from evil through the instrumentality of faith, and turned [converted] unto God and Christ. The words επιστρέφεσθαι and μετανοειν, are sometimes used together, and at others interchanged. The meaning of the latter word is, to reform, to change our evil dispositions, and thus 3 also to reform our mode of living.4

In Acts 26: 20, μετανοιαν=επιστρεφειν επι τον θεον. 3: 19, μετανοειν=επιστρεφειν. 11:18, μετανοια=επιστροφη in 15:3. Thus also in Job 36 : 10, Symmachus translates the Heb. יְשׁוּבוּן מֵאָוֶן by μετανοησωσι, and the LXX, by επιστραφησονται εξ αδικιας. That μετανοειν signifies, to reform, to come to reflection, is clear from the subsequent passages. Luke 15: 7, 10, 17. 5:32. Rom. 2: 4. Acts 17:30. Wisd. of Solomon 11:24. Ecclus. 44: 16.

V. Knowledge necessary to faith. - Rom. 10:14, how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Eph. 1:13. Matth. 13: 19.

VI. 1 Thess. 2: 13, ye have received the word of God which ye heard of us. Heb. 4: 2.

VII. Faith without works is dead.--James 2: 14, 17, 20 -26.2 Pet. 1: 8, 9, "He whose knowledge of Christ is unfruitful [does not produce the virtues mentioned v. 5-7] is not possessed of the genuine knowledge of Christ. He does not view the great blessing of pardon for Christ's sake, in the proper light, or he has forgotten it."5

VIII. Proper feelings of the heart necessary to true faith. Rom. 5: 5.2 Cor. 5: 14, "The love which Christ evinced toward all men by his death, hath taken entire possession of of me [constraineth me]."1

IX. 2 Cor. 5:15. Rom. 5:6. Compare Ill. 8.

X. 2 Cor. 5:15. The conviction of the christian, that he has died with Christ and shall live [enjoy salvation] with him in another world, must produce an indifference in him to worldly objects and worldly advantages [ἵνα μηκετι ἑαυτῳ ζη]. Heb.

9:14.

2

XI. Eph. 2:4–10. Col. 3:1-8, if ye are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above-set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth. Rom. 6: 1113. Tit 2: 11-14. 1 Pet. 1: 3, 14-16.3

XII. Philem. 5, 6, "I have heard of your love to Jesus and your faith in him, which tend to promote the welfare of all christians; so that your grateful recollection of the blessings of Christ, has produced an active benevolence toward him (or toward his worshippers" v. 7).4 Gal. 5:6, faith worketh by love. In the work on the Design of the death of Jesus, (p. 386, 390), an explanation is given of the manner in which faith in the doctrine of a gracious remission of sins, produces love and gratitude to God and Jesus, and thus promotes christian virtue.5

XIII. Luke 7: 42, 47, her sins which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the

same loveth little. 1 John 4:19. v. 16, 9. Heb. 12:28. 8:

11, 12.

XIV. 1 John 4:9-11. John 15:12--14. Eph. 5:2. Phil. 2:48. Rom. 14: 15.

XV. 1 John 5:3, this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. John 15:14, ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Heb. 8: 10, 11 &c.

XVI. Rom. 12: 1, 2 compared with 3:21–11:32.2 Pet. 1: 4, "God, according to his glorious grace, hath given us great promises, in order that ye may continue to become more like unto him (continue to become more holy as he is holy)."1

§ 120.

Genuine sorrow for sin, and its connexion with faith and reformation.

The origin of genuine faith is also accompanied by sorrow for sin (1), that is a knowledge of our sinful state (2), accompanied by painful feelings (3). This penitence produces an aversion to sin, and a desire for holiness (2 Cor. 7:11), and thus, if faith be combined with it, promotes a salutary change of mind and reformation of life, μετανοιαν (4). And faith, or reliance on God and Christ (5), will alike prevent a despair of attaining salvation (6), and excite our zeal in the conflict with sin (7).

ILLUSTRATIONS.

2

I. Repentance and conversion.--It is indeed true, that the word μετανοια change of mind, does signify sorrow, μεταμελεια, (which meaning Michaelis prefers),1 not only in pure Greek, but also in Hebraistic Greek. Examples of this are found in Ecclesiasticus 17:24; in Wisdom of Solomon 5:3; in the version of the LXX, who frequently render the word נָחַם by μετανοειν ; and even in the New Testament itself, e. g. Luke 17: 4. But when this salutary change in man is spoken of, μετανοια embraces the entire change, including its two constituents, sorrow for sin, and faith, and not sorrow (λυπην) alone. Thus in Luke 15: 7, 10, this word evidently indicates the entire change of the sinner; and the essential parts of this change are, in the parable of the prodigal son, represented as consisting in sorrow (v. 17-19), and faith or confident reliance on his father (v. 18, 20). On the contrary, μετανοια change of mind, is represented as the consequence of λυπη sorrow, penitence, in 1 Cor. 7:9, 10. Acts 2:37, 38. But, that penitence or sorrow, μεταμέλεια, constitutes a part of the entire change of mind, μετανοια, is evident from the expression "for godly sorrow worketh a salutary reformation never to be repented of," μετανοια εις σωτηριαν αμεταμελητος, which is used in 2 Cor. 7: 10, in specific reference to the fact that penitence or sorrow is included in the entire change or reformation. Thus also the change of mind, μετανοια, which John the Baptist required Matth. 3: 2, 11, or that change from which a different mode of thinking and acting should result, was at least connected with a knowledge of our sins. v. 8, 10, 6. The command of our

4

Saviour, “μετανοειτε "Mark 1:15, requires an entire change of mind, like that which John the Baptist taught. For, the supplementary phrase, "believe in the Gospel," is not used for the purpose of showing that μετανοια does not include faith; its object is, to call our attention to the fact that this μετανοια change of mind, is produced through the instrumentality of the Gospel, or by faith in the doctrines of Christ (§ 121). In the parallel passage, Matth. 4: 17, this word is used alone, because it properly signifies, not merely sorrow for sin, but an entire change of mind. The reason why "repentance towards God" and "faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," are distinguished and mentioned separately in Acts 20: 21, was, the design of the apostle to describe this change with a peculiar reference to Jews and Gentiles (1 Thess. 1:9, 10). In gentile subjects of conversion, the most striking feature of the change was found in their views concerning God; for, having been idolaters before, they had never properly known and worshipped him. Acts 14:15. 15:19. On the other hand, when a Jew was converted, the most prominent part of his change referred to his views of Jesus, and consisted in his conviction that he was Christ the Lord.1

II. The knowledge of our sinful state, with which our salutary change must commence, consists in a conviction that we are guilty, miserable creatures, and in a just acquaintance

1 Dissert. in Ep. ad Philem. Note 115.

2 Eph. 5: 13, "He who will suffer himself to be reproved by the light [to be brought to a knowledge and abhorrence of his sins, through the admonitions and example of christians], thereby comes forth out of his former darkness (in which he neither knew nor felt his misery). Hence, a certain hymn says; "If you will suffer yourself to be awakened from the slumber of your indifference, and delivered from your unhappy condition, Christ will daily make you better and happier." Dissert. in Epp. Pauli minores, p. 23-25. James 4: 9. Dissert. in Epist. Jacobi, Note 147.

3 Luke 15: 18, 21, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight &c. Jer. 14: 20. Dan. 9: 5.