1. That the sin reserved is small, and of no great importance. It is a little one. But true repentance respects the nature of sin, which is in every sin equally, the least as well as the greatest. The least reserve for vanity, pride, conformity to the world, inordinate desires or affections, utterly overthrow the truth of repentance and all the benefits of it.

2. That it is so useful as that, at least at present, it cannot be parted withal. So Naaman would reserve his bowing before the king in the house of Rimmon, because his honours and preferments depended thereon. So is it with many in their course of life, or trading in the world; some advantages by crooked ways, seem as useful to them as their right hand, which they cannot, as yet, cut off and cast from them. This, therefore, they have a secret reserve for; though it may not be expressed, yet it is real and effectual. But he, who in this case, will not part with a right eye or a right hand, must be content to go with them both into hell fire.

3. Secrecy. That which is hidden from every eye, may be left behind. Some sweet morsel of this kind, may yet be rolled under the tongue. But this is an evidence of the grossest hypocrisy, and the highest contempt of God who seeth in se

cret.

4. Uncertainty of some things whether they are sins or no. It may be, some think such neglects of duty, such compliances with the world, are not sins; and whereas, they have not so full a conviction of their being sinful, as they have of other sins which are notorious and against the light of nature, only they have just reason to fear they are evil, this they will break through and indulge themselves in them. But this also impeacheth the truth of repentance. Where it is sincere, it engageth the soul against all appearance of evil. And one that is truly humbled, hath no more certain rule in his walking, than not to do what he hath just cause to doubt whether it be lawful or not. True repentance, therefore, is universal, and inconsistent with all these reserves.

Secondly, Unto the same end, that we may be acquainted with our own interest in this initiating repentance, we must consider the season when it is wrought. And this is,

1. Upon the first communication of gospel light unto us by the Holy Ghost. Christ sends him to convince us of sin and righteousness and judgment, John xvi. S. And if, upon the first participation of light and conviction by the Holy Ghost, this repentance is not wrought in us, it is to be feared that we have missed our season. And so it falls out with many. They receive light and convictions, but use them unto other ends. These put them, it may be, upon a profession and relinquishment of some ways and parties of men, but farther they use VOL. V.

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them not. Their first proper end is to work our own souls to saving repentance, and if we miss their first impressions, their power and efficacy for that end is hardly recoverable.

2. It never fails on the first saving view of Jesus Christ as crucified, Zech. xii. 10. It is impossible that any one should have a saving view of Christ crucified, and not be savingly humbled for sin. And there is no one single trial of our faith in Christ, whether it be genuine or not, that is more natural than this. What have been the effects of it, as to humiliation and repentance? Where these ensue not on what we account our be lieving, there we have not had a saving view of Christ crucified.

Thirdly, Whereas we call this repentance initial, we must consider, that it differs not in nature and kind, from that which we ought to be exercised in, whilst we are in this world, whereof afterwards. That which we intend thereby, is the use of repentance in our first admission into an interest in a gospel state. And with respect hereunto its duration may be considered; concerning which we may observe,

1. That with some, especially in extraordinary cases, this work and duty may be over in a day as to its initiating use and efficacy. So was it with many primitive converts, who at the same time were savingly humbled and comforted by the promises of the gospel, Acts ii. 37-42. xvi. 31-34. Now although in such persons the things we have ascribed to this repentance, are not wrought formally and distinctly, yet are they all wrought virtually and radically, and do act themselves on all future occasions.

2. Some are held longer unto this duty as it is initiating. Not. only did Paul continue three days and nights under his sore distress without relief, but others are kept days and weeks and months oft-times, in the discharge of this duty, before they have a refreshing entrance given them thereby into an estate of spiritual rest in the gospel. There is therefore no measure of time to be allotted unto the solemn attendance unto this duty, but only this, that none faint under it, wax weary of it, or give it over, before there be thereby administered unto them an entrance into the kingdom of God.

And these considerations of the nature of repentance from dead works as it is initiating, may give us some direction in that necessary inquiry concerning our own personal interest in it.

Now there are several ways whereby men miss their duty with respect unto this first principle, and thereby ruin their souls eternally.

1. Some utterly despise it. Such are the presumptuous sinners mentioned, Deut. xxix. 19, 20. As they disregard the curse of the law, so they do also the promise of the gospel, as unto any repentance or relinquishment of sin with respect unto them.

Such folly and brutish foolishness possesseth the minds of multitudes, that they will have some expectation of benefit by the.gospel, and will give it an outward compliance, but will not touch on the very first thing which it indispensably requireth of all that intend any concernment in it. It were easy to open and aggravate this deplorable folly; but I must not stay on these things.

2. Some will repent in their dead works but not from them. That is, upon convictions, afflictions, dangers, they will be troubled for their sins, make confession of them, be grieved that they have contracted such guilt and danger, with resolutions to forego them. But yet they will abide in their sins and dead works still. So Pharaoh more than once repented him in his sins, but never had repentance from them. And so it was expressly with the Israelites themselves, Psal. Ixxviii. 34-37. And this kind of repentance ruins not fewer souls than the former total contempt of it. There are not a few unto whom this kind of repentance stands in the same stead all their days, as confession and absolution doth to the Papists; it gives them present ease, that they may return to their former sins.

3. Some repent from dead works in some sense, but they repent not of them. They will come, through the power of their convictions, to a relinquishment of many of their old sins, as Herod did upon the preaching of John Baptist, but are never truly and savingly humbled for sin absolutely. Their lives are changed, but their hearts are not renewed. And their renunciation of sin is always partial, whereof before. There are many other ways whereby men deceive their souls in this matter, which I must not now insist upon.

Secondly, This repentance in the nature and kind of it, is at duty to be continued in the whole course of our lives. It ceaseth as unto those especial acts which belong unto our initiation into a gospel state, but it abides as to our orderly preservation therein. There must be no end of repentance, until there is a full end of sin. All tears will not be wiped from our eyes, until all sin is perfectly removed from our souls. Now repentance in this sense may be considered two ways.

1. As it is a stated constant duty of the gospel; 2. As it is occasional.

First, As it is stated, it is our humble mournful walking with God under a sense of sin, continually manifesting itself in our natures and infirmities. And the acts of this repentance in us, are of two sorts; First, Direct and immediate; Secondly, Consequential and dependant. The former may be referred unto two heads. 1. Confession. 2. Humiliation. These a truly penitent soul will be continually exercised in. He whose heart is so lifted up on any pretence, as not to abide in the constant exercise of these acts of repentance, is one whom the soul of God

hath no delight in. The other, which are immediate acts of faith, but inseparable from these, are, 1. Supplications for the pardon of sin; 2. Diligent watchfulness against sin. It is evident how great a share of our walking with God consists in these things, which yet I must not enlarge upon.

Secondly, This continued repentance is occasional, when it is heightened unto a singular solemnity. And these occasions may be referred unto three heads.

1. A personal surprisal into any great actual sin. Such an occasion is not to be passed over with the ordinary actings of repentance. David upon his fall, brings his renewed repentance into that solemnity as if it had been his first conversion to God. On that account he deduceth his personal sins from the sin of his nature, Psal. li. 5. besides many other circumstances whereby he gave it an extraordinary solemnity. So Peter upon the denial of his master wept bitterly, which, with his following humiliation and the renovation of his faith, our Saviour calls his conversion, Luke xxii. 23. A new conversion of him who was before really converted. There is nothing more dangerous unto our spiritual state, than to pass by particular instances of sin, with the general duties of repentance.

2. The sin or sins of the family or church whereunto we are related, calls unto us to give a solemnity unto this duty, 2 Cor. vii. 11. The church having failed in the business of the incestuous offender, when they were convinced by the apostle of their sinful miscarriage therein, most solemnly renew their repentance towards God.

3. Afflictions and sore trials call for this duty, as we may see in the issue of all things between God and Job, chap. xlii. 6.

And, lastly, We may observe that this repentance is a grace of the Spirit of Christ, a gospel grace, and therefore whatever unpleasantness there may be in its exercise unto the flesh, it is sweet, refreshing, satisfactory, and secretly pleasant unto the inner man. Let us not be deterred from abiding and abounding in this duty. It is not a morose, tetrical, severe self-maceration, but a humble, gracious, mournful walking with God, wherein the soul finds rest, sweetness, joy and peace, being rendered thereby compliant with the will of God, benign, useful, kind, compassionate towards men, as might be declared.

The necessity of a profession of this repentance from dead works, in order to an admission into the society of the church, that an evidence may be given of the power and efficacy of the doctrine of Christ in the souls of men; that his disciples may be visibly separated by their own profession from the world that lies in evil, and be fitted for communion among themselves in love, Math been elsewhere spoken unto.

The second instance of the doctrinal foundation supposed to

be laid among the Hebrews, is miσTING E71 107, of faith towards God.' And this principle is coupled with that foregoing, by the conjunctive particle xa, of repentance and of faith.' Indeed, they neither ought to be, nor can they be severed. Where the one is, there is the other, and where either is not, there is neither, what ever be pretended. He repenteth not, who hath not faith towards God and he hath no faith towards God, who repenteth not. And in this expression where repentance is placed first, and faith in God afterwards, only the distinction that is between them, but neither an order of nature in the things themselves, nor a necessary order in the teaching of them, is intended. For in order of nature, faith towards God must precede repentance from dead works. No man can use any argument to prevail with others unto repentance, but it must be taken from the word of the law or of the gospel, the precepts, promises and threatenings of them. If there be no faith towards God with respect unto these things, whence should repentance from dead works arise, or how can the necessity of it be demonstrated? Besides, that the order of nature among the things themselves is not here intended, is evident from hence, in that the very last principles mentioned concerning the resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment are the principal motives and arguments unto the very first of them, or the necessity of repentance, as our apostle declares fully, Acts xvii. 30, 31. But there is some kind of order between these things with respect unto profession, intended. For no man can, or ought to be esteemed to make a due profession of faith towards God, who doth not first declare his repentance from dead works. Nor can any other have the comfort of faith in God, but such as have in themselves some evidence of the sincerity of their repentance.

Wherefore, omitting any farther consideration of the order of these things, we must inquire what is here intended by faith in God. Now this cannot be faith in the most general notion of it, because it is reckoned as a principle of the doctrine of Christ. But faith in God absolutely taken, is a duty of the law of nature. Upon an acknowledgment of the being of God, it is thereby required that we believe in him as the first eternal truth; that we submit unto him and trust in him, as the sovereign Lord, the Judge and rewarder of all. And a defect herein was the beginning of Adam's transgression. Wherefore faith in this sense cannot be called a principle of the doctrine of Christ, which wholly consists in supernatural revelations. Nor can it be so termed with respect unto the Jews in particular. For in their Judaism they were sufficiently taught faith in God, and needed not to have been instructed therein as a part of the doctrine of Christ. And there is a distinction put by our Saviour himself between that faith in God which they had, and the peculiar faith