cefs, upon the unexperienced fons of Adam and Eve; fo that they also flatter themselves with the hopes of happiness, by eating "forbidden fruit ;" and in doing thofe things, of which God hath faid, that the end of them is death. It would be your wifdom to take warning by the fate of our common progenitors: And also to truft the experience of thofe in all ages, who having made the trial, have found that vicious pleasures are but pain in the end; particularly the experience of that great KING, and PREAGHER* to young men, who, after fo much trial, faid: "Vanity of vanities, all is va"nity"" I have feen all the works that are "done under the fun, and behold all is vanity "and vexation of fpirit." Hear then, my beloved brethren, what the fame wife, great and royal PREACHER calls "the conclufion of the whole matter"; the refult of all his observations, inquiries, reflections and experience "Fear God, "and keep his commandments; for this is the "whole of man. For God fhall bring every "work into judgment, with every fecret thing, "whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

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SOLOMON.

SERMON

SERMON III.

Christian Sobriety further explained; viz. (4.) Of Repentance. (5.) Of the Faith which is faving. (6.) Of an exCiternal Profeffion of Chriftianity. (7.) Of Prayer. And (8.) Of univerfal Obedience to Chrift's Commandments,

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minded.

Y firft difcourfe upon this fubject contained fuch obfervations as were tho't proper by way of introduction to the

main defign. What that was, has also been fhewn already; and not only fo, but entered up on in the fecond and laft difcourfe. It will now be proper juft to remind you, that the FIRST part of that defign, was,

SOMEWHAT

SOMEWHAT diftinctly to explain to my young brethren, the nature of that fobriety which is fpoken of in the text; and to recommend it to them in a curfory way.

IN purfuance of which branch of it, divers re marks have already been made upon the nature of fobriety, confidered both internally and externally; and more particularly, the three follow ing, viz,

1. THAT it is founded in a firm belief of God's being and perfections, his moral government, and univerfal providence.

2. THAT it implies a belief of the gospel of Chrift, or the Chriftian revelation. And

3. That it alfo implies, thinking foberly of One's felf.

THESE things were as diftinctly explained as I could well do it, unless I had spent more time upon them. And, without any further repetition, I shall now proceed, by divine permission and affiftance, to fome other particulars comprehended in Chriftian fobriety: For as to any o ther fobricty, my young brethren, whether real or imaginary, we fhall now have no concern with it. To proceed, therefore.

IV. THIS fobricty fuppofes and implies in it, fincere repentance; fuch a repentance as the Lord Jefus Chrift and his apoftles preached to the world. In the preceeding difcourfe I mentioned to you, thinking foberly of yourselves, as a neceffary ingredient in true fobriety of mind: And that, as was then fhewn, implies a serious confideration of the darkness and depravity of mind G 2 which

which are common to, you with the rest of mankind. It alfo implies a confideration of your paft fins and miscarriages; and of the state of guilt which you are in,in confequence of having tranfgreffed God's commandments. But fomething beyond this, is implied in repentance. Let me, therefore, fhew, as briefly as may be, what the holy fcriptures intend hereby. And,

IN general, repentance properly fignifies a change of fentiment, of mind and difpofition, in confequence of reflection; an after-wisdom in One that has been in error and vice; and, in one word, the converfion, i. c. the turning of his heart from fin and folly to righteoufnefs and wifdom,-from the power of fatan unto God. This, in general, is the true fcriptural idea of repentance; as it is, indeed, explained by these fcripture-expreffions, repentance from dead "works", and " repentance towards God". But, more particularly,

1. REPENTANCE implies a fenfe of having erred from the paths of truth and virtue; or a conviction of the mind and confcience, that a perfon has done amifs; that he has done what he ought not to have done, and neglected thofe things which he was in reafon bound to do. Some perfons have indeed been much more criminal than others: their deviations from their duty have been more numerous, and their faults of a more heinous nature. But all are in fome degree culpable. And no perfon ever did,or can repent, without being firit convinced of his

errors.

2. REPENTANCE

2. REPENTANCE implies, not only a fenfe of having done amifs, but of having therein tranfgreffed God's commandments, which are holy, juft and good: Or, in other words, of having finned against God. Even an atheist, continning fuch, may be convinced of his having tranfgreffed the laws of right reason, and of juftice; but he cannot repent; which implies a conviction of the mind thatOne has finned against God, or tranfgreffed his laws, confidered as fuck: "For fin is the tranfgreffion of the law of God.

3. REPENTANCE implies fhame,and remorse of confcience. And this is, indeed, very closely connected with a conviction of mind, that One has violated the commandments of the all-wife, holy and good God. The penitent finner finds himself pierced and wounded at the heart; or, in the language of fcripture," pricked in the heart", as with a poifoned arrow, or a deadly dart.

4. IT implies felf-condemnation, a fenfe of illdefert, an apprehenfion of God's righteous difpleasure, and fear of " the wrath to come." However cafy or fecure the finner were before, yet when the holy law of God, and his own fins are at once brought into his view, the very fight is as it were mortal to him. This is the two-fold ftate, or rather, thefe are the fucceffive ftates of mind, which the apostle Paul reprefents in the emphatical words following: "I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died."

5. THO repentance implies remorfe of confcience, and felf-condemnation, it is effentially different

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