Having given a brief narration of his own miraculous conversion, he produced his commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles; "I have appeared unto thee," says the divine Saviour,-" to make thee a minister and "a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, "and of those things in the which I will appear unto "thee: delivering thee from the people and the gen"tiles, to whom now I send thee; to open their eyes, "and to turn them from darkness to light, and from "the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive "forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them "which are sanctified, by faith that is in me. Where"upon," says the apostle, "I was not disobedient to "the heavenly vision, but shewed," first to the Jews and then to the gentiles," that they should repent and "turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." In doing this," he was not disobedient to the heaven"ly vision:" for in his view of Christianity, these practical subjects perfectly accorded with the doctrines of faith and grace. The several Christian graces may, and should, be distinguished, as they have their appropriate nature and use; but they cannot be separated in the person who possesses them. For instance, an impenitent believer, and an unbelieving penitent are ideal characters: true faith is a penitent faith, and true repentance is believing repentance: yet the nature and use of repentance and faith should plainly be distinguished. This will appear more evidently, while from the text we take occasion to consider, I. The importance of the subject, as it appears from the scriptures. II. Certain things which are implied in it. III. The peculiar nature of repentance and turning unto God. IV. And lastly. The works meet for repent ance. I. Let me call your attention, my brethren, to the importance or prominence of this subject, as it appears from the scriptures, especially from the new Testament. John the Baptist was the predicted forerunner of the Messiah, who was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, when he came in human nature among his ancient people the Jews: but how did he execute his important office? He came preaching, "Repent ye, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Let me intreat your serious attention to this circumstance: notwithstanding the advantages of that favoured nation, with all their notions and form of godliness; there was no order of men, no religious sect, no individual whatever, that did not want repentance, as a preparation for welcoming the Messiah, and sharing the blessings of his spiritual kingdom. Insomuch, that the Baptist said to the Pharisees, as well as to the Sadduces, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee "from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits "meet for repentance: and think not to say within "yourselves, We have Abraham to our father*." Not long after, our Lord himself condescended to preach the gospel; and he too said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." When the apostles went forth at his command, they "preached every Matt. iii, 7-10. where that men should repent:" and it appears from part of his discourse to the seventy disciples, that they were charged with the same commission; for he said on that occasion, "Woe unto thee, Cho"razin, woe unto thee, Bethsaida; for if the mighty "works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which "have been done in thee, they had a great while ago "repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."* Does our Lord say in one place, "The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost?" He elsewhere explains it, "I came not to call the "righteous, but sinners to repentance." Does the good Shepherd rejoice and call his friends to rejoice with him, when he has brought home the lost sheep? "So likewise is there joy in heaven," even "among "the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth:" and when the prodigal, returning to his father, was graciously welcomed, all the family was called on to rejoice; "for this, my son, was lost and is found, was "dead and is alive." On the other hand Christ" upbraided the cities, in "which his mighty works had been done, because 46 they repented not." He told the people, “that the "men of Nineveh would rise up in judgment with "that generation and condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas: and behold "a greater than Jonas is here." He warned the Jews that "except they repented, they would all likewise "perish." And he summed up the reasons of his gentleness to notorious sinners, and his severity in re * Luke, x, 10-14. buking the Pharisees, in this remarkable passage:"A certain man had two sons; and he came to the "first and said, Son, go work to-day in my vine 66 yard. He answered and said, I will not: but af"terward he repented and went. And he came to "the second and said likewise: and he answered and "said, I go, sir; and went not. Whether of them "twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of heaven before you. For John came "to you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed "him not: but the publicans and harlots believed him: "and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not after"wards, that ye might believe him!"* When our Lord was risen, and about to ascend unto the Father, he said to his apostles, "Go ye, preach "the gospel to every creature: he that believeth and "is baptized shall be saved: and he that believeth not, "shall be damned." And again, "Thus it is writ"ten, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise "from the dead the third day; and that repentance "and remission of sins should be preached in his "name unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."† We may know how the apostles understood their Lord, after they were filled with the Holy Ghost, if we attend to Peter, on the day of Pentecost, thus addressing the convinced Jews, " Repent and be bap "tized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, "for the remission of sins:" and afterwards "Repent * Matt. xxi. 28-32. † Mark, xvi. 15, 16. Luke, xxiv. 46, 47. "and be converted, that your sins may be blotted "out;" not because your sins are blotted out, as some modern systems seem to require: and why should men alter the order of scriptural exhortations, unless they mean to change the doctrine of scripture?* When Peter related the circumstances of Cornelius's conversion, to his brethren at Jerusalem, they made this remark, "Then hath God also to the gentiles granted repentance unto life." When Paul at Athens, before the celebrated council of Areopagus, boldly exposed the ignorance of this renowned seat of pagan philosophy, he said, "The times of this ig"norance God winked at, but now commandeth all "men every where to repent." And stating the substance of his preaching before the elders of Ephesus, he thus expressed himself, "Testifying both to "the Jews and also to the Gentiles, repentance toward "God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." The same apostle, addressing the unbelieving Jews, thus expostulates with them, "Despisest thou the "riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long"suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God "leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness "and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself "wrath against the day of wrath?" To the Corinthians he says, "Godly sorrow worketh repentance "unto salvation not to be repented of." And he expressed his fears that when he came among them he † Acts, xi. 18. Acts, xvii. 30. Rom. ii. 4, 5. Acts ii. 38. iii. 13. |