SER M. intention, and of confequential Obligation VIII. Our Lord came not to call the Righteous, (but Sinners, to Repentance. The Original) Duty of all rational Creatures, is to obey the Commandments of God: And Such Intelligent Beings, as have always lived in obedience to God's Commands, are not obliged to the Duty of Repentance. "Tis Sin only, that brought in the obligation to this fecondary and confequential Duty. And to those who Have finned, This Duty is of Such a Nature, that 'tis a particular Privilege to them to be permitted to perform it. Arts xi. 18. When the Jewish Chriftians at Jerusalem, first heard of the Apostles being authorized to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, they said, Then bath God alfo to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto life. Granting Repentance, does not fignify, as Some Moderns have understood it, God's working Repentance in men, or operating it upon them; but it means, his graciously allowing them the Benefit of Repentance, or, his accepting their Repentance fo as to render it available unto Pardon. Among fuch frail and degenerate Creatures, as Men in

this

this prefent State are; there are None, in SER M. Strictness of Speech, free from Sin; and VIII. confequently None, but what are obliged to this Duty of Repentance. Nevertheless, according to the gracious estimation of things in the Gospel, and according to the more ufual acceptation of words in Scripture; they who, allowing for the general frailties and infirmities of humane nature, fincerely endeavour, in the conftant courfe and tenour of their Actions, to live in habitual. Obedience to the Commands of God: are ftiled Righteous in juch a manner, as that our Saviour came not, comparatively fpeaking, to call Them to Repentance. In the prayer of Manafel King of Judah, we find this Notion expreffed in very ftrong Terms: Thou, O Lord, fays he, that art the God of the Fust, haft not appointed Repentance to the Just, as to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, which have not finned against thee; but of thine infinite Mercies thou haft appointed Repentance unto Sinners, that they may be faved. The word, Sinners, here, 'tis plain, is not used in That fenfe, wherein All men are declared to be Sinners; but in

That

SER M. That fenfe, wherein the Scripture declares VIII. that the Wicked are an abomination to

the Lord, and them that work iniquity his Soul hateth. Against these perfons it is, that the Wrath of God is denounced with indignation, and the Threatnings of bis Law are thundred with Severity. The 1Tim.i. 9. Law (fays St Paul) is not made for a righteous man, (for against fuch, there is no law, Gal. v. 23;) but it is made for the lawless and difobedient, for the ungodly and for Sinners, for the unboly and profane, -for man-flayers; for whoremongers, for Liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any Other thing that is contrary to found doctrine. In comparison with Thefe; men who love Truth, and de Righteoufnefs, and fincerely fear God, however they be incompaffed with many infirmities, are yet ftiled in Scripture not only just and righteous, but even perfect in their generation, walking in All the commandments of the Lord blameless; Israelites indeed, in whom there is No Guile; just perfons, that need no Repentance: and of whom our Lord in the text declares, that he came not to call Them to Repentance.

Repentance. There is a Repentance, to SER M. which even the Best of men are continu- VIII. ally obliged; a Senfe of their unworthinefs before God; an acknowledgment of their Weakneffes and Follies; a continual uninterrupted Endeavour to amend what they find amifs in themselves, and to improve more and more unto perfe ction. But This is not That Repentance, to which our Saviour came to call Sin ners: That Total Change of Life and Manners, of which when our Lord faw an instance in Zacheus, he faid, This day is Salvation come unto this house; and in describing of which, he calls it a New Birth, a being Born again of Water and of the Spirit. In contradiftinction to which, and under the very fame figure of expreffion, That perpetual Amendment of infirmities, which is the Duty of Good men, may well be reprefented in the words of our Saviour to St. Peter, Joh. xiii. 10, He that is washed, needeth not, fave to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.

3. A Third thing obfervable in our Saviour's manner of expreffing himself in the Text, is the juft and fharp Reproof contained

2

SER M. contained in this his Anfwer to the Proud VIII. and Hypocritical Pharifees. They were Whole it seems, and therefore had no need of a Phyfician; They were very righteous, they thought, and therefore had no need of being invited to Repentance. They were the perfons, who, St Luke tells us, chap. xviii. 9. trufted in themselves that they were righteous, and defpifed Others; And therefore our Lord rebuked their Pride, by his Parable of the Pharifee and the Publican; telling them that the penitent Publican went down to his houfe juftified, rather than the Boasting Pharisee; For every one that exalteth himself, shall be abafed; and he that humbleth himself, fhall be exalted. They were the fame perfons, to whom the fame Evangelift tells us our Lord faid upon another occafion, chap. xvi. 15. ye are they, which justify yourselves before Men, but God knoweth your Hearts; For That which is highly esteemed amongst Men, is abomination in the Sight of God. And thus likewife in the words of the Text, when the fame Hypocrites were finding fault with Jefus, for keeping company with Publicans and Sinners, which They thought it beneath Themfelves to do;

the