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favour the pretended perfection of this life: for there is a twofold repentance. The firft univerfal, whereby the human finner who is estranged from the knowledge and worship of God, and all true religion, betakes himself or turns to God, and to the practice of virtue: the second renewed and particular, to which, as a facred anchor, the regenerate themselves are often obliged to have recourse. And of this again there is a three-fold difference, For 1ft, It is poffible that they who are fanctified, may fall into some grievous fin, which lays them under the neceffity of the greatest forrow and a very extraordinary degree of repentance. 2dly, It is alfo poffible that fuch may, for a time, fall into a kind of fpiritual faintnefs and liftleffnefs, and for fome fpace continue in that ftate, which may expofe them to very many fins; from which they are to rife by a renewal of tance. 3dly, Should this not be the cafe, yet in the very best, there are fins of daily infirmity cleaving to their actions, words, and thoughts, from which no one who accurately examines himself, will dare to declare he is free. Now let us apply these diftinctions to our prefent purpofe. When our Lord fpeaks of a finner causing joy in heaven by his repentance, it is evident he treats either of that first and univerfal, or of the renewed repentance from fome more grievous fall, and a state not fo commendable. This, he says, the juft need not, because they have already performed the firft; and are folicitoufly careful that they be under no neceffity of the latter; yet he does not fay that they are free from all neceffity of repentance; for, though perhaps there may be fome juft perfons, who for a confiderable time are careful to be kept from more grofs fins, or from falling into that fluggish ftate we have juft defcribed, and so not to stand in need of those ways of repentance; yet there is none upon earth, who, on account of his daily failings, is not bound daily to renew his repentance. In a word, what our Lord fays comes to this: That there is greater joy in heaven, on account of great finners when they are first converted; or for the regenerate when returning after a fhameful backfliding; than for thofe, in whom, on account of their conftant practice of a more strict piety, there is no fuch remarkable and confpicuous change to be observed.

CXXIX. It might here not improperly be asked, why a greater joy is faid to be in heaven for the converfion of one repenting finner than for the conftancy of ninety and nine perfons in holiness; seeing a greater good may justly cause a greater joy; as it is certainly better to have kept a steady course of piety than to return to the right way after great backfliding. I answer, Ift, That when our Lord made ufe of parables, and ac

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cording to his cuftom, fuited himself to the capacity of his hearers, he spoke of divine things after the manner of men. But it is evident, that when any good comes of a fudden, it caufes greater joy than any other greater good one has for fome time been in quiet poffeffion of; and that the recovery of things loft more strongly affects the mind than in the uninterrupting keeping of others. The fame alfo in its measure is the cafe here. The angels doubtlefs rejoice, that the juft labour after and prefs on to happinels; but they have for a long time been refcued from the fnares of the devil. But when a wicked perfon is newly delivered from the fnares he was in; that converfion, and the falvation of the converted, which was the confequence of it, by how much the more it was unexpected, muft also yield fo much the greater pleafure. 2dly, Here our Lord fpeaks according to the old Jewish divinity. The Jews affirmed, "That when a Hebrew fins, the angels weep" our Lord fays, that on the converfion of any perfon, the angels rejoice." The Jews faid, "The dignity of the penitent is greater than that of the perfectly juft. And, in ths place where the penitents ftand, there the perfectly just stand not." Which teftimonies Drufius and Ludovicus Cappellus and Grotius, have long ago produced. The reafon of which is this: because it is more difficult to break off a custom or habit of vice, than after being brought to a commendable courfe of life, to go on without ftumbling. It yields a greater pleafure when virtue is so very confpicuous. 3dly, The glory of the wisdom, power, and mercy of God, and the efficacy of the merits of Chrift fhine with greater glory in the converfion of a defperate finner, than in the prefervation of those who walk in the way of righteousness. As therefore the devil is more enraged when that prey is fnatched from him, which he imagined he would have held fast for ever; fo, in like.manner the angels juftly rejoice more, when their and the enemy of their Lord is mortified to fuch a high degree. 4thly, And generally thefe are warmer in the practice of righteousness, who are inftigated by the forrow of a paft life. An equable tenour of virtue is moftly more remifs; but they who are fuddenly brought over from a very bad to a very good course, by the powerful arm of God, ufually outftrip others by a quicker pace. They dread fin more who were deeper plunged therein have a more ardent love for religion, to whom its beauty has more unexpectedly appeared. And none prize the grace of God towards them more than those who know themselves to be the most unworthy of it. And it is not poffible but this fense of fo great a love muft kindle the moft ardent flames of a reciprocal love. As is evident from the example of Paul,

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and the woman who was a finner, Luke vii. 40-48. All which yield matter of greater joy to the angels.

CXXX. Seeing we have now made a frequent mention of repentance plavoid, we will fubjoin fomething concerning the proper fignification of this word. The very learned Beza, either was the first or among the first, who obferved on Mat. iii. 2. that the term lava is properly never put but to denote a a good; and that wPgovouos is always joined with lavoice; but that lasida is expreffive of a folicitude and anxiety after the doing of a thing for which the Latins fay pænitere; and that it is alfo ufed to denote an evil, though fimply fignifying a kind of solicitude, and duragesnois, a difplicency, which makes us with the thing that is done, whether good or bad to be undone, even though it be out of our power to correct it. Hence he thinks that μsraμss is denoted by the Hebrew word on, as μstavou is rather denoted by the word aw, whence comes ɔwn, converfion. Peter therefore having faid, Acts iii. 19. μeravońσare repent, immediately fubjoins, xai irisgé↓are, and be converted, in order to explain the former. The fame thing Paul does, Acts xxvi. 20. In this the venerable Beza has been followed by very many commentators, especially when they treat of the μraμɛλeim, repentance of the traitor Judas.

CXXXI. But it may be doubted, whether there is any folid ground for this diftinction. For it can neither be deduced from the etymology of either of these terms, nor confirmed by the authority of approved authors, nor proved from the conftant style of Scripture, nor in fine, concluded from the corresponding Hebrew terms, which we are now to fhew in order.

CXXXII. As to their etymology, ustavow is a word compounded of urà, after and vow, I understand, and as Henr. Stephanus in his Thefuarus tranflates it, poftintelligo, and thus it is oppofed to the term govoća ante intelligo. Very elegantly fays, Clemens Alexandrinus Stromat. lib. 2. Ει ἐφ ̓ οἷς ἔμαρτν μετενόσηεν, ει ςύνεσιν ἔλαβεν, εφ' οἷς επταισε, καὶ μετέγνω, ὅπέρ έσι, μετα ταύτα εγνω. Βραδεία γάρ γνωσις μετάνοια. "If he has repented of his fins, recollect in what he has offended, and acknowledged it, that is, afterwards known it for person is a flow kind of knowledge that comes after fomething is done." But sтapa, according to its etymology, fignifies" folicitude, after having committed, or omitted any thing." And thus právo, which is properly an act of the understanding, reflecting on itself and its actions, in order of nature, goes before μraus, which rather belongs to the will and affections.

CXXXIII. Both words are so used in the best authors, as indifferently to denote an after-forrow of mind, whether in good

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or in evil. Hefychius explains uilausia, by μslava. Suidas in like manner μl, pilavos. And in the Etymologicum magnum, μεταμέλομαι, μελανοῶ, μελαγινώσκω are ufed promifcuoufly. Gomarus on Mat. xi. 20. adduces a remarkable paffage from Plutarch, περι ευθυμίας, where he varies the terms, με αμελεία and μετανοία, as words of the fame fignification, and describes μlaxoix, as duxvαμένην, συν αισχύνην της ψυχής, και κολαζομένην ὑφ ̓ αυτῆς ; remorfe and torture to itself with fhame of foul: which the venerable Beza will have to be appropriated to μlasia. Nay, I have obferved μελαμελένα. inftances, where lávo denotes a fimple difplicency; as in Marc Antonin. lib. 8. §. 2 ; καθ' ἑκάσην πράξιν έρωτα σεαυτόν, πῶς peos œulh sxes, più pestævenow in aul;" In every action, afk thyself, how it affects me, fhall I have reafon to repent it?" Ibid. §. 10. й μɛΠάποια έσιν επιληψίς τις αυτό, ως χρήσιμόν τι παρεικότος : repentance is a kind of reprehenfion of ourselves, as having omitted fomething useful. On the contrary, μerana is fometimes of the fame fignification with ow@gooμos, amendment. In which fenfe Plutarch faid πάνυ γαρ η μεταμέλεια σώτειρα δαίμων, amendement is quite a falutary genius.

CXXXIV. Nor does the fcripture ufe of these words differ. For even their stains fometimes denotes a fincere repentance; as Mat. xxi. 29. vsegov di μstaμernbus annies, but afterwards he repented and went and verfe 32. where our Lord upbraided the Jews for not having true repentance, fays : ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰδοντες κ μετεμελήθετε υπέρον, το πιςευσαι αυτῶ, and ye. when ye. bad feen it, repented not afterwards, that ye might believe him. Where Agra anfwers to John's invitation, expreffed by μlavours. And on the contrary, Mravo fometimes fignifies mere forrow. Thus Chrift, Luke xvii. 3. treating of fome degree of forrow, for offending a brother, fays, iar pravonon, if he repent, and verse 4. if he fhall fay, stavow, I repent, I could with it undone. And Mat. xii. 41. staviv, is affirmed of the Ninevites, and their repentance was external only, not internal; civil, not spiritual 3 temporary, not perfevering.

CXXXV. Befides, it is not univerfally true, that Merμ answers to the Hebrew on; and avoid to. For tho' perhaps the Syriac interpreter of the New Teftament renders. Tavo conftantly by yet the Septuagint promiscuously tranflaten by μslaμseveral or μeslevov. I fhall fingle a few examples of each out of many; as 1 Sam. xv. 35. and the Lord repented (□) that he made Saul king. The LXX. xai xugios METEpesinor. In verfe 29. of the fame chapter, pn, 7: the LXX. કંઠે Merevonos, nor will he repent, Again, Pf. cx. 4. ; the LXX. xai's μɛtaudenostα, and will not repent. On the con

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trary, Joel. ii. 14, 2: the LXX. misgéifu xxi μstavońcu, be will return and repent. In like manner, John iii. 9. Jer. iv. 28. and viii. 6. and xxxi. 19. and in very many other places, they have tranflated on by μstavoεiv. Whence it is evident, they thought these Greek words were fynonymous.

CXXXVI. To conclude, it 'cannot be proved from Acts iii. 19. or Actsxxvi. 20. that está conftantly answers to mawn, as the contrary may be deduced from thefe paffages. For gri expreffes the Hebrew, as we just fhewed from Joel ii. 14. As μr properly denotes the act of the foul recollecting its own actings, fo in the order of nature, it does before converfion, and is juftly presupposed thereto by Peter and Paul. Let thefe hints therefore fuffice concerning thefe words. If any defire more, they may confult Grotius on Mat. xxvii. 3. Scultetus, Exercitat. Evangelic. c. 19. Gataker advers. Mifcel c. 29. and Suiceri Thefaurus.

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CHAP. XIII.

Of* Confervation.

HOSE to whom God has freely given faith and holinefs, he likewife keeps with fuch folicitous care, that it is impoffible for any true believer totally and finally to fall away from that holinefs when once it is begun, and thereby forfeit the falvation appointed for him. "The Lord is faithful, who shall STABLISH you, and keep you from evil,” 2 Theff.

iii. 3.

II. CONSERVATION" is a gracious work of God, whereby he fo keeps the elect, the redeemed, the regenerated, the faithful and the fanctified, though in themselves weak and apt to fall away, internally by the most powerful efficacy of his Spirit, externally by the means which he has wifely appointed for that purpose, that they fhall never quite lofe the habits of thofe graces once infused into them, but be certainly brought, by a stedfast perfeverance, to eternal falvation."

III. They whom God preferves and enables to persevere, are ELECTED perfons, or perfons appointed, by the immutable

counfel

*Though this word is not very commonly used, yet it is of a very extensive fignification, and conveys to us the idea, not only of perfeverance, but of the manner of it, viz. their prefervation by God. Accordingly our author makes perfever! ance, a branch of confervation.

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