SERMON IX. with this, Repentye, and belie'Ue the GofPel. St. Peter directed thofe who were anxiou; and ~n9umng about their Salvatwn, &pent, and be bapt1zedm the Name of the LordJe. fusChr;jl, for the RemijJi011 of Szns. He repeats tlus Doctrine in Afl. 3· , 9 , Repent 1 , tberefore, and be con'Verted, tbatyour Sms may be ~lotte__t! ou~, wben the Times of refrefoin {hall come from the Prefence of the Lord. And he g1ves relbmony of the RefurreC!ion 01· Chrdl, J:!tm hath ~od exalted t~ b~ a Pr~nce and tt Sav10ur, to g)ve Repe11tance to IGael aut! Forgz'Uenejl of Stns. Accordmg to this unalterable Tenor of the Gofpel, Repemanc~ ts che Condmon that qualifies the fubJect, Without wluch no man is pardoned. Some are firangcly fcrupulous ofuling tlns word Comlit/~11, tho' 'tis authorized by thefull Current oft~le.Reformed D1vmes, and I know none more converiient to cxprcfs the ~!Cce!Tity of 1t m a pardon'd Perfon. Our Saviour tells his Difciples, Te are my Friends 16:tt~~~~~~ ~~ffefsa;tftoi~e~~abl! t~~~il~~':~sf tJ~~tf;°F~~~n1~:r~h~~ ~·li~~ God invites men to come out from the Pollutions of the WorJd, and to touch HO rmclesn thi11g, and I IV ill receiveyou, and I 1vill be your Father, andyou jhall h my Sons andDaugh. ters, faith the Lorrl Almighty: Are not thefe Conditional Promifes 1 And upon the Per- . formance of the Terms, the BletTing will be befiowed, and not otherwi(e. 'Tis objected, that the alferting Repentance to be the Condition of Pardon, ]effens the Grace of the Gofpel: but this is a great millake, for Repentance is an Evangelical Duty and Grace. The Law reqmres Innocence and perfect Obedience, or condemns Without Mercy: the Gofpel commands and accepts Repentance. This Grace was purchas'd by our Saviour, and is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit; and join'd with ;;~~,e~~~:~'; t::.::s~itft h;st~~:~h~'J:,~~ ~~r'~:~ot~ c~~&·lit~j~~h:i~b~~~~f~~dp~~d~:~ If a rcpentmg finner could fill the A if With Ius Sighs, and Heaven w1th !m Tears; if all his vital Springs were open'd, and fireams of Blood flow'd out, they cannot be fatisflctory to God's injured Jufiice. The unreconcilablc hatred of fin, the ardent love of Holine(s, and lledfall Refolution to follow ic, which are Ingredients in fincere Repentance, tho' they are pleafmg to God, yet are the Duty of the reafonable Creature be· fore the commi!Tion of fm, and therefore can defcrve nothing of God. But the or. daining an infeperable Connexion between Repentance and Pardon, is honourable to God, and very beneficial to Men : for there is no fiate of mifery more miferable than for the finner to be hardned in his fins. But to return from this Digreff1on. The Scripture defcribes Repentance by a !incere Change and Renovation of the mind, the leading Faculty; by the entire turning of the Heart from the love of fin to the love of Holinefs; by the active lively Pa!Tions, Sorrow, Fear, Shame, Indignation, Zeal, that arc principal Ingredients in it; and by the Fruits JVOrfhJ of Repet~tance, anel Works meet for Repentance. 'Tis called Repentance from deadWorks, and RepentaNCe unto Life. Now !l)en are willingly deceived with an infincere and ineffective Repen. tance : either with a meer mental Change, or with broken Refolutions inflead of the intire Heart; or with the leaving fome ftns, and retaining others that are fi1table to their Humours and Lulls. They confefs their fins, and condemn themfelves for them: fometimes they have fta0Iing Thoughts, melting Affections, good Purpofes to forfake fin, this they think to be fincere Repentance : but when a Temptation appears, they are eaf1ly overcome, and live in the habitual Practice of their provoking fins. ThiS Conceit of their being true Penitents, is as unreafonable, as if one that has a returning Ague, lhould think himfelf freed from his Difeafe in the intervals of IIis Fits. Now ro quiet Confciencc, they readily apply to themfelves the words of the Apofile, fV/;at I do 1 allow not. And fince the bell Saints, while they are in fympathy with frail Flclh ca~not be perfect, but many fins they unwarily and unwillingly commit, which are Infirmities lamented by them, and gracioufly forgiven by their Heavenly Father; therefore indulgent finners take lhelter under this Pretence, that their Relapfes are meer unavoidable Infirmities. But what Weaknefs can be pretended for wiHul habitual fins I Such Excufcs do not cover their Guilt, but difcover their llrong Affections to thelf Lulls: They have not the Excufe of Ignorance: to pretend the FleOJ and the World are omnipotent Enemies that cannot be refilled, IS to blafpheme the Grace of the Holy Spirit. In 010rt, a new Life is infeparable from Repentance m Its Reahcy. Sud and fe· rious Thoughts, Sighs and Tears, the forrowfiii Confe!Tion of Sms, and good Purpo- {cs againll them, are the Blolfoms of Repentance, melfective without rhe fubfianual Fruits of it in a reformed Convcrfation. 1Tis one of the Arrs of Satan to J01!1 th~ngs tocrether that are inconfifient : In Paradife he alliired the Woman that the m1ght taUe of the Forbidden Tree, and of the Tree of Life: and he now decCives man:y WJrh the hope that their indulged repeated Sins are conGfienr with Repentance. But If m~~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=