The Prophets in the Old Teftament Preach'd Repentance to the Jews, and Pardon upon it, as fully and clearly as Christ and his Apostles in the New; but it was by vertue not of the Old, but the New Covenant which was in force be fore the Law, as St. Paul affures us, Gal. 3. 17. and to this they owed all their Spiritual Bleffings, fuch as Grace, Pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life, as they did their Temporal, and the Land of Canaan to the other.

Many of the Jews did not think fuch a Repentance neceffary to the partaking the benefits of the Meffiahs Kingdom, as was Preach'd by Fohn the Baptift, and afterwards by Christ and his Apoftles, but they thought it was fufficient to be true Ifraelites, or the Children of Abraham, and that this would entitle them to the Kingdom of the Meffiah here, and Heaven hereafter.

The Talmudists have this comfortable Legend among them, That Abraham ftands at the Gates of Hell, that if the Soul of a wicked few come thither, he may keep it out, like to which fome ignorant Chriftians think now of Chrift. John the Baptift corrected this mistake, when he bad them bring forth fruits meet for Repentance; and think not to say within your felves, we have Abraham to our Father, Matth. 3. 8, 9. And fo

does our Saviour particularly in his Difcourfe with Nicodemus about the neceffity of Regeneration, John 3. and this was probably one great reason why they all began with, and so earnestly preffed and recommended this Duty of Repentance, as neceffary in the first place to those who would be Difciples of Chrift,

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All Chriftians generally do acknowledge the neceffity of it, and, fince we cannot live perfectly innocent fo as to be free wholly from all manner of Sin, that we muft inftead of this en tire Obedience, perform true and fincere Repentance, which next to it is the most acceptable to Heaven.

But there are grievous and fatal mistakes about this Duty of Repentance, which being made up of feveral parts, many are willing to take fome of them for the whole, and to make the effence of it lye in thofe things which are only preparatory or inftrumental to it; this being a Panacea, the univerfal Medicine of the Gospel against all our Sins, they would compound it of fuch pitiful and weak ingredients as will not work upon the Disease, and drive out the corrupt matter, and have its due effect upon their Minds and Lives, but if it a little gripe and diforder them, and they feel fome remorfe and compunction upon their Minds, and fome tranfient Paffions of Grief and Sorrow upon their Souls, they think this is Repentance, though it have no further influ ence to better and reform their Hearts and Lives. They look upon Repentance as a kind of bitter draught that must be taken, eum regimine, like Spiritual Phyfick fpring and fall perhaps, or at fome fer times, or after a Debauch, or fome great Sin, and this fhall ferve them for the whole year after, and they may then return to their fins and loofeness again with more freedom and greater appetite, when that penitential courfe and difcipline is over; and thus they Sin and Repent, Repent and Sin, and

never get out of that fatal Circle: Or they may not put themselves perhaps to all this trouble, but leave it all to the laft, and then refolve to Repent at once for all the Sins of their whole Lives, and fo do the bufinefs more concifely, and yet as effectually all together.

This all proceeds from a wrong and wretched notion of Repentance, as if it confifted only in fome fudden paffions of the Mind, and inward workings of the Thoughts, and not in the lafting change both of Heart and Life, and in the univerfal amendment of both. Those who do not truly understand it, account it fo easie and flight, and gentle a remedy, that will perform its work fo eafily and fuddenly, that they are hereby greatly encouraged in their Sins, becaufe there is fo prefent, and ready, and cheap a Cure for them.

Others who are of a different temper, made up of Melancholly and Timoroufnefs, they are apt to fall into the other extreme, and to think their Sins, though none of the greatest, yet may be of fuch a nature as fhall never be forgiven and they are extremely fearful and fcrupulous, that they are of that fort which the Scripture has declared unpardonable; and fince fome feem to be fo, they can never be perfwaded but theirs may be of that number or quality, and fo they run into a thoufand doubts and fears, if not into abfolute defpair of the truth and validity of their Repentance. All the failings and imperfections which are unavoidable to our Nature, and our prefent State, these they magnifie into heinous and mortal Sins, as others are apt to leffen thofe into weakneffes and infirmities. B 4

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I fhall therefore as carefully as I can, confider this great Subject, with all the parts belonging to it, in this following Method.

I. I fhall give a full account of the Nature of Repentance, with its Kinds and Degrees, that fo we may have a true Notion and Understanding of it, and avoid the common Miftakes about it.

II. I shall propofe the great Motives to it, efpecially thofe of the Gospel, and fuch as are peculiar to Christianity.

III. I shall enquire whether all Sins are pardonable, and may have the benefit of Repentance; thofe after Baptifm, after Relapse: And under this Head I shall particularly confider the Sin against the Holy Ghost, the Nature of it, and why or whether unpardonable; and take notice alfo of other things of this kind but of a leffer nature, fuch as Lufting of the Flesh, and Trouble of Mind.

IV. I fhall confider a Death-Bed Repentance,and enquire into the validity of it, and confider the cafe of the Thief upon the Crofs.

V. I fhall endeavour to obviate the mischievous. Miftakes, and prevent the bad Confequences that too many are apt to draw from this Gospel Priviledge of Repentance.

VI. I fhall give fome Practical Rules abour the particular Exercife of this Duty.

VII. I fhall lay down a certain Mark or Criterion by which we may know we have Repented, and are in a pardoned and good State.

CHAP.

CHA P. I.

Giving a full Account of the Nature of Repentance.

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SECT. I.

Scripture Words for Repentance.

S to a true Notion of Repentance,there are feveral words in Scripture by which it is expreffed; the chief and moft remarkable are these three, Μεταμελεία, Μετάνοια and ̓Αποσροφή, οι Επιςροφή. The two firft we tranflate by Repentance, and have no other word for them; the latt is turning away from our Sins, and turning to God and Goodness. The 1. Meraunda, is an after concern or trouble arifing from our Sins, when our Mind and Confcience fmite us when we have done amifs, and we feel inward trouble and horrour arifing in our Souls upon the reflection of our past Folly and Wickedness. This is attributed to Judas, Matth. 27. 3. Then Judas which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was Condemned, Repented, eras. So that this is but a low part of Repentance, though if it be duly qualified, it may be that Godly for row which worketh Repentance not to be Repented of, 2 Cor. 7. 10. If the bitterness we tafte