forrow and affliction to our felves a-~ Vol. VII. gainst the day of repentance, and confequently fin on, in hopes of being hereafter so much the more troubled and grieved for what we have done; as if a Man fhould go on to break the Laws, in hopes of a more fevere and exemplary Punishment; fure this can be no encouragement or ground of hope to any reasonable and confiderate Man.

Lastly, As to the encouragement which Men take from the fudden repentance of great Criminals and Malefactors, and their dying with fo much comfort and affurance; if this be well confidered, there is little comfort to be fetched from. fuch Examples. For,

ift, Tho' a fincere repentance in fuch circumftances be poffible, yet it is almoft impoffible for the Party himself concerned, much more for others, upon any good ground, to judge when it is fincere. God who knows the hearts of Men, and whether, if they had lived longer, they would in the future course of their lives have juftified and made good their repentance and good refoluti

ons,

ons, only knows the fincerity of

Vol. VII. it.

But, 2dly, no certain judgment is to be made from the comfort and confidence of the Party concerned; for the business is not what comfort and confidence Men have, but what ground they have for it; and whereas Men are apt pioufly to fuppofe, that fo extraordinary a comfort and affurance is wrought in them by the Spirit of God, nothing is more uncertain; becaufe we fometimes fee thofe who give no fuch teftimony of their repentance, to dye with every whit as much courage, and comfort, and confident perfwafion of their Salvation, as thofe that do. But this certainly is not from the Spirit of God; a natural Obftinacy and Courage may carry Men a great way; and falfe and miftaken Principles may fill Men for the prefent with as much comfort and confidence, as well grounded hopes. In the Church of Rome, great numbers of those who have led very wicked lives, after a formal Confeffion and Abfolution, and fome good words of encouragement from the Prieft, dye as full of peace and com

fort,

fort, to all appearance, as the beft Vol. VII. of Men.

Indeed it is very natural to Men, who find themselves in a defperate condition, to be ftrangely elevated and raised, upon any hopes given of escaping fo great a danger as they apprehend themselves to be in; efpe cially if these hopes be given them by a grave Man, of whofe Piety and Judgment they have a venerable opinion. When Men have the Sentence of death in themselves, as all wicked livers must have, they are naturally apt to be overjoy'd at the unexpected news of a Pardon.

To speak my mind freely in this matter, I have no great opinion of that extraordinary comfort and confidence which fome have, upon a fudden repentance for great and flagrant crimes, because I cannot difcern any fufficient ground for it. I think great humility and dejection of mind, and a doubtful apprehenfion of their condition, next almoft to defpair of it, would much better become them; because their cafe is really fo very doubtful in it felf. There is great reafon for the repentance of fuch per

fons,

fons, and it becomes them well; but Vol. VI. I fee very little reafon for their great comfort and confidence, nor does it become their circumftances and condition. Let them excercife as deep a repentance as is poffible, and bring forth all the fruits meet for it that are. poffible in fo fhort a time; let them humble themfelves before God, and pray inceffantly to him day and night for mercy; make all the reparation they can for the injuries they have done, by confeffion and acknowledgment, and by making fatisfaction to the parties injured, if it be in their power, by giving Alms to the Poor, by warning others, and endeavouring to reclaim them to a better mind and courfe of life; and for the rest humbly commit themselves to the mercy of God in Jefus Chrift; let them imitate, as near as they can, the behaviour of the penitent Thief, the only Example the Scripture hath left us of a late repentance that proved ef fetual, who gave the greatest testimony that could be of a pénitent forrow for his fins, and of his Faith in the Saviour of the World, by a generous and couragious owning of him in

the

the midft of his difgrace and fuffering, when even his own Difciples Vol. VII. had denyed and forfaken him; but we do not find in him any figns of extraordinary comfort, much less of confidence; but he humbly commended himself to the mercy and goodnefs of his Saviour, faying, Lord remember me, when thou comeft into thy Kingdom.

Ser