Of Repentance. 95 patiently continue in well doing, is the S E R m. firongeft inducement that can be propos'd to IV. a reafonable nature. And, on the contrary, the fear of that judgment and fiery indigna- tion wherewith God will confume his adver- faries, one would think fufficient to awaken the attention of the molt obdurate finncrs, and difpofe them to forfalke their fins. Not that fuch fear is fufficient" of itfelf to pro- duce true repentance, but at leaft, it (hews the extreme folly of impenitency ; and as it is generally the firft thing that takes hold of very corrupt and harden'd hearts, it may ex- cite fuch confideration as (hall end in an in- genuous converfion to God. I fhall now make fome pra&ical refleaions on all that has been Paid, and the fzrfl, which I think a very important one, is, that we fhould take care to avoid refting in falfe ap- pearances of repentance, and fubftituting any thing elfe in the room of that true repent- ance which the gofpel does indifpenfably re- quire. They are grofs errors of the Papifts, and of a molt dangerous tendency to place the power of forgiving fins in the hands of frail and fallible men, and annex that for - givenefs to fallings, confeffions, penances, or any thing of a like nature. Thefe things
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