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King, the Lord of Hosts"." Though he hath obtained peace with God, he cannot forget his past sins; yea, the enjoyment of so high a favour makes "the remembrance of his offences much more grievous, the burden still more intolerable." Sorrow and shame for iniquity he will continually feel, till "death gives him a full discharge from this warfare."

5. False repentance effects only a slight and partial reformation in the outward behaviour. Distress of conscience sometimes produces an apparent reformation of manners, and a dread of some presumptuous offence, which has made the false penitent smart so severely. But, in this case, the sinner's passions are only chained up, and he deterred, by an external cause, from living after the desire of his heart. Thus, as some gross offence generally excites that fear which is the spring of false contrition, so deliverance from its dominion too frequently satisfies the hypocrite, without any real change, or lasting or universal amendment.

Sometimes the false penitent will convict himself of insincerity, by changing one offence for another less vicious. If he give up for a time his favourite lust, he will commit some other sin with little compunction; or, if he is zealous for the ceremonies and forms of religion, who was once profane, he will live in strife, injustice, and uncharitableness: if he contend for the truth of the Gospel, he will still love the world, and its foolish pleasures, more than the peace of God. Whilst he retains the form of godliness, he feels not its power; and is prone, like the Laodiceans, to be perfectly satisfied with himself, though destitute of every temper acceptable to God P.

• Isa. vi. 5.

P Rev. iii. 15-20.

The character of a true penitent is directly opposite to this. He finds, indeed, continual cause to confess and lament his imperfections, and to seek renewed pardon in the blood of Christ: but, though he has not yet attained that measure of perfection after which he aspires, yet he watches and strives against all iniquity, and labours to be conformed to the image of God. He cannot be contented with freedom from presumptuous transgressions; he desires that all the graces of the Holy Spirit may live and flourish in his heart. He cannot feel happy without cultivating faith, love, purity, humility, meekness, charity, patience, and resignation to the Divine will. The seeds of these heavenly virtues are sown in his soul; and he constantly uses means to promote their growth and increase, day by day. Conscious of the desperate wickedness and deceit of his heart, he prays to be kept from falling, by the power of Jehovah: "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe PP." "O that my ways were made so direct, that I might keep thy law!"

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6. False repentance yields to the fear of man. Many set out a little way in the road to heaven, till "the love of the praise of men," and the dread of their contempt', conquers them; and they turn back, and walk no more with Christ. Their object is, at all events, to please their relations, or worldly persons who can advance their interest : they will, therefore, do nothing, to honour God, which may cause them to forfeit the favour of those from whom they hope to gain.

True repentance leads us to forsake all, and to follow Christ, whatever may be the consequence of our attachment to him: it bears a penitent through evil

PP Psalm cxix. 117.
'John xii. 42, 43.

ib. 5.

• John vi. 66.

report; and makes him satisfied with the approbation of God, let men form what opinion they please concerning him. Ashamed of his past conduct, and resolved, from love to God, to do his will, he carefully avoids every snare and occasion which would again plunge him into sin. He cannot, therefore, any longer comply with evil customs, or call those things harmless which may tempt him to affront his God, divert his thoughts from eternal realities, and inflame those passions which true wisdom requires men to suppress. "For conscience sake, therefore, he will risk the loss of temporal advantages, and resist the entreaties and bear the frowns of relations and friends, sooner than be seduced from his duty to God. He will maintain a vigilant jealousy over sin, and all ap proaches to it. He will walk with great circumspection in regard to all persons and things, lest they should obstruct him in his pilgrimage. It is his steadfast purpose, lose or suffer what he may, never to yield to popular errors, or the fashion of neglecting the soul, but to repel every insinuating advocate for conformity to evil customs, saying, "Depart from me, ye wicked; I will keep the commandments of my God."

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Thus, then, in opposition to the slavish fear from which false sorrow for sin proceeds, that sincere evangelical repentance which God approves, is, a radical alteration of the mind, will, and affections, which displays itself in unfeigned grief for sin, a fixed resolution to forsake all unrighteousness, and to pur sue every Christian virtue and grace.

By comparing our spirit and conduct with the test afforded in the preceding pages, we may see whether we are penitent before God, or whether we yet rePsalm cxix. 115.

main impenitent, under the sway of a hard unbeliev ing heart and corrupt affections; whether we are subjects of that hypocritical fear, and sorrow which worketh death; or partakers of that blessed change of heart and life, to which we are brought by a real repentance".

7. The importance of repentance, and the blessedness which results from it, recommend it to all who feel any wish to enter into the kingdom of God. Repentance rescues men from the cruel and oppressive tyranny of Satan, breaks the chains of sin with which they have been fettered, effects their liberation from the grievous bondage of evil passions, infuses the love of righteousness, and translates them into God's kingdom of grace on earth, and of glory in heaven. Here is a work worthy of God to effect, and suited to the spiritual wants of perishing sinners, for whose benefit it is wrought.

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The blessings which accrue from a penitent state deserve to be briefly mentioned. "The wages of sin is death;" to which the impenitent soul is obnoxious, but which God will not inflict on the contrite. pentant souls not only escape deserved wrath, but obtain a plenary remissionof all past iniquities. God vouchsafes his peace, as a token to assure them of forgiveness and reconciliation. He bestows upon them all the treasures of grace and salvation. "He seals them, as his unalienable property, with the Holy Spirit of promise;" makes them acquainted with their adoption into the family of God; and gives then a foretaste of the glory prepared for them in heaven. >

Now, what delight must a returning prodigal experience, in knowing that he is reconciled to his

" 2 Cor. vii. 10.

Heavenly Father, who henceforth feels a pleasure in doing good to his long-lost son!

And, with what satisfaction must the blessed God contemplate the recovery of his once-lost children to duty and to happiness! He is gratified with their repentance, as his own work; because it produces those tempers which fit them for communion with himself. "To this man will I look, even to him that, is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word uu On the restoration of every sinner to a state of righteousness, God evinces the liveliest demonstrations of joy; saying, "This my son was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found."

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Angels participate in the same high gratification: they carry back to heaven, with a most rapturous delight, the glad tidings of a sinner's conversion; and, tuning their golden harps, raise a song of thanksgiving to God, the author of such transcendent mercy. Nor is it difficult to account for this joy. For what do angels behold, when they witness the return of a prodigal to God? They see in him a rebel reduced to allegiance; a creature, once miserably enslaved by the powers of darkness, liberated from a grievous captivity, and plucked as a brand from the "everlasting burnings:" they see another trophy of victorious grace; a fresh triumph of the cross of Christ; another proof of God's compassion, in exalting him who was before sunk in guilt and disgrace, to share with themselves all the beatitude and felicity of heaven. And is there not, in this, sufficient matter for exultation? Is not this a cause strong enough to excite "joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth?"

uu Isa. lxvi. 2.

▾ Luke xv.

10.

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