Doct. The great end of God's continuing the world and the present state of things is to bring men to repentance.
I shall not handle curious questions, therefore I shall show you — (1.) What is repentance; (2.) That this is God's end in continuing tiie world and the present state of things ; (3.) What encouragement there is from God's long-suffering to induce men to repentance.
I. What is repentance ? It lieth in three things —
228 SEKMON UPON 2 PETER IIL 9.
1. A sensible sight of sin and deserved wrath. There must be a sight of sin, for it is sinners only who are called to repentance : Mat. ix. 13, ' I came to call sinners to repentance.' Those who know them- selves to be so and feel themselves to be so, these are most ready to correct their errors, and to unravel that web which they have been weaving for a snare to themselves. Others carry it as though they needed no repentance. And also a sight of wrath ; for repentance is a flight from wrath, a turning from God angry to God reconciled ; as appeareth by Mat. iii. 7, ' Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? ' Who will take care to run into his city of refuge who hath not an avenger of blood at his heels ? Heb. vi. 18, ' That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.' Therefore God's first work is to awaken the stupid and careless sinner, and to make him see his sinful and lost condition.
2. Such an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ as maketh them turn to him. The apprehension of God's mercy is the great induce- ment to repentance: Joel ii. 13, 'Turn to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful.' The former branch ariseth from appre- hended future wrath, this from the hope of future mercy. Indeed there is a continued repentance which followeth pardon, a melting of heart and self-loathing, that floweth from felt love ; as Luke vii. 47, ' Tlie woman wept much because she loved much ; ' ' And she loved much because much was forgiven her ; ' Ezek. xvi. 63, ' That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more ; because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God;' Ezek. xxxvi. 31, 'Then shall you remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations.' But the first repentance floweth not from felt received mercy, but from mercy hoped for : Acts ii. 38, 39, ' Eepent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you, and to your children,^ &c. A desire and love of the grace which we expect from God putteth us upon this repentance.
3. In a grieving for and forsaking of our sins, and giving up our- selves to his service. Grief for sin there will be ; for, 2 Cor. vii. 10, ' Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of.' This is necessary to check the sensitive inclination, or the love of pleasure, which is the root of sin. Not only a grieving for, but a for- saking of our sins : Pro v. xxviii. 13, ' He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy.' It is but a brabble with sin, not a repentance, unless the love and power of it be weakened in the heart ; and there- fore repentance is not to be judged by the horror, the sorrow, the grief, but by the change it worketh in heart and life ; if sin becometh hateful, if the person be humbled in himself, if he be brought to esteem of and put a price upon God's grace in Jesus Christ ; if it be his con- stant care and study to please God, and he getteth some victory over the sins he repenteth of ; and after all this, there is a devotedness lo
SERMON UPON 2 PETER III. 9. 229
God, or a living to his glory and service, called often in scripture a living to God, or a bringing forth fruit unto God.
II. That this is God's end in continuing the world and the present state of things. This I shall prove —
1. By removing false causes. To appearance there is a slackness. Whence cometh it ?
[1,] It is not want of kindness, or backwardness to our good, that he doth delay our reward and the introduction of the everlasting estate. A man may defer and not be slack. He is slack who doth not come at the due and appointed time. The time is set, though unknown to us, and accordingly it shall be kept. God puts not off his coming, not an hour after the time : Heb. x. 37, out of Hab. ii. 3, ' Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.' How much ? how much ? oaov, ocrov. He will not stay a moment afler the time appointed.