God unto the gentiles also granted repentance unto life."

2. The repentance, then, which constitutes the first duty of men when the times of ignorance have passed, being what I have stated, the variety of persons and classes to whom the call is addressed, must now be noticed. The language of the text is universal; God hath commanded "all men, every where, to repent."

The apostle had especially in view the heathen audience whom he addressed, the Epicurean with his love of pleasure, the Stoic with his pride, the learned student with his refinements, the curious idler with his novelties; all, in short, of every class who had been living in the spiritual ignorance as to God, the soul, eternity, sin and the way of pardon and peace, to which he had adverted-all, in short, to whom the call should be addressed, either by himself or by his fellow apostles, or by other ministers in the same, or any subsequent age.

To the heathen, therefore, now, as well as eighteen centuries since, the invitation is to be given. They have been sinning against the law of their own conscience. They have not kept the rule of duty, defective as it may have been, which the traditions of the primitive revelations to Adam or the patriarchs or Moses, had prescribed. They have not sought after God and felt for him, if haply they might find him." The works of creation have preached in vain to them their one glorious selfexisting and wise Author. They have been guilty of

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worshipping and serving the creature, more than the Creator who is blessed for evermore." Idolatry is at once the stigma of the human understanding, and the highest provocation against the eternal, invisible, infinitely perfect Jehovah-even as infidelity in a spouse is the highest crime against a

benignant and faithful husband. It is an affront put upon the glorious Lord of all beings in the nearest and most intimate of relations.

Repentance, then, is the duty of all in heathen lands, and especially, when the times of ignorance are passed, and the true light begins to shine. Grief for having dishonored God; shame for having " said to the wood and to the stone, Arise and save us;" fear lest a jealous God should resign them to their just punishment, these are the feelings of the penitent heathen. Then he turns resolutely from sin and "brings forth fruits meet for repentance," by forsaking all those "abominable idolatries," and all that excess of riot," as the apostle speaks, which accompany idolatry and superstition.

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But the nominal Christian is, also, called on, every where and under all variety of circumstances, to repent. All men, in Christian lands, as well as others, need repentance; and if they have not repented must begin the duty; and if they have, must daily persevere in it, in order to salvation. All have sinned against God, against natural conscience, against the revealed will of the Supreme Being, against the Ten Commandments, against the blessed Gospel. No man has ever "loved the Lord his God with all his heart and soul and mind and strength, and his neighbor as himself;" and therefore, "except we repent, we must all," as our Savior declares, "perish."

There are unnumbered differences in the aggravations of men's sins; but in respect of their being universally guilty and in need of repentance, there is "no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Nor can there be any faith in the atonement of a Savior, if there be none of that repentance which prepares for it. The most amiable and innocent in the careless estimate of the world; the most learned, the most acute, the most kind-hearted-all need repentance, not indeed for

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such sins as they have happily not committed, but for such as they have-forgetfulness of God, idolatrous love of the creature, hardness of heart, encouragement given to others in their sins, cowardice as to God and duty; vanity, conceit, selfishness, pride, ingratitude, envy, uncharitableness, coldness of affection to God and man.

3. It is important, however, in the next place, that the authoritative command with which this universal call is sanctioned, should be borne in mind. The apostle in the text says, "But now"-in opposition to the times of ignorance at which God had winked "commandeth all men to repent." It is not a matter left to our mere option; it is not a matter of small concern which may be perfunctorily discharged or wholly omitted without serious evil. It is an imperative, primary duty. It rests upon the "command" of that God who hath made us rational and accountable beings; and who has the supreme right to enjoin on us such precepts as he sees good.

The Heathen and Mohammedan is not only called to worship the one true God, through the only Redeemer and Mediator, Jesus Christ, if he happens to like to do so; but is "commanded" by the Almighty himself to repent of his past idolatry, false worship, faith in an impostor, conformity to the licentious and abominable practices connected with a neglect of seeking after the true God. "The times of ignorance" lessen, indeed, the guilt, but do not excuse it. Sorrow for culpable idolatry, superstition and vice, is obligatory; men are solemnly commanded, not by man, but God, to comply with that call to 66 repentance unto life" which is here en

joined.

This authoritative force of truth, so far as the conscience is concerned, is ever to be considered. The commission to the apostles to "go out into all

the world and preach the gospel to every creature," answers to this command of God "to all men every where to repent."

All this is totally opposed to the temporizing spirit of heathen philosophers of old, as well as in the present day; who, though convinced of the folly of idolatry, yet conform to it, and advise others to do the same thus perpetuating to succeeding ages all the ignorance which prevails in their own; and holding all forms of religion to be the same. It opposes the notions too prevalent still, that Hindooism is as good for Hindoos, and Islamism for Mohammedans, as Christianity for Christians. It op poses also the semi-infidel spirit which esteems the faith of the Hindoos, and the faith of the Moham medans, as of the same kind with the faith of Christians, though less pure. The positive command of the text opposes, further, the false and maukish cant of benevolence which would bid us to leave the religions of other nations unregarded, and be content with following our own. Would you have a Rajah, say such persons, disgrace his family by changing his religion? Would you have a Rajpoot, or a Mohammedan of the highest birth, desert the faith of his fathers? Thus the innocency of idolatry and imposture is taken for granted; the subordinate and trifling nature of fixing aright the object and manner of religious worship is supposed; man is, in fact, not considered as accountable for his belief; truth and error are represented as equally, or nearly equally good; and the most discreet attempts to invite men to the consideration of Christianity are discouraged.

From this proceeded the ready condemnation of Christian missions which used many years since to be so prevalent-the charges of excessive zeal and fanaticism then so commonly advanced; and the excuses which were framed for leaving the world to perish in idolatry, imposture, sensuality and misery,

under the thin pretence of our not being authorized to interfere, by argument and meek grounds of reason, with their forms of faith. But not so thought our divine Lord who delivered this command to his apostles-not so the apostle of the gentiles who acted upon it not so the Christian missionaries who converted our Druid ancestors in England and not so Christians now, if they believe the declaration of the text. If it be enthusiasm to use mild and gentle means to dissipate the ignorance of the world, and to let them know that "God commandeth all men, every where, to repent," we glory in the charge-we bind it to our bosom, as the symbol of our fidelity to that Savior, who scrupled not to come from heaven to die for us men and our salvation.

III. But all these arguments receive an inconceivable additional force from the judgment of the last day, which the apostle assigns as the reason of the Divine command to universal repentance; Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

1. Repentance is therefore the indispensable duty of every sinner, whether Idolater, Mohammedan or professed Christian, because a future judgment will take place, from which none can escape, unless a reconciliation has been effected by a timely penitence and return to the one living and true God. If there be any accountable being on the face of the earth, who is exempt from the necessity of death and judgment, he is exempt, and he only, from the obligation to repentance. But there is no such individual. "It is appointed unto all men once to die and after that the judgment." The day is fixed. As the time of solemn assize in human affairs is ordinarily named