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SERM.
IV.

But, if the times of ignorance God winked at, he now commands all men every where to repent; having published his law of grace and that remedy which his mercy had found out for finners. The kingdom of heaven is come, that new gospel conftitution wherein the righteoufnefs of God is revealed from faith to faith; he has declared himself merciful to the unrighteousness of the penitent, and that their fins and tranfgreffions he will remember no more. That law which is the unalterable rule of right is cleared from the obfcurities in which the ignorance and prejudices of men had involved it; there is a full dif covery of that which is good and acceptable to the Deity, and he has afcertained a glorious reward to them who diligently feek

him.

From this general character of the kingdom of heaven, or of christianity, you will fee that it contains very strong motives to repentance. The first I mention, is taken from the hope of fuccefs. This is the greateft encouragement, and does most effectually determine men to any valuable defign, endeavours, or purfuit. The end is obtaining the favour of God, which is of fo great moment, that one would think men should ex

ert

ert their utmost power, and use the greateft SER M. diligence for it, confidering themfelves as IV. guilty, and under a forfeiture. The impreffion of this has been fo ftrong on the minds. of men, that all nations, fenfible of having offended the Deity, have laboured to appease him, tho' for the most part by methods very difagreable to reafon, and to our most natural notions of the fupreme Being. Repentance, indeed, is what the light of nature dictates, and all men who confider it, are convinced it is abfolutely neceffary to a reconciliation; but an exprefs affurance from God, that it will be accepted, must be acknowledged an invaluable advantage; and this we have by the chriftian revelation. For however the divine goodness manifested by its liberal effects, and extending to all kinds of beings who are capable objects of it, might induce us to hope that God will be favourable to penitents, and make a difrference between the obftinately wicked and imperfectly good, who in the general tenor yof their actions fincerely do what is lawful and right, tho' not without a mixture of infirmities; yet, ftill there might remain a fufpicion that the wife governor of the world might fee it fit to inflict fome degrees

ན་

SERM. of punishment in a future ftate on those IV. who finned in this life, even altho' they

have repented. But this anxiety is fufperfeded, and ftrong confolation is provided for penitents, by a pofitive declaration from a perfon who has a plenary authority sufficiently attested, that God will receive them into favour as if they had never finned, and that there is reserved for them a compleat and eternal felicity hereafter.

The method in which this mercy is dif pensed carries in it very strong arguments to enforce our duty, I mean, repentance and its genuine fruits. It is by the mediation of Chrift; by the shedding of his blood, they are made near to God, who were far off; and he was raised from the dead for their juftification, faving to the uttermost all that come to God by him, because he ever lives to make interceffion for them ‡. Now, this lays us under the most endearing obligation of gratitude to our Saviour, who gave himself for us, to redeem us from all our || iniquities, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. The New Teftament writers fo represent both the death and refurrection of

* Ephef. ii. 13. Rom. iv. 25.
Tit, ii. 14.

Christ,

Heb. vii. 25.

4

Christ, as it appears to be their great defign SERM.
to bring finners to repentance, or to amend- IV.
ment and newness of life. We are buried
with him in baptifm unto death, (faith St.
Paul, Rom. vi. 4.) that as Chrift was raifed up
from the dead by the glory of the father, fo
we should walk in newness of life. And
thus he reafons, 2d of Cor. v. 14, 15. the
love of Chrift conftraineth us because we thus
judge, that if one died for all, then were all
once dead, that they that live fhould no more
live to themfelves, but to him that died for
them and rofe again. In his other epiftles
he fpeaks often in the fame ftrain, and to
the fame effect, defcribing our repentance
as the very image and resemblance of Chrift's
crucifixion and rifing to glory, for he calls
it being crucified and rifing with him, putting
off the body of the fins of the flesh thro' the
faith of the operation of God, and putting on
-the new man, and being renewed in the fpi-
rit of our minds. The fame doctrine is
taught by St. Peter, 1ft ep. iv. 1. Forafmuch
as Chrift bath fuffered for us in the flesh, arm
yourfelves likewife with the fame mind; for he
that hath fufferedin the flesh bath ceafed from fin.

Another argument for repentance because the kingdom of God, or christianity is come, is taken from the clear light of the gofpel;

and

B

SER M. and certainly a great weight is added to the IV. obligation of our duty by the full and plain discovery of it; in effect the revelation of our whole duty is in this view the enforcement of repentance, which is nothing else but the practice of whatsoever is good, and pure, and virtuous, in oppofition to former lufts in ignorance. The former times God winked at, but now commands all men to repent. He had great compaffion for them who lived in times of error, who were very ill taught, and received a corrupt converfation by tradition of their fathers, without any means of delivering themselves, but merely their own reafon, which indeed, if duely attended to, might have discovered the folly and wickednefs of the idolatry and immorality which then prevailed, but in the generality of men was fo weak and unimprov'd, thro' the unhappiness of their education, that it had very little influence; and its feeble effects were eafily overborn by the clamor of impofture, prejudices, and vicious cuftoms. But, now, that God has fent his fon into the world to reveal his will to mankind, and he has done it with fuch perfpecuity that he who runs may read, and understand it, they must be inexcufable who continue impeni

tent

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