MARK i. 15.
_Repent and believe the gospel._
1. IT is generally supposed, that repentance and faith are only the gate of religion; that they are necessary only at the beginning of our Christian course, when we are setting out in the way to the kingdom. And this may seem to be confirmed by the great apostle, where exhorting the _Hebrew_ Christians, to _go on to perfection_, he teaches them to _leave_ these _first principles of the doctrine of Christ; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God_: which must at least mean, that they should comparatively leave these, that at first took up all their thoughts, in order to _press forward toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus_.
2. And this is undoubtedly true, that there is a repentance and a faith, which are more especially necessary at the beginning: a repentance which is a conviction of our utter sinfulness, and guiltiness, and helplessness: and which precedes our receiving that kingdom of God, which our Lord observes is _within us_; and a faith, whereby we receive that kingdom, even _righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost_.
3. But notwithstanding this, there is also a repentance and a faith, (taking the words in another sense, a sense not quite the same, nor yet entirely different,) which are requisite after we have _believed the gospel_: yea, and in every subsequent stage of our Christian course, or we cannot _run the race which is set before_ us. And this repentance and faith are full as necessary, in order to our continuance and growth in grace, as the former faith and repentance were, in order to our entring into the kingdom of God.
But in what sense are we to repent and believe, after we are justified? This is an important question, and worthy of being considered with the utmost attention.
I. And first, In what sense are we to repent?
1. Repentance frequently means, an inward change, a change of mind from sin to holiness. But we now speak of it in a quite different sense, as it is one kind of self-knowledge, the knowing ourselves sinners, yea guilty, helpless sinners, even tho’ we know we are children of God.
2. Indeed when we first know this, when we first find redemption in the blood of Jesus, when the love of God is first shed abroad in our hearts and his kingdom set up therein, it is natural to suppose that we are no longer sinners, that all our sins are not only covered but destroyed. As we do not then feel any evil in our hearts, we readily imagine, none is there. Nay some well-meaning men have imagined this, not only at that time, but ever after: having persuaded themselves, that when they were justified, they were entirely sanctified. Yea, they have laid it down as a general rule, in spite of scripture, reason, and experience. These sincerely believe and earnestly maintain, that all sin is destroyed when we are justified, and that there is no sin in the heart of a believer, but that it is altogether clean from that moment. But tho’ we readily acknowledge, _he that believeth is born of God_, and _he that is born of God doth not commit sin_: yet we cannot allow, that he does not _feel_ it within: it does not _reign_, but it does remain. And a conviction of the sin which _remains_ in our heart, is one great branch of the repentance we are now speaking of.
3. For it is seldom long, before he who imagined all sin was gone, feels there is still _pride_ in his heart. He is convinced, both that in many respects he has thought of himself more highly than he ought to think, and that he has taken to himself the praise of something he had received, and gloried in it as though he had not received it. And yet he knows, he is in the favour of God. He cannot and ought not to _cast away_ his _confidence_. _The Spirit_ still _witnesses with_ his _Spirit, that he is a child of God_.
4. Nor is it long before he feels _self-will_ in his heart, even a will contrary to the will of God. A will every man must inevitably have, as long as he has an understanding. This is an essential part of human nature, indeed of the nature of every intelligent being. Our blessed Lord himself had a will as a man: otherwise he had not been a man. But his human will was invariably subject to the will of his Father. At all times, and on all occasions, even in the deepest affliction, he could say, _Not as I will, but as thou wilt._ But this is not the case at all times, even with a true believer in Christ. He frequently finds his will more or less exalting itself against the will of God. He wills something because it is pleasing to nature, which is not pleasing to God. And he nills (is averse from) something because it is painful to nature, which is the will of God concerning him. Indeed (suppose he continues in the faith) he fights against it with all his might. But this very thing implies, that it really exists, and that he is conscious of it.