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SERM. the new covenant, was what all the followIV. ers of Christ were understood to be bound

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to, as the genuine effect, I may fay, the continuation of that repentance which was begun at their converfion to christianity, and into which, they were initiated at their baptifm. This repentance was fuppofed, when once fincerely begun, never to be revoked, nor to need to be repeated, as the apostle speaks, 2 Cor. vii. 10. not to be repented of; as the feal of it was never to be received but once; and therefore, in the 6th chapter to the Hebrews, repentance from dead works, as well as faith, and in confequence of both, baptism is reckon'd as the foundation of chriftianity not to be laid again.

To suppose men called to repent in the same manner as at their firft profeffing the religion of Chrift, is to fuppofe that the foundation is destroy'd, that in effect they have departed from christianity, and renounced their baptism; thus falling from grace and returning to that state of death in tref paffes and fins wherein the world lay, like the unconverted Gentiles who walked in the vanity of their minds, and according to their former lufts in ignorance; and this is a fuppofition which is not made in the general

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strain of the New Teftament writings, (as SERM. it was not reasonable it should) they are, IV. therefore, to be understood in treating of repentance, to mean the firft converfion of finners, by the grace of God that brings falvation, from dead idols to the fervice of the liv ing God; from an impious and immoral converfation in worldly lufts, to a fober righteous and godly life; in which they are bound by the laws of their religion and their covenant with God to perfevere and go on to perfection. Its true, christians are in some sense oblig'd daily to repent; that is, whereas this is an imperfect ftate, and they are liable to failures thro' surprising temptations, remaining ignorance, and many infirmities which compass them about, they ought continually by impartial felf-examination to find out thefe failings, to regret them humbly, and fet themselves in oppofition to them, aspiring to higher measures of perfection, leaving the things that are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before as the * Apoftle Speaks. But, this is not what the facred writers mean by repentance, but becoming new creatures, turning from a wicked and ungodly life to a fincere holiness and virtue and their doctrine is, that fincere chriftians being

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*Philip iii. 13, 14.

SERM. being born of God, born of water and of IV. the Spirit, that is, truly repenting and being

baptized, they do not, they cannot fin; because the divine feed abides in them; they do not commit fin, fo as to be its fervants, and under its dominion any more.

Nevertheless, it is a cafe which may be fuppofed, for it is fometimes fact, and the infpired writers themselves affirm it to be fo, that men under the profeffion of the gospel fall into thofe courfes, and into these practices which are utterly inconfiftent with fincerity; they *fin wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, and depart from the holy commandment which was delivered unto them. Not only an open and avowed rejecting of christianity, which some in the primitive times were guilty of, and it was extremely difficult to renew them again unto repentance; not only this, I fay, but any wilful, deliberate finning against the light and conviction of men's own minds, any known criminal practices frequently repeated, any of those things for the fake of which the wrath of God cometh on the children of difobedience, as adultery, fornication, drunkennefs, fraud, violence, oppreffion, or others. of a like nature and malignity, any of them knowingly

* Heb. x. 26.

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IV.

knowingly and wilfully committed, efpe- SER M. cially relapsed into, after profeffed forrow and purposes of amendment, is a violation of the chriftian covenant, a forfeiture of our claim to the favour of God according to the laws of the gofpel, and fubjects finners to his indignation. What in this cafe is to be done? I have faid already these are not the persons to whom the doctrine of repentance was originally preached, nor to whofe condition it is accommodated in the general strain of the New Teftament. Indeed their condition is much worse, their guilt is more agravated by fuch bold and presumptuous defiance to the light of their own confciences, and contempt of the gospel grace; the fpirit of God is grieved, their hearts more hardened, and their reformation rendered more difficult, as St. Peter says, 2d epift. ii. 21. It were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment.

But after all there is no other remedy; repent they muft or perish. Tho' the scripture speaks but fparingly of their cafe, and of that duty with an application to it, as it is not reasonable fuch ample encouragement fhould be given to them as to those who

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SERM, finn'd in ignorance, and whofe fins were in
IV. fome fenfe connived at, yet the plain reason
of the cafe will direct them to this, as the
only way for obtaining forgiveness and fal-
vation, notwithstanding all the disadvantages
they have brought themselves under, and
all the disabilities they have contracted for
performing it. And yet the fcripture is not
wholly filent concerning this cafe, and the
neceffity, and even the hopefulness of re-
penting in it. The prophets often call upon
the Jews (whofe condition in this respect
was parallel to that of chriftians) in fuch
terms as thefe, * return ye blackfliding chil-
dren, for I am married to you. The cove-
nant on God's part shall still ftand, if ye will
forfake the fins by which you have violated
it and revolted from him; and tho' thou
haft plaid the barlot with many lovers, yet re-
turn to me faith the Lord. That is, for fo
the figurative expreffion fignifies, tho' thou
art guilty of heinous aggravated offences,
and particularly of idolatry, which was an
effential breach of the covenant, yet there
is room for repentance.
And in the New
Teftament, as we find the cafe of apoftacy
fuppofed, or of infincerity, that is of wilful
tranfgreffions under the christian profeffion

* Jer. iii. 14. + Jer. iii. 1.

and

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