motives to the exercise of Repentance, which arise out of the gospel of Christ. The exhibition of

these powerful incentives will claim your attention in a subsequent discourse; but I cannot conclude the present address, without suggesting and enforcing a few reflections.

1. There is reason to fear that many mistake a spurious for a genuine Repentance.

I have not adopted the distinction made by some, between a legal and an evangelical Repentance; because it is the operation of the divine law upon the conscience, which prepares the mind for the reception of the gospel. The operation of the law, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, produces conviction of sin; and the operation of the gospel of Christ produces contrition of heart. But if the views which it has been my object to convey, are correct and scriptural, then Repentance is far more comprehensive in its character, than many have been accustomed to suppose. It is not uncommon to say of a man," he goes on sinning and repenting." The statement is, I conceive, objectionable. He has never once exercised "Repentance unto life;" for if he had, sin would have become the object of his hatred, and would have been resolutely abandoned and renounced. Let it then be impressed upon every heart, that he remains a stranger to true Repentance, who gives no practical evidence of true

conversion to God. It is not uncommon to hear it said of a man," he is a true penitent." But the question is, whether his sorrow for sin be of the nature which leads to a further and complete change of mind, and heart, and character; or whether it be the "sorrow of the world," which often subsides without inducing any permanent effect, and which sometimes, alas! even "worketh death."

2. We should be most deeply anxious to ascertain, whether we ourselves have exercised that "Repentance to salvation, which needeth not to be repented of."

We have seen that there are several stages in the progress of Repentance, through all of which it is essential that we ourselves should pass. Let us retire and reflect, and scrutinize our hearts, as in the sight of Him to whose inspection they are every moment subjected; and let us be solicitous to ascertain whether, in the workings of our minds, in the movements of our hearts, and in the course of our conduct, we can trace--serious consideration of our way of life; strong conviction of the evil of the sins committed; genuine and heartfelt contrition; humble, penitential confession, and true conversion to God. It is more than possible, that serious and reasonable doubts may arise in the minds of some I now address, whether, if all this be requisite to Repentance, they have ever

yet repented. Conscience, instead of quieting their apprehensions, awakens their fears. To such then I would say, let Repentance now commence, in its true and genuine character. Examine your hearts, as well as your actions. Bring them to the test of the holy law. And when constrained to exclaim," God be merciful to me a sinner," direct your views to the atoning Saviour, the great and the accepted propitiation for sin. His blood cleanseth from guilt of deepest dye; and his overtures of mercy are proclaimed to the vilest offenders. Forget not the value and the necessity of the influences of that Holy Spirit, who can introduce light into the darkest mind, and tenderness of feeling into the hardest heart. A new heart can Jehovah give you, and a new spirit can he put within you; he can take away the heart of stone, and give a heart of flesh.

3. Let it be remembered, that many of those operations and emotions which are involved in true Repentance, christians themselves have occasion to exercise throughout the whole of their lives.

In one sense indeed, as is intimated by our Saviour, just or righteous persons "need no Repentance." They who have already exercised Repentance unto life," and experienced the entire change, which is introductory to salvation,

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do not again need, as others, the entireness of a moral transformation. But if Repentance include among its essential elements and inseparable concomitants, contrition and confession, where is the christian that needs not its daily exercise, under some, at least, of its characteristic modifications? Where is the man, inhabiting this world of iniquity, who "doeth good and sinneth not?" Now it is not only after gross offences like that of Peter, who denied his Lord, that Repentance is necessary, but after every sin without exception. Every species and every instance of defect and of transgression should become the occasion of grief, and humiliation, and confession, before God, and of immediate recourse to the "fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness."-" If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us-If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is also the propitiation for our sins." To the cross of Him who died for sinners, let us then perpetually direct our regard, mourning over our ingratitude, yet rejoicing in our Saviour, and looking, with glad anticipations, to the world in which we shall have no sin to confess, no evil to lament, no corruption to resist; but where all within us, as well as all around us, will be purity and peace and blessedness eternal. Happy

then are you, and most grateful should you ever feel to the God of all grace, if you have exercised that Repentance which is to salvation, and which needeth not to be repented of. If you are still destitute of this indispensable requisite of personal religion, Oh that you may this day give occasion of benignant delight to those adoring inhabitants of heaven, who rejoice with joy unspeakable" over one sinner that repenteth."