Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_500.lzh/D_523.TXT

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CHAP. IV.                                  OF REPENTANCE TOWARDS GOD.                                                               523

cient cause and author of repentance is God, Father,
Son, and Spirit. God the Father, if God peradventure
will give them repentance, 2 Tim. it. 25. Christ, the
Son of God, as mediator, is exalted to give repentance
unto Israel, and forgiveness of sins, Acts v. 31. and the
Spirit of God reproves for sin, convinces of it, and
works repentance for it, John xvi. 8.             5. The mov-
ing cause of it is the free grace of God; it is a grant
and fayour from him, a gift of Christ, which he, as a
prince and a saviour bestows, Acts xi. 18. and v. 31.
and an operation of the power and grace of the Spirit
of God, and entirely flows from the sovereign will and
mercy of' God, who hath mercy on whom he will have
mercy, .and whom he will he hardeneth, Rom. ix. 1S.
not giving grace to repeut.              6. The usual means
      ·
and instruments of repentance are the word, and the
ministers of it ; as faith, so repentance, comes by hear-
ing the word; the three thousand were pricked to the
heart, and were brought to repentance, through the
ministry of the apostle Peter; and as all the apostles
were ordered by Christ to preach repentance in his
name among all nations, so they went forth everywhere,
and God in and by their ministry commanded all men
everywhere to repent; and when and where the com-
mand was artended with power it produced the effect;
and so the apostle Paul declared to Jews and Gentiles,
that theft should repent and turn to God, and do works
meet for repentance; and the hand of the Lord being
with him, great numbers everywhere believed and
turned to the Lord, Luke xxiv. 47. Acts xvii. 30. and
xxvi. 9-0.
   V. The effects and consequences of repentance;
such effects as are evidences of it, and show it to be
genuine; and such consequences which are salutary,
and show the blessings of grace are connected with it.
   1st, The effects of it, which prove it to be genuine;
such as the apostle mentions as fruits of godly sorrow,
2 Cor. vii. 11.-----1. Carefulness to exercise repent-
ance in a proper way, and to bring forth fruits meet for
it; carefulness not to sin any more in a like manner,
or to live a sinful course of life, but to abstain from all
appearance of evil; and carefulness not to offend God
again, who had been so good and gracious to them.
   2. Clearing of themselves; not by denying the
fact, as Gehazi, nor by extenuating and palliating it as
Adam, but by an ingenuous confession of it, praying it
might be forgiven, and that they might be cleansed
from all sin by the blood of Jesus; so clearing them-
selves from the charges of hardness of heart, impeni-
tence, and ingratitude, and of neglect of repentance
when sin was discovered to them.. -3. Indignation;
against sin, expressing their abhorrence of it, and of
themselves for it, as Job did, saying, what have we to
do with it for the future ? being filled with a loathing
of it, and with shame and confusion for it; see Hosea
xiv. 8..     4. Fear; not of the punishment of sin, of
the wrath of God, and of hell and damnation, which is
the fruit of legal and not evangelical repentance; but
a fear of offending God, and of his grace and goodness
in forgiving their sins, and of him for his goodness-
sake, Hosea iii. 5..    5. Vehement desire; to be kept
from sin, that they may not dishonour God, grieve

their own souls, offend. and stumble God's people, and
bring reproach on his ways, doctrines, and ordinances;
and that they might be indulged with nearness to God,
communion with him, and fresh discoveries of his love
to them. . 6. Zeal; for God and his glory, for his
doctrines and ordinances, for the discipline of his
house, and for the performance of all good works.-----
7. Revenge; not on others but ou themselves, and on
their sinful lusts and corruptions, and on all disobe-
dience, that their obedience might be fulfilled; striv-
ing against sin, acting the part of an antagonist to it,
resisting even unto blood, not sparing but mortifying
the deeds of the body, that they may live a holy life
and conversation. But though these things are in a
more peculiar manner applicable to the case of the
Corinthians, yet they do more or less, and in a great
measure appear in every repenting sinner.
2dly, The consequences of repentance, even bless-
ings of grace, which follow upon it, and are con-
nected with it, being promised unto it, and what it
issues in; by which it appears to be salutary, and an-
swers some valuable ends, and is of the greatest im-
portance; as,          1. The pardon of sin; for though
this is not procured by tears of repentance, by humi-
liation for sin, and confession of it, but by the blood
of Christ only; yet to those who repent of sin sin-
cerely, and are truly humbled for it, a manifestation
and application of pardoning grace and mercy is made;
and these two, repentance and remission of sins, are
joined together in the ministry of the word, to en-
courage repenting sinners to hope in Christ for the
forgiveness of their sin, who as he gives the one gives
also the other, Luke xxiv. 47. Acts v. 31. none that
ever truly repented of sin and confessed it, but had
his sins pardoned; such as forsake their sinful ways
and turn to the Lord, he pardons and abundantly par-
dons; his justice to the blood and sacrifice of his Son,
and his truth and faithfulness to his word and pro-
mises, leave no room to doubt of it, Isa. Iv. 7. I John
i. 9.      2. True evangelical repentance, which is
God's gift, and a grant of his grace, is repentance unto
life, Acts xi. 18. It is not by repentance indeed by
which men live spiritually, that is by faith in Christ;
yet men begin to live spiritually when they are quick-
ened by the Spirit of God, audhave repentance from
dead works given unto them; and though men by re-
pentance do not procure eternal life, that is the free
gift of God through Christ, yet true, special, spiritual,
and evaugelical repentance issues in eternal life, and
is inseparably connected with it; though all impeni-
tent sinners shall certainly perish, who by their hard-
ness and impenitent hearts treasure up wrath against
the day of wrath and righteous judgment of God; yet
all that come to true repentanc% none of them shall
ever perish, but shall have everlasting life.----3. Evan-
gelical repentance, the work of godly sorrow, is repent-
ance to salvation not to be repented of, 2 Cor. vii. 10. it
is not the cause of salvation; Christ is the captain,
cause, and author of salvation; but the means through
and by which God saves his people; as they are saved
through .faith, so through repentance, and through
both as the gift of God, flowing from his sovereign
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