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joys of believers; yea, of their rejoycing with joy unSpeakable and full of glory. 1 Pet. i. 8. Indeed, all crue penitents are not always actually poffeffed of fuch joys. They may for a feafon, when there is need of it, be in heavinefs. 1 Pet. i. 6. Yet however, the repenting finner has a right to fpecial joys. Jefus Chrift bas promised, that fuch as mourn for fin, fhall be comforted. Matth. v. 4. And they that fow in tears, fhall reap in joy. Pfal. cxxvi. 5. There is an harveft of joy, which they fhall reap in due time; efpecially in the world to come. There they fhall partake of fulness of joy for ever. Pfal. xvi. 11. And oftentimes, in this life, God does revive the Spirit of the contrite ones. Ifai. Ivii. 15. There are feafons, wherein they have fome comforting tafte of God's love to their fouls, and wherein they do rejoice in hope of eternal glory. Now and then, they fit down under the shadow of Chrift with great delight, and his fruit is fweet unto their talte. He brings them into the banqueting house, and his banner over them is love. Cant. ii. 3, 4. Thus for the third Propofition.-

PROP. 4. Repenting finners thall be brought out of their fpiritual captivity with peace. Indeed, when a foul is led out of its spiritual bondage to fin and Satan, it then begins a warfare: it is engaged in a fpiritual conflict with the Devil and fin; and will continue fo to be all its days on earth. Yet however, there is a manifold and bleffed peace; which it enjoys. All true penitents are partakers of the most defirable peace. 1. Repenting finners have peace with God. While they were impenitent and difobedient, God was their enemy. But But upon their repentance and converfion to God, then God becomes reconciled to them. He then is their friend, yea, and their reconciled Father. He bears a tender, fatherly love to them. Thus when Ephraim repented, God lays of him; Is Ephraim my dear fon? Is he a pleasant child? Jer. xxxi. 20. When the Prodigal returned, his Father embraced him, kiffed him, nd restored him to his favour. Luk. xv. 20. God is as

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well pleafed with penitent finners, as if they had never difpleafed him at all. Through Jefus Chrift, God is perfectly and eternally pacified and reconciled to them,

2. Repenting finners have peace with the creatures. While men abide in their fallen ftate, all the creatures are fet against them. They are ready, at the command of God, to be the executioners of his vengeance on finners. There is not the leaft creature, but what would deftroy a finner, if it had orders from God fo to do. But now, when finners turn to God by repentance, there is no creature, that will, or can, hurt them. There is, as it were, a league of friendship between every true convert, and every creature of God, both animate and inanimate. Job v. 23. Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field fhall be at peace with thee. Thofe that truly return into covenant with God, fhall have all creatures brought again into covenant with them, fo as not to hurt them, but to further their welfare and promote their everlafting good.

3. Repenting finners have peace with their own confciences. The confcience of an impenitent finner, is armed against him. It accufes him of fin, condemns him for it, cites him before the judgment-feat of God; and hereby diftreffes and terrifies him. Unlefs he be judicially hardened, his confcience will trouble him. But now, when a finner repents of his fins, and returns unto the Lord, his confcience fpeaks peace to him. It excufes him, and acquits him before God, and gives in its teftimony for him. This confcience purged from dead works, as being confcious to the believer's freedom from the guilt of fin by the blood of Chrift, is a continual feaft. The enlightned confcience of a repenting finner, is not an enemy to him; but a friend, that fpeaks comfortably to him. When fin is repented of, it is pardoned. And when fin is pardoned, there is peace in the foul. Though not always fo much as perfectly to free from fear, yet fo much as to fecure from finking defpair.

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4. Repenting finners have peace with death. To impenitent finners, death is a dreaded enemy. To them it is a king of terrors. They can hardly think of it without amazement and trembling. And therefore they do all that they can, to keep the thought of it out of their minds. They look upon it, as the end of all their comforts, and the beginning of their neverending forrows: and therefore put it far away from them. But now to a true penitent, death is a real friend. Its fting is taken out (his fins being pardoned) and fo it can do him no harm. Nay, it will do him the greatest service, as it will put an end to his fins, and forrows, of all forts; and as it will hand him over to a state of eternal bleffednefs, with Jefus Chritt, in the kingdom of heaven. The death of a penitent then, as to his body, is but a fleep, or lying down to reft for a while, in order to awake unto an endless life of glory. And his death, as to his foul, is but a paffage to heaven, the place of perfect reft and peace. Ifai. vii. 2. The righteous is taken from the evil to come. He fall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds, till the refurrection.

APPLICATION.

USE I. We hence learn, how fad and deplorable the condition of impenitent finners is. For their ftate is directly contrary to that of repenting finners. Thefe do enjoy liberty, joy, and peace, and confequently, impenitent finners have neither true liberty, nor joy, nor peace.

1. They have no true liberty. Indeed, impenitent and difobedient finners, do ufually think, that no men enjoy fuch liberty and freedom, as they do. They live as they lift, following their own corrupt inclinations, and gratifying their own vile affections. This they count real liberty; which is nothing but licentioufrels.This is what they reckon true freedom, which is indeed most woful fapery. The carnal Jews,

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thought themselves free, and in bondage to none : Whereas our Lord gave them to understand, that they were the flaves of Satan and fin. Joh. viii. 33, 34, 44. And what more miferable captivity can there be, than to be under the command of fin, under the tyranny of Satan, and the condemnation of the law of God? And this is the fad cafe of every impenitent finner, for the prefent. And what will the end of this bondage be at the laft? Why, the wretched flave, that has been doing the drudgery of Satan, and tiring out himfelf in the service of fin, will at last be fhut up in the prifon of bell, and there be tormented with the Devil for ever. His work they have, and his wages they shall receive.

2. Impenitent finners have no true joy. Indeed, finners themselves do think that they, of all men, lead the most jocund and pleafant lives. They eat, drink and are merry, indulging themfelves in carnal and fenfual pleafures. But thefe are no real, fatisfying pleasures. They are no better than what the very beafts do enjoy. And they are but of very fhort duration. Heb xi. 25. The pleasures of fin are but for a feafon. They will not last long, but in a little while will come to an end. And then the iue and confequents of them will be moft dreadful. They will terminate in exquifite and eternal torments. Thus it was with that voluptuous perfon, who fared Sumptuously every day when he died, he went down to the place of torments. Luk. xvi. 23, 24. And the more perfons have lived in pleasures, the more and greater will their torments be. Rev. xviii. 7. How much fhe bath lived deliciously, fo much torment and forrow give ber. So that thefe tweet pleafures, will end in bitternefs. The joys of finners, will be followed with endlefs forrows. They will mourn at the laft, and weep and wail for ever. Their prefent laughter therefore is nothing but madness. Eccl. ii. 2. For like mad-men, they are fporting themfelves in that which will end in their deftruction.

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3. Impenitent finners have no true peace. Indeed, finners may be in a state of carnal fecurity, and fo enjoy a kind of falfe peace. This may arife from many Caufes. Sometimes it arifes from infidelity. Thus when finners do not believe the existence of God, or that he is fo holy and juft a God as he is declared to be in his word, they may enjoy fomething of inward quietnefs, as not apprehending the wrath of God that will be revealed against fin. Sometimes they are so drenched in fenfual pleasures and fwallowed up in worldly bufineffes and concerns, as to have no thoughts of the dangeroufnefs of their condition; and fo may be free from inward troubles, and be at ease in their minds. But this is no true peace of confcience, it is rather stupidity, or fearedness of confcience. Their confciences are lulled afleep, but not fpiritually at rest. And fooner or later, their confciences will awake, and be armed against them and terrify them. For, there is no peace to the wicked. Ifai. xlviii. 22. And as they have no true peace of confcience, so neither have they any real peace with God. He is an enemy to them, and will ere long appear to be fo. Though for a time he may hold in his anger, and difpenfe favours in his providence to them; yet his wrath will in a little while wax hot, and break forth against them. That most awful fcripture will be verified upon them. Deut. xxxii. 40, 41. I lift up my hand to heaven, and fay, I live for ever: If I whet my glittering fword, and mine band take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance' to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.---Thus for the first Ufe.

USE 2. Hence we learn, that repentance is no bindrange unto true joy and peace. Sinners are apt to look upon ferious and hearty repentance, as inimical to joy and peace. They account it à melancholy, difquieting, and dejecting thing; in the exercife whereof, perfons must give up themfelves to forrow and heaviness of fpirit, and take their leave of all true pleasure and reft.

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