them in the lake of fire and brim ftone, into which they will be caft. It will prey upon their fouls like the vulture, and give them no reft day nor night, forever and ever. It is a punishment peculiarly fuited to the foul, as that of fire is to the body. How fitly may this horror of confcience be reprefented by the worm, which dieth not! "The fpirit of a man will fuftain his infirmity; but a wounded fpirit who can bear!" Thofe, who have felt shame and difgrace, and the lafhes of an accufing confcience to ever fo great a degree, but have not at the fame time had any true loathing and abhorring of themfelves, as finners, have never experienced any thing different from this legal repentance, of which we have been fpeaking. They have had no different feelings and exercifes from thofe, which the wicked in mifery and despair, now have, and once had here in the body. While in this world, they had thefe fame feelings of fhame and remorfe; and all the wicked will awake to fill greater fhame and everlafling contempt, and will experience thefe ftings and horrors of a guilty confcience more and more fevere and dreadful through eternity. 2. In evangelical repentance, the fubjects forrow and mourn for fin on account of its being committed against a holy God, and because of its own evil nature and tendency. David when repenting for his fin of adultery and murder, confidered it to be againft God, and exceedingly evil. "Against thee, thee only, have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight, that that thou mighteft be juflified when thou fpeakeft, and be clear when thou judgeft." The Apoftle Paul, had the fame views and feelings in his repentance on ac count of perfecuting the church of God and wafting it. The threatening and flaughter, which he breathed out against the difciples, he felt to be against Christ himself, when the melting accents from the Lord reached his heart, "I am Jefus whom thou perfecu teft." But mere legal penitents have nothing of these feelings and exercises in their repentance. They look little, or no further, than the awful confequences of fin, the everlasting pain and mifery, to which it expofes them. If these could only be averted from them, they would no longer have any of their present fears and diftrefs, but would indulge in fin without reftraint. This is the real cafe with all perfons under ever fo great convictions. If they are even brought, as they often are, to fee that their fins are directly against God, yet their being, againft him, as a holy being, will not be the ground of their high anxiety and trouble, but the evils and wrath, which they apprehend he will inflict upon them. And the more light is let into their minds, and the more they underftand of his true character, the more will they rife in enmity against him, and will often even curfe and blafpheme him in their hearts. In this respect it is with them, in certain stages of conviction, fomething as it is with the damned in hell. They are convinced that their fins are against God, and they know more of his true character; and what is the effect of it in their hearts? They look upward, and curse their God and their King. And fo the finner in this world, under an apprehenfion of the wrath of God, and seeing more of his real character, may have his heart rife in ftill greater and greater oppofition, un 1803.] Saving Repentance distinguished from legal Repentance. til he will inwardly blafpheme his Maker, as the wicked in mifery do. In the first stages of conviction, perfons minds are ufually more tender: they think more of death and a future judgment, are afraid of being caft off from God and doomed to everlafting punishment; and they can fcarcely fpeak of these things without tears in their eyes. But after a while these tender feelings commonly fubfide, as greater light is let into their minds and their knowledge of God increases, their hearts will rife more and more against him, 'till they may almoft lofe thofe fenfible fears of mifery, with which they were first alarmed, though thefe are the real ground of their enmity; for if they fuppofed God loved them, and meant to make them happy, their inveterate oppofition would ceafe. But God is the fame holy being, whether they conceived that he defigned to have mercy upon them, or to leave them in righteous juftice, to perifh in their fins; and they would be under as real obligations to repent and love him. While therefore, they first want to know whether he means to fave them, in order to love him, and oppofe him in their hearts in view of the eternal, holy wrath, which they fear he will pour out upon them, they have nothing of the nature of true repentance for their fins against a holy God. As perfons may be brought to fee that their fins are againft God, and this not be the ground of their concern, fo they may be brought to fee the evil of fin in a great degree, and this not be the reafon of their diftrefs, but the everlasting evils to which it fubjects them. Confcience, when it is awakened, may give men a high fenfe of the evil of fin. They 131 may even go fo far as to fee that it would be perfectly just in God, and feel that their mouths ought to be forever fhut, if he plunged them in endless mifery; and yet it may be nothing of the nature of faving repentance, as they do not difcern the moral beauty of, nor feel reconciled to this juftice of God. If they accepted of the punishment of their iniquities fo far as to feel reconciled to the justice of God in their own condemnation, they would be truly penitent for fin: But while they go no further than to fee this justice, but do not at the fame time, feel refigned to it, they have no more than a legal repentance. According to fcripture reprefentations, all the wicked in hell will fee the juftice of God plainly in their eternal de. ftruction, but they will in no fenfe, be reconciled to it. The man who went in to the marriage feast, and had not on the wedding garment, was fpeechless when the king came in to fee the guests, and commanded his fervant to bind him hand and foot, and caft him into outer darkness, where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. And in the day of judgment, when all the wicked fhall be arraigned before the bar of God to hear their final doom, every mouth fhall be stopped and the whole world become guilty before God. The confciences of all the ungodly will then be fo awakened, and they will fee the juftice of God fo plainly in their everlasting mifery, that they will be fpeechless and feel themselves to be without excufe. Their mouths will be forever fhut with refpect to the divine juftice, but their hearts will be wholly unreconciled to it, and they will forever blafpheme their God and their king for executing his juftice upon them. But true penitents, to revenge themselves on all who had been concerned in bringing them to condign punishment. Does all this look like repentence in criminals for the crimes which they have committed? and would the government think of pardon whofe hearts are humbled to accept the punishment of their fins, are not only convinced of the juftice of God in their condemnation, but they discover the moral beauty, amiablenefs and glory of it; and though they could not be pleafed with mifery in itfelf, noring them on the ground of fuch a be willing to become enemies to repentence? Does it then look God like the damned, yet they like true repentence in finners towould be reconciled to his juftice, wards the holy God, to be coneven if they themselves were to be vinced of his juftice in dooming caft down to hell. This it is con- them to everlasting misery, and ceived, is the effential difference yet be wholly unreconciled to it, between the views and exercifes and in their hearts even curfe and of gofpel penitents, and thofe who blafpheme his holy name, in view have only a legal repentance. of his executing it upon them? With the former, vindictive juflice and can they indulge the hope is an amiable, glorious attribute that he will pardon and fave them, of the divine moral nature, and on their exercifing fuch a repenttheir being themselves, the objects ence towards him? Even the harof it, would not alter their refig-dened Pharaoh had as good a renation to it. With the latter it pentence as theirs, while they are is the reverfe; and their views unrefigned to the divine juftice and feelings with refpect to it, and enemies to the divine governare no better than thofe, which ment. During the plague of the hardened criminals have with ref- hail and thunder, he fent and calpect to the juftice of human gov-led Mofes and Aaron, and faid unernments. When they are convicted, they doubtlefs fee the juftice of their sentence; but in their hearts, they are the more envious towards the government for iaflicting it upon them, and, even while they are fuffering a deferved punishment, will often break out in expreffions of their implacable malice and revenge. If they juftified the government, and expreffed a reconciliation to the juftice of their fentence, though they could not be pleafed with the punishment itself, there would be evi-bed in the Revelation, on whom dence of penitence in them. the vials of divine wrath were while they are unrefigned to it, poured out. But as foon as he and envious and revengeful in their faw that the rain, and the hail, and hearts towards the government, thunders were ceafed, he finned they can have no true repentence yet more, and hardened his heart. for the crimes of which they have And this was the cafe with him, been guilty. Were it only in from the first to the last of the their power, they would attempt many and grievous plagues, that But to them, "I have finned this time, the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the Lord for it is enough, that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail, and I will let you go." He faw the juftice of God plainly, but his heart was not humbled to accept the punishment of his fins. And had he had no expectation of the judgment's being removed by the intreaty of Mofes, he would have blafphemed God because of the plague of the hail, as thofe defcri The were brought on Egypt, until it | fee the fmoke of their torment proved his temporal and eternal afcend up for ever and ever. deftruction. Thus it was with fong of Mofes and the Lamb, in the hardened Pharaoh, and thus which they unitedly join, is the it will be with all thofe, who have fong of God's juftice in his judgno more than a mere legal repent-ments on finners. The devils and ance. However they may be the wicked in hell, are under as convinced of the juftice of God real obligations to praise God for in the condemnation of finners, his glorious juftice, as the holy acknowledge the Lord is right- inhabitants of heaven; and their eous and they are wicked, as he being themfelves, the miferable did; if they are not brought to objects of it, neither alters, nor difcern the moral beauty and ami- leffens their obligations to praife ablenefs of divine juftice, be re- him; fo that with respect to justice, conciled to, and pleafed with it, they ought to praife God because or what is the fame thing, be hum. he executes it upon them in their bled to accept the punishment of their own eternal damnation. Though iniquities, they have nothing of the it is certain, that the gofpel peni nature of faving repentance, and tent, who is brought to difcern muft forever fink in the over- the moral beauty and loveliness of whelming wrath of God. God's justice, and to feel fubmiffive and reconciled to it, will not be made the veffel of the divine wrath and indignation, yet this will not alter these views and feelings which he has, to the glorious juftice of a holy God. Let all then, be careful that they have this faving repentance, which is unto life eternal. Some perhaps, may, be ready to object that this is faying the finner must first be willing to be damned, before he can be faved. But it is thought, the fubject has been fufficiently explained by diftinguishing between the penitent's being reconciled to the juice of God in his eternal condemnation, and his being difpleafed with the mifery itself, and unwilling to become unholy and an enemy to God. It is not poffible, that the true penitent fhould be pleafed with mifery in itself, nor that while holy, he fhould be willing to become unholy, and an enemy to God at heart, to look up and curfe his God and his King, as the damned in hell do; yet it is believed, that he must be brought, not only to fee the divine juftice in his own condemnation, but to feel reconciled to it, fo that he could juftify, and even praife God for his juftice, if he were to caft him off, and make him the veffel of his wrath. The redeemed in glory praife God for his juftice on the wicked in hell, while they and his glorious plan of govern- | Chrift's kingdom or not, and toment; they are all fanctified by tally neglect to visit the humble the fame fpirit, all drink at the cell of the meek and lowly folfame fountain, are all engaged in lowers of Jefus ; and thereby give the fame intereft, are journeying no evidence of that love by which to the fame place, and are all fub- all men may know that they are jects of the fame kingdom; hav- Chrift's difciples: Do they not ing Jefus Chrift, for their king often appear to prefer dealing with and head; who is king of kings, the men of this world? when they and Lord of Lords. might on as good terms, and as conveniently deal with their brethren, and by this means fall into the practice of the wicked of not punctually fulfilling their engagements, which brings an awful reproach on the bleffed cause they profefs: Does not all this in a great measure flow from the neglect of Chriftian communion and conference, and in choofing the pious for their conftant companions? Perhaps at this prefent day no duty is more univerfally neglected than Christian fellowship; in vifiting each other in meekness and fear, converfing, reading, finging pfalms and hymns, and uniting in addreffing the throne of grace. Reafon would fuppofe that thofe, who are thus really united in heart, would come out from among those of this world, and appear united in love in a confpicuous manner, and would be feen like a city that is on a hill that cannot be hid. But is it not a folemn truth, that profeffors are often heartily engaged in the vain purfuit of riches, honors, and pleafures; and mingling with the friendship of this world? which is enmity with God, are they not many times found uniting with the world, in their innocent amufements, (as they call them,) joining the feftive circle, in the exceffes of eating, drinking, telling and hearing, trifling anecdotes? how often are they found abforbed in the political difputes of the day? appearing champions in difputation and ridicule; apparently forgetting that Chrift's kingdom is not of this world; and that he poffeffes all power in Heaven and on earth; and rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomfoever he will; and that there is none that can ftay his hand; and though clouds and darknefs are round about his works, yet he will make all things work together for good to them that love him. Do not many, who are favored with wealth and honor, chufe the affluent for their conftant companions and vifitants? without regarding whether they belong to If profeffors were conftantly in the habit of joining together in love, it would be a striking evidence to the world, that they belong to the fame family, and are engaged in the fame intereft in heart and practice: In this way they would be continually watching over each other, they would reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long fuffering and doctrine; they would bear each others burdens, they would fupport the weak, fuccour the afflicted, comfort the mourner, bind up the broken hearted, and univerfally strengthen the cause. Difcipline which is fo much relaxed, would be invigorated, and churches would foon look forth like the morning; charity that fuffereth long and is kind, would |