performance of known duty. Or, if he be more forward in the duties of God's immediate worship, he may still live in the acts of injustice, strife, and uncharitableness towards men. If he shows some zeal and activity in the service of God, he will yet, perhaps, have his heart and affections inordinately glued to the world; and pursue it as the object of his chief desire and delight. If he make conscience of all open actual sins, he yet little regards the sins of his heart, but lives in envy, malice, pride, carnal-mindedness, unbelief, or some other such heart-defiling sin. To finish his character, whatever seeming progress he may make in religion, his heart is not right with God: but is still going after his idols, still estranged from vital Christianity and the power of godliness. Like Ephraim, he is as a cake not turned, neither bread nor dough; or, like Laodicea, lukewarm, neither hot nor cold.

If we proceed to view the character of the sincere penitent, it is directly contrary to this. He finds indeed (as has been observed) continued occasion to lament the great imperfections of his heart and life; and accordingly seeks renewed pardon and cleansing in the blood of Christ. But though he has not already attained, nor is already perfect, he is yet pressing towards perfection. He is yet watching, striving against all his corruptions; yet aiming at and endeavouring after further conformity to God, in all holy conversation and godliness. He is never satisfied with a partial reformation, with external duty; or with any thing short of a life of vital piety. He does not renounce one lust, and retain another; content himself with first-table duties, in the neglect of the second; nor quiet himself in a life of mere formal godliness; nor can he rest, till he rejoices in the testimony of his conscience, that in simplicity and Godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God he has his conversation in the world. All the actings of his mind, as well as his external conduct, fall under his strictest cognizance and inspection; and he is careful to approve himself to him, who knows his

thoughts afar off. His reformation extends not only to the devotions of the church, but of his family and closet; not only to his conversation, but his thoughts and affections; not only to the worship of God, but to the duties of every relation he sustains among men; and in a word, his repentance produces heavenly mindedness, humility, meekness, charity, patience, forgiving of injuries, self-denial; and is accompanied with all other fruits and graces of the blessed Spirit. "It is the desire of my soul (says the sincere penitent) to keep the way of the Lord; and not wickedly to depart from my God. I would refrain my feet from every evil way; and walk within my house with a perfect heart. I know I have to do with a God who trieth the heart; and hath pleasure in uprightness; I would therefore set the Lord always before me; and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. I know that my heart is deceitful above all things; and desperately wicked. I know that mine iniquities are ascended over mine head; for which I am bowed down greatly; and go mourning all the day long. But yet my desire is before the Lord; and my groaning is not hid from him. I can truly say, that I even hate vain thoughts: but God's law do I love. O that God would give me understanding, that I may keep his law, and observe it with my whole heart! I would be for God without any reserve: for I esteein his precepts concerning all things to be right, and I have inclined my heart to keep his statutes always, even unto the end.

To conclude, herein lies the great difference between a legal and an evangelical repentance: the one is an external reformation only, destitute of all the graces of the blessed Spirit. The other is an internal change, a change of the heart, of the will and affections, as well as of the outward conversation; a change which is accompanied with all the fruits and graces of the Spirit of God. The one aims at just as much religion as will keep the mind easy; and calm the ruffles of an awakened conscience. The other aims at a holy,

humble, watchful, and spiritual walk with God; and rests in no degree of attainments whatsoever.

Thus, sir, I have given you a general view of the difference between a legal and an evangelical repentance. You have not demanded this of me out of mere curiosity; or as a matter of mere speculation only: but in order to the exercise and practice of a repentance unto life, not to be repented of.

You should therefore remember who is exalted at God's right hand, to give repentance, as well as forgiveness of sins. Remember that you must depend only upon the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ; and must accordingly lie at his footstool, to have this great and important change wrought in your heart. And, therefore, since you depend upon the mere sovereign grace of God in Christ, for the renewing influences of his Holy Spirit, you should be the more importunate in your cries to him, in the language of Ephraim, "turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God."

You should endeavour to review your past sins, and as particularly as you can, acknowledge them before God, with all their heinous circumstances and peculiar aggravations; and you should with peculiar ardour of soul wrestle with him for pardon and cleansing in the blood of Christ.

You should endeavour to see and be affected with the sin of your nature, as well as of your practice; of your heart as well as of your life; and with constant fervency cry to God for a new heart and a right spirit, for victory over your corruptions, and for grace to approve yourself to God in a life of new obedience, as well as for pardon and reconciliation to him.

You should be daily calling yourself to an account for your daily sins and imperfections; and daily confessing and lamenting them before God, that you may never have so much as the sins of one day unrepented of.

Though it be impossible that you can be sufficiently humbled before God, under an abasing sense of

your great sinfulness, unworthiness, and ingratitude to him, yet remember that "faithful saying, which is worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came to save sinners." Do not dishonour the infinite merit of the Redeemer's blood, by being afraid to trust it, for pardon and sanctification. Do not dishonour the infinite compassion of the Divine nature, by calling into question his being as ready to grant, as you heartily to seek, pardon and forgiveness of all your sins, how many and great soever they be. Be therefore humbled; be not discouraged. While you lament your sin and imperfection, adore the infinite riches of that grace and love, which has "opened a fountain for sin and uncleanness."

And to sum up the whole in a word: You must remember, that it is the essence of a true repentance to turn unto God; and therefore if you would evidence the sincerity of your repentance, you must give up yourself to God. You must choose him for your God and portion. You must watch at his gates; and wait at the posts of his doors. You must make a business of religion; and in a life of most active and earnest diligence, expect acceptance through the merits of Christ, and continued supplies of grace and strength from his fulness, to "bring forth fruits meet for repentance."

That the Lord would carry on his own work in your soul, and lead you from grace to grace, and from strength to strength, till you arrive where your faith will be turned into vision, and your repentance into eternal praises, is the prayer of

Yours, &c.

THE SEVENTH CHAPTER TO THE ROMANS CONTAINS THE DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTER OF A CONVERTED STATE.

SIR-I cannot but take comfort, from your melancholy complaint of the corruption you are struggling with; and your sense of the vileness and sinfulness of your heart, which make you groan, being burthened: because you therein breathe the language of a broken and contrite spirit, and give me hopes that you are offering to God the sacrifice, which he will not despise. "You took comfort," you tell me, "from the seventh chapter to the Romans, finding there the like complaints with yours, in so eminent and exalted a Christian as the apostle Paul himself: but that prop is knocked from under you, by conversation with some persons of a superior reputation for religion, who assure you, that St. Paul is there giving the character of an unconverted person, under a conflict between his corruptions and the alarms of an awakened conscience, and that all those places of Scripture are to be interpreted in the same manner, which represent the like conflict in the soul." Upon which you desire my sentiments.

What strange efforts are of late made against evangelical, vital, and experimental piety! How inconsistent are the methods used by those, who are so earnestly labouring in this undertaking! Is it not enough to put mankind into a dangerous security, by flattering them with a prospect of safety, without any experience of a work of grace in their hearts, but they must also torment and disquiet the minds of those who have been favoured with those blessed experiences, by persuading them, that remaining disallowed corruptions and imperfections are inconsistent with a state of grace, and with the favour of God! What do these men mean? Have they no feeling perception,