ceives the alms: but a dead hand could not receive them.

None, who understand christianity, doubt, but that repentance, hope, fear, and love, exist in every true believer: yet faith alone justifies him before God; because the righteousness and atonement of CHRIST are the sole ground of our justification, and faith alone receives CHRIST, that we may "be made the righteousness of GOD in him." But this faith is the faith of the penitent, and not of the impenitent: it works by love, and it brings forth holy fruit.

"

While the poor criminal, who fled for refuge to the altar, laid hold of the horns with his hand alone; his heart would beat, his blood circulate, and his other limbs and senses perform their proper functions. Thus the sinner, by faith alone lays hold of CHRIST; yet his soul is alive to GoD, and all the graces of the Spirit of life are at the same time exercised according to their proper nature and function. "Now abideth "faith, hope, charity, these three: but the greatest "of these is charity."

The text suggests yet one more remark; "Gon

grants repentance unto life." This means more than that he has opened a way for the penitent sinner to come to him and live; or that he calls on sinners to repent. It implies that repentance is the gift of God. "If peradventure GOD may give them repentance." "CHRIST is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance-and forgiveness of sins."-" The Spirit convinces men of sin, of righteousness, and "of judgment:" and when the LORD "

pours out

"the Spirit of grace and supplication, men look on "him whom they have pierced, and mourn."

•

How often, in our excellent liturgy do we unite in prayer, that GoD would give us repentance and his Holy Spirit? The language we have been lately using, is very emphatical: Create and make in us new and 'contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, ' and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain ' of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through JESUS CHRIST.'*

While we preach repentance, we would pray to GOD, that he may bestow on you the invaluable gift of repentance unto life: and you should pray in behalf of yourselves and each other, for the same blessings. For both true repentance and living faith spring up in that heart, and that alone, which is quickened from the death of sin unto the life of righteous'ness.'

II. We consider the nature and effects of repentance unto life.

Many distinctions on this subject have been made by divines, which have often tended to perplex, rather than satisfy, anxious enquirers. Doubtless, some exercises of the mind, have the semblance of repentance, which are not genuine. When, for instance, a man has made a bargain, and it turns out worse than he expected, he is sorry that he made it; but he is not humbled under a sense of criminality. And when a sinner finds that his sinful pursuits are likely to cost him much dearer than he imagined; having discovered

Collect for Ash Wednesday.

that the divine law is very strict, and its sentence very dreadful: he may be greatly alarmed and distressed about the consequences, and secretly quarrel with the command and the sanction; and yet have no genuine repentance; nay, he may be in a state of heart diametrically opposite to it.

Repentance, according to the Scripture, may be stated to begin, or to be introduced, by consideration" Thus saith the LORD, consider your ways." "-Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions; he shall surely live and not "die.*"

Look into the world around you, my brethren; survey the lives of mankind in general. What total inconsideration must we observe, and how little do men think of the wrath of God, of the day of judg ment, or the rule prescribed for their conduct! How Little do they reflect on their relations and obligations to the great CREATOR and JUDGE of the world! How little do they attend even to their own thoughts, words, and actions! How very little to the motives from which they act! The greatest number live in a perpetual hurry either of business or of pleasure, or of both in succession. Among the superior classes especially, there is a regular system of banishing consideration. All dissipation, whether of a more publick, or retired nature, not only tends, but is intended, to deliver men from the uneasiness of solitude and serious reflection; and the desire of this deliverance is the source whence vast multitudes derive abundant

gains! In devising amusement, with tolerable inge nuity, they cannot fail of obtaining an ample compensation.

Thus the prodigal son is represented as devoid of consideration, "when wasting his substance in riot"ous living." But at length, "He came to himself." He began to reflect on the past, or the present, and on his future prospects. "Awake thou that sleepest, "and arise from the dead, and CHRIST shall give "thee light."

When the careless. sinner thus "comes to himself," he considers what he has been doing; where he now is; whither he is going; and what is likely to befal him. He now examines his thoughts, his words, and his actions; he studies the rule which Gon hath prescribed; and compares his past and present conduct with it, both in respect of what he has done, and what he has neglected to do; estimating also bis advantages, and the uses which he has made of them. And, as he does this, with the great day of account and righteous retribution before his eyes; he also begs of GOD to search and prove him, that he may now judge himself, and not at last be finally condemned, to have his doom with the impeniten and unbelieving.

Consideration will soon make way for conviction increasing conviction, both of criminality in conduc and depravity of heart; and this, even in respect e those persons who have been more decent and ami ble than many others. "I was," says the apost "alive without the law once." While he had estin ted his own character, according to the notions a

traditions of the Pharisees, who only regarded the outward conduct; he thought his life good, his heart good, his state good. But during his three days solitary fasting and praying at Damascus, he had abundant opportunity for consideration: and "the com"mandment," "the holy, just, and good law," came with power and conviction to his conscience; and then," sin revived and he died." He became deeply sensible, by viewing himself in this glass, that his life, his heart, his state were deplorably bad: and this prepared the way for his understanding and believing the gospel.

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The convinced sinner hears "the wrath of Gon "revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and "unrighteousness of men;" and, instead of his previous favourable opinion of himself, he is ready to adopt the Psalmist's words, "Who can understand "his errors? Cleanse thou me from my secret sins." My sins are more in number than the hairs of my "head; my heart faileth me." When one, who was before careless and inconsiderate, is thus led to make this awful review, with the law of GoD open before him, and the judgment-seat in full prospect, he then judges himself, not only concerning gross crimes and immoralities; but he discovers in his whole conduct, base ingratitude to GoD and contemptuous forgetful. ness of him; idolatrous love of worldly objects; ta lents entrusted and abused; time and life wasted, and worse than wasted; mischief, irretrievable mischief, done in various ways by his example and influence. Whether he looks back upon his life past, or towards the future reckoning; whether he looks into