"mindedness! How often have I been mourning 66 my infirmities; and muft I yet have caufe to mourn over the fame defects! How often pur"fuing and.defigning a clofer walk with God; but "what a poor progrefs do I yet make, fave in de"fires and endeavours?-How would the iniqui"ties of my best duties feparate between God and my foul for ever, had I not the Redeemer's me"rit to plead! What need have I, every day to "have this polluted foul wafhed in the blood of "Chrift, and to repair to the glorious Advocate "with the Father, for the benefit of his intercef"fion!—Not a step can I take in my spiritual pro

grefs, without freth fupplies from the fountain of grace and ftrength; and yet how often am I "provoking him to withdraw his influences, in "whom is all my hope and confidence! O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body "of this death."-Thus the true penitent goes with his face Zion-ward, mourning as he goes. And thus in his highest attainments of comfort and joy, will he find caufe to be deeply humbled before God, and to wrestle with him for renewed pardon, and new fupplies of ftrengthening and quickening grace.

The difference between these two forts of peni. tents is very apparent.-There is the fame difference, as between the running of water in the paths after a fhower, and the ftreams flowing from a living fountain of water; a legal repentance lafting no longer than the terrors which occafion it; but an evangelical repentance being a continued war with fin, till death founds the retreat.-Once

more.

6. A legal repentance does at most produce only a partial and external reformation; but an evange lical repentance is a total change of heart and life, and univerfal turning from fin to God.-As fome

particular

particular more grofs iniquities most commonly lead the way to that diftrefs and terror which is the life of a legal and infincere repentance, so a reformatiop of those fins too frequently wears off the impreffion, and gives peace and reft to the troubled confcience, without any further change.-Or at beft, there will be fome darling lufts retained, fome right hand, or right eye fpared, fome fweet morfel rolled under the tongue.-If the legal penitent be afraid of the fins of commiffion, he may ftill live in the omiffion or careless performance of known duty. Or if he be more forward in the duties of God's immediate worship, he may still live in acts of injuftice, ftrife, and uncharitablenefs towards men. -If he fhews fome zeal and activity in the service of God, he will yet (perhaps) have his heart and affections inordinately glued to the world, and purfue it as the object of his chief defire and delight.. -If he makes confcience of all open, actual fins, he yet little regards the fins of his heart, but lives in envy, malice, pride, carnal-mindednefs, unbelief, or fome other fuch heart-defiling fin.-To finish his character, whatever seeming progress he may make in religion, his heart is not right with God, but is ftill going after his idols, ftill eftranged from vital chriftianity and the power of godlinefs. 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 fincere penitent, it is directly contrary to this.-He finds indeed (as has been obferved) continual occa. fion to lament the great imperfections of his heart and life, and accordingly feeks renewed pardon and cleanfing in the blood of Chrift. But though he has not already attained, nor is already perfect, he is yet preffing towards perfection. He is yet watching, ftriving againft all his corruptions; yet aiming at,

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and endeavouring after, further conformity to God, in all holy converfation and godliness. He is never fatisfied with a partial reformation, with external duty; or with any thing fhort of a life of vital piety. He does not renounce one luft, and retain another, content himself with firft table duties, in the neglect of the fecond; nor quiet himself in a life of mere formal godliness; nor can he reft, till he rejoices in the teftimony of his confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not with fleshly wis. dom, but by the grace of God, he has his converfa. tion in the world.-All the actings of his mind, as well as his external conduct, fall under his ftrictest cognizance and inspection; and he is awfully care. ful to approve himfelf to him who knows his thoughtsafar off-His reformation extends not only to the devotions of the church, but of his family and clofet; not only to his converfation, but to his thoughts and affections; not only to the worship of God, but to the duties of every relation he fuftains among inen; and, in a word, his repentance produces heavenly-mindednefs, humility, meeknefs, charity, patience, forgivenefs of injuries, felf-denial, and is accompanied with all other fruits and graces of the bleffed Spirit. It is the defire of my foul (fays "the fincere 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 houfe with a perfect heart."I know I have to do with a God who trieth the

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heart, and hath pleasure in uprightness; I would "therefore fet the Lord always before me, and "ferve him with a perfect heart and with a willing "mind. I know that my heart is deceitful above "all things, and defparately wicked. I know that "mine iniquities are afcended over mine head, for "which I am bowed down greatly, and go mourn.

ing all the day long. But yet my defire is be"fore the Lord; and my groaning is not hid from "him.-I can truly fay, 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 obferve it with my whole heart!"I would be for God without any referve; for I "efteem 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, deftitute of all the graces of the bleffed Spirit. The other is an internal change, a change of the heart, of the will and affections, as well as of the outward converfation; a change which is accompanied with all the fruits and graces of the Spirit of God.-The one aims at just so much religion as will keep the mind eafy, and calm the ruffles of an awakened confcience. The other aims at a holy, humble, watchful, and fpiritual walk with God; and refts 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 curiofity, or as a matter of fpeculation only, but in order to the exercife and practice of a repentance unto life, not to be repented of.

You fhould therefore remember who is exalted at God's right hand, to give repentance, as well as forgiveness of fins. Remember that you must depend only upon the grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and muft accordingly lie at his footftool, to have this great and important change wrought in your heart. And therefore, fince you depend upon the mere fovereign grace of God in Chrift, for the re

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newing 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 thould endeavour to review your paft fins, 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 foul wrestle with him for pardon and cleansing in the blood of Chrift.

You should endeavour to fee and be affected with the fin of your nature, as well as of your practice, of your heart as well as of your life; and with conftant fervency cry to God for a new heart and a right fpirit, 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 fins and imperfections, and daily confeffing and lamenting them before God, that you may never have fo much as the fins of one day unrepented of.

Though it be impoffible, that you can be fufficiently humbled before God, under an abasing sense of your great finfulness, unworthiness, and ingratude to him, yet remember that faithful saying, which is worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came to fave finners.Do not dishonour the infinite merit of the Redeemer's blood by being afraid to truft to it for pardon and sanctification. Do not dishonour the infinite compaffion of the divine nature, by calling into question his being as ready to grant, as you heartily to feek pardon and forgivenefs of all your fins, how many and great foever they be. Be therefore humbled, but not difcouraged. While you lament your fin and imperfec