Semi. CXIX. where the Gnfpel I Prerach'd, of theJewifh Nation, according toour Saviour's .Prophefie; betides many more that might be mention'd. And which is a mighty Advantage to us, we are free from thofe Prejudices againft the Perfon ofour Saviour and his Do&dne, which the 7ews, by the reverence which they bore to their Rulers and Teachers, were generally pof en withal ; we arebrought up in thebelief ofit, and have drunk it in by Education ; and if we believe it, aswe all profefs to do, we haveall the Ob- ligation and all the Arguments to Repentance, which the Yews could.pofliibly have from the Miracles which they faw ; for they were Means of Repentance to them, no òtherwife than as they brought them to the belief ofour Saviour's Do- arine, which call'd them to Repentance. So that if we continue impenitent, thefame woe is denounced agairlit us, that is againft Chorazin and Bethfaida.; and we may be faid with Capernaum, to be lifted up to Heaven, by the enjoyment of the molt excellent. Means and Advantagesof Salvation, that any People ever did, which if we negle&, and ftill continue wicked and impenitent under them, we may juflly fear, that with themwe /hall be thrown down to Hell, and have our place in the lgwe(t part of that difrnal Dunge- on, and inthe very Center of that fiery Furnace. Never was there greater caufe to upbraid the Impenitenceofany People, than of us, confidering the Means and Opportunities which weenjoy ; and never had any greater reafon to fear a feverer Doom, than wehave. Impenitence in a hea- then is a great Sin ; elfe how fhould God judge the World ? But God takes no notice of that, in comparifon of the Impenitence of Chrifhans, who enjoy the Gofpel, and are convinced of the Truth, and upon the greateft reafon in the World profefs to believe it. We Chriftians have all the Obligations to Repen- tance, that Reafon and Revelation, Nature and Grace can lay upon us. Art thou convinced that thou haft finned, and done that which is contrary to thy Duty, and thereby provoked the Wrathof God, and incenfedhis Juflice againft thee ? As thou art a Man, and upon the frock of Natural Principles, thou art obliged to Repentance. The fame Light of Keaton whichdifcoversto thee theErrors of thy Life, and challengeth thee for thy Imppiety and Intemperance, for thy Injuftice and Opprefliion, for thy Pride and Paffton ; the fame Natural Confcience which accufeth thee of any Mifcarriages, does oblige thee to be forty for it, to turnfront thy evil ways, and to break ofthy Sins by Repentance. For nothing can be more unreafonable, than for a Man to know a Fault, and yet not think himfelf bound to be forry for it ; to be convinced of the evil of his ways, and not to think him- felf obliged by thatvery Convi &ion, to turn from it and forfake it.. If there be any fisch thing as a natural Lawwritten in Mene Hearts, which theApofile tells us the Heathens had, it is impof able to imagine, but thatthe Law which obligeth Men not to tranfgrefs, fhould oblige them to Repentance in cafe ofTranfgreffion. And this every Man in the World is bound to, tho be had never teen the Bible, nor heard ofthe Name' of Chrift. And the Revelation of the Gofpel doth not fuperfede this Obligation, but adds new Strength and Force to it : and byhow much this Duty ofRepentance is more clearly revealed by our Bleffed Saviour in the Gofpel ; by howmuch the Arguments which the Gofpel ufeth to perfwade Men, and encourage them to Repentance, are greaterand more powerful; by fo much is the Impenitence of thofe who live underthe Gofpel the more inexcufable. Had weonly fotne faint hopes of Gods Mercy, adoubtful Opinion and weak Perfwafion of the Rewards and Punifhments of another World ; yet we have a Law within us, which upon the probability of thefe ConLlderations would oblige us to Repentance. Indeed if Men were afford upon good grounds, that there would be no. future Rewards and Punifhments ; then the San&ion of the Law were gone, and it would lofeits Force and Obligation : orif we did defpair ofthe Mercy of God, and had good Reafon to think Repentance impoffible, or that it would do us no good ; in that cafe there would be no fufficient Motive and Argu- ment to Repentance : for no Man can return to his Duty, without returning to the love of Godand Goodnefs; and no Man can return to the love of God, who believes that he bears an implacable hatred againft him, and is refolved to make him miferable for ever. During this Perfwafion no Man can repent. And this feems to be the reafon, why the Devilscontinne impenitent, But 109
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