CHAP. V.

ON THE EVIDENCES OF REPENTANCE.

WHILE Some persons sink under groundless fears, others are buoyed up with false and flattering hopes. The sincere but weak believer is apt to think the work of conversion is yet to begin, while the self-righteous conclude that it is already done. Both are deceived, but the deception is far from being in both cases equally dangerous. Ungrounded fear may rob you of present comfort, but blind presumption will ruin you for ever. It is possible, by carefully applying the scriptures to ourselves, to know whether we have been brought to repentance, or not. And if this be possible, it is certainly desirable. I shall first show what are not evidences of true repentance, and next what are.

I. I shall show what are not evidences or proofs of true repentance.

1. To turn from one party to another, is no proof of repentance. There has always been an endless variety of religious opinions and ceremonies in the world. Christians themselves are divided into a great many parties and denominations. A man may often change his opinions, and never be himself changed by the gospel. He may be converted from one party to another, and never be converted to God. There are numbers who seem to be deceived by such changes. “Не is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh.

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart; in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God." Rom. ii. 28, 29. With equal truth we may say, he is not a Christian, who is so in name, in form, and in profession only. If baptism made true Christians, you would, as Alleine says, have only to search the parish register to know whether your names were written in heaven.

2. A great deal of labour to keep up fair appearances, is no proof of true repentance.

You may have a tree in your garden tall and stately, full of leaves and beautiful to the eye, but destitute of fruit, like the barren fig-tree which our Lord cursed. Counterfeits may have the same stamp as sterling coin, and surpass its brightness, but when brought to the touchstone and the balance, they want purity and weight. Where there is no vital godliness, we often see a studious attempt to imitate it. When the gospel was first preached, many of the converts gave the most satisfactory proofs of their sincerity and zeal. They generously gave up their property to relieve the poor, and assist in spreading the truth. Ananias and Sapphira, that they might not seem behind the rest, sold a possession, and, by an agreement between themselves, kept back part of the price, and took the other part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts v. 1, 2. Though in heart they were covetous, yet they wished to be thought liberal, and therefore contrived a low trick to gain their end. How awfully were they struck dead by the just vengeance of God for their hypocrisy!

No persons were more exact than the Phari

sees in paying tithe of mint, anise, and cummin; but it was done to conceal the neglect of the weightier matters of judgment, mercy, and faith. How often do we find people, who too nearly resemble them, and take great pains merely to keep up a fair appearance. They would not for the world neglect going their round of duties, but are total strangers to the religion of the heart. It is a much easier thing to whitewash a house on the outside, than to take away the rotten beams and mouldered bricks, and rebuild it with solid materials. A man may have the garb of a penitent, and the speech of a believer, and not have one drop of sincere sorrow, or one grain of precious faith, in his heart. If Noah, instead of pitching the ark to keep out the water, had only painted it to make a fair show, he would have perished like others by the flood. Let him, that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

3. Sudden terrors, or melancholy thoughts, are no proofs of true repentance.

On the near approach of danger, or under affliction, the most presumptuous wretches have cried out for fear, as if they had been seized by ghastly fiends. It is said that Caligula, the Roman emperor, who was one of the bloodiest tyrants, though in general he impiously defied both earth and heaven, yet always began to tremble and pray when it thundered and lightened. While terrible plagues were upon Pharaoh, when the magicians, with all their enchantments could not quiet his fears, he often sent for Moses and Aaron in haste, entreated their prayers, and promised to let them go; but no sooner had he obtained

deliverance, than he became harder than before. How often, when wicked men are laid on a bed of sickness, and think death very near, do they send for ministers to pray with them, and seem mush affected and alarmed at the prospect of eternity. In a little while they recover, and all their concern about religion is gone. They resemble sailors, who pray in a tempest, when they are expecting the next billow to bury them in the sea; but all their devotion ceases when the storm is over, and they return again to their drinking and swearing with redoubled eagerness. When the unclean spirit is cast out by divine grace, he cannot regain possession; but when he goes out of his own accord, he is sure to return to his old house and his old haunts, and the last end of that man is worse than the first.

Some persons are frequently filled with gloomy and melancholy thoughts. At such times they leave their gay companions, and sigh and weep alone. But this kind of sorrow may arise from worldly losses and disappointments, or froin weakness and disorder of body, rather than from any serious concern about God, or the salvation of the soul. Sometimes we see melancholy thoughts and terrors of conscience in the same person. Alas, how many in this unhappy state have rashly cut the thread of life with their own hands. King Saul was once among the prophets, and often among the gloomy penitents; he went for counsel to the witch of Endor, and after trying many bad ways to get rid of his burden, he chose the worst at last, and fell upon his own sword. The wretched Judas repented that he had betrayed innocent blood, and then went and hanged himself, that he might go to his own place. While he held the office as an apostle, he was quite out of his own place. What right has the wolf in the sheepfold, or a devil to take his seat among the disciples of Jesus? But Satan, when occasion requires, can put on Samuel's mantle, or even transform himself into an angel of light.

4. Lively joys, and confident hopes are no proofs of true repentance.

There is something peculiarly grand and important in the doctrines of the gospel. Now it sometimes happens, that those, who are brought under the sound of the gospel, are at first struck with admiration. They profess that their views and sentiments are changed, and that they are become new creatures. They tell us in strong language how wonderfully they are delighted with gospel promises, and seem as sure of heaven as those who dwell there. Yet all this is merely a flash in the imagination, not a steady light in the understanding, or a flame of holy love in the heart. It is the dream of fancy, not the joy of faith. Such were the stony-ground hearers mentioned by our Lord. Matt. xiii. 20, 21. They quickly received the word with joy, but having no root, soon withered away.

Herod heard John the Baptist gladly, and did many things which were commendable. He could not, however, bear to be reproved for the sake of Herodias. He soon proved, that though he had been pleased with the preacher, he had not been profited by his doctrine. When his birth-day came, instead of beginning a new year of his life with penitence for the past, and prayer for the future, he began with mirth and murder. He