Secondly, Repentance, is another of the great and principal graces, which the Holy Ghost worketh in the heart: Wherefore without this also there can be no departing from iniquity. It is in vain to expect it of any man, let his profession be never so stately and great, if he is a stranger to found repentance. How many are there in our day, since the Gospel is grown so common, that catch up a notion of good things, and from that notion make a profession of the name of Christ, get into Churches, and obtain the title of a Brother, a Saint, a member of a Gospel congregation, that have clean escaped repentance. I say they have catched up a notion of good things, and have through that adventured to name the name of Christ; quite forgetting to take repentance with them. Repentance ⟨p. 43⟩should be,1 and is one of the first steps into true Gospel profession: but some know nothing of it, until they come to the end of all, and their repentance will do them no good. Repentance is not, but where the true fear of God is; yea, the fear of God is one ground of repentance. Repentance is the scouring grace, 'tis that which purges. Repentance is, as I may call it, that bitter pill without the taking, and sound working of which, base and sinful humours will rest unstirred, unpurged, undriven out of the soul. Can repentance be where godly sorrow is not? or can repentance be where the fruits of repentance are not?2 O the fruits of repentance, thick sown by preachers, but it comes up but thinly! Where shall the fruits of repentance be found? Confession of sin is one fruit of repentance; shame for sin, is another fruit of repentance; amendment of life, is another fruit of repentance; restitution for cozening, cheating, defrauding, beguiling thy neighbour,3 is another fruit of repentance; yea, if you would see the fruits of repentance as described by ⟨p. 44⟩the Holy Ghost, and put together for the further conviction and shame of the impenitent professor; look into the Second Epistle, to the Corinthians, Chapter 7. vers. 9, 10, 11.
Secondly, Repentance, is another of the great and principal graces, which the Holy Ghost worketh in the heart: Wherefore without this also there can be no departing from iniquity. It is in vain to expect it of any man, let his profession be never so stately and great, if he is a stranger to found repentance. How many are there in our day, since the Gospel is grown so common, that catch up a notion of good things, and from that notion make a profession of the name of Christ, get into Churches, and obtain the title of a Brother, a Saint, a member of a Gospel congregation, that have clean escaped repentance. I say they have catcht up a notion of good things, and have through that adventured to name the name of Christ; quite forgetting to take repentance with them. Repentance ⟨p. 43⟩should be,1 and is one of the first steps into true Gospel profession: but some know nothing of it, untill they come to the end of all, and their repentance will do them no good. Repentance is not, but where the true fear of God is; yea, the fear of God is one ground of repentance. Repentance is the scouring grace, 'tis that which purges. Repentance is, as I may call it, that bitter pill without the taking, and sound working of which, base and sinful humours will rest unstirred, unpurged, undriven out of the soul. Can repentance be where godly sorrow is not? or can repentance be where the fruits of repentance are not?2 O the fruits of repentance, thick sown by preachers, but it comes up but thinly! Where shall the fruits of repentance be found? Confession of sin is one fruit of repentance; shame for sin, is another fruit of repentance; amendment of life, is another fruit of repent•nce; restitution for cousening, cheating, defrauding, beguiling thy neighbour,3 is another fruit of repentance; yea, if you would see the fruits of repentance as described by ⟨p. 44⟩the Holy Ghost, and put together for the further conviction and shame of the impenitent professor; look into the Second Epistle, to the Corinthians, Chapter 7. vers. 9, 10, 11.
- 1Mark 1.15. Pro. 3.7. chap. 16.6.
- 2Mark 1.4.5. Rom. 6.21. Jer. 7.3, 5.
- 3Luk. 19.5, 6, 7, 8.
