ened, terrified Legalift himfelf, yet he dares not yield to any defpairing Thoughts of God's Mercy.

Faith opens the Door of Hope, and therefore the Door of Repentance, as I have obferved before. True it is, that the Gospel-Penitent may meet with many difcouraging Doubts and Fears; but these are his Infirmity, not his Repentance. The Apofle tells us, we are faved by Hope: That is what gives Life and Activity to every Grace, and to Repentance in particular, as I have had Occafion to hint before. And it is yet needful further to obferve, that though a Fear and Jealousy of our own Sincerity may be confiftent with a true Repentance, and perhaps fometimes ferves to further its Progrefs, yet all Doubts of the Faithfulness of the GospelPromifes, of the Extenfivenefs of the divine Mercy, or of our Exemption from the Gospel-Offer: All Apprehenfions of our not being elected, of our having finned away the Day of Grace, or of our having finned against the Holy Ghoft: All Imaginations that our Sins are fo circumstanced, as not to admit of pardoning Mercy or the like; thefe are directly destructive of, or inconfiftent with, the Actings of a true Repentance.-A fincere Penitent looks over the highest Mountains, which are raised before him, by the Greatness of his Sins, his own mifgiving Heart, or the Temptations of Satan, into an Ocean of infinite Goodness and Mercy. Thither he will fly, and there he will hope, let his Cafe appear never fo dark, and tho' every Thing feems to make against him. And the more lively and comfortable his Hope is, the more he is humbled and abafed for his Sins, and the more vigorous are his Endeavours after a Life of New Obedience. As Repentance is a Hatred of, and Separation from all Sin without Reserve, it must certainly be a Flight from, and an Abhorrence of Un

belief and Defpair, the greatest of all Sins. And the further the Soul ffles from thefe, the more is it conformed to the Gospel of Chrift, and the more is it in the Way of Mercy.-It is not therefore fufficient for the fincere Penitent, to be fenfible that God is infinitely gracious, and that the Blood of Chrift is infinitely meritorious, and that there is Forgiveness with God for the greatest Sinners, if he ftill maintains fome Referve in his Mind, with Refpect to his own Cafe; but he must be likeways perfuaded, that he either already hath, or that he may obtain a perfonal Interest in this redeeming pardoning Mercy, in order to his approaching to God as a Father, and in order to his being in Love with the Ways of God, and to his ferving him with Chearfulness and Delight.This is not only neceffary, in order to the first Exercife of a true Repentance; but the fincere Chriftian will always find, that by whatever Darkness, Difficulty, or Temptation, he is brought into a really discouraged, defponding Frame, he is thereby rendered fo much the more incapable of godly Sorrow for Sin, of delighting in God, or of a fpiritual Performance of any Duty of Religion.We may be jealous and diftruftful of ourselves; but we must not defpond and be jealous of God, if we would maintain the Exercife of any faving Grace." I confefs (fays "the truly penitent Soul) that my Sins are like the "Stars in the Firmament, and like the Sand on "the Sea-fhore, for Multitude; that they are of a "Scarlet and Crimson-dye; and that it is of the "infinite Patience of God, that fuch a guilty "Wretch is out of Hell: But yet as great, as "dreadfully aggravated as my Sins be, the Merit "of a Redeemer's Blood is fufficient to atone for "them all; and infinite Mercy is ftill greater than "my greatest Sins.-Though my Iniquities have abounded,

N

"abounded, God has encouraged me to hope, that

his Grace fhall abound much more, to the return❝ing Sinner. It must be aftonishing Mercy in"deed, if I am faved; but fuch Mercy is offered "in the Gospel; and, blessed be God, I am not "excluded from that gracious Offer.Though I

have naturally no Power to comply with the "Terms, upon which pardoning Mercy is set be"fore me, yet the Gospel provides a Remedy in "that Cafe alfo, and I am encouraged to trust in "the Lord Jefus Chrift, for all Supplies of Grace. "I will therefore caft my guilty Soul at the Foot"tool of a fovereign God, and rely on infinite "Mercy through a Redeemer. I will depend up

"on the Blood of Chrift which cleanseth from all "Sin. I will constantly repair to his Fulness. ❝that from thence I may receive even Grace for "Grace, and, in that Way, I will hope for that blef"fed Sentence from his gracious Mouth, Thy Sins, "which be many, are forgiven thee.-O how will "Mercy triumph over fuch Sins as mine! How 66 great Glory will God bring to the Riches of his "infinite Grace in the Salvation of fuch a Sinner 66 as I, if ever I am faved! How will Heaven ring "with eternal Hallelujahs on my Account!—Sure❝ly I have finned enough already; let me no more

add to the Number and Guilt of my Sins, by "Diftruft of God's Mercy, or by doubting the "Faithfulness of his Invitations and Promifes."Whether I have already obtained a faving Inte"reft in Christ or not, I am refolved to hope in ❝his Mercy, and to lie at his Feet, whatever the "Iffue be."

So great is the Difference between a legal and an evangelical Repentance; as great as between defponding Fear and encouraging Hope; as between being affrighted, by a Sight of our Sins, into an Incapacity

capacity to truft God, or ferve him with Delight; and being allured by his infinite Mercy to feek his Favour, expect Forgiveness through the Blood of his Son; and to ferve him with the Difpofition of Children.

5. A legal Repentance is temporary, wearing off with the Convictions of Confcience which occafion it; but an evangelical Repentance is the daily Exercife of the true Chriftian.-We have too fad and numerous Inftances of fuch, who will for a while appear under the greatest Remorfe for their Sins; and yet quickly wear off all their Impreffions, and return to the fame Course of Impiety and Senfuality, which occafioned their Distress and Terror; and thereby declare to the World, that their Goodnefs, like Ephraim's, was but a Morning Cloud, and an early Dew.And befides thefe, there feem to be fome who quiet their Confciences, and speak Peace to their Souls, from their having been in Distress and Terror for their Sins, from their Reformation of fome groffer Immoralities, and from a formal Course of Duty. They have repented they think, and therefore conclude themselves at Peace with God; and seem to have no great Care and Concern about either their former Impieties, or their daily Tranfgreffions. They conclude themselves in a converted State, and are therefore eafy, careless, and secure.-These may think, and perhaps fpeak loftily of their Experiences; they may be blown up with joyful Apprehenfions of their fafe Sate, but have no Impreffions of their Sins, no Mourning after Pardon, no Groaning under the Burden of a wicked Heart, imperfect Duties, and renewed Provoca tions against God. I fear, we have too many fuch in the present Times, who will go on flattering themfelves in their own Eyes, until their Iniquities are found hateful.-I might add, there are many that,

N 2

while

while under the Stings of an awakened Confcience, will be driven to maintain a folemn Watch over their Hearts and Lives, to be afraid of every Sin, to be confcientiously careful to attend every known Duty, and to be serious and in earnest in the Performance of it. Now, by this imaginary Progress in Religion, they gradually wear off their Convictions, and get from under the Terrors of the Law; and then their Watchfulnefs and Tenderness of Confcience are forgot. They attend their Duties in a careless Manner, with a trifling, remifs Frame of Soul, while the great Concerns of an unfeen, eternal World are but little in their Minds, and all their Religion is reduced to a mere cold Formality; They ftill maintain the Form, but are unconcerned about the Power of Godlinefs.-In fome fuch Manof a real, fanctifying, faving Change. ner, a legal Repentance always leaves the Soul short

On the other Hand, a faving evangelical Repen tance is a lafting Principle of humble, felf-abasing, felf-condemning, mourning for, and Abhorrence of,

all the Sins which the Penitent difcovers, both in his Heart and Life.-The true Penitent does not forget his paft Sins, and grow careless and unconcerned about them, as foon as he obtains Peace in his Confcience, and a comforting Hope, that he is reconciled to God; but the clearer Evidences he obtains of the divine Favour, the more he does loathe, abhor, and condemn himself for his Sins; the more vile does he appear in his own Eyes; and the more aggravated and enormous do his paft Sins reprefent themselves to him.-A Senfe of par Chief of Sinners, and fpeak of himself as a Pattern doning Mercy makes Paul appear to himself the of Hope, to all that fhall come after him.-The true Penitent not only continues to abhor himself on Account of his paft Guilt and Defilement, but finds

daily