pearance.

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Christ for the remiffion of fins. Acts, ii. 38; thefe were the terms, upon which this mercy. was propofed to a finful world. But then, as foon as this first step was taken, and awakened finners became actual members of the chriftian church, then the apostles' exhortations took a different tone; they infifted upon the danger of a relapfe, and the neceffity of a regenerate life. What shall we fay then? (afks the apoftle, in order to ftate the true doctrine) shall we continue in fin, that grace may abound? God forbid! (anfwers he, with proper deteftation of the wicked fuppofition) God forbid! bow fhall we, that are dead unto fin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that fo many of us, as were baptized into Jefus Chrift, were baptized into his death? therefore we are buried with him by baptifm into death; that, like as Chrift was raised up from the dead by the glory

glory of the Father, even fo we also should walk in newness of life. Rom. vii. 1, &c.

In the gospel view of things, therefore, the profeffed chriftian is fuppofed, at his baptifm, to have taken upon him new purposes, new difpofitions, and a new nature; to cease as much from fin, as a dead body ceases from all vital operations, to be dead unto fin, and alive unto righteousness. It is this practice of virtue, under the motives and instrumental duties of the gofpel, that forms the true chriftian: whereas a man, who ftill walks after the flesh and leads an unrighteous life, though he outwardly wears the name of Chrift, and lives in the communion of his vifible church, yet is as much a heathen, as much a ftranger to Chrift, and an alien from the covenant of grace, as the profeffed heathen, who never heard the glad tidings of a Redeemer; and he has greater guilt too, for abufing fo great a

mercy,

mercy, the gracious means of his reco

very.

BUT as under the gofpel we are still frail and weak creatures, liable to frequent errors and infirmities; as the laver of regeneration, though it takes away the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts, yet does not diveft us of our paffions; the cafe of the chriftian would still be hard, if he were precluded from the hopes of future indulgence, and tied up to the rigid terms of a finless obedience.

THE gospel lays us under no fuch difficulties. Here another privilege, which may be called a second sort of repentance, comes in to our relief. For when the chriftian comes to years of difcretion, and is able to judge of those principles, which the excellent institution of infant baptifm obliged the guardians of his childhood to form his growing mind with, he is then called upon, in the office of confirmation, to confider

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confider the end and purpofe of his creation. Prepared before, by a pious courfe of education, he knows this end to be the falvation of his better nature. He

enters into life, with this purpose full in view. Senfible of his own weakness, and of the great multitude of worldly temptations, he walks on with caution; he has a guard upon his actions; he reviews his conduct, and calls his ways frequently to remembrance. Where he falls, he rises again and forms better refolutions.

IN fhort, by calling in the moral aids of reflection, and the spiritual aids of religion, he is ever endeavouring to make higher and higher proficiency in the proper bufinefs of a reasonable creature. The GoD of all mercy and goodness looks down, with approbation, upon his wellmeant generous efforts, and, in his ordinances, feals his pardon, affifts his weakness, and gives him comfort and confidence in his state.

SUCH

SUCH are the privileges, which the gofpel gives us under the idea of repentance. The firft, you fee, is but an introductory duty, calculated only, by the forgiveness of former fins, to lay men under new obligations of living virtuous and holy lives. The second is a certain modeft fense of our own weaknefs, ever inclining us to co-operate with the various means of grace, given us by our Maker, to remove and affift the defects of nature.

It is poffible indeed, that there may be people, even in a christian country, who live in a total ignorance of the Gospel Pretenfions, who have grown up in the practice of grófs corruptions without any opportunity of knowing better, or attending to the calls and motives of repentance. But this cafe refolves itself into the two foregoing principles. While they live these immoral lives, they are but mere heathens; and, when they happen to fee their danger

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