individual be one hair's breadth nearer heaven. Nay, if he rests here, deceiving himself in a seeming penitence, he may be even more remote from heaven than ever. In this view, St. Augustine affirmed, that repentance damns more than sin. And to the same effect our Saviour declared to the self-righteous in his day, "The publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of God before you."

True repentance cleanses, not merely the outside of the cup, but the inside also. It is not only the clean hand, but the pure heart.1 God desireth truth in the inward parts. The priests, under the Mosaic law, were commanded to wash the inwards, and offer them up in sacrifice before the LORD. In repentance therefore, not only does the wicked man forsake his way,' but the unrighteous man his thoughts.' Vain thoughts he hates, but God's law he loves. The vicious becomes holy; the moral, spiritual. The penitent lives not only "soberly and righteously," but " godly" also, in this present world.o

Repentance heals the heart's embittered fountain, and so, purifies "the issues of life." It makes the tree good; in consequence whereof, the fruit becomes so. The penitent being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God," brings forth fruits meet for repentance." What are these?

1. Humility. Thus, Job, on his repenting, ex

Ezekiel xxxvi. 26, 27.

2 Titus ii. 12,

"2

claimed- "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."1 David, on his, confessed, "Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Similar was the language of the publican in the temple, "who would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, (so profound was his self-abasement,) but smote upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me the sinner!" (TM àμagrwλw.) How different the language of the impenitent pharisee!" God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are," &c.

2. Sorrow for sin. Not a mere selfish sorrow, but a "godly sorrow; sorrow for having offended and dishonoured GOD; sorrow whose expression is-" Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." This is the contrite soul's chief burden, the distress that swallows up every other.

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3. Confession of sin. The converts at Ephesus came and confessed, and showed their deeds." 3 And so we find the prodigal, that true picture of a penitent, likewise doing: "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."

4. A filial feeling toward God, and an accompanying hope of pardon. This essential ingredient was lacking in the penitence of Judas and of Cain. Each said, "Mine iniquity is greater than can be

1 Job xlii. 5, 6.

2 Psalm li. 1-5.

3 Acts xix. 18.

forgiven" thus, they both fell into that fearful depth of Satan-despair; which drowns men in destruction and perdition. Their's was the sorrow of the world, that "worketh death."

But the language of the penitent, because the prompting of the Holy Spirit in his heart, is"There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." "With thee there is mercy, and with thee, plenteous redemption." And this persuasion leads

5. To Prayer. The penitent receives the spirit of adoption, whereby he cries, "Abba, Father." The prodigal, on his restoration to a sound mind, is represented as saying, "I will arise and go to my Father;" and accordingly he went and addressed his father with that very appellation. Of St. Paul also it was testified, on his being turned to God, "Behold, he prayeth." And the penitent thief likewise besought Christ, "Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom."

6. Repentance is attended with love to CHRIST. In its more matured stage, the penitent sees by faith the Saviour crucified for him-him individually; and consequently loves Christ, who so loved him. And the more this work is deepened in his heart, and the greater the insight he obtains into his own inbred depravity, the more, exactly,

1 'For want of confidence, repentance is false.-Every thing is wanting to a sinner, when hope is wanting, and there can be no hope in God, where there is no love of God. If nothing but fear of punishment excite a man to repentance, the more vehement this is, the more it leads to despair.'-QUESNEL.

is his love to the Saviour increased. What an inimitably beautiful illustration of this we have in the gospel by St. Luke.1 "And, behold, a woman of the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisees' house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood, (in token of her humility,) at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment." Thus her ointment, hands, eyes, hair, lips, are now consecrated to the service of Christ her Saviour, whom she had offended.' 2

4

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7. Love to his people. This fruit follows immediately from the last; for every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him."3 Hereby we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." Thus, the jailor of Philippi, being brought to repent, so changed his deportment toward his prisoners, Paul and Silas, that whereas he had thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks, he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes. The apostle Paul also, on his being given this same grace, consorted with that very people, whom previously he had persecuted unto death. He, who had been a wolf to the Saviour's flock, now became one of its most tender shepherds; preaching that

1 Chap. VII. 37, 38, 3 1 John v. 1.

2 See Bishop HALL'S Contemplations.

1 John iii. 14,

faith, which once he destroyed. It is well observed by Bishop Hall, that if our satisfaction be not in some kind proportionable to our offence, we are no true penitents.

In short, Repentance is the "ceasing to do evil, and learning to do well:" the "breaking off our sins by righteousness;" the "turning from darkness unto light; from the power of Satan unto GOD." It is not a renunciation of one sin only, or of any number of sins, but of sin altogether. True grace attempts no composition; tolerates no lust, no not the bosom darling corruption.'1 The penitent spares no tree in the grove, as a covering for his idol; but says with Ephraim, "What have I to do any more with idols?" He casts away from him all his transgressions, whereby he has transgressed; and makes him a new heart, and a new spirit." 3 In a word, "he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

From these particulars it will appear, that true repentance differs very little from conversion. It is but an earlier stage of the same process. Repentance brings the sinner to the narrow gate, that leadeth unto life-conversion plants him in the state of grace. Repentance convinces the sinner of his need of a Saviour-conversion brings him to embrace the Saviour. Repentance shows him the way of GOD-conversion shows him it

1 Psalm xviii. 23.

2 Hosea xiv. 8.

3 Ezek. xviii, 31.