4. Indignation, which is an act of our hatred against sin, hatred quickened into a zeal against it. Indignation is the soul's expulsive faculty, when we heartily renounce it, as unsuitable to our present resolutions, professions, and hopes : Isa. xxx. 22, ' Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth ; thou shalt say unto them, Get ye hence.' So Hosea xiv. 8, ' Ephraim shall say, AVhat have I any more to do with idols ? ' The soul saith first when it is convinced, Oh ! what have I done ? and then. What shall I do ? and then, What have I any more to do ? If a christian did remember what he is and what he hopeth for, these questions would be more rife with him. Eepentance is not a bare purpose to leave sin, but to leave it with a hatred and deep displeasure against it.
SERMON IL
And lie said, Nay, fatlier Abraham : hut if one ivent unio ihem from the dead, they will repent. And. he said, unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither ivill they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. — Luke xvi. 30, 31.
Secondly, I now proceed to the next term, which is the terminus ad quern, turning to God, which is done in two things —
1. A settled purpose and solemn dedication of ourselves to his use and service, which is a resolution taken up upon debates of conscience : Luke XV. 17, 18, ' And when he came to himself, he said. How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger ; I will arise and go to my father.' First he came to himself, then I will go to my father. This ariseth out of a sense of
364 SERMONS UPON LUKE XVI. 30, 31.
God's mercy in Christ : Eom. xii. 1, ' I beseech you, brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service/ Lord, accept me for thine ; and is the fruit of supernatural grace : James i. 18, ' Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth ; ' and is accompanied with shame that God so long hath been kept out of his right : 1 Peter iv. 3, ' For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries ; ' and a purpose to serve him with all our might.
2. It is seconded by a real performance : Mat. iii. 8, ' Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance ; ' Acts xxvi. 20, ' That they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." Without these he is a liar, and deceiveth his own soul, if the heart be not more watchful over itself, afraid to ofi'end God, and grieve his Spirit, more tender of the least sin, more careful to please God in all things, more close at work in the business of eternal life. These are fruits worthy of repentance ; this is that irepicTGov rt, that which we do more than carnal hypocrites, fruits suitable to the power of grace working in us, and to our professions of respect to God. This is the sum of the doctrine of repentance.
II. What doth the scripture offer to persuade us to this work ?
1. It clearly layeth down the absolute and indispensable necessity of it in grown persons, or such as are come to years of discretion : Acts iii. 19, ' Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord ; ' Luke xiii. 5, ' Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish ;' Ezek. xxxiii. 11, ' Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live : turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways, for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel ? ' One way or the other, turn or die : it is no mootpoint or matter of controversy. There are many controversies about other things, but in this all is clear. Many will say, There is such a doubtfulness, that every one bringeth scripture, and maketh a nose of wax of it, ductile and pliable to his own fancy. But in points of absolute duty it is fully clear, and in the marks of one that shall go to heaven or to hell, especially in the doctrine of repent- ance. Make use of the scriptures, and practise conscientiously according to your light, and God will clear up his mind to you. By study and prayer and practice you will come to an increase of knowledge : John vii. 17, 'If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.'
2. It doth not only call for repentance, but a speedy repentance : Heb. iii. 7, 8, ' Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith. To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts ; ' Joel ii. 12, ' Therefore also now saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart.' God standeth upon now. If the season were not determined, yet the nature of the thing would bear it. A necessary work, that is to be once done, should not be left to uncertainties. But because men are loose and arbitrary, and think they may make use of repentance at their leisure^ therefore the scripture is as peremptory for the time as for the thing :