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God requires you not in the least to think worse than the truth, and would have you judge calmly of your spiritual state, not under the disability of a fright: but whatever opinion you may form of your own deserts, forbear to entertain an injurious one of him. When he hath sent his blessed Son to make atonement for you, when he hath told you in his holy Word, when he tells you by his ministers every day, that this atonement reaches to the very worst of cases, do not except your own in contradiction to him: do not indulge doubts and scruples about what he hath plainly promised, in order to be miserable against his will: but, together with the sorrow of having offended, allow yourselves to feel the joy of being restored to favour. A wise and good parent would wish to have his child affected only in a moderate manner with a sense of his past faults, when once he is returned to his duty: and though still he hath the weaknesses incident to his tender age, doth not reject him for them, or desire he should sink under them; but strive against them with a cheering belief, that he shall out-grow them, as he approaches to maturity. Why will you not reflect then, that, like as a father pitieth his own children, even so is the Lord merciful to them that fear him? For he knoweth whereof we are made; he remembereth that we are but dust*.

It is extremely unhappy, that when persons attend public discourses on religion, in which different instructions, designed for as different sorts of auditors, must however be spoken to all sorts promiscuously, each, for the most part, applies to himself just what doth not belong to him, notwithstanding the best care to prevent it. The bold sinner con

* Psalm ciii. 13, 14.

fides most securely in what he hears of God's mercy: while the low-spirited penitent almost dies away at the mention of his justice. The first hath no dread of the most wilful sins, because the nature of man is frail: the last hath no peace about the most excusable deficiencies, because the precepts of the Gospel are strict. We can only caution them, not to mistake thus: and beg they would have a more serious regard, on the one side, to their future happiness: on the other, to their present comfort. It grieves us to think of the terrors, that we may sometimes occasion those to suffer, who have no need to suffer any at all. But we must of necessity give out the strongest warnings against the greatest danger: and run the risque, if we cannot avoid it, of making a few good persons uneasy without cause, rather than leave many bad ones asleep in fatal self-flattery. For indeed the doctrine of forgiveness, though in itself the most ingenuous motive to thankful piety and obedience, is too often most disingenuously perverted to encourage transgression. Repentance, men argue, is sure to obtain pardon; and pardon restores us to the state we were in before we did amiss. What need have we then to scruple going a little wrong, when the method of setting all right again immediately is so plain before us? But, in reality, true repentance, a thorough change of temper and purpose, manifested by a course of suitable conduct, will be found, neither a short, nor an easy work; but one exceeding the power of man, without the help of God. And not to say how uncertain it is, whether God will give these artful contrivers time to repent effectually, what prospect is there in the least, that they will have a heart to do it? When once they have been so deliberately base and wicked, as

to rebel against him for that very reason, which ought, of all others, to have made them dutiful to him; where is the likelihood, that they will ever become so honest and good, as to return and serve him faithfully? No alteration requires a larger share of his grace to effect it: and no sinners have less ground to expect any share of it, than these. But were it ever so probable, that even such offenders might come to amend their doings, yet there is an awful observation, arising from the history before us, which remains to be insisted on,

V. That wickedness, even after it is forsaken, and after it is forgiven, produces nevertheless very often consequences so lamentable, that for this cause, amongst others, innocence is greatly preferable to the sincerest and completest repentance, that ever

was.

In the very same breath, that Nathan tells David the Lord had put away his sin, he tells him also of a trying affliction, and a very trying one it proved, that he should immediately undergo, on account of that sin. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child, that is born unto thee, shall surely die. Nor could the most fervent intercessions of the royal penitent reverse the decree. Nay, the threatening prediction, which the Prophet made to him before his repentance, that because he had killed Uriah with the sword, the sword should not depart from his house; and as he had polluted his wife, his own should be polluted in the sight of the sunt, was permitted to befall him, notwithstanding his repentance, with great exactness. Nor doth there need much reflection upon what passes in the

* 2 Sam. xii. 14.

+ 2 Sam. xii. 9-12.

world to see, that Providence, to this day, frequently suffers events of a like nature to happen: partly to complete the humiliation of the sinner, partly that others may hear and fear*.

Sometimes no immediate connection between the transgression and the suffering is visible, that it may seem to be the hand of God, rather than a natural effect; though indeed, would men consider, every effect proceeds from his hand: but commonly they are closely linked, to deter men from committing iniquity, by shewing them before-hand, what fruits they must expect it to produce. Indeed, were only the pain inseparable from repentance, the feeling of having done ill and deserved ill, to distinguish the condition of him who returns to his duty, from his who has always adhered to it: the distinction would be very interesting and important. For how wide is the difference between hating and approving ourselves: between thinking of God with dread and shame, and rejoicing in him as our trust from our youth, and our portion for ever! But long after peace is restored within, which yet will never be so restored to great offenders, as not to leave matter of melancholy reflection; long after penitents are at ease with respect to their future state; afflicting consequences, with respect to the present, will flow from what they have done amiss. Often they have hurt themselves, alienated their friends, lost their time and opportunities of doing well in the world, injured their characters, their fortunes, their healths: often they have hurt others, set mischievous examples, enticed, betrayed, oppressed, provoked those around them, and destroyed, perhaps, by short follies, what the endeavours of the rest of their days will * Deut. xiii. 11. † Psalm lxxi. 5. Psalm lxxiii. 16.

never be able to repair. These, indeed, are considerations, under which they should not despond: but surely others ought to take warning from them, and learn of how unspeakable value it is, to keep innocency, and take heed to the thing that is right*, from the very first. Life was not intended to be led inconsistently; one part in doing wrong, the other in being sorry for it. Uniform obedience is our Maker's demand: and whoever departs from it wilfully, though he may return, will assuredly be made to know and see, one way or other, that it is a thing evil and bitter, that he hath forsaken the Lord his God↑. Let those then, who experience this in themselves, submit to it with patience, and revere his justice: let those, who see it in others, thankfully make use of the instruction it was graciously designed to give them: and let us all preserve a lively sense upon our souls, that evil pursueth sinners, but to the righteous good shall be repaid‡.

Psalm xxxvii. 38.

+ Jer. ii. 19.

↑ Prov. xiii. 21.

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