lative, and yet be nothing; a profession to know God and Christ, and in works to deny them, is far from being saving knowledge; such who walk as other Gentiles do, have not truly learned Christ; the gospel of the grace of God, when it comes with power, teaches men to deny ungodliness, and to live a sober, righteous, and godly conversation. --2. It is of a soul-humbling nature; as the instances of Job, Isaiah, and the apostle Paul shew, whereas other knowledge puffs up, makes men conceited, proud, haughty, and overbearing. → 3. It is pleasant, savoury, and satisfying; he that increaseth natural knowledge, in. creaseth sorrow, for the more he knows, he finds he knows less than he thought he did; and this gives him pain, that his knowledge is so small; and his larger knowledge attracts the envy of others, and raises an opposition to him; but an increase of spiritual knowledge yields him joy, peace, and comfort: hence we read of the savour of the knowledge of Christ, and of the savour of his good ointment; and of his name being as ointment poured forth which emits a most fragrant and delightful smell. - 4. This knowledge is excellent, yea super-excellent; the apostle Paul counted all things but loss for the excellency of it, Phil. iii. 8. it is to be preferred to gold and silver, to jewels and precious stones, and all desirable things, it far excels all other kind of knowledge. What if a man had knowledge of all the heavenly bodies, and of whatsoever is in the bowels of the earth, or dwells upon it, or grows out of it, so that he could with Solomon speak of trees and their nature, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; it would be nothing in comparison of the knowledge of Christ, and of God in Christ, since to know them is life eternal. 5. This knowledge indeed is but imperfect in this life; those that know most only know in part, yet it is progressive; there is such a thing as growing in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ; the light of saints is an increasing one, the path of the just is as the shining light, which shines more and more unto the perfect day; they that know the Lord shall follow on to know him, and shall know more of him, for so the words in Hos. vi. 3. should be fendered; and we shall know, we shall follow on to know the Loid, the if ought to be left out, not being in the original.-6. There are various means which should be made use of for the increase of this knowledge, such as reading the scriptures, which are profitable for doctrine, and for instruction in righteousness; constantly and diligently searching into them, since they testify of Christ, of his person, and office, and grace; likewise attendance upon the ministry of the word, waiting at wisdom's gates, and watching at the posts of her door, which is the way to find wisdom and get understanding; also frequent and fervent prayer, if thou criest after knowledge, thou shalt find the knowledge of God, Prov. ii. 3, 5. great is the encouragement given to make use of such a method. Conversation with wise and good men, and such as fear the Lord, who by corfering together find the advantage of it; they build up one another on their most holy faith, establish each other in it, and increase in knowledge; for he that walketh with wise men shall be wise, grow wiser and wiser.

OF REPENTANCE TOWARDS GOD.

REPENTANCE is another part of internal worship; it is a branch of godliness, which lies in the disposition of the soul God-wards; for in the exercise of this the sensible sinner has much to do with God; he has a special respect to him against whom he has sinned, and therefore it is with great propriety called Repentance towards God, Acts xx. 21. Concerning which may be observed,

I. Its name, and the words and phrases by which it is expressed, both in the Old and in the New Testament, and by Jews, Greeks, and Latins, which may give some light into the thing itself.

1. The Jews commonly express it by a turning, or returning, and it is frequently signified in the Old Testament, by a man's turning from his evil ways, and returning to the Lord; the term from which he turns is sin, the term to which he turns is the Lord, against whom he has sinned; and what most pow erfully moves, encourages, and induces him to turn, is the pardoning grace and mercy of God through Christ, Isai. Iv. 7. and so in the New Testament, repentance and turning are mentioned together, and the latter as explanative of

the former.

There is another word in Hebrew used for repentanee, Hosea xi. 8. and xiii. 14. which also signifies comfort; because such who sincerely repent of sin, and are truly humbled for it, should be comforted, lest, as the apostle says, they should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow, and it is God's usual way to bring his people into the wilderness, into a distressed state, to lead them into a sense of sin, and humiliation for it, and then to speak comfortably to them, Hos. ii. 14. and the Spirit of God is first a reprover for sin, and a convincer of it, and then a comforter; he first shews men the evil nature of sin, and the just desert of it, and gives them the grace of repentance for it, and then comforts them with the application of pardon through the blood of Jesus, John xvi. 7, Er 14. and blessed are they that mourn for sin in an evangelical manner, for they shall be comforted, Matt. v. 4.

11. The Greek word more frequently used in the New Testament for repentance is μ тavola, which signifies an after-understanding, or after-wir; as when a man takes into serious consideration a fact after it is committed, and thinks otherwise of it, and wishes he had not done it, is sorry for it, and resolver, through the grace of God, to forsake such practices; this is a proof of a man's wisdom and understanding; now he begins to be wise, and to shew himself an understanding man; even an heathen could say, "Repentance is the begir ning of wisdom, and an avoiding of foolish works and words, and the first preparation to a life not to be repented of.". It is a change of the mind for the be ter, and which produces change of action and conduct: this, as it is expressive

* Η μετάνοια αυτή φιλοσοφίας αρχή γίνεται, &ς. Hierocles in Carmin Pythagor. p. 165.

of true repentance, flows from the understanding being enlightened by the Spirit of God, when the sinner beholds sin in another light it did, even as exceeding sinful; and loaths it, and abhors it and himself for it. There is another word the Greeks use for repentance, METZUEZ, and though the noun is not used in the New Testament, the verb is, Mitt. xxi. 29, 32. and signifies a care and anxiety of mind after a fact is committed, a concern with sorrow that it should be done, and a care for the future not to do it again; hence the apostle, among the genuine fruits of godly sorrow for sin, mentions this in the first place, What carefulness it wrought in you, not to offend more, 2 Cor. vii. 11. It also signi fies a change of mind and conduct, as appears from Matt. xxi. 29. a penitent sinner has another notion of sin than he had; before it was a sweet morsel, now a bitter and evil thing; before his heart was bent upon it, now determined through divine grace to forsake it, and cleave to the Lord with full purpose of

heart.

III. The Latins generally express repentance by pænitentia, from pœna punishment: hence our English word penitence, and the Popish penance, which is a sort of corporal punishment for sin inflicted on the body of fastings, scourgings, pilgrimages, &c. but true penitence lies not in these things, but is rather an inward punishment of the mind, when a man is so displeased with himself for what he has done, and so severely reflects upon himself for it, that he takes as it were a kind of vengeance on himself within himself, which are the lashes of conscience; so the apostle observes of godly sorrow, What indignation, yea what revenge it wrought in you; and this inward revenge is sometimes expressed by outward gestures, as by smitting upon the thigh, and upon the breast, Jer. xxxi. 12. Luke xviii. 13.

There is another word which the Latins use for repentance, resipiscentia which signifies a man's being wise again, a coming to his wits, to his senses again. Lactantius explains it of the recovery of a man's mind from a state of insanity; a man, whilst he is in an unconverted and impenitent state, is not himself, he is not in his right mind; not only his foolish heart is darkened, and he is without understanding, and to do good has no knowledge, but madness is in his heart while he lives in such a state; every act of sin is not only folly but madness, as all acts of hostility committed against God, which sins are, must needs be; the man that dwelt among the tombs, Mark v. is a fit emblem of such persons: now when an impenitent sinner becomes penitent, he may be said to come to himself, as the prodigal did, Luke xv. 17. so the apostle Paul before conversion was exceeding mad against the saints, and thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus; but when he was converted he was recovered from his insanity, and appeared sober and in his right mind, and said Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? when a sinner is truly convinced of sin, and thoroughly humbled for it, and has repentance unto life given him, and a comfortable application of the blood and righteousness of Christ unto him for his pardon and justification, and his mind is become sedate, serene and quiet,

the man who before was mad, is an emblem of him, when he was seen sitting clothed and in his right mind, Mark v. 15.

1. The word contrition, or brokenness of mind, is sometimes used for repent ance, and there is some foundation for it in the word of God; we often read of a contrite heart and spirit; David says he was feeble and sore broken, Psalm xxxviii. 8. which seems to be under a sense of sin: a man's heart is naturally hard, as hard as the nether millstone, and therefore called a stony heart, and such an one is an impenitent one; hence hardness, and an impenitent heart, are put together, as designing the same thing, Rom. ii. 5. The word of God is made use of to break it in pieces, is not my word—like a hammer to break the rock in pieces? that is, to make the heart contite, which is like to a rock, and whereby it be comes soft and tender, as Josiah's was, like an heart of flesh, susceptible of serious impressions, and of a true sense of things; and though this contrition of heart seems to be a work of the law, by which is the knowledge of sin, and which works wrath in the conscience on account of it, smites and cuts and wounds it; yet hereby it is prepared to receive the benefit of the gospel, by which the Lord heals the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds, Psalm cxlvii. 3. However, great notice is taken of men of contrite hearts and spirits; the sacrifices of such hearts are accceptable to God; he looks unto, is nigh unto, and dwells with those who are of such a spirit and saves them, besides the heart may be broken, may soft and melted down as much or more under a sense of pardoning grace displayed in the gospel, than under a sense of wrath through the threatenings and terrors of the law.

v. Repentance is expressed by sorrow for sin. My sorrow is continually be fore me, says David, I will be sorrow for my sin, Psal. xxxvii. 17, 18. and which is signified not by outward gestures, not by rending garments, but by rending the heart, Joelii. 13. it is a felt pain and inward sorrow of the heart for sin, and what the apostle calls a sorrow after a godly sort, nata Seov, after God, which is according to the mind and will of God; and because of sin ominitted against God, a God of love, grace, and mercy, and which springs from love to God and hatred of sin, and is attended with faith in God, as a God pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin for Christ's sake; but of this more hereafter.

II. The nature and kinds of repentance. Not to take notice of the penance of the Papist, which lies in punishing their bodies, as before observed; and in mens making themselves, or in others making them public examples in such a way; which though it may be called repentance before men, it is not repentance towards God, nor does it answer the end vainly intended by it, making satisfaction for sin; nor is an external reformation of life and manners repentance in the sight of God. Men may be outwardly reformed, as the Pharisees were, and yet not repent of their sins, as they did not, and after such an external reformation men may return to their former sinful course of life, and their last end be worse than the beginning; besides there may be true repentance for sin, where there is no time and opportunity for reformation, or shewing

forth a reformation of life and manners, as in the thief upon the cross and others, who are brought to repentance on their death-beds; and reformation of life and manners, when it is best and most genuine, is the fruit and effect of repentance, and a bringing forth fruits meet for it, as evidences of it, and so distinct from that itself.

1. There is a natural repentance, or what is directed to by the light of nature, and the dictates of a natural conscience; for as there was in the heathens, and so is in every natural man, a knowledge of good and evil, of the difference in some respects between moral good and evil, and a conscience which, when it does its office, approves of what is well done, and accuses for that which is ill; so when conscience charges a man with doing an ill thing, and he is convinced of it, the light of nature and conscience direct him to wish he had not done it, and to repent of it, and to endeavour for the future to avoid it; as may be seen in the case of the Ninevites, who being threatened with the destruction of their city for their sins, proclaiming a fast, and issued out an order that every one should turn from his evil ways, in hope that the wrath of God would be averted from them, though they could not be fully assured of it. The Gentiles laid great stress upon their repentance to conciliate the favour of God unto them; for they thought this made complete satisfaction for their sins, and wiped them clean, so that they imagined they were almost if not altogether pure and innocent there is a repentance which the goodness of God in providence might or should lead men unto, which yet it does not, but after their hardness and impenitent heart treasure up wrath against the day of wrath, and righteous judgment of God.

II. There is a national repentance, such as the Jews in Babylon were called unto, to which temporal blessings were promised, and a deliverance from temporal calamities; as on the one hand, a living in their own land, and a comfortable enjoyment of good things in it; and on the other hand, captivity, and all the distresses of it threatened; Repent, and turn yourselves from your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin, Ezek. viii. 30-32. and which has no connection with the special grace of God, and with spiritual and everlasting things. The same people were called to repent of their pharisaism, of their disbelief of the Messiah, and other evil works; and were told that the inen of Nineveh would rise up in judgment and condemn them, who repented at the preaching of Jonah, and yet a greater than Jonah, even Christ himself, called them to repentance, Matt. xii. 41. The same people were called upon by the apostles of Christ, to repent of their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, and to turn unto him, and to save themselves from temporal ruin, which for their impenitence and unbelief came upon their nation, city and temple, Acts iii. 19.

III. There is an external repentance, or an outward humiliation for sin, such as was in Ahab, which, though nothing more, it was taken notice of by the

Quem pœnitet peccasse pene est inueceps, Scueca Agamemnon, act, 2. V. 242•,