82 Of Repentance. S E R m. therefore, when the punifhment had its due IV. effe t in the humiliation and repentance of the offender, the apofile exhorts the faints at Corinth to comfort him as a penitent, and receive him again into their fellowfhip. In the epiftle to the feven churches of Afia, Revel, chap. ad, and 3d, fome are charged, with great defection, and the divine difplea- fure is denounced againft them, they are threatned with the removal of their candle - flick out of its place, and other punifhments ; but hill upon the fuppofition of impenitency; and it is exprefsly declared, that if they did repent, their deftrution fhould be prevented. Nay, fome of the molt notorious tranfgref- fors, who feduced the fervants of Chrift in-. to grofsly immoral pra &ices, are threatned indeed with death, but it is, except they repent. The apoftle Peter himfelf is an ex- ample for the encouragement of offending difciples of Chrift to repent ; thro' fear he denied his mafter before men, for which fin his mafter pronounces a fevere punifh- ment; but he obtained mercy, having with deep forrow for his fin returned to a better mind and better refolution, which he tefii- fied thro' the whole courfe of his after life, and even at his death. There
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