C tion to forsake sin, and to cleave to the Lord? Or, as an old confession of faith states it; "Saving repentance is an evangelical grace, whereby a person being made sensible of sin, doth, by faith in Christ, humble himself for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it and self-abhorrency, praying for pardon and strength of grace, with a purpose and endeavour to walk before God in all well-pleasing." Here, I would observe, that repentance is as necessary to forgiveness as faith, and stands in the same relation to it; see Luke xxiv. 47, Mark i. 4, Acts ii. 38, and iii. 19. And though faith and repentance may not be identically the same, yet as both, to a certain degree, respect the mind or judgment in relation to the truth, one cannot exist without the other; see 2 Tim. ii. 25, Acts xix. 4. Repentance, therefore, should unite with that salvation which is by faith, and which is "not of works, lest any man should boast." And if the blessing of justification "to him who worketh not" be given to those who repent, it is impossible to reconcile it with the above definitions of repentance. These clearly suppose intentions and works of the best kind to be included in repentance; and a compliance with these constitute" a true penitent;" the only character, we are told, to whom the gospel holds out any degree of hope. Upon this system, no sinner can have hope until he has done all that is included in this view of repentance. The belief of the truth, as the testimony of God, can of itself, therefore, give him no relief. Again; though sorrow for sin forms no part of the nature of repentance, simply considered, yet they are always connected together, as cause and effect; for no person, being convinced of his mistakes respecting eternal things, can change his mind without remorse for his errors, and the evil consequences to which they have led him, and an ardent desire to serve the Lord in newness of life: but these are the immediate effects of repentance, and not repentance itself. This shews, too, that the same glorious truth, commended to men's consciences in all its divine evidence, which produces faith produces repentance also:-faith simply respects this truth, and is the belief of it; repentance, more particularly the errors and mistakes held by the person as to the true character of God, the kingdom of Christ, &c. which are opposed to this truth, and is the renouncing of them, or the changing of the mind concerning them. An appeal to the passages where faith and repentance are mentioned, would clearly shew that the same testimony was preached to produce both. The prevailing delusion upon this subject is a most serious thing. The world view repentance as something which they have to do to satisfy God for their sins, and refer to it as the way of salvation, without making mention of the work of Christ; and the greater part of professors hold views equally dangerous: they never treat of it as a change in judgment produced only by the evidence of the gospel, but as sorrow and contrition of soul; sometimes, indeed, as the fruit of faith, but more commonly as a preparatory work to a person's believing on Christ. And hence, ministers, supposing it to be à previous work, endeavour, by representing to persons their sins, and the threatenings of the law, to persuade them to begin the work, and not to put it off. How different this from the exhibition of the glorious work of the Son of God as sufficient to convince of error, and turn the mind to the truth, and to produce all the effects of godly sorrow, peace, hope, and joy unspeakable! While I am on this subject, permit me, Mr. Editor, to request your opinion, or that of any of your learned corre spondents, on Dr. G. Campbell's translation of those passages where repent and repentance are mentioned in our version. I need not tell you, that in most of the places he renders the words reform and reformation. J. L. We certainly agree with the writer of the preceding article, in thinking that the subject of " Repentance" is very generally misunderstood by the teachers of religion in the present day. We have frequently been distressed beyond measure at the crude and antiscriptural statements, on this article of revealed truth, which have met us both from the pulpit and the press, and think it may be doing an essential service to our generation to correct them. We purpose keeping the subject promi nently before us, and shall return to it from month to month. At present, we request attention to the following remarks, in which a popular mistake respecting the meaning of a text of Scripture is pointed out. Edit. NOTE ON HEB. xii. 17. "For he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." THE above declaration is made concerning Esau, who, having resigned his birth-right, in order to gratify his appetite, was afterwards sorely grieved, when the time came that he should have inherited the blessing. It is by many supposed to intimate, that Esau made strong and painful exertions to get repentance, but was disappointed in all his efforts. Indeed, even, if the term repentance, denoted (as multitudes imagine) a godly sorrow for sin; we can neither conceive, how he that sincerely sought what was godly, should fail of obtaining it; nor, how he that was ungodly himself, should sincerely seek after that which was godly. But, if we take the word in its proper acceptation, and understand by it, a change of mind; the circumstance of Esau's seeking such repentance carefully, and with tears, carries with it inconsistency still more obvious: for, on the one hand, if Esau had not experienced a change of mind, why did he now lament the loss of what he had before joyfully given up? and, on the other hand, if his mind had indeed been changed, how could it be said that he found no place of repentance? Some, who seem aware of these difficulties, propose to solve them by making repentance to stand for the effect of repentance, i. e. the blessing which had been forfeited. Indeed, some such explanation as this will always be found requisite, in order to reconcile with Scripture and common sense, the language of those who talk of natural men seeking repentance, or faith, or the Holy Spirit, &c. For those cannot dosire heavenly gifts, who have no spia ritual discernment; though they may like well enough that indefinite something, called heaven or happiness, which they hear is connected with them. If this were Esau's case, it would have nothing in it strange or uncommon; for, many an ungodly man, as well as he, has grieved at a severe loss, and would gladly have had it exchanged for a great advantage; although, like him, under the influence of no gracious principle whatever. But the expressions cannot without great force be so interpreted; since, it is said very plainly, that he found no place of (not pardon or blessing, but of) repentance. Now, if, while we preserve the proper import of the term in question, we, at the same time, refer it not to Esau, but to Isaac, the sense will appear obvious; and, the passage may be paraphrased thus: Esau anxiously desired, and earnestly entreated, that his father would change his mind, and bestow upon him that blessing which Jacob had just received; but he found no room left for the wished-for change, no possibility that Isaac could alter his intentions, and reverse what he had done. This is illustrated by the historical account of the transaction, as it is written, When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. However, we find that all his tears availed him nothing; for Isaac had put it beyond his own power to retract, having already given the blessing to Jacob: Behold, saith he, I have made him thy Lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and again, I have blessed him, yea, and he shall be blessed. THE PENITENT. And breathed the story of her crimes and fears. She sought his healing virtue for her soul Balm for the deep and deadly wounds of sin A word-a look-her anguish to control, And still the upbraiding voice that spoke within.— And when she upwards turn'd her tearful gaze, Hope dawn'd upon her heart in trembling rays- But oh! his words!-they fell like dew from heaven T. W. H. 204 Theological Review. Review of Dr. J. P. Smith's Scripture Tes- | in question; but, they all agree in de timony to the Messiah. nying, that our Lord meant to intimate, that his own presence, and his own [Continued from page 184.] power, should attend the publication of AFTER Our Lord's resurrection from the gospel to the latest period of time. the dead, and immediately previous to The editors of the Improved Version aphis ascending on high to reign as a pear to think with Pearce and WakePrince and officiate as a Priest on the field, that the expression, "to the end eternal throne, exercising universal of the world," means, "to the end of sway, he commissioned his apostles, the age, i. e. to the end of the Jewish as his immediate successors in the dispensation; till the destruction of Jegreat work of establishing his kingdom rusalem and the temple; soon after in the world, to go and make disciples which, miraculous powers were withof all nations, declaring for their en- drawn, and no personal appearances couragement, that he himself, who had of Jesus Christ are recorded." The hitherto been their guide, their strength, phrase, i σuvtéλeiα Toũ aives, which Unitaand their stay, would still continue his rian writers render, "the conclusion of gracious presence, and aid them in the this age," occurs five times in the New discharge of their arduous task, even to Testament, and nowhere but in the the end of the world. But, the apostles continued upon earth only a short time after their glorious leader had left them; and, their publication of the gospel reached but a little way beyond the precincts of Judea, compared with the wide field over which the glad tidings of salvation must yet be published. This promise, then, must extend beyond the time of the apostles, and have respect to the universal diffusion of the knowledge of the Lord. And such, indeed, is the obvious meaning of the passage; the sense that lies upon the very surface of it, and in which it would be at once viewed by any mind untainted with the prejudices of a party. But, then, such a view of the words, involves nothing less than the omnipresence of the speaker; for who, but HE, who dwelleth not in temples made with hands, whose throne is in the heavens, whose footstool is the earth, could, without the most daring impiety, make such a promise. And, accordingly, those who have spent so much of their time in clearing the Scriptures of every thing irrational, have not overlooked this passage. Various opinions are before the public, from the pen of Unitarian writers, respecting the meaning of the promise of Matthew. There is, indeed, a passage which much resembles it, Heb. ix. 26. and which is adduced by Unitarians in support of their interpretation; but, it will be easy to shew, that this is not the same phrase, and that it must be understood in a very different light. When our Lord delivered the parable of the tares, and of the net cast into the sea, the minds of his disciples were far from being prepared for understanding him as speaking of the completion and removing of the old dispensation, and of the awful catastrophe that then involved the Jewish nation in ruin. Of these things, they, as yet, had no idea whatever. The idea, therefore, which they would naturally connect with the words, "the age," would be, that of the whole reign of the Messiah, an idea which, almost every page of their own prophets confirmed; and, if so, then the termination of that period must, in their judgment, have been the end of the world; "the awful scenes of expiring time.” The case stood very differently when the epistle to the Hebrews was written. By this time, the disciples of Jesus had received the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and had been led into all truth. The writer of that epistle, in particular, had been Every person must admire Dr. Smith's remark on this circumstance. "May the mercy of that Blessed One, whose name is thus dishonoured, forgive the bold impiety, or ignorant unbelief." favoured with communications of divine | condition, employment, and attributes." knowledge of the most extraordinary kind; doubtless, for the very purpose of qualifying him for explaining as he does the prophetical descriptions of the abolition of the Jewish economy, and for leading the minds of the early con- The next link in the chain of Dr. verts to Christianity from among the Smith's reasoning, respects the personal Jews, away from those things which agency of Christ in the resurrection of were shaken by that event, to the eter- the dead, and the final judgment. The nal and unchangeable concerns of the unequivocal language of Scripture, on kingdom of Christ. The force and this subject is, that God alone can raise beauty of the apostle's words, are very the dead, and that God will judge the obvious; for, doubtless, the very cir- world. But, Jesus Christ, in the most cumstance of our Lord's putting away deliberate manner, and in language sin by his own one offering, was the which cannot be disputed, affirmed finishing of that dispensation. But, even himself to be the future Author of this admitting, that our Lord's promise ex- work, and the Arbiter of those awful tended no farther than the apostolic destinies which will immediately suc age, and that, he merely signified his ceed it. With respect to every indiintention of being with his disciples in vidual believer on himself, he declares; the working of miracles, will this ad- "I will raise him up at the last day." mission lessen the absurdity, or remove Putting the abstract effects, as the the difficulties, of the Unitarian inter- strongest expression of their cause and pretation? For, it was certainly more Author, he affirms; "I am the resurthan belonged to any mere man, or rection and the life." Here, after even to the most extraordinary prophet, quoting at length the express declarato promise his presence and aid, to any tions of Jesus on this subject, Dr. S. number of men, in different parts of the adds; "such is the testimony of Christ world, even for the space of one hour, concerning himself. If we believe that or one minute. "It may," however, testimony, is it possible to resist the "be conceded," says Mr. Belsham, conclusion, that HE is Omniscient-the "that our Lord is, or may be personally JUST ONE, of essential and infinite present, in this world, and actively en- righteousness, Almighty, and Eternal; gaged at all times, in some unknown and, since these cannot be the propermanner, for the benefit of his church." ties of a human, or of any other created But what will the reader think of the being, that, in his person, ANOTHER ground on which this concession is nature must exist, even that which is made? It appears to be because the "over all, blessed for ever?" Calm Inquirer thinks all that can be ad- section of the work in which this part vanced on the subject, is mere specula- of the Scripture testimony is considered, tion. "The truth is," says he," that is replete with important matter; the the Scriptures have left us totally in the Doctor's arguments appear to us absodark with regard to the present condi-lutely incontrovertible; the objections tion, employment, and attributes of and glosses of his opponents are met Christ; and, therefore, it is in vain to with much candour, and fairly and efspeculate upon the subject." This is fectually overthrown. The whole conthe result of Calm Inquiry into the cludes with short, but remarkably Scripture doctrine respecting Jesus: pointed caution to those who are in the the Scriptures leave us totally in the habit of converting the awful realities of dark, respecting the present condition, divine truth into mere figures of employment, and attributes of Christ!! speech. "Let those who regard the Whom does Mr. Belsham preach to his Lord Jesus Christ as a figurative priest, congregation? Perhaps, he would re- a figurative lawgiver, king, and judge, ply, "we preach Christ, and him cru- beware lest, in the day of their excified." But, should any of his follow-tremity, they find only a figurative salers ask him, "Who is he, that we may vation." believe on him?" Mr. Belsham's answer is to be found in his Calm Inquiry, p. 324. "The Scriptures have left us totally in the dark with regard to his The The nature of the homage which Jesus, on different occasions, permitted to be paid to him, forms a very prominent part of the Unitarian controversy. "The word generally made use of on these occasions, does not necessarily signify the external act of religious worship. It properly denotes that bending down, or sometimes prostration, which was the mode among the oriental nations, of expressing civil respect to persons of superior rank. The cases, therefore, in which it is to be understood of religious adoration, and those in which it denotes nothing but civil homage, can be discriminated only by attending to the circumstances of each. The word "poσUVE," says Dr. Smith, occurs sixty times in the New Testament." In about twenty-five instances it clearly and undeniably denotes the worship due to the MOST HIGH GOD; and, in fifteen others, it relates to acts of homage paid to Jesus Christ: the latter class he has individually examined. Of these it is impossible here to take particular notice, but we would solicit attention to a remark or two on the exclamation of Thomas, "My Lord and my God." These remarkable words have been variously interpreted. They are by some supposed to be a sudden, and almost involuntary, exclamation of conviction and astonishment: by others they are understood as an ejaculation of admiration and gratitude, addressed directly to God the Almighty Father: some suppose that the first member of the sentence was addressed to Jesus, and the next to God the Father; and Unitarians, in general, refer the whole sentence to the Father. "This is a sudden exclamation of astonishment," says Mr. Belsham, "q. d. My Lord! and my God! how great is thy power! Or, My Lord and my God has done this!" The annotator on the Improved Version has, in a note on this passage, endeavoured to represent Beza as patronizing this interpretation; but with what justice the reader may judge from Beza's own words, which Dr. S. inserts. From the pronoun to him, it appears that the words which follow are not merely the expression of the apostle's admiration, as the Nestorians used to evade this passage, but the words represent him addressing Jesus himself as the true God and his Lord. The Vulgate therefore is mistaken in translating the passage in the nominative case: and there is not a more express instance in the Gospels, of the invocation of Christ as the true God. It is an exclamation, the nominative being put for the vocative, as in chap. xix. 3. The last opinion noticed by Dr. Smith is that which he himself maintains, and which he has well established by an appeal to the highest authority; it is this, that the apostle intended his words as an address directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they were so accepted by him. "This," says he, "is the just and regular meaning of the sentence, and any deviation from it is contrary to the ordinary use of language." In support of his opinion, and in the way of meeting the strongest and most plausible objection urged by the Unitarians, the author argues that: "With respect to the case before us, there might be something, either in the discourses held, or more probably in the mind and feelings of Thomas, which, if we knew it, would shew that the confession of that apostle, understood as to us it appears necessary to understand it upon the fair principles of the interpretation of language, was not insulated or irrelevant." That it is probable Thomas had been present on those occasions when the Jews charged Jesus with making himself equal to God; that he was acquainted with the charge of blasphemy upon which Jesus had been condemned, and with the lofty declaration by which he had met the accusation, asserting his own dignity as the Son of the living God, and predicting his exaltation to "the right hand of power, and his coming in the clouds of heaven." To these he adds another cause, and which, he observes, furnishes a complete solution of the difficulty-the DIRECTION AND INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: and that as the prophets had, by the Spirit of Christ which was in them, testified before-hand of the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them, it cannot be thought incredible that a similar influence should have enabled Thomas clearly to declare a truth which, at the time, he could not know its full comprehension. These remarks, and particularly the last, are highly satisfactory; and it is not with the view of adding any thing to the force of Dr. Smith's reasoning, but because we think it may probably interest some of our readers that we subjoin a few thoughts suggested to us by an examination of the passage. There are some circumstances attending this case which, it must be confessed, are very remarkable. From the different accounts of our Lord's appearance to his |