03 6 Nazianzsne fpealiing of true repentance, very aptly compares the foul to a pair of writing tables, out of which mutt wattled what- foever was writ- ten with fin, and ' Ifftead thereof the writing of grace mutt be writupon the foul, both being necef- fary to true re- pentance. jet. 31.19. Pi) 40. 4> 1. kr., 4 1. ofea 6.1. Ads 16. 18. Box o f precious u intment: Or, do no iniquity, they wall in his wayes. Prov. 3.14. The Lop of the relic is a fountain of life, to depart from the fnares of death. Prov. 15.24. The way or life is above to-the wife, that he may de- part from hell beneath. Pfal. 34.-14. Depart from evil and do good. We read in Scripture of God's returning to us, as well as of our returning to God; in both there is repentance:When God returns to us, he repents of the evil of punifhment that he bath brought upon us ; and when we return to God, we repent of the evil of fin which we have committed againft him. The true penitent, does not only fadly finite upon his thigh, and lay, what have I- done , but he alfo fpeedily faces about, and cryes out, J. will do fo no more. When God calls for true repentance, it is with an if those gilt return, 0 Ifrael, return unto me. And when the pekle of God do provoke and encourage one another to repentance, it is with a come let us return unto the Lord. Repentance unto life, is not a turning firi from to fin, nor 'tis not a turning from prophanefs to ci- vility, nor tis not a turning from civility to formality"; but 'tis a turning from darknefs to light, 'tis a turning from the Noyes oT iniquity into the wayes of piety, 'tis a turning from fin to God. In this refpeot /frad's repentance was very de- fe6live ; witnefs that fad complaint of the Prophet (Hofea 7. 16.) They return (that is, they make a thew of repentance) bill mot to the molt High. So they in that, I Gel 2. 12. have the half turn,but returned not to the Lord with all their hearts.So Phu went far, and gave many a half turn, but never turned to the molt High, and that was his ruin at loft. Such a repen- tance as brings the foul never the neerer to God, is a repen- tance never the neer ; but that repentance that brings the foul neerer to God, is a repentance never to be repented of. And let thus much fuffice, to have fpoken concerning that Evange- Iical Repentance, that hath the precious romifes of reniifli- On of fin and falvation running out unto it, & c.
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