there are infirmities in man, which render him incapable of a strict and proper obedience. Here arifes a strange repugnance. We all allow, it would be better for the world, if we were univerfally humane, fincere, and upright; under the benign influence of such tempers, earth would become a fort of paradise. We can suppose too, that if man be destined for an intellectual happiness, the practice of brutish lufts must be inconfiftent with it.

AND yet in fact we fee that a great part of mankind are actuated by favage, wild, and extravagant paffions. Here, I fay, there arifes a strange repugnance. Are the laws of virtue to be ftrictly enforced? no flesh could then be faved. Is an univerfal indulgence to be granted to difobedience? the laws of virtue might then as well have not been made at all.

REVEALED religion (for repentance is the peculiar doctrine of revelation) provides

provides a remedy. It provides alike for the unerring purity of law, and the infirmity of man. The finner is always

at liberty to return to his duty, provided he really turneth away from his wickedness, and actually doeth that which is lawful and right: he then, according to the mild terms of revealed knowledge, anfwers in a great measure the purposes of his creation. The deift prefumptuoufly imagines indeed, that his reason tells him as much. I fhall not dispute it with him. But I had rather have one exprefs promise to the purpose, from the GoD, to whom I am accountable; than ten thousand plaufible conjectures; and farther no human reafon carries any creature. A deep fenfe of having offended a worthy friend is not the affection I owed him; a fenfe of having violated the laws of one's country, is not justice; nor is a courfe of phyfick real health.

REPENTANCE is not innocence ;

but,

but, as a means of leading erring creatures back to original obedience, it is a comfortable privilege-It is to be embraced with joy - It is a call of criminals from a state of condemnation - it is a restoration from fickness to health, from death to life, from misery to everlafting happiness. To neglect it is to neglect the neceffary inftrument of our falvation.

I. As religion has been one and the fame under all difpenfations, with some flight variety of forms; I fhall just show, how this duty ftood under the Mofaic œconomy; and then, as our principal concern lies with the gospel, I shall show more at large, how it stands now with us under the fuperior advantages of christian light and knowledge.

It requires no proof, that circumcifion was the indispensable rite of admiffion into the privileges of the Jewish

church;

church; and yet, from the very beginning, we fee that the members of this church were taught to place the fole merit and efficacy of it in internal graces. Mofes himself, the institutor of it, points out this moral tendency. CIRCUMCISE therefore, says he, the foreSkin of YOUR HEART and be no more STIFF-NECKED. Deut. x. 16. And the Lord thy God will CIRCUMCISE thine HEART, and the heart of thy feed, To LOVE THE LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy foul. xxx. 6.

ΤΟ

THE prophets abound with precepts of this kind: Circumcife your felves to the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your beart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerufalem, left my fury come forth like fire and burn; that none can quench it, becaufe of the evil of your doings. Jer. iv. 4.

WHAT circumcifion began, the various forms of facrifices were meant to perfect, by virtue of that one great

fa

crifices,

crifice, which alone gives merit to all human fervices. Thefe facrifices were required; though at the fame time it was not poffible that the blood of bulls and goats fhould take away fins. Heb. x. 4. They were required; though at the fame time it was declared, that to obey was better than facrifice, and to hearken than the blood of rams. i. Sam. xv. 22. What was the purpose then of these inftitutions? It was to call all, who lived under the law, to repentance and perfection of manners, upon the merits of that future Redeemer, who (as we fee explained at length in the Hebrews) is the Mediator of the covenant of grace to all good men of all generations.

in reliance

UNDER the gospel, a clearer view of human corruption is opened: Jews and Gentiles fell short of the glory of GoD: all preceding inftitutions were but types and fhadows of this better œconomy, and of courfe gave place, upon its

ap

perance.