"abounded, God has encouraged me to hope, that "his Grace fhall abound much more, to the returning Sinner. It must be aftonishing Mercy in"deed, if I am faved; but fuch Mercy is offered

in the Gofpel; and, bleffed 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 fet 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❝ftool of a sovereign God, and rely on infinite "Mercy through a Redeemer. I will depend up

σε on the Blood of Chrift which cleanfeth from all "Sin. I will conftantly repair to his Fulness.

that from thence I may receive even Grace for "Grace, and, in that Way, I will hope for that bles

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 << 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 In

capacity

capacity to truft God, or ferve him with Delight; and being allured by his infinite Mercy to feek his Favour, expect Forgivenefs 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 Remorse for their Sins; and yet quickly wear off all their Impreffions, and return to the fame Courfe of Impiety and Senfuality, which occafioned their Diftress 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 fpeak 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 Courfe of Duty. They have repented they think, and therefore conclude themselves at Peace with God ; and feem to have no great Care and Concern about either their former Impieties, or their daily Transgreffions. They conclude themselves in a converted State, and are therefore eafy, careless, and fecure.-Thefe 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 Provocations against God. I fear, we have too many fuch in the prefent Times, who will go on flattering themfelves in their own Eyes, until their Iniquities are found hateful.- I might add, there are many that, while

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while under the Stings of an awakened Conscience, 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 ferious and in earnest in the Performance of it. Now, by this imaginary Progrefs in Keligion, they gradually wear off their Convictions, and get from under the Terrors of the Law; and then their Watchfulness 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, ternal World are but little in their Minds, and all their Religion is reduced to a mere cold Formality. They still maintain the Form, but are unconcerned, about the Power of Godlinefs.-In fome fuch Manner, a legal Repentance always leaves the Soul fhort of a real, fanctifying, faving Change.

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On the other Hand, a faving evangelical Repen tance is a lasting Principle of humble, felf-abafing, 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 themfelves to him.-A Senfe of pardoning Mercy makes Paul appear to himself the Chief of Sinners, and fpeak of himself as a Pattern of Hope, to all that fhall come after him.-The true Penitent not only continues to abhor himfelf on Account of his paft Guilt and Defilement, but finds

daily Caufe to renew his Repentance before God. He finds fo much Deadness, Formality and Hypocrify in his Duties, fo much Carnality, Worldlymindedness, and Unbelief in his Heart, fo much Prevalence of his finful Affections, Appetites, and Paffions, and fo many Foils by the Sin that eafily befets him, that he cannot but groan, being bur thened while he is in this Tabernacle. Repentance, therefore, is the daily continued Exercife of the Chriftian indeed, until he puts off Mortality.-He will not leave off repenting, till he leaves off finning, which is not attainable on this Side Heaven.

"Have I Hope (fays the penitent Soul) that "God has pardoned my Sins? What an Inftance "of pardoning Mercy is this! How adorable is "that wonderful Grace which has plucked fuch a "Brand out of the Fire! And am I still daily of

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fending against fuch Mercy and Love! Am I "ftill fo formal, lifelefs, and hypocritical! Am I yet doing fo little for him, who has done fo "much for me! Ah vile, finful Heart! Ah bafe "Ingratitude to fuch amazing Goodnefs! Oh for more Victory over my Corruptions; for more Thankfulness for fuch Mercies; for more Spirituality and Heavenly-mindednefs! How often "have I been mourning my Infirmities; and muft "I yet have Cause to mourn over the fame De"fects! How often pursuing and defigning a clo"fer Walk with God; but what a poor Progrefs "do I yet make, fave in Defires and Endeavours?— "How would the Iniquities of my best Duties fepa"rate betwen God and my Soul for ever, had I not "the Redeemer's Merit to plead! What need have "I, every Day to have this polluted Soul washed in "the Blood of Christ, and to repair to the glorious "Advocate with the Father, for the Benefit of his "Interceffion !-Not a Step can I take in my spi

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ritual Progrefs, without fresh Supplies from the "Fountain of Grace and Strength; and yet how ❝ often am I provoking him to withdraw his In"fluences, in whom is all my Hope and Confidence! O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death!"-Thus the true Penitent goes with his Face Zion-ward, mourning as he goes. And thus in his highest Attainments of Comfort and Joy, will he find Caufe to be deeply humbled before God, and to wrestle with him for renewed Pardon, and new Supplies of ftrengthening and quickening Grace.

The Difference between these two Sorts of Penitents is very apparent.-There is the fame Difference, as between the Kunning of Water in the Paths after a Shower, and the Streams flowing from a living Fountain of Water; a legal Repentance lafting no longer than the Terrors which occafion it; but an evangelical Repentance being a continued War with Sin, till Death founds the Retreat. -Once more.

6. A legal Repentance does at most produce only a partial and external Reformation; but an evange lical Repentance is a total Change of Heart and Life, and univerfal Turning from Sin to God.As fome particular more grofs Iniquities most commonly lead the Way to that Distress and Terror which is the Life of a legal and infincere Repentance, fo a Reformation of thofe Sins too frequently wears off the Impreffion, and gives Peace aud Rest to the troubled Confcience, without any further Change.

Or at best, there will be fome darling Lufts retained, fome right Hand, or right Eye fpared, fome fweet Morfel rolled under the Tongue. If the legal Penitent be afraid of the Sins of Commission, he may still live in the Omiffion or careless Performance of known Duty. Or if he be more forward