3. A legal repentance flows from an aversation to God and to his holy law; but an evangelical repentance from love to both.-The diftrefs, the terror and amazement, that awakened finners are under, arifes from their dreadful apprehenfions of God, and his terrible juftice. They know, that they have greatly provoked him, are afraid of his wrath, and therefore want fome covert where they may hide themselves from his prefence.They might before, perhaps, have fome pleasing apprehenfions of God, while they confidered him as being all mercy without juftice; and while they could hope for pardon, and yet live in their fins. But now, they have some sense of his holiness and justice; he appears an infinite enemy, and therefore most terrible to their fouls. They are confulting indeed fome way to be at peace with him, because they are afraid the controverfy will iffue in their de ftruction. They refolve upon new obedience from the fame motives that flaves obey their fevere, ty. rannical mafters; while the rule of their obedience is directly contrary to the bent, bias, and difpofition of their fouls.-Were the penalty of the law taken away, their averfion to it would quickly appear, and they would foon embrace their beloved lufts, with the fame pleasure and delight as formerly.This is frequently exemplified in those who wear off their convictions and reformations together, and, notwithstanding all their former religious appearances, discover the alienation of their hearts from God and his laws, by their finful and fenfual lives; and (as the Apoftle expreffeth it) fhew themselves enemies in their minds, by their wicked works.

But, on the contrary, the fincere gospel-penitent fees an admirable beauty and excellency in a life of holinefs; and therefore groans after higher attainments in it. He is fenfible how much he has tranf

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greffed the law of God, how very far he is departed from the purity and holiness of the divine nature. This is the burden of his foul. Hence it is, that he walks in heavinefs, and waters his couch with tears.He mourns, not because the law is fo ftrict, or the penalty fo fevere; for he esteems the law to be holy, and the commandment holy, just and good; but he mourns, that though the law be fpiritual, he is carnal, fold under fin.-He mourns, that his nature is fo contrary to God, that his practice is fo contrary to his will; and that he can make no better progrefs in mortifying the deeds of the flesh, in regulating his affections, appetites, and paffions, and in living to God: So that with the mind he himself ferves the law of God, though in much imperfection; and though, by reason of his remaining carnality, he is forced to acknowledge and lament, that with the flesh he ferves the law of fin.The true penitent is breathing with the fame earnestnefs after fanctification, as after freedom from wrath. He does not want to have the law bend to his corruptions; but to have his heart and life fully fubjected to the law and will of God. There is nothing he fo much defires, befides an interest in Christ and the favour of God, as a free dom from fin, a proficiency in faith and holiness, and a life of communion and fellowship with God. -Oh (fays the penitent believer) what a wicked "heart have I, that is fo eftranged from the holy "nature of Ged, and from his righteous law! "What a guilty wretch have I been, who have "walked fo contrary, to the glorious God, have "trampled upon his excellent perfections, violated "his holy law, and made fo near an approach even "to the nature of the devil!-O for the cleanfing "efficacy of the blood of Christ, and the renewing "influences of his holy Spirit, to purify this fink

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"of pollution, and to fanctify thefe depraved af"fections of my foul.Create in me a clean "heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me ! "Let this feparating wall between God and my "foul be broken down!-Let me be partaker of "the divine nature, and be brought near to God, "whatever else be denied me!-0 that my ways "were directed, that I might keep thy ftatutes! O let "me not wander from thy commandments, but deal. "bountifully with thy fervant, that I may live and "keep thy word?". Such as these are the afpirations of a fincere repentance: A language which flows from a true love to God and his law, and an earnest defire of conformity to both.

But you will inquire, perhaps, Is there no difference between repentance and love' to God?Are not these different graces of the Spirit; and have they not their different exercifes and operations? I anfwer, Yes; they are truly different and diftinct; but they always have a joint exercife in a truly gracious foul. As faith is truly distinct from repentance; and yet every child of God is a peni tent believer, fo is love likewife diftinct from repentance; and yet neither of these graces can exist without the other. We cannot truly love God, unless our fins are made hateful to us in repentance. We cannot fincerely turn to God, until we value his favour, and take pleasure in a conformity to his will. As thefe graces, therefore, are joint productions of the bleffed Spirit in our regeneration, fo are they joint companions in the exercife of the divine love. From this reflection you may fee the reason why some of the fame things neceffarily occur in this difcourfe of repentance, which you met with in my laft letter, when treating upon the difference of a true and falfe faith.

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By these hints, you may plainly fee the very great difference between a legal and an evangelical penitent. The one looks upon God with dread, terror, and averfation of foul. The other mourns his distance from him, and longs to be more tranf formed into his image and likeness.-The one ftill loves his fins in his heart, though he mourns that there is a law to punish them. The other hates all his fins without referve, and groans under the burden of them, because they are contrary to God and his holy law. The obedience of the one is by mere constraint. The imperfections of the other are matter of continual grief; and he is conftantly longing and striving after greater degrees of grace and holinefs.-The one can find no inward and abiding complacency in the fervice of God. The other runs the ways of his commandments with delight, and takes more pleasure in obedience than in any thing else.

4. A legal repentance ordinarily flows from dif couragement and defpondency; but an evangelical repentance from encouraging hope.I have already confidered, how a legal repentance is excited and maintained by terrors of confcience, and fearful ap prehenfions of the wrath of God.Some indeed, by their external reformations, pacify their confciences, get fettled upon their lees, and cry peace to their fouls; and fo their repentance and difcouragements both come to an end. But whilft their concern continues, their defponding fears are the very life of it.—Their fins, both for number and nature, appear dreadful to their affrightened confciences, as they frequently violate their purpofes and promises of new obedience. They are therefore afraid, that God will never pardon and accept fuch rebels as they have been; and though they dare not neglect duty, they come with horror into

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the prefence of God, as to an inexorable judge; and have nothing to keep their fouls from finking into defpair, but their good designs and endeavours, which yet are too defective to give them comfortable hope. And what is all this, but a most ungrateful undervaluing the blood of Chrift, limiting the goodness and mercy of God, and an implicit denying the truth of the whole gofpel of God our Saviour?-Thus they are flying from the mercy of God, while they pretend to fly to it.But I need not enlarge upon this head, it being fo near of kin to what was obferved under the laft.

I proceed therefore to fhew, on the other hand, that though the true gospel-penitent may have a deeper impreffion of the greatness and atrocious nature of his fin and guilt, than even the awakened, terrified legalift himself, yet he dares not yield to any defpairing thoughts of God's mercy.-Faith opens the door of hope, and therefore the door of repentance, as I have obferved before. True it is, that the gofpel-penitent may meet with many difcouraging doubts and fears; but thefe are his infirmity, not his repentance.-The Apoftle tells us, we are faved by hope: That is what gives life and activity to every grace, and to repentance in particular, as I have had occafion to hint before. And it is yet needful further to obferve, that though a fear and jealoufy of our own fincerity may be confiftent with a true repentance, and perhaps fonietimes ferves to further its progrefs, yet all doubts. of the faithfuliefs of the gofpel-promifes, of the extensiveness of the divine mercy, or of our exemption from the gofpel-offer: All apprehenfions of our not being elected, of our having finned away the day of grace, or of our having finned against the Holy Ghoft: All imaginations that our fins are fo circumftanced, as not to admit of pardon

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