Well, then, let me press you to — (1.) A daily repentance for daily sins ; (2.) A solemn repentance on the occasion of special duties.
(1.) To a daily repentance for daily sins. As we pray for daily bread, so for daily pardon ; we need one as much as the other. We daily heap up new sins, and we must daily sue out our pardon. This was the method God took with Adam when he was fallen : God came to liim in the cool of the day. Gen. iii, 8. God would not let them sleep in their sins, that he might bring them suddenly to recall themselves, and consider what they had done, that they might'Iong rest quiet in their sins. Under the law, if a man were unclean, yet when the evening came he was to wash his clothes. Lev. xi. 25 ; so we read of the evening sacrifice : Num. xxviii. 3, 4, * This is the offering made by fire, which ye shall offer unto the Lord ; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt-offering : the one lamb shall be offered in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even ; ' Eph. iv. 2G, 'Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.' If poison is taken, a man would get rid of it as soon as he could. While our faults are in mind, repentance is more kindly ; as fresh wounds are best cured at first, before they fester and rankle into a sore. Sin gets less ground, and we shall have rest the sooner ; and it is good to divide our work by parts, to come to an account, and make all even between God and us every day, as merchants sum up Iheir accounts at the foot of every page ; we shall have the less to do when we come to die.
(2.) To a solemn repentance on the occasion of special duties. At the Lord's table we come to renew our sense of the remission of sins ; for the cup of the new testament is given for that end : Mat. xxvi. 28, ' Fur this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for
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270 SEllMONS UPON ACTS II. 37, 38. [SeiI. IV.
many, for tlfe remission of sins.' We use this duty for the obtaining of this benefit, either to get a confirmation or new extract when our dis- charge hath been darkened by former failings. Now as we would renew the sense of pardon, so we must renew the exercise of repentance. There are two duties required of us in order to that work — (1.) Exa- mination ; (2.) Meditation on Christ's death.
First, examination, 'Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat.' Look into thy bill ; what owest thou ? When we come to counting and reckoning with ourselves, how many defects and failings may we discover ! If that work be done seriously, we must needs come hum- bly and penitently. Well, then, in this serious work consider —
1. The exact purity of the law ; it condemneth the secret motions of our souls, thoughts, lusts, imperfect desires : ' The law is spiritual, but I am carnal,' Rom. vii. 14. * What shall we do ? ' There are few that can stand before the letter of the law, but who can stand before the spiritual meaning of it ? You do not set up other gods ; ay, but your hearts are estranged by the secret idols of your hearts from the true God : Ezek. xiv. 3, 5, ' These men have set up their idols in their hearts, because they are estranged from me through their idols ; ' as the Jews preferred Barabbas before Christ. Practical atheism is worse than speculative. You may reason a man out of one, but not out of the other ; that is cured by grace. You abhor idols and images, but do your hearts submit to all the ordinances of Christ, to use them to the ends appointed ? You cannot endure vain or rash swearing, but doth thy life praise God ? Is there that reverence and seriousness in all matters of God ? You hate Sabbath profanations, but do you call it your delight ? You honour parents, but do you carry yourselves well in all your relations, and live as in the fear of God, and make con- science of the duties which belong to them ? You are no murderers, but make no conscience of rash anger ; no adulterers, but yet have wanton glances and unclean motions. Mat. v. 28. No thief, but have no charity; do not take away that which is another's, butdo not give your own ; no liar, but a slanderer, whisperer, backbiter ; thy life is a lie, when thou wouldst seem better than thou art ; suppress the first motions ; but, ' Who can say his heart is clean, I am pure from my sin ? ' Prov. xx. 9.
2. The holiness of God, we have not sense enough of that : Job iv, 18, 'His angels he chargeth with folly ; ' 1 Sam. vi. 20, ' Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God ? ' I would excite christians to have a sense of this above all things. «