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altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." We cannot recommend too earnestly a spirit of forgiveness and love: Lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking""Wash your hands in innocency," and so enter the house, and compass the altar, of your God.

But the language of comfort must not be addressed to all: "There is no peace to the wicked, saith my God!" "Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him! If any of you are far from God, dead in sin, and buried in the world, you cannot possibly be happy: while in this state, you are "feeding on ashes, and a deceived heart hath turned you aside;" the very spring of your pleasure is polluted, and the imaginary good for which you toil becomes your torment. Awake to serious reflection, and cherish immediate concern !". "God is in Christ," waiting to be gracious, and ready to forgive. Approach unto him in humble penitence and hope; cast yourselves at his feet, and plead the merits of his Son! "Him hath God exalted, a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and the remission of sins;" and through him you must be accepted and saved, or your comfort is delusive, and your expectation will utterly fail.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work."

133

SERMON XII.

REPENTANCE.

ROMANS ii. 4.

The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. THIS sentence is short and plain; but the sentiment it contains is highly important and interesting. May we know its truth, feel its influence, and realize its advantages!

The Apostle, in the former chapter, describes the condition of the heathen world: he presents before us an affecting picture of their degeneracy and crimes. In this chapter he proceeds to shew that the Jews were little better. Notwithstanding their superior privileges, their wickedness was enormous; and there was scarcely a vice to which the Gentiles were addicted, but which was practised by the Jews.

Remarkable delicacy is observed in the transition to the state of the Jews, as the Apostle does not explicitly name them till the ninth verse: his meaning, however, is obvious, and the censure he passes is just: "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth, against them who commit such things. And thinkest thou this,

O man, that judgest them who do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering?"

These had been abundantly exercised toward the Jews; for though a rebellious people, they were peculiarly distinguished. "To them were committed the oracles of God; and to them pertained the adoption and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises. To them was sent a succession of faithful prophets; and these were followed by the Saviour, the Son of God. With wicked hands he was crucified and slain; yet the very men who accomplished his death were first favoured with proposals of mercy through him. The Apostles were directed, as Christian Ministers, to commence their labours at Jerusalem; there to announce the astonishing news of salvation by the cross of Christ, and to urge on the Jews first, the acceptance of its invaluable blessings. These were "the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering;" but they were despised-" not knowing," that is, refusing to know, not considering and reflecting as they ought-" that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance.'

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Such was the unhappy state of the impenitent Jews, and their judgment was according to truth. We take the text, however, in its detached form, and consider it as an important proposition in which we ourselves are concerned.

I. We offer a few REMARKS ON THE WORDS of the text.

"Repentance" properly denotes a change of mind; an entire alteration of the judgment, inclination, and habits. Hence it is expressive of such views of our state as sinners, and such a consciousness of ill-desert on account of sin, as excite compunction, shame, and self-abhorrence; and these connected with sincere

desire in future to avoid sin, to undo as much as possible, the evil that has been committed, and to repair its mischief. This is repentance. It supposes offence, but it also supposes a way by which offence may be forgiven it implies, that the Being against whom transgression is directed is disposed to pardon, and has revealed his readiness to accept. It is not conviction only, but unfeigned contrition; and this contrition always resulting in real and permanent amendment.

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There is something instructive in the expression, "leadeth to repentance." It describes the method in which the Lord deals with rational creatures; and this is persuasive and attractive. There is a sort of spurious repentance, to which men are sometimes driven. Thus Ahab was driven by Divine threatenings, Pharaoh by supernatural judgments, Felix by the dread of a future reckoning, and Judas by the stings and terror of his own conscience. It is true, the mind may be first awakened to serious thought by some afflictive occurrence: but to genuine repen tance a man is not driven; he is led-allured by the discovery of hope, and drawn by the attraction of love.

An intimation is also given, that repentance is a personal concern, an individual obligation :-"leadeth thee to repentance." It matters not so much what others are; the question is, What are we? The charge alleged by the prophet is pointed; "No man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have Į done." Let each therefore, look into his own heart, and try the disposition of his own mind. Let a man examine himself, and pursue the inquiry;-Is unfeigned repentance mine? Am I, or am I not, a broken-hearted penitent?

And observe what it is that conducts to this happy result. Not judgments, not desolation and wrath; but "the goodness of God;" or, in language still more full and impressive, "the riches of his goodness,

and forbearance, and long-suffering." It is not meant, that this is always the case in point of fact. Alas! we have many melancholy instances of the reverse. "The goodness of God," instead of leading to repentance, frequently becomes the occasion of accumulated crimes, and is abused to the practice of grosser iniquity; through the depravity of the heart, it emboldens men in transgression, and hardens them in impenitence. The text, therefore, must be considered as expressing the true design of Divine goodness, the effect which it ought to produce, its natural and proper tendency. "The goodness of God," when not abused, when not sinfully perverted, is most beneficial in its influence, and most happy in its result;-it" leadeth to repentance.'

II. We attempt more particularly to ILLUSTRATE THE SENTIMENT which the text contains; in which we remark, time, means, and motives.

1. The goodness of God gives time for repentance."This is implied in the words, "forbearance and longsuffering ;" and who has not reason to speak of these, and to stand astonished at their unwearied exercise? It is said of one, 166 I gave her space to repent, and she repented not." Here was the perversion of Divine goodness. Of others it is affirmed, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men, is fully set in them to do evil *." Here is depravity in its most hateful form; the hardness of an impenitent heart increased, by what ought to soften it; and iniquity encouraged by what ought most effectually to restrain and subdue it.

God forbid that this depravity should prevail in any of us! We are spared through a succession of months and years, amidst our daring provocations: we are continued, though "unthankful and evil," the witnesses

Rev, ii. 21; Eccl. viii. 11.

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