who stole, steals no more;" by which "the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right." And to the man thus actually reformed, it is expressly promised, "that he shall save his soul alive." Of this repentance the proof is visible, and the sincerity certain, because the new state of mind is discovered, by a new train of outward actions. I say, this is the nature of repentance; in the general state of christian life, where life and opportunity are left to the penitent and then, to be sure there is no authority for us to say, that repentance will be effectual without amendment; and that the repentance which is thus proved and followed by actual amendment is not effectual.

But numerous instances occur, in which, from the nature of the case, it is impossible for the sinner to testify the truth of his repentance, either to himself or to the world, by actual reformation. It is so with the repentance of a death-bed. It is so when confinement from sickness, for crimes, or for any other cause, disables men from the duties and vices of active life. It is so where poverty puts it out of men's power to repeat their old sins; when many vices as well as many virtues are become impossible. The shortness of their time, the distress of their situation, the feebleness of their constitutions, the narrowness and reduction of their circumstances, leave little power of active virtue, and of themselves (without any merit on their part) preclude them from

the commission of most vices.

Therefore some

other measure must be appointed for them; because, to expect actual reformation, where virtue and vice are equally out of their power, is to require impossibilities. Here then we seem to have authority for saying, that this simple decision is the truth; namely, that God will consider that life as amended, which would have been amended, if he had spared it, and vouchsafed opportunities. Whether this would take effect, can never be known to the world. It cannot always be known to the penitent himself; but it is known to God. He can see the fruit in the blossom, or the seed. He knows those resolutions that are fixed, and would hold-those conversions which would be permanent; and will receive them who are qualified by these new dispositions and desires for works of righteousness, without exacting from them those outward duties, which the circumstances of their health, their confinement, their inability, or the shortness of their lives, hinder them from performing. Nothing therefore remains to conditions like these, but that the persons in them apply with all their strength to rectify their desires and purify their thoughts; that they set God before them in his goodness, and in his terror; that they consider him as the Father and the Judge of all the earth-as a gracious Father desirous to save as a wise Judge who cannot, consistently with the rules of good government, pardon unrepented iniquity; that they excite

in themselves an intense detestation of crimes (for if they cannot do this, it is not probable they would forsake them if they retained the power of acting), with vehement and steady resolutions; that if life and opportunity were granted them, they should be spent hereafter in the practice of their duty; that they pray to the giver of grace to strengthen and impress these holy thoughts, and accept the repentance, though late, and in its beginning violent; that they improve any good motion by prayer; and lastly, that they deliver themselves into the hands of their faithful Creator.

The promises of acceptance and forgiveness, which are made to repentance in the Scriptures, are general; and we are not authorised to limit by exceptions, what God has not limited. So far, therefore, we may speak comfort to the contrition of a death-bed, or the circumstances relative to a death-bed, by assuring them of our hope, that God will consider that life as amended, which would have been amended, if he had spared it. On the other hand, it is necessary that they, at least that others in different circumstances, should be apprised that their state is precarious, their hazard great; that though it be possible their present sorrow may be productive of amendment, yet experience forces us to declare, that there is nothing farther from certainty; that they have many disadvantages to contend with, their sins old and obstinate, their faculties of resistance weak,

their vision clouded, distempered, distorted; that they can never be assured that their repentance would be effectual to their reformation ; and consequently must leave the world, without any well grounded assurance of God's forgiveness: for it is impossible even to ourselves to distinguish the effects of terror from those of conviction-to decide whether our passions and vices be really subdued by the fear of God, or only arrested and restrained for a while by the temporary force of present calamity. And, lastly, the deliberately and designedly putting off repentance to a death-bed makes even that repentance, morally speaking, impossible to prove; at least, I will venture to pronounce, that no mere repentance can be effectual in consequence of such previous design.

The last, but not the least, test of recovery, which I shall mention, is restitution. Upon the fullest consideration of the matter, it is my judgement, that where restitution is practical, repentance cannot be sincere or effectual without it. In truth, it is only mockery to pretend to repent of our sin, while we keep and enjoy the fruits of it. If we have by mistake, from distress, in haste, or in consequence of disposition and conduct which we now see the guilt of, taken any thing, or withheld any thing from any other person, we must restore what we have so unjustly taken and withheld, or an equivalent,-or it is in vain to talk of repenting of our sin.

I know this is a hard lesson, besides the expense

of restitution, which is very much more than we like, or than we can well bear. There is a shame, and confusion, and humiliation in acknowledging our fault, which is one part of the evil. All this I own, and can only say, that if restitution be a duty, it is not less a duty because it is attended with difficulties or disagreeable circumstances.

When once it has been made apparent that a thing is our duty, it is then of no service to. prove that it is inconvenient, that it is chargeable, that it is painful. But then restitution may not be practicable. Some injuries are not capable of it. The person entitled to restitution may be dead. We may not have it in our power to make restitution. In such cases we have not this to exercise. Restitution, like every thing else, is no longer required than while it can be performed. All I mean is, that if it be practicable, it is our duty. Repentance will not avail us without excuse to say that it is unavoidable. I have only farther to observe, that restitution is not merely giving back the property which we unjustly kept, but it is in general the undoing, as far as remains in our power, what we have done wrong, as well as unsaying what we have said wrong. Therefore when, by confessing our mistakes, recanting our falsehoods, exposing our faults, we can put a stop to any bickerings or quarrels we have excited-remove suspicions and irritations which we have infusedcall back the evil reports which we have circulated—

it, and it is no