning, 1. The necessity of repentance. 2. The nature of repentance. 3. The encouragement given to repentance. 4. The proper season for repentance; and, 5. The means to be used in repenting. For the love of thy soul, I beseech thee, sinner; and as thou wilt answer it at the day of judgement, I charge it upon thy conscience, to lay this matter home to thy heart, as in the sight of God; at the same time beseeching him to make thee partaker" of that repentance, which is unto salvation, not to be repented of."

PART FIRST.

Concerning the Necessity of Repentance.

BEFORE we enter more full upon the subject, I would premise, that I choose the word Necessity, as the most comprehensive which occurs to my mind: and I would be understood to intend by "the necessity of repentance;" 1. The urgency of the case: sinners must either repent or perish: 2. The reasonableness of repentance: having done wrong, we ought to repent, and act most unreasonably if we do not: 3. The obligation sinners are under to repent, both from this reasonableness of the injunction, and the authority of that God who injoins it: and, 4. The additional guilt contracted by impenitency. As the same arguments frequently prove the necessity of repentance, in more than one of these senses, I thought it would better prevent needless repetition and obscurity in point of method, to treat of the whole at once, than to divide them into different heads. Having thus stated the meaning of the term employed, to prevent ambiguity, and that all may know what we say and whereof.we affirm, let us proceed to the proof.

And here, reader, I have no need to inquire into thy character, whether thou art moral or immoral, a sober man or a drunkard, a good or bad relation or member of society, a formal worshipper or profane. Granting all that any man can desire, supposing the character of the reader to be decent, amiable, and respectable among men, I will endeavour to shew him, and to shew all, their need of repentance.

I. "Because all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."-Few in comparison are acquainted with the extent, strictness, and spirituality of the law of God, as taking cognizance of every thought, word, action, intention, or disposition of the whole heart and life: requiring absolute perfection in all things, continued in even to the last moment of life. Few keep an exact

account of their own thoughts, words, and actions, with reference to this law, as the standard of duty and sin: consequently few are sensible, in any tolerable degree, how numerous, or rather how innumerable, their transgressions are. But most, or all, know, that in some instances they have offended God, by doing those actions which he hath forbidden, and leaving undone those which he hath commanded. Surely, reader, thy conscience will excuse me from further evincing this particular. Only listen to this faithful monitor: even now it arraigns, accuses, and condemns thee: and wert thou guilty only of one transgression, (instead of those millions which are noted in God's book of remembrance,) and shouldest thou die without repenting of that one sin: as sure as conscience now condemns thee, so sure will God condemn thee in that solemn day, "when he shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things."

One felony or murder fully proved insures condemnation, equally with ten thousand. "Therefore, by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God;" because all have sinned: "And by the law is the knowledge of sin." It takes cognizance of, and condemns, every sin and every sinner; and consequently can justify none, who have once transgressed. But remember, that the number and heinousness of our transgressions, though they add nothing to the certainty, yet will add proportionably to the greatness, of the merited condemnation: and should add to the depth of our repentance. Could that man be found who had once, and but once, and in the smallest instance, failed of obedience, he would need repentance, it would be his duty, nor could he be saved in impenitence. How needful then repentance for him, whose sins exceed in number the hairs of his head, and equal the moments of his life! For him whose crimes are full of aggravation, and loudly call for vengeance!

II. The law which we have broken is "holy, just, and good."-There are laws in this land, which condemn the murderer and housebreaker to death. These are reasonable laws, of which none can disapprove, but those who are, or would be guilty of those crimes. We experience them to be the security of our persons, property, and repose. He who breaks these laws, is not only condemned by them, but in the judgment of every wise and honest man; and ought in reason to condemn himself like a penitent thief, allowing the justice of the punishment which he suffers. Luke xxiii. 41.

But Nebuchadnezzar made a law, commanding all his officers and servants to worship a golden image, on penalty of being cast into a furnace of fire; Darius made a law, forbidding any of his subjects to worship God for thirty days, on pain of being cast into the den of lions; and many such laws have the tyranny, caprice, and pride of imperious princes and rulers produced. They are however, evidently absurd and impious, and every man will abhor them, in proportion to his wisdom and goodness. The three pious Jews who broke Nebuchadnezzar's edict, and Daniel who transgressed that of Darius, were indeed condemned by the laws; but they have been admired for their courage, and constancy in disobedience, by all good men ever since. Nay, the very consciences of their enemies testified for them, that they had done nothing amiss. Nor would it have been right for them to have condemned themselves; but rather they might glory in serving God, and keeping a good conscience, in the face of danger and death.

Were the law of God in any degree like those oppressive edicts, we should have cause to be extremely grieved at the hardship put upon us, and alarmed at the sentence denounced against us; but we could not, with any propriety, condemn ourselves, or repent of our transgressions.

We ought not indeed to reply against God: but the absurdity of this presumption arises, not so much from the consideration of his irresistible power and uncontrollable sovereignty, as from that of his absolute perfection of justice and holiness. This we are bound humbly to allow and suppose, even when we cannot perceive it; and to silence all our rising objections by say

ing, "shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Yet God condescended himself to argue the matter with those who thought his ways unequal; he even proposes his conduct in his government of the world to our consideration, that we may see and adore his justice; and to our imitation, that we may be holy as he is holy: and the day of judgment will clear up all our difficulties, when the righteousness of God will be fully demonstrated, to the universal satisfaction of his holy creatures, and the confusion and silence of all his enemies. It is indeed blasphemy, to suppose the law of God unreasonable, and his government oppressive: but it is a blasphemy congenial to our depraved nature, of which in our hearts we are all guilty, and of which we are with difficulty cured; for "the carnal mind is enmity against God,— is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

As therefore no sinner can be truly penitent, till he is convinced that the law of God is holy, just, and good; we should first establish this point, in endeavouring to bring sinners to repentance. This is the apostolical method: St. Paul, arguing in the epistle to the Romans against justification by the law, aware of the false conclusions which men of corrupt minds would be ready to draw from his resonings, again and again purposely leaves his main subject, to assert and prove the goodness of the law notwithstanding. With one accord, also, do all the writers of the sacred volume speak honourably of the moral law, expressing their approbation of it, and delight in it: nor is there one exception to this rule. This may shew us the great importance of this part of the subject; and how dangerous some inconsiderate expressions are, into which several good men have been betrayed in their zeal for that fundamental doctrine,—justification by faith alone.

"Is

We may be sure that the law is holy, just, and good; because given by a holy, just, and good God, whose work is perfect: and because, after Adam's fall, when it became morally impracticable for any of his posterity to be justified by it he is still pleased to continue them under it, judge them according to it, and condemn them to utter destruction for breaking it.* there unrighteousness with God?" He would not do these things, if they were not perfectly just. If they appear unjust to us, it is owing to our ignorance, self-love, low thoughts of God, and favourable thoughts of sin. Nay, so far was God from repealing this law, or abating its strictness, after man's transgression, that he republished it from Mount Sinai with awful majesty : he requires every one who would escape condemnation at the day of judgment, to condemn himself now for his trangressions of it, and to seek forgiveness from his sovereign mercy; Nor would he even thus pardon one sinner, except as his own Son honoured the law, in our stead, by his perfect obedience and death upon the cross. Moreover he gives it into the hand of all believers as a rule of life, a standard of sin and holiness: yea, writes it in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. Thus doth the most high God proclaim to the whole world his determination "to magnify the law, and make it honourable." And had we no other evidence of its excellency, this, being abundantly sufficient, ought fully to satisfy us; yea, to humble us in the dust for acting so unreasonably as to break it.

May we not, however, ourselves discern the reasonableness of it, notwithstanding our partiality in our own cause, and our love of sin? God is evidently

*All who die in unbelief perish for breaking this law: all who are saved, were thus condemned for breaking it; else why did Christ bear their sins for them? Some indeed talk of another and milder law: but where it is found, when promulgated, what it requires, who does keep it, or who is condemned for breaking it, hath never been, nor never can be, determined. Others express themselves very ambiguously about our obligations to keep the law, prior to the consideration of redemption. But "where there is no law there can be no transgression:" where there is no transgression, there can be no con demnation: and where no condemnation, no occasion for redemption. Thus we repeal the law and subvert the gospel. Surely we ought with precision to determine this matter; and to shew that man, as God's creature, is bound to obey his law; that sin is the transgression of the law; that the wages of sin is death; that Christ died (not for Adam's sin only, or mainly, but) for our transgressions of the law: that they who perish, are condemned (not only or principally because Adam sinned, but) for their own sins; that upon believing in Christ, we are delivered from the condemnation of sinners, but are never released from the obedience we owe as creatures: and that the obligation to obey is enforced on us by most powerful additional motives taken from redemption.

the perfection of glory and beauty, * the Pattern and Fountain of loveliness; from whom all that is lovely in all creatures is an emanation, of whom it is a faint resemblance, which hath comparatively no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth." In himself he is therefore worthy of all admiration, love, and worship. From him we derive our existence, and all that rendereth our existence comfortable: our obligations therefore to him, as our Creator and Benefactor, are immense; he deserves theħ our entire and unreserved gratitude. Infinite love and gratitude, though he is worthy of them, his law requires not, because we are not capable of them, nor doth it enjoin the love and service of an angel; because he hath not endowed us with angelic capacities. The law runs thus: "Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD, with all thy heart, and mind, and soul, and strength :" its requirements are proportioned, not to his worthiness but to our capacities. Of this love the man of the slenderest abilities is equally capable with the sublimest genius; the infant as the aged. In proportion to the superiority or inferiority of capacity, more or less is required: if it be honestly our all, the law demands no more.

But the law makes no allowance for our disinclination and indisposition to love and serve God with our all; because this is that very malignity of heart which renders us abominable in his sight. Every degree of this temper is a degree of enmity unto God: the very disposition arises from pride, love of the world, and love of sin; and in proportion as it prevails, is contempt of God in comparison with the world, sin, and self. It is therefore in itself infinitely unreasonable, totally inexcusable, and the very temper of the devil; who is completely detestable, because completely of this abominable disposition. When we therefore show that the law is holy, just, and good, because exactly level to our capacities, we mean our natural powers, not our moral dispositions: the want of the former proportionably excuses, the want of the latter proportionably aggravates, every failure of any given degree of service. Man, not having the powers of an angel, is excusable in not performing the services of an angel: but being of an unholy disposition, he is therefore the more inexcusable in any particular act of unholiness; seeing it appears that it was no inadvertency, but the rooted disposition of his heart. To love and serve God with our all, is the substance of the requirements of the law in the first table. And what can be more reasonable? Can there be any difficulty in loving one who is perfectly lovely, being thankful for such a Friend, or serving such a master, except what arises from the inexcusable badness of our hearts; For this we are condemned, for this we ought to condemn ourselves, "abhor ourselves, and repent in dust and ashes."

* Psalm 1. 2. Out of Zion, the Perfection of Beauty, GOD hath shined.

+ This disposition is properly original sin, the effect of Adam's transgression. Therefore he, as the root, and we in him, as the branches, lost God's favour and image, and became liable to and fit for destruction. That this disposition is propagated by natural generation cannot reasonably be denied that it is properly the punishment of Adam's sin, seems capable of Scriptural proof. If we cannot clearly perceive the justice of this, we must silence our objections thus: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" True penitents read their own character, and see their own picture, in Adam's conduct, and are humbled for original sin, as the fountain of all their actual transgressions. But as it is always either disputed, neglected, or abused, until the heart be otherwise humbled, I did not think it proper particularly to insist upon it in this discourse. Whilst some appear to lay an undue stress on Adam's transgression, and speak as if it were the only sin for which we were condemned, or Christ died: others totally deny and revile the doctrine of the fall; contending that man now is just such a creature, or nearly, with respect to his moral character and dispositions, as God originally created him. But the apostle Paul more than intimates that the image of God consists in righteousness and true holiness. Now we know that God created man in his own IMAGE: he also made him upright, and pronounced him very good. The question therefore is, what man now is. If experience and observation prove him to be naturally and universally prone to evil, and averse from good; and if the Scripture pronounce him evil, and abominable, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart to be only evil continually; he must be fallen from what he was originally. Ingratitude, enmity to God, pride, ambition, envy, malice, lust, falsehood, and covetousness, can form no part of the image of a holy God; or of that uprightness in which man was first made. But he must be very hardy, who should deny them to form a part of man's present character. Nor can we suppose the God of truth would first pronounce man very good, and afterwards, without any intervening change, so often declare him altogether abominable. How much more does it become our narrow capacities, and proneness to mistake, to rest satisfied with the Scriptural account; "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin," "by one man's disobedience many were made sinners;" and to adore the depths which we cannot fathom: than in the pride of philosophy and metaphysics, with such scanty information, to decide upon what we cannot com. prehend, and, with daring temerity, to utter such words, as more than seem to be injurious to the divine

character!

To love all men with equal estimation and benevolence is the substance of the second table: and we need only suppose this law given to our neighbours alone, as the rule of their conduct towards us, in order to perceive its excellency. What lovely, what happy creatures should we be, and what a delightful world would this prove, were all perfectly obedient! None is, or can be miserable, but the transgressor, or they whom transgressors injure. How excellent then this law, which provides for the happiness of the world so completely, that by transgression alone could men become in any degree miserable! Ought we not then to repent of our disobedience, our continual disobedience, and especially of our entire depravity of disposition, which renders us morally incapable of obedience.

Let every precept be impartially examined, and these things will appear with still more convincing evidence. For instance; "Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy." Is it not highly reasonable that we should devote this portion of our time to Him, to whom the whole belongs? Would not our best interests in connection with the glory of God, be promoted by obeying this commandment? "These things he commands us for our good." How unreasonable then our disobedience! What need have we to repent of forgetting and neglecting to hallow the Sabbath!

Again, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them." As we all judge it reasonable that others should thus behave to us: let conscience determine, whether we have not done wrong in and ought not to repent of, transgressing this rule, in our conduct to others. We might easily examine other precepts, and shew them to be equally reasonable. Yea, every one of them is so; and therefore every deviation from perfect obedience is entirely unreasonable. There is nothing in the whole law of God grievous in itself, or difficult, except to our proud and carnal hearts.-David and Paul, men after God's own heart, greatly loved and delighted in God's law; Christ, being perfectly holy, entirely delighted in it and perfectly obeyed it: angels and saints in glory enjoy full liberty in obeying it, and find it perfect felicity: yea, God himself, though absolute Sovereign, is pleased to observe in his own conduct, the same rules which he prescribes for ours (as far as consists with his majesty and authority ;) his law is the transcript of his own holiness; and when he requires our obedience, he only says, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." In proportion as we bear his image, we take pleasure in his precepts, and find obedience easy and natural: in proportion as we resemble Satan, we hate the law, and find obedience irksome, arduous, impossible. How excellent then this law! how vile are we who have broken it! What need have we to repent of our unreasonable conduct.

III. All have need to repent, because all have by sin absolutely destroyed themselves. A trifling penalty incurred by transgression might reasonably have been disregarded. When human laws only inflict small fines, short imprisonment, or burning in the hand, offenders may treat such penalties with indifference but when excruciating tortures and ignominious death, are the threatened punishment; when the sentence is impartially and rigorously inflicted when the crime is fully proved, and the prisoner closely confined; the most stubborn spirit bends, the stoutest heart is intimidated, and indifference is madness.-Art thou then, sinner, careless and unconcerned, in a case infinitely more tremendous? Canst thou find a heart for gay amusements, or coolly apply to worldly pursuits, whilst "the wrath of God abideth upon thee," the law thunders out a dreadful curse against thee, death closely pursues thee, everlasting misery awaits thee? That God whom thou hast offended, is at once the Witness, the Judge, and the Avenger of thy crimes: thou canst not hide thy transgressions from his all-seeing eye: thou canst not flee from his omnipresence, resist his almighty power, bribe his inflexible justice, or endure his awful vengeance. The sentence, if thou die impenitent, is already published in the Judge's own words: Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Are not

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