It is the nature of such repentance to make a change, and the greatest change as can be made here in the soul. Thus you see what repentance implies in its own nature; it denotes an abhorrence of all evil, and a forsaking of it. I shall now proceed
_Secondly_, To shew you the parts of it, and the causes concurring thereto.
The parts are, sorrow, hatred, and an entire forsaking of sin.
Our sorrow and grief for sin, must not spring merely from a fear of wrath; for if we have no other ground but that, it proceeds from self-love, and not from any love to GOD; and if love to GOD is not the chief motive of your repentance, your repentance is in vain, and not to be esteemed true.
Many, in our days, think their crying, GOD forgive me! or, LORD have mercy upon me! or, I am sorry for it! is repentance, and that GOD will esteem it as such; but, indeed, they are mistaken; it is not the drawing near to GOD with our lips, while our hearts are far from him, which he regards. Repentance does not come by fits and starts; no, it is one continued act of our lives; for as we daily commit sin, so we need a daily repentance before GOD, to obtain forgiveness for those sins we commit.
It is not your confessing yourselves to be sinners, it is not knowing your condition to be sad and deplorable, so long as you continue in your sins; your care and endeavours should be, to get the heart thoroughly affected therewith, that you may feel yourselves to be lost and undone creatures, for CHRIST came to save such as are lost; and if you are enabled to groan under the weight and burden of your sins, then CHRIST will ease you and give you rest.
And till you are thus sensible of your misery and lost condition, you are a servant to sin and to your lusts, under the bondage and command of Satan, doing his drudgery: thou art under the curse of GOD, and liable to his judgment. Consider how dreadful thy state will be at death, and after the day of judgment, when thou wilt be exposed to such miseries which the ear hath not heard, neither can the heart conceive, and that to all eternity, if you die impenitent.
But I hope better things of you, my brethren, though I thus speak, and things which accompany salvation; go to GOD in prayer, and be earnest with him, that by his Spirit he would convince you of your miserable condition by nature, and make you truly sensible thereof. O be humbled, be humbled, I beseech you, for your sins. Having spent so many years in sinning, what canst thou do less, than be concerned to spend some hours in mourning and sorrowing for the same, and be humbled before GOD.
Look back into your lives, call to mind thy sins, as many as possible thou canst, the sins of thy youth, as well as of thy riper years; see how you have departed from a gracious Father, and wandered in the way of wickedness, in which you have lost yourselves, the favour of GOD, the comforts of his Spirit, and the peace of your own consciences; then go and beg pardon of the LORD, through the blood of the Lamb, for the evil thou hast committed, and for the good thou hast omitted. Consider, likewise, the heinousness of thy sins; see what very aggravating circumstances thy sins are attended with, how you have abused the patience of GOD, which should have led you to repentance; and when thou findest thy heart hard, beg of GOD to soften it, cry mightily unto him, and he will take away thy stony heart, and give thee a heart of flesh.
Resolve to leave all thy sinful lusts and pleasures; renounce, forsake, and abhor thy old sinful course of life, and serve GOD in holiness and righteousness all the remaining part of life. If you lament and bewail past sins, and do not forsake them, your repentance is in vain, you are mocking of GOD, and deceiving your own soul; you must put off the old man with his deeds, before you can put on the new man, CHRIST JESUS.