his people "from the beginning of the year to the end of it;" so the Almighty is described, after the manner of men, as having winked at the idolatrous nations, previously to his sending to them the immediate messengers of truth and grace. He "suffered them to walk in their own ways."

Though even then he failed not to mark their impiety and idolatry; even then he "left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave them rain from heaven and fruitful seasons;" even then they were "without excuse," because" when they knew" -or might have known-" God," they "glorified him not as God; not liking to retain him in their knowledge." But during these " times of ignorance," He was pleased to bear with much long-suffering their apostacy, idolatry, and various abominations; and not to punish them with the severity which his own people brought on themselves by similar provocations.

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But these times were passed; and other times commenced at the promulgation of the gospel. Then the kingdom of heaven" began; then the general expectation prevailing throughout the East, that some great deliverer should come, was fulfilled; then, as the apostles proceeded from kingdom to kingdom, from city to city, they proclaimed the times of grace and truth, in the birth, miracles, doctrine, death and resurrection of Messiah. Then as the feet of St. Paul entered Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus, Athens, Rome, the times were changed-those of ignorance were closed, and those of light and truth broke out.

In this way, all the gentiles throughout the Roman empire heard of the chief facts and doctrines of the gospel; and continued no longer in a state of insuperable blindness. And if any nations at the present day remain in spiritual darkness, the fault is not in the purpose of the gospel, but in the disobedience and tardiness of the church. It is in opposition to

the divine and ample commission, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;" "Go and teach all nations." And it constitutes a stronger motive to us to redeem lost opportunities, and carry the light of the gospel into all the dark places of the earth; especially those entrusted to our government by Divine Providence.

II. But this leads us to reply to the second enquiry raised from the text, What are men now commanded to do; by saying, God commandeth all men every where to repent.

1. Repentance is after-thought, after-care-it is that change of heart, producing a gradual change of conduct, which the transgressor is led by serious after-thought to enter on. He considereth," and then turneth from all his transgressions." He "cometh"-after his sins and follies-" to himself;" and then "ariseth and returneth to his father" with confession and supplication. Sin," says an old writer, "is an aversion from God; repentance a conversion to God."

It begins in a due knowledge and conviction of sin as committed against the one living and true God; with heart-felt sorrow for having offended so great and good a Being. This prepares for repentance properly so called. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of." For," the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness," the awakened penitent acknowledges the justice of the sentence, is convinced of his transgressions against God's holy will, and trembles at the fearful consequences which impend.

He begins to examine his heart, tempers, spirit, conduct and pursuits, by the standard of God's commandments; and as he examines, his knowledge and

conviction of sin is augmented. And when he contemplates the holiness and goodness of Almighty God, and his just claims upon his creatures' love, he is touched with sorrow. He "smites upon his breast," with the publican, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." He is "pricked to the heart” with grief, consternation, regret; and cries out, "What shall I do to be saved?"

This godly sorrow is not like the mere remorse of Saul or Ahithophel; it is not the rage and despair of Cain; it is not the disappointment at being detected of Achan or Judas, nor the dread of punishment apparent in king Ahab. These are specimens of

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"the sorrow of the world which worketh death." But it is a heart-felt grief for having sinned against God, arising from a knowledge of his glorious excellencies and his benignity and long-suffering towards us. It leads a man, like Job, to abhor himself and repent in dust and ashes;" to "bemoan himself," after the example of Ephraim; to say with the prodigal, "I have sinned against heaven and before thee; and with the Psalmist, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned."

The rapidity or otherwise of the conviction, and the measure of alarm and terror attending it, are of subordinate moment. Sometimes the process is slow and gentle; at others intense and sudden. In all cases, however, the work must be interior and permanent to be salutary. There must be a steady, solid, deeplyseated perception of guilt before the supreme and only Potentate, and sorrow on the account of it.

The resolute turning away from all sin to God, is that in which repentance properly consists; and which proves the sincerity of the preceding conviction and sorrow. "Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts." So long as any one sin is willingly adhered to, there can be no

repentance. Renunciation of every iniquity, secret and open, is indispensable. Knowledge, conviction, sorrow are therefore required, because without them there can be no practical change wrought in the heart and life. But if men rest in these emotions and carry them not out into their appropriate effects, they evaporate, like all passions when stopping short of their objects, into mere sentiment, and rather harden than improve the heart. It was when the prodigal actually arose and came to his father, that the sincerity of his previous convictions appeared. It is when the sheep returns from its ways to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls, that repentance for its sinful wanderings is manifested.

Outward courses of vice, if such have prevailed, must be at once and decidedly abandoned; drunkenness, profaneness, sabbath-breaking, impurity, oppression, deceit, unrighteousness.

Or, if sin has chiefly taken the garb of worldliness, love of pleasure, vanity, display, carelessness, delight in ungodly companions, indifference to religion; these must in like manner cease.

The sins of the heart must equally be renounced -pride, self-righteousness, envy, hatred, variance, emulations, covetousness, an evil eye, foolishness.

From all these secret and more open ways of sin, the penitent turns to God, to holiness, to purity, to meekness, to the observation of the sabbath; to reverence for the name of God; to all relative duties and the correspondent tempers of mind which they require.

"Works meet for repentance" follow; every thing which can demonstrate that the convictions and sorrow we have described, have led to a real turning from all sin to God. Such are prayer for pardon in the name of Christ, watchfulness against easily besetting iniquities, the shunning of places and occasions where

temptation springs, the choice of pious acquaintance, the profitable disposal of time, influence, money; restitution to those whom we had injured, whether in character, person, or estate; abstinence from every appearance of evil, seeking advice and counsel in difficulties, diligence in all the means of grace, confession of sin before God and man, humble dependence on the grace of the Holy Spirit to fulfil our good resolutions; fear of declining from God; anxious desire to embrace and hold fast the blessed hope proposed in the gospel.

Such is the general nature of that " repentance unto salvation which needeth not to be repented of," springing from "godly sorrow" as its immediate source, and flowing out into all the natural and suitable fruits of a penitent and holy life.

I have described it rapidly and by a few main characteristics-as when we are asked the nature of gold, we define it by its properties, malleability, color, specific gravity, &c. But in practice it is of slow growth, often long in maturing, subject to many interruptions, and not soon brought up to an advanced and fixed character.

It must be ever remembered, that the grace of God's Holy Spirit is indispensable to us, as fallen creatures, in the discharge of this, as well as of every other Christian duty. We can do nothing spiritually good of ourselves. But we are directed to use the means of grace, as reasonable and accountable beings, relying on God "to work in us to will and to do of his good pleasure." Our Savior is "exalted as a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins." "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you an heart of flesh"-is the promise of the Lord by the prophet. To which the language of the apostle corresponds, "Then hath