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but lives in envy, malice, pride, carnal-mindedness, unbelief; or fome other fuch heart-defiling fin. To finish his character, whatever seeming progrefs he may make in religion, his heart is not right with God: but is ftill going after his idols, ftill eftranged from vital Chriftianity and the power of godlinefs. Like Ephraim, he is as a cake not turned, neither bread nof dough; or like Laodicea, lukewarm, neither hot nor cold.

If we proceed to view the character of the fincere pe. nitent, it is directly contrary to this. He finds indeed (as has been observed) continual occafion to lament the great imperfections of his heart and life; and according. ly feeks renewed pardon and cleanfing in the blood of Christ. But though he has not already attained, nor is already perfect, he is yet preffing towards perfection. He is yet watching, ftriving against all his corruptions; yet aiming at and endeavouring after further conformity to God, in all holy conversation and godlinefs. He is neverfatisfied with a partial reformation, with external duty; or with any thing fhort of a life of vital piety. He does not renounce one luft and retain another; content himself with firft-table duties, in the neglect of the fecond; nor quiet himself in a life of mere formal godli. nefs; nor can he reft, till he rejoices in the teftimony of his confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not with flefbly wisdom, but by the grace of God, he has his converfation in the world. All the actings of his mind, as well as his external conduct, fall under his strictest cognizance and infpection; and he is awfully careful to approve himself to him, who knows his thoughts afar off. His reformation extends not only to the devotions of the church, but of his family and closet; not only to his converfation, but to his thoughts and affections; not only to the worship of God, but to the duties of every relation he suftains among men; and in a word, his repentance produces heavenly-mindednefs, humility, meeknefs, charity, patience, forgiving of injuries, felfdenial; and is accompanied with all other fruits and graces of the bleffed Spirit. It is the defire of my foul (fays the fincere penitent) to keep the way of the Lord; and not wickedly to depart from my God. I would refrain my feet from every evil way; and walk

within my houfe with a perfect heart. I know I have ⚫ to do with a God who trieth the heart; and hath plea⚫ fure in uprightnefs; I would therefore fet the Lord. ' always before me; and ferve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. I know that my heart is ' deceitful above all things; and defperately wicked. 'I know that mine iniquities are afcended over mine head: for which I am bowed down greatly; and go ⚫ mourning all the day long. But yet my defire is be'fore the Lord; and my groaning is not hid from him. I can truly fay, that I even hate vain thoughts, but 'God's law do I love. O that God would give me understanding that I may keep his law, and observe it 'with my whole heart! I would be for God without any referve: for I efteem his precepts concerning all things to be right, and I have inclined my heart to keep his ftatutes always, even unto the end."

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To conclude, herein lies the great difference between a legal and an evangelical repentance; The one is an external reformation only, deftitute of all the graces of the bleffed Spirit. The other is an internal change, a change of the heart, of the will and affections, as well as of the outward converfation; a change which is accompanied with all the fruits and graces of the Spirit of God. The one aims at just so much religion as will keep the mind easy; and calm the rules of an awakened confcience. The other aims at a holy, humble, watchful, and fpiritual walk with God; and refts in no degree of attainments whatsoever.

Thus, Sir, I have given you a general view of the difference between a legal and evangelical repentance. You have not demanded this of me out of mere curiofity: or as a matter of speculation only: but in order to the exercise and practice of a repentance unto life, not to be repented of.

You should therefore remember who is exalted at God's right hand, to give repentance, as well as forgiveness of fins. Remember that you must depend only upon the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift; and muft accordingly lie at his footstool, to have this great important change wrought in your heart. And therefore fince you depend upon the mere fovereign grace of God in Chrift, for.

the renewing influences of his holy Spirit, you should be the more importunate in your cries to him, in the language of Ephraim, Turn thou me, and I fhall be turned; for thou art the Lordmy God.

You should endeavour to review your paft fins, and as particularly as you can, acknowledge them before God with all their heinous circumftances and peculiar aggravations; and you fhould with peculiar ardour of foul wrefle with him, for pardon and cleanfing in the blood of Chrift.

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You should endeavour to fee and be affected with the fin of your nature, as well as of your practice, of your heart, as well as of your life; and with conftant ferven cy cry to God for a new heart and a right Spirit, for victory over your corruptions; and for grace to ap prove yourfelf to God in a life of new obedience, as well as for pardon and reconciliation to him.

You should be daily calling yourfelf to an account for your daily fins and imperfections; and daily confeffing and lamenting them before God, that you may never have fo much as the fins of one day unrepented of.

Though it be impoffible, that you can be fufficiently humbled before God, under an abafing fense of your great finfulness, unworthiness, and ingratitude to him: Yet remember that faithful faying, which is worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came to fave finners. Don't dishonour the infinite merit of the Redeemer's blood by being afraid to trust to it, for pardon and fanc tification. Don't dishonour the infinite compassion of the divine nature, by calling into question his being as ready to grant, as you heartily to feek pardon and forgiveness of all your fins, how many and great foever they be. Be therefore humbled: but not difcouraged. While you lament your fin and imperfection, adore the infinite riches of that grace and love, which has opened a fountain for fin and uncleannefs.

And to fum up the whole in a word, you must remember, that it is the effence of a true repentance, to turn to God; and therefore, if you would evidence the fincerity of your repentance, you must give up yourself to God. You must chufe him for your God and por tion. You must watch at his gates; and wait at the

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pofts of his doors. You must make a business of religion; and in a life of most active and earnest diligence, expect acceptance through the merits of Chrift; and continued fupplies of grace and strength from his fulness to bring forth fruits meet for repentance..

That the Lord would carry on his own work in your foul; and lead you on from grace to grace, and from ftrength to ftrength, till you arrive where your faith will be turned into vifion, and your repentance into eternal praises, is the prayer of,

Sir,

Yours, &c.

LETTER X. Wherein is proved, that the SEVENTH CHAPTER to the ROMANS contains the defcription and character of a CONVER TED STATE.

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SIR,

Cannot but take comfort, from your melancholy complaint of the corruptions you are fruggling with; and your fenfe of the vileness and finfulness of your heart, which makes you groan being burthened: because you therein breathe the language of a broken and a contrite fpirit; and give me hopes that you are offering to God the facrifice, which he will not defpife. You took comfort (you tell me) from the feventh chapter to the Romans, finding there, the like complaints with yours, in fo eminent and exalted a Chriftian as the apostle Paul himfelf: but that prop is knocked ⚫ from under you, by converfation with fome perfons of · a fuperior reputation for religion, who affure you that St. Paul is there giving the character of an unconver⚫ted perfon, under a conflict between his corruptions and the alarms of an awakened confcience; and that all thofe places of fcripture are to be interpreted in the fame manner, which reprefent the like conflict in the foul. Upon which you defire any fentiments.

What ftrange efforts are of late made against evange lical, vital, and experimental piety! How inconfiftent

are the methods ufed by thofe, who are fo earnestly labouring in this undertaking! Is it not enough to put mankind into á dangerous fecurity, by flattering them with a profpect of fafety, without any experience of a work of grace in their hearts; but they must also tor. ment and difquiet the minds of thofe who have been favoured with thofe bleffed experiences, by perfuading them, that remaining difallowed corruptions and im perfections are inconfiftent with a ftate of grace, and with the favour of God! What do thefe men mean! Have they no feeling perception, no affecting sense of the imperfections of their hearts and lives! Or do they make it their practice, and efteem it their duty, to give their corruptions a quiet refidence in their hearts, and to maintain no conflict or ftruggle with them!

But its my business to answer your demand; and to endeavour to convince you, that the apostle in the feventh chapter to the Romans, is defcribing the conflict, which every true Chriftian experiences, while he walks with God, and lives near to him.

In order to a fair and clear decifion, it will be pro. per to take fome (very brief) notice of the general fcope and defign of this epiftle, in the first feven chapters This feems to be fummarily propofed in the first chapter, ver. 17. Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, The juft fball live by faith. That is, we are juftified before God, only by the righ teousness of Chrift received by faith. We continue in a juftified ftate, by the renewed exercife of faith: And the whole life of a juftified perfon is a life of faith in the Son of God, as well as his whole hope of eternal life is through faith in Chrift. This doctrine is proved, by a reprefentation of the atrocious impiety and wickedness of the whole Gentile world; that even they who make the higheft pretences to innocence, and who judge and cenfure others for fuch horrid impieties, as are common ly practifed among them, 'are all inexcufable and felfcondemned, on account of the wickedness perpetrated and indulged by themselves; being all of them fuch violators of the law and light of nature, as will leave them without excufe in the day when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by Jefus Chrift. This is plainly the apoftle's ar

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