prophet Isaiah saith, Let the wicked forsake their ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord.'* Thus much of the nature of evangelical repentance. Now, sirs, tell me whether it be such an easy thing to repent, as Satan doth suggest. Besides what hath been spoken, I desire that you will take notice, that repentance includes a turning from the most darling sin. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?' Yea, it is a turning from all sin to God. Ezek. xviii. 30. Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one of you according to his ways, saith the Lord God: repent, and turn yourselves from your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.' Herod turned from many, but turned not from his Herodias, which was his ruin. Judas turned from all visible wickedness, yet he would not cast out that golden devil covetousness, and therefore was cast into the hottest place in hell. He that turns not from every sin, turns not aright from any one sin. Every sin strikes at the honour, the being, and the glory of God; at the heart of Christ, the joy of the Spirit, and the peace of man's conscience; and therefore a soul truly penitent, hates all sin, conflicts with, and will labour to draw strength from a crucified Christ to overcome all. A true penitent

True repentance is a thorough change both of mind and manners."-LUTHER,

knows neither father nor mother, neither right eye nor right hand, but will pluck out the one, and cut off the other. Saul spared but one Agag, and that cost him his life and kingdom. Besides, repentance is not only a turning from all sin, but also a turning to all good; to a love and a prizing of all good, and a following after it. Ezek. xviii. 21. But if the wicked will turn from all the sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die;' that which is only a negative righteousness and holiness. David fulfilled all the will of God, and had respect unto all his commandments; and so had Zacharias and Elizabeth. It is not enough that the tree bears not evil fruit; but, 'It must bring forth good fruit, else it must be cut down, and cast into the fire.' So it is not enough that you are not wicked, but you must be gracious and good, else Divine justice will put the axe of Divine vengeance to the root of your souls, and cut you off for ever. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewed down and cast into the fire.' Besides, repentance includes a sensibility of the sinfulness of sin; how opposite and contrary it is to the blessed God: God is light, sin is darkness; God is life, sin is death; God is heaven, sin is hell; God is beauty, sin is deformity.

Also, true repentance includes a sense of the mischievousness of sin; that it cast angels out

of heaven, Adam out of Paradise; that it laid the first corner stone in hell, and brought in all the curses, crosses, and miseries, that are in the world; and that it renders men liable to all temporal, spiritual, and eternal wrath; yea, it hath left men without God, Christ, hope, or heaven.

Further, true repentance includes sorrow for sin, contrition of heart; it breaks the heart with sighs and groans, because a loving God and Father is offended by sin, a blessed Saviour crucified afresh, and the sweet Comforter, the Spirit, grieved and vexed.

Again, repentance includes, not only a loathing of sin, but also a loathing of ourselves for it: as a man doth not only loath poison, but also the very dish, or vessel that hath the smell of it; so a true penitent not only loaths his sin, but himself likewise, the vessel that smells of it. So Ezek. xxix. 43. And there shall ye remember your ways and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled: and ye shall loath yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.' True repentance will dispose your hearts, not only to loath your sins, but yourselves also.

Again, true repentance makes a man ashamed of his sin. What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are (now) ashamed?' saith the apostle. So Ezekiel, And thou shalt be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee

for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God. When a true penitent soul sees his sins pardoned, the anger of God pacified, and Divine justice satisfied; then he sits down (and blushes, as the Hebrew hath it) as one ashamed. Yea, true repentance enables a man to cross his sinful self, and take a holy revenge upon sin, as you may see in Paul, the Jailor, Mary Magdalene, and Manasseh; this the apostle shews in 2 Cor. vii. 10, 11, For godly sorrow worketh repentance never to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death: for behold the self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you; yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what indignation; yea, what fear; yea, what vehement desire; yea, what zeal; yea, what revenge?' Now, Sirs, sum up all these things together, and tell me whether it is such an easy thing to repent, as Satan would make you believe; and I am confident your hearts will answer, that it is as hard a thing to repent, as to make a world, or raise the dead.

I shall conclude this second remedy, with a worthy saying of a precious holy man. Repentance,' saith he, strips us stark naked of all the garments of the old Adam, and leaves us not so much as a shirt behind.'

Rem. 3. Seriously consider, that repentance is a continued act, the word repent implies the continuation of it. True repentance inclines a man's heart to perform God's statutes always, even un

to the end. A true penitent must go on from faith to faith, from strength to strength, he must never stand still nor turn back. Repentance is a grace, and must have its daily operation, as well as other graces; true repentance is a continued spring, where the waters of godly sorrow are always flowing. My sins are ever before me.' A true penitent is often casting his eyes back to the days of his former vanity. I was a blasphemer; and a persecutor, and injurious,' saith the apostle. Repentance is a continued act of turning, a repentance never to be repented of, a turning, never to turn again to folly. A true penitent can as easily content himself with one act of faith, or one act of love, as he can with one act of repentance.

Rem. 4. Solemnly consider, that if the work of repentance were such an easy work as Satan would make it to be, then certainly so many would not lie roaring and crying out, (of wrath and eternal ruin) under the horrors and terrors of conscience, for not repenting; yea, doubtless, so many millions would not go to hell for not repenting, if it were such an easy thing to repent. Ah! do not poor souls under horror of conscience, cry out and say, were all this world a lump of gold, and in our hands to dispose of, we would give it for the least dram of true repentance? And wilt thou say it is an easy thing to repent, when a poor sinner, whose conscience is awakened, shall judge the exchange of all the