postulat ";" our manner of life must be wholly differing from our former vanities, so that the life which we now live in the flesh, we must live by the faith of the Son of God, that is, according to his laws and most holy discipline. 15. This is pressed earnestly upon us by those many precepts of "obedience, to God, to Christ, to the holy Gospel, to the truth, to the doctrine of faith; of doing good, doing righteousness, doing the truth; serving in the newness of the spirit; giving our members up as servants of righteousness unto holiness; being holy in all conversation; following after peace with all men, and holiness; being followers of good works; providing things honest in the sight of God and men; abhorring evil, and cleaving to that which is good; perfecting holiness in the fear of God; to be perfect in every good work, being filled with the fruits of righteousness; walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing; being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; abounding in the work of the Lord." Τέλειοι and πεπληρωμένοι are the words often used, Glled full, and perfect.' 16. To the same purpose is it, that we are commanded to "live in Christ, and unto God";" that is, to live according to their will, and by their rule, and to their glory, and in their fear and love; called by St. Paul, "to live in the faith of the Son of God: to be followers of Christ, and of God; to dwell in Christ, and to abide in him; to walk according to the commandments of God, in good works, in truth, according to the Spirit; to walk in light, to walk with God;" which was said of Enoch: of whom the Greek LXX. read εunpéornoe TO JE," he pleased God."-There are very many more to. the same purpose. For with great caution and earnestness the Holy Scriptures placed the duties of mankind in practice and holiness of living, and removes it far from a confidence of notion and speculation. "Qui fecerit, et docuerit," He that doth them, and teaches them,' shall be great in the kingdom ";" and," Why do you call me Lord, Lord,' and do not the things I say to you? and, "Ye are my friends, if ye do Andr. 1. 2. 15. d Ruin. vi. 17. Acts, vi. 7. 1 Pet. iv. 3. Eph. ii. 3. Jam. i. 22, 23. 1 John, iii. 22. John, iii. 4. 1 John, i. 6. 2 Cor. viii. 21. Col. i. 10. 1 Cor. xv. 58. 2 Tim. iii. 12. Gal. ii. 20. 1 Cor. ii. 1. 1 Thess. i. 6. John, ii. 6. Eph. ii. 10. what I command you i.” Πρέπον οὖν μὴ μόνον καλεῖσθαι χριστ τιανοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἶναι· οὐ γὰρ τὸ λέγεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶναι μακάpov Toi. "We must not only be called Christians, but be so; for not to be called, but to be so, brings us to felicity;" that is, since the life of a Christian is the life of repentance, whose work it is, for ever to contend against sin, for ever to strive to please God, a dying to sin, a living to Christ,— he that thinks his repentance can have another definition, or is completed in any other, or in fewer parts, must be of another religion than is taught by Christ and his holy apostles. This is the faith of the Son of God, this is that state of excellent things which he purchased with his blood: and as there is no other name under heaven,' so there is no other faith, no other repentance, whereby we can be saved.' Upon this article it is usual to discourse of sorrow and contrition, of confession of sins, of making amends, of selfaffliction, and some other particulars: but because they are not parts, but actions, fruits, and significations, of repentance, I have reserved them for their proper place. Now I am to apply this general doctrine to particular states of sin and sinners, in the following chapters. SECTION III. Descriptions of Repentance taken from the Holy Scriptures. WHEN heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee: if they pray towards this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflictest them: then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance'. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the i John, xv. 14. * Ignat. ad Magnes. 11 Kings, viii. 35, 36. mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. : Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right: if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity; he shall even live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed, shall be mentioned unto him; he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live". Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in the newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter P. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly as in the m Isa. lix. 20, 21. Rom. vi. 6. 11-13. 18, 19. n Ezek. xxxiii. 14-16. day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold, this selfsame thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge? In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter'. For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then all were dead. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new". That ye put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on that new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness *. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things, cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord: and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise: redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is ". If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Mortify therefore your members, which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. But now, ye also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him *. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world: looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ: who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us: looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness, springing up, trouble and thereby many be defiled". you, Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves". Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to pa x Col. iii. 1-3. 5. 8-10. z Heb. xii. 1, 2. 14, 15. y Tit. ii. 11-14.- |