It implies an apprehension of danger, from the divine displeasure, as that to which we are obnoxious, and which we cannot escape, resist, or endure; and also a conviction of the justice of that displeasure, that we have really deserved it, and are unable to appease or avert it. It often begins with a conviction of the evil of some particular act, of an external and visible kind; but if it be genuine, it will extend to all that is contrary to the revealed will of God; so that we shall condemn whatever he condemns; and that especially, on account of its opposition to him. It extends to the very purposes and dispositions of the heart; leading the penitent to acknowledge his native depravity, not as an excuse for his transgressions, but an aggravation; and to see the evil of neglecting and disregarding God, and of indulging an undutiful temper toward him. It may vary greatly as to the degree of surprize, terror, and anguish of spirit attending it; but wherever it is genuine, the evil of sin will be realized, as it is against God. The penitent will be grieved for his transgressions, ashamed of the turpitude of his conduct, will fully justify God, and sincerely condemn himself. A thorough penitent can never suppose himself able to make satisfaction for his transgressions, nor pretend that his penitence is any compensation for his crimes. He will be willing to submit to sovereign mercy, and thankful for any hope of reconciliation to God, upon any terms he may see fit to require. He can have no objection to a Mediator, however far that Mediator may go, in taking part with God, and condemning sin. Upon the discovery of the gospel method of salvation, a true penitent must readily fall in with it; and however he may be transported with joy by the hope of pardon, his hatred of sin will not be lessened, but abundantly increased, by a view of the means by which forgiveness was obtained, and his acceptance with God insured.

SECONDLY: The universality of its obligation. All men, every where.

And if this was the command of God in the Apostles' days, is it not equally enforced now? Or has the general profession of Christianity rendered a compliance with this requirement

unnecessary? Certainly, it has not prevented the existence of sin. Formal idolatry has been extirpated from among us; though it had a revival under a new appearance, by the adulteration of Christianity. But that has been, in this country, and many others, reformed: and none of you ever bowed your knees to an idol. But have you set up no idols in your hearts? Have you never given to other objects, that reverence, homage, and supreme regard, which is due to God alone? Have you not failed, both in your duty to him, and your duty to your fellow-men? Do not some enter our assemblies, who are chargeable with the grosser vices, though perhaps they are in a great measure concealed from their fellow-men? Have none been defiled with vile affections? or almost distracted with bitter passions? And if they could have given unrestrained liberty to either class of these evil propensities, would they not have committed far viler things. than they have ever ventured to do? If murder itself could have been effected by a wish, is it certain that every one here would have escaped that charge? Can any one read the tenth commandment, and say, I have uniformly kept the whole of God's law? Or, can you, even on the slightest view of these two commands, on which hang all the law and the prophets, acquit yourselves, or establish your own righteousness? Let each examine himself, and say, if, in all his doings, his sins do not appear? What defects have attended the most decent, in all relative duties! How little proof can you bring of universal and disinterested benevolence! How little attention to your own best interests! How little concern for the glory of the ever-blessed God! What have you ever done for him? What have you ever foreborne to do, from regard to him? How much have you lived without God in the world! How little have you attended to the discoveries of his will! How little have you regarded his glorious gospel! How unthankful have you been for his unspeakable gift! And now, have you no need of repentance ? no ground for poignant sorrow? no cause for grief and humiliation? Verily, God has declared, that except you repent, you will perish. He commands all men every where to repent.

THIRDLY: The ground and design of the requirement. Not that your repentance can make satisfaction for your offences. But because it is just and righteous that you should own and lament your guilt, and be deeply ashamed of your revolt from God. And because God has designs of mercy, which cannot be accomplished, without sinners are brought to repentance. Christ, as a Saviour, is precious to none but penitent sinners. Others may feign to embrace him, but cannot cordially fall in with the way of salvation by him. It is impossible to see the need of his mediation and atonement, without realizing the evil of sin; and our sense of the riches of his grace, and the worth of his salvation, must be in proportion to the conviction of our demerit and guilt. Unless we see sin to be unspeakably criminal, we shall be offended with the import of his atonement; and unless we long for deliverance from sin itself, as well as its penal consequences, we cannot coincide with the design of the Redeemer, who gave himself for his people, to redeem them from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Therefore-repent, and believe the gospel.

And now let me ask you, Have you ever sincerely and cordially repented? Have you had much fear of consequences? Have you any abiding sense of the intrinsic evil of sin? Is your mind quite changed in this respect, so that you cordially condemn and abhor all that God condemns and abhors? Are you deeply humbled for past sins, and present sinfulness? Are you careful to depart from all iniquity? Are you filled with abiding humiliation and self-abasement? Do you admire pardoning mercy? Do you prize sanctifying grace? Do you labor to undo the ill effects of former sins upon others? Are all your hopes of salvation founded upon the mediation of Christ? Are you willing to be to the praise of his grace? and willing to be the property of the Redeemer ? Are you willing to own other true penitents as your brethren, let them be ever so mean in the eyes of the world, or let them once have been ever so vile? Ezek. xvi. 56. 61. 63.

LXXXVI.

PAUL'S ADDRESS TO FELIX.

ACTS xxiv. 25.

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

It is one great excellence of the word of God, that it leads us into the knowledge of ourselves, and lays open the human heart, with all the deceits of its desperate wickedness; while it also shows the nature of true religion, and its wonderful power in the renewed soul. Both of these are exemplified in the text. Here we see the noble spirit of Paul, taught by divine grace to adhere to his Master in the prospect of danger and death; and scorning to use any such means for deliverance, as might be dishonorable to the cause in which he was engaged. We find no flattery, no bribes, no concealment, no handling the word of God deceitfully, no insult to magistracy, no abject meanness in suing for relief. But he is more concerned for the mental bondage of his judge, than for his own liberty, or life. He gladly discourses with him respecting the faith in Christ; but will by no means adulterate the gospel to suit it to the taste of Felix; but endeavors to strike at his conscience, and to wean him from his favorite lusts.

Jews and heathens attest that Felix was a bad man; cruel, covetous, unjust, living in adultery with Drusilla, (daughter of Herod Agrippa, who was eaten of worms,) whom he had seduced from her husband Azizus, King of Emesa, and had procured the murder of Jonathan the High Priest, for inveighing against his tyranny. These things show the pertinence and fortitude of the Apostle's conduct in the text; while the case of Felix, here recorded, illustrates the deceitfulness of sin, as will appear in the sequel of our discourse. We remark,

FIRST, It is the part of a faithful minister, at once to address the understanding and the heart. Paul reasoned with

Felix; yet not in a dry and frigid manner, but so as to make him tremble.

reason.

True religion is a rational thing; every branch of it will bear examination. The law of God is perfectly reasonable, and though our reason could not have discovered the gospel method of salvation, or various mysteries connected with it, yet there is nothing in it contrary to right It is reasonable to believe that there may be such peculiarities in the divine essence as we cannot fully comprehend, since there are such even in the nature of the And as to the mediation of Christ, it is perfectly rational that the Supreme Governor should so plan the salvation of sinners as to support the honor of his law, and discountenance iniquity.

meanest creatures.

Yet the most rational truths must not be so treated in a dry, speculative way, as to leave the heart unaffected. We must labor to the uttermost to awaken the conscience, and affect every feeling of the soul. We should not wish to influence the affections, without proportionably enlightening the understanding; but we should wish and labor to have men affected with the truth; nor can they well be affected too deeply, if it be the truth alone that affects them, and that in proportion to its importance.

SECONDLY: The most evangelical minister may, on many occasions, find it necessary to insist upon legal and moral subjects.

The law must be preached, as well as the gospel; yea, before the gospel, though in subserviency to the gospel. And both parts of the law-duty to man, as well as duty to God. Conviction often begins with the former. By the law is the knowledge of sin; and without that, we can know neither our need of the Saviour, nor our obligations to him. Generally, convictions of sin begin with some particular and outward evil; and so by tracing back the streams to the fountain, men are made acquainted with the plague of their own hearts: whereas there is a way of talking of the sin of our nature, which leads the sinner to excuse the sin of his life. We must be careful to guard against this. Some indeed, condemn all legal preaching; they would have all