S211M. XL.1 LIVING ABOVE THE DEAD. IËi VIII. Repentance and godly sorrow for our past of- fences, belong only to this life. Converting grace works only onearth ; we are called to repent in order to be for- given : " Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ;" Acts iii. 19. And the exercise of this grace is not only necessary at first conversion, (though it most eminently appears at that season) but it must run like a thread through thewhole course of this mortal life, till death shall put an utter end to sin. Let every known sin therefore which we are guilty of be attended with some new and sensible exercise of shame, and sorrow, and holy indignation against ourselves. Let us live in a daily, constant, penitent frame, for we are daily sinners. This painful sense of sin, this holy mourning, is an ho- nour done to the law of pur God. It is the living,, the living who are called to this work; for there is no repen- tance in the grave : Shew your hatred of sin therefore continually, and your sincere love to the law of holiness by such an humiliation as becomes an imperfect saint. You will ask me, " Do not saints in heaven repent that they have ever sinned here on earth ?" I answer, that whatsoever regret they feel in the me- mory of their past transgressions, it is not attended with such sensible shame and inward pain at the heart, as are necessary to that duty of repentance that is required here on earth ; for there is nothing must break in upon their perfect peace or joy in heaven. As God is said not to remember their iniquities, because he does not remern- ber them in order to punish, so the saints above are not said to repent of sin, because they have no such shame and grief accompanying it as whilst they dwelt upon earth, and which are some of the most remarkable ingre- dients in our repentance. But we may suppose there is among them some sort of holy self-displicency, and something of a sacred regret, thatever theyoffended such a God, and such a Saviour ? There will be surely an inward and hearty disapproba- zion of their former sinful ways whenever they think upon them: And, indeed, without some reflection on their former guilt and misery, they can never give due glory to Christ their Redeemer, who rescued them from their. sorrows and their sins. But ,all the painful and shameful attendants of this grace of repentance must be VOL. rr. N
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