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SERMON XIV.

THE REPENTANCE OF BELIEVERS.

"Repent ye, and believe the Gospel." Mark i. 15.

1. It is generally supposed, that Repentance and Faith are only the Gate of Religion; that they are necessary only at the beginning of our Christian course, when we are setting out in the way to the kingdom. And this may seem to be confirmed by the great Apostle, where, exhorting the Hebrew Christians to "go on to perfection," he teaches them to leave these "first principles of the doctrine of Christ;""not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God;" which must at least mean, that they should comparatively leave these, that at first took up all their thoughts, in order to "press forward toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

2. And this is undoubtedly true, that there is a Repentance and a Faith, which are, more especially, necessary at the beginning: A Repentance, which is a conviction of our utter sinfulness, and guiltiness, and helplessness; and which precedes our receiving that kingdom of God, which, our Lord observes, is “within us;" and a Faith, whereby we receive that kingdom, even "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

3. But, notwithstanding this, there is also a Repentance and a Faith, (taking the words in another sense, a sense not quite the same, nor yet entirely different,) which are requisite after we have "believed the Gospel;" yea, and in every subsequent stage of our Christian course, or we cannot "run the race which is set before us." And this Repentance and Faith are full as necessary, in order to our continuance and growth in grace, as the former Faith and Repentance were, in order to our entering into the kingdom of God.

But in what sense are we to Repent and Believe, after we are Justified? This is an important question, and worthy of being considered with the utmost attention.

I. And, first, In what sense are we to Repent?

1. Repentance frequently means an inward change, a change of mind from sin to holiness. But we now speak of it in a quite different sense, as it is one kind of Selfknowledge, the knowing ourselves sinners, yea, guilty, helpless sinners, even though we know we are children of God.

2. Indeed when we first know this; when we first find redemption in the blood of Jesus; when the love of God is first shed abroad in our hearts, and his kingdom set up therein; it is natural to suppose that we are no longer sinDers, that all our sins are not only covered but destroyed. As we do not then feel any evil in our hearts, we readily imagine none is there. Nay, some well-meaning men have imagined this not only at that time, but ever after; having persuaded themselves, that when they were justified, they were entirely sanctified: yea, they have laid it down as a general rule, in spite of Scripture, reason, and experience. These sincerely believe, and earnestly maintain, that all sin is destroyed when we are justified; and that there is no sin in the heart of a believer; but that it is altogether clean from that moment. But though we readily acknowledge, he that believeth is born of God," and "he that is born of God doth not commit sin;" yet we cannot allow that he does not feel it within it does not reign, but it does remain. And a conviction of the sin which remains in our heart, is one great branch of the Repentance we are now speaking of.

3. For it is seldom long before he who imagined all sin was gone, feels there is still Pride in his heart. He is convinced both that in many respects he has thought of himself more highly than he ought to think, and that he has taken to himself the praise of something he had received, and gloried in it as though he had not received it; and yet he knows he is in the favour of God. He cannot, and ought not, "to cast away his confidence." "The Spirit" still "witnesses with" his "spirit, that he is a child of God."

4. Nor is it long before he feels Self-will in his heart; even a will contrary to the will of God. A will every man must inevitably have, as long as he has an understanding. This is

an essential part of human nature, indeed of the nature of every intelligent being. Our blessed Lord himself had a will as a man; otherwise he had not been a man. But his human will was invariably subject to the will of his Father. At all times, and on all occasions, even in the deepest affliction, he could say, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt." But this is not the case at all times, even with a true believer in Christ. He frequently finds his will more or less exalting itself against the will of God. He wills something, because it is pleasing to nature, which is not pleasing to God; and he nills (is averse from) something, because it is painful to nature, which is the will of God concerning him. Indeed, suppose he continues in the faith, he fights against it with all his might: but this very thing implies that it really exists, and that he is conscious of it.

5. Now Self-will, as well as Pride, is a species of Idolatry; and both are directly contrary to the love of God. The same observation may be made concerning the "Love of the World." But this likewise even true believers are liable to feel in themselves; and every one of them does feel it, more or less, sooner or later, in one branch or another. It is true,

from death unto life," he desires

when he first passes nothing more but God. He can truly say, "All my desire is unto thee, and unto the remembrance of thy name:" "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee!" But it is not so always. In process of time he will feel again, though perhaps only for a few moments, either "the desire of the flesh," or "the desire of the eye," or "the pride of life." Nay, if he does not continually watch and pray, he may find Lust reviving; yea, and thrusting sore at him that he may fall, till he has scarce any strength left in him. He may feel the assaults of inordinate Affection; yea, a strong propensity to "love the creature more than the Creator;" whether it be a child, a parent, an husband or wife, or "the friend that is as his own soul." He may feel, in a thousand various ways, a desire of earthly things or pleasures. In the same proportion he will forget God, not secking his happiness in him, and consequently being a "lover of pleasure more than a lover of God.”

6. If he does not keep himself every moment, he will again feel the Desire of the Eye; the desire of gratifying his imagination with something great, or beautiful, or incom

mon. In how many ways does this desire assault the soul? Perhaps with regard to the poorest trifles, such as dress, or furniture; things never designed to satisfy the appetite of an immortal spirit. Yet, how natural is it for us, even after we have "tasted of the powers of the world to come," to sink again into these foolish, low desires of things that perish in the using! How hard is it, even for those who know in whom they have believed, to conquer but one branch of the desire of the eye, Curiosity; constantly to trample it under their feet; to desire nothing, merely because it is new!

7. And how hard is it even for the children of God wholly to conquer the Pride of Life? St. John seems to mean by this nearly the same with what the world terms the sense of honour. This is no other than a desire of, and delight in, "the honour that cometh of men;" a desire and love of praise; and, which is always joined with it, a proportionable fear of dispraise. Nearly allied to this is evil shame; the being ashamed of that wherein we ought to glory. And this is seldom divided from the fear of man, which brings a thousand snares upon the soul. Now where is he, even among those that seem strong in faith, who does not find in himself a degree of all these evil tempers ? So that even these are but in part "crucified to the world; " for the evil root still remains in their heart.

8. And do we not feel other tempers, which are as contrary to the Love of our Neighbour as these are to the Love of God? The love of our neighbour "thinketh no evil." Do not we find any thing of the kind? Do we never find any jealousies, any evil surmisings, any groundless or unreasonable suspicions? He that is clear in these respects, let him cast the first stone at his neighbour. Who does not sometimes feel other tempers or inward motions, which he knows are contrary to brotherly love? If nothing of malice, hatred, or bitterness, is there no touch of envy? Particularly toward those who enjoy some real or supposed good, which we desire but cannot attain? Do we never find any degree of resentment, when we are injured or affronted; especially by those whom we peculiarly loved, and whom we had most laboured to help or oblige? Does injustice or ingratitude never excite in us any desire of revenge? Any desire of returning evil for evil, instead of " overcoming evil with good?"

This also shows, how much is still in our heart, which is contrary to the love of our neighbour.

9. Covetousness, in every kind and degree, is certainly as contrary to this as to the love of God; whether agyugiż, the love of money, which is too frequently "the root of all evil;" or hove, literally, a desire of having more, or increasing in substance. And how few, even of the real children of God, are entirely free from both? Indeed one great mau, Martin Luther, used to say, He "never had any covetousness in him (not only in his converted state, but) ever since he was born." But, if so, I would not scruple to say, he was the only man born of a woman, (except him that was God as well as man,) who had not, who was born without it. Nay, I believe, never was any one born of God, that lived any considerable time after, who did not feel more or less of it many times, especially in the latter sense. We may therefore set it down as an undoubted truth, that covetousness, together with pride, and self-will, and anger, remain in the hearts even of them that are justified.

10. It is their experiencing this, which has inclined so many serious persons to understand the latter part of the Seventh Chapter to the Romans, not of them that are "under the law," that are convinced of sin, which is undoubtedly the meaning of the Apostle, but of them that are "under grace; that are "justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ." And it is most certain, they are thus far right-there does still remain, even in them that are justified, a mind which is in some measure carnal; (so the Apostle tells even the believers at Corinth, "Ye are carnal;) an heart bent to backsliding, still ever ready to depart from the living God;" a propensity to pride, self-will, anger, revenge, love of the world, yea, and all evil; a root of bitterness, which, if the restraint were taken off for a moment, would instantly spring up; yea, such a depth of corruption, as, without clear light from God, we cannot possibly conceive. And a conviction of all this sin remaining in their hearts, is the Repentance which belongs to them that are justified.

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11. But we should likewise be convinced, that as sin remains in our hearts, so it cleaves to all our words and actions. Indeed it is to be feared, that many of our words are more than mixed with sin; that they are sinful altogether; for such undoubtedly is all uncharitable conversation; all

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