1. IT is generally supposed, that repentance and faith are only the gate of religion; that they are necessary only at the beginning of our Christian course, when we are setting out in the way to the kingdom. And this may seem to be confirmed by the great apostle, where exhorting the _Hebrew_ Christians, to _go on to perfection_, he teaches them to _leave_ these _first principles of the doctrine of Christ; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God_: which must at least mean, that they should comparatively leave these, that at first took up all their thoughts, in order to _press forward toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus_. 2. And this is undoubtedly true, that there is a repentance and a faith, which are more especially necessary at the beginning: a repentance which is a conviction of our utter sinfulness, and guiltiness, and helplessness: and which precedes our receiving that kingdom of God, which our Lord observes is _within us_; and a faith, whereby we receive that kingdom, even _righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost_. 3. But notwithstanding this, there is also a repentance and a faith, (taking the words in another sense, a sense not quite the same, nor yet entirely different,) which are requisite after we have _believed the gospel_: yea, and in every subsequent stage of our Christian course, or we cannot _run the race which is set before_ us. And this repentance and faith are full as necessary, in order to our continuance and growth in grace, as the former faith and repentance were, in order to our entring into the kingdom of God. But in what sense are we to repent and believe, after we are justified? This is an important question, and worthy of being considered with the utmost attention. I. And first, In what sense are we to repent? 1. Repentance frequently means, an inward change, a change of mind from sin to holiness. But we now speak of it in a quite different sense, as it is one kind of self-knowledge, the knowing ourselves sinners, yea guilty, helpless sinners, even tho’ we know we are children of God.