or faith. They were desirous to be immediately baptized for various reasons. And,

1. Because they wished to do public honor to Christ in whom they had believed and found mercy. Though they had once despised, and hated, and rejected him, and even imbrued their hands in his blood; yet they now renounced their disaffection and enmity, and loved him for the very same things for which they had hated and crucified him. Their love was enhanced by a sense of their former hatred and opposition, and they felt that they could not do too much to promote the honor of him, whom they had done so much to dishonor and destroy. They wished to be baptized in his name, in order to give evidence to the world that they were not ashamed of him. They saw good reasons why Christ should require this at their hands, and at the hands of all his penitent despisers and rejecters. It appeared altogether proper, that they should publish to the world, that they had altered their feelings towards their glorious and blessed Saviour, and had resolved to take up the cross and suffer all the reproach that the enemies of the gospel should cast upon them. When they asked what they should do to be saved, Peter plainly told them they must repent and be baptized. They knew that they were as much required to be baptized, as to repent; and they were as willing to obey this command of Christ, as to obey any other of his self-denying commands. They could not justify it to themselves to be reluctant, or dilatory in professing Christ before men, and bearing the badge of his disciples before the eyes of a frowning world. They knew it would indicate insincerity and want of supreme love to Christ, to neglect complying with an ordinance which he had appointed for the very purpose of testing their sincerity. They knew, that many had pretended to believe on him, but had exposed their hypocrisy by shrinking from a public profession. This their sincere and supreme love to Christ forbid them to do.

2. Peter's converts were immediately baptized, because they felt a sincere and ardent desire to lead others to embrace the gospel which they had embraced, and to obtain the happiness which they had obtained. They knew the guilty and dangerous state of sinners, by their own past experience; and they knew the happy effects of embracing the gospel, and it was their heart's desire and prayer to God, that others might find the same peace and joy in believing that they had found. Accordingly, we are told, "That they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers," and going "from house to house," and "the Lord

added to the church daily such as should be saved." The spirit of the gospel which they gladly received, inspired them with love to the souls of men, and fired them with a pure and holy zeal to promote the cause of Christ, by inducing others to believe in him and name his name. If they had not been baptized after their conversion, they would not have alarmed sinners in the manner they did; for it was not until after this solemn ordinance was administered to them, that "fear came upon every soul." To see three thousand baptized the same day, to find that they afterwards continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine, was directly calculated to fill the minds of sinners with fear, and carry conviction to their guilty consciences. It is often found at this day, that it is not a vain thing for true converts to confess Christ before men, and be baptized in his name. It has frequently proved the means of awakening and converting sinners.

3. There was another good reason which induced those who gladly received the word to be baptized; and that was to bind themselves to obey all the commands of Christ. If they had neglected to obey his first command, they would have had no confidence in themselves that they should prove obedient in time to come. Though they then felt willing to do whatsoever he had commanded them; yet they might suffer their love and zeal to cool, and neglect to yield a constant and persevering obedience to all the intimations of his will. To prevent this unhappy consequence, they gladly embraced the first opportunity to give in their names to Christ, and put themselves under the bonds of a solemn covenant, to walk in all the commands and ordinances of the gospel, and to adorn the doctrines which they had cordially embraced, and which the world disbelieved, despised, and opposed. They saw the intimate connection between conversion and obedience. When they really embraced the gospel, they felt an immediate obligation to comply with all the duties which are required in it. And this conviction constrained them to be baptized, as well as to repent and believe. And who can say that they did not think and act consistently, when they had gladly received the gospel, to be baptized, in honor of Christ, in honor of religion, and in safety to themselves. It was their baptism that gave the most visible and credible evidence that their love, their repentance, their faith, and their joy was genuine.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. It appears from the views, and feelings, and conduct of those who embraced the gospel on the day of Pentecost, that repentance not only may be, but must be, before faith in Christ. Some suppose faith may be before repentance. Some suppose it must be before repentance. And some suppose it may be either before or after repentance; and consider it a matter of mere speculation, and of very little importance to investigate the truth upon this subject. Each of these suppositions is entirely groundless. There is no reason to think that faith in Christ may be before repentance of sin. It is true, that sinners may believe in the existence of God, in the truth of the gospel, and in the truth of what the gospel reveals concerning the person, the life and death of Christ, and his mediatorial character, before they repent of sin. But this is not saving faith. The devils believe all this and tremble; and so may sinners while they continue impenitent and enemies to Christ. The question before us is, whether they may exercise saving faith in Christ, and become cordially united to him, before they exercise repentance towards God, whose law they have broken, and whose displeasure they have incurred. It is difficult to see how such a saving faith may be before genuine repentance of sin. Supposing Peter's hearers had not repented, could they have gladly received the word, and believed in Christ to the saving of their souls?. If they could have believed before repentance, they might have been pardoned before repentance. But Peter exhorted them to repent before, and in order to the remission of sins. If they could have believed before they repented, they might have been pardoned before they repented; and if they could have been pardoned before they repented, they might have been saved before they repented, and, indeed, without ever repenting. Repentance, therefore, not only may be, but must be, before faith in Christ and forgiveness of sins. It is contrary to the nature of things, that sinners should believe in Christ before they repent of sin; and it is contrary to the terms of the gospel, that they should be forgiven before they repent, and believe in Christ. So that repentance must be before both faith and forgiveness. It now follows of course, that it is not a matter of mere speculation, or little importance, whether repentance be before faith. Those who deny that repentance is before faith, generally and tenaciously maintain that faith may be, and must be, before repentance. And on this ground they build a whole scheme of false religion. They say faith

must be before repentance, because sinners cannot repent of sin before they believe their sins are forgiven. But after they believe Christ died for them in particular, and God has forgiven their sins on his account; then they may love God and repent of sin. But such love and repentance flow from mere selfishness, and is consistent with entire enmity to God in his true character, to Christ in his true character, and to the whole gospel rightly understood. It is the essence of Antinomianism, which is subversive of all true experimental religion. It is, therefore, of great practical importance to prove and maintain, that repentance is before faith, and that faith cannot be before repentance. All the inspired writers of the Old Testament always place repentance before forgiveness, and all the writers of the New Testament place repentance before forgiveness and before faith. When John baptized in the wilderness, he preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. "After that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel." And Paul says it was his practice in preaching the gospel, "to testify both to the Jews, and also, to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." The preaching of the doctrine of repentance before faith, directly tends to detect and refute the false and fatal errors of Antinomians, Moravians, Christians, Methodists, and a large portion of Calvinists. The most false and dangerous schemes of experimental religion are founded upon this false principle-that faith is before repentance, and every other Christian grace. There is scarcely any other principle of the gospel of more practical importance to be preached, and to be understood, than this-that repentance is before faith. Whoever clearly understands, believes, and loves this plain, simple truth-that repentance is before faith, is completely guarded against every selfish and false scheme of religion, and all the errorists that abound at the present day. It is, there fore, of the greatest importance, that every one should understand this

truth.

2. We learn from the character of Peter's hearers before they received the word gladly, why sinners are naturally disposed to make light of the gospel.

Mankind have always been naturally disposed to despise the gospel, whether preached by priests, by prophets, or by Christ himself. The inhabitants of Jerusalem had for several years despised Christ and the gospel which he preached. And for aught that appears to the contrary, Peter's hearers joined with

sadducees, Pharisees, publicans, and other sinners, in despising the gospel which they had heard Christ and the apostles preach before the crucifixion of Christ and the day of Pentecost. And on the morning of that day, they probably united their hearts and voices with the multitude, in deriding and reproaching the apostles and other followers of the risen and ascended Redeemer, who had been waiting for, and had received the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost. But how did it come to pass, that the three thousand, like the rest of the sinners in Zion, continued to despise the gospel until a few hours before they fell confounded, convicted, and prostrate under it? It was because they had been totally blind to their guilt and danger. They had despised and crucified the Lord of glory ignorantly in unbelief. They had been ignorant of the character and law of God, and the deep depravity of their own hearts. They felt that they were whole and had no need of a physician, and knew not that from the sole of the foot even unto the head there was no soundness in them, and that they were full of mortal wounds, bruises, and putrifying sores. They verily thought they were in spiritual health, while the symptoms of spiritual and eternal death were upon them. They felt no need of the salvation offered to them in the gospel; and therefore they made light of it, until Peter pointedly charged them with the aggravated guilt of crucifying Him, whom God had made both Lord and Christ. This, like a barbed arrow, pierced their hearts and fastened conviction on their consciences, and constrained them to cry in extreme anguish, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" They no longer despised the gospel, but gladly embraced the terms of salvation. Human nature is still the same, and those who are under the dominion and blinding influence of a carnal mind, are exposed to as great error, delusion, and stupidity as the crucifiers of Christ. Atheists, deists, heretics, worldlings, and all impenitent sinners, as much despise and lightly esteem the gospel, as sadducees, Pharisees, publicans and sinners did in Christ's day, and for the same reason, blindness to their own guilt and danger. Our Saviour foresaw, and in the parable of the marriage feast, foretold how sinners would treat the gospel. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, who made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden, to the wedding; and they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchan