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There are two essential parts of a true repentance. A humble acknowledgment and confession of our sins to God. A firm purpose and resolution of amendment, and forsaking of sin for the future.

I. SHOW WHAT RESOLUTION IS IN GENERAL. It is a fixed determination of the will about anything. It supposes —

1. A precedent deliberation of the mind about the thing to be resolved on. Peremptorily to determine and resolve upon anything before deliberation is not properly resolution, but precipitancy and rashness.

2. Resolution supposes some judgment passed upon a thing after deliberation. This judgment of the necessity and fitness of the thing is not the resolution of the will but of the understanding. To be convinced that a thing is fit and necessary to be done, and to be resolved to set upon the doing of it, are two very different things. An act of the judgment must go before the resolution of the will.

3. If the matter be of considerable consequence, resolution supposeth some motion of the affections; which is a kind of bias upon the will. Deliberation and judgment, they direct a man what to do or to leave undone; the affections excite and quicken a man to take some resolution in the matter.

II. WHAT IS THE SPECIAL OBJECT OR MATTER OF THIS RESOLUTION. What it is that a man when he repents resolves upon. It is to leave his sin and return to God and his duty. He that truly repents, is resolved to break off his sinful course, and to abandon those lusts and vices which he was formerly addicted to, and lived in. The true penitent does not stay in the negative part of religion, he is resolved to be as diligent to perform the duties of religion as he was before negligent of them.

III. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN A SINCERE RESOLUTION OF LEAVING OUR SINS AND RETURNING TO GOD. Three things.

1. It must be universal, in respect of the whole man, and with regard to all our actions.

2. A sincere resolution implies a resolution of the means as well as of the end.

3. It implies the present time, and that we are resolved speedily and without delay to put the resolution into practice. There is this reason why thou shouldst immediately put this resolution in practice, and not delay it for a moment. Thou mayest at present do it much more certainly, and much more easily. Thou art surer of the present time than thou canst be of the future: and the longer thou continuest in sin, thy resolution against it will grow weaker, and the habit of sin continually stronger. Sin was never mortified by age.

IV. IN THIS RESOLUTION OF AMENDMENT, THE VERY ESSENCE AND FORMAL NATURE OF REPENTANCE DOTH CONSIST. A man may do many reasonable actions without an explicit resolution. But not matters of difficulty. There is no change of a man's life can be imagined, wherein a man offers greater violence to inveterate habits, and to the strong propensions of his present temper, than in this of repentance. So that among all the actions of a man's life, there is none that doth more necessarily require an express purpose than repentance does.

V. SOME CONSIDERATIONS TO CONVINCE MEN OF THE NECESSITY AND FITNESS OF THIS RESOLUTION AND OF KEEPING STEADFAST TO IT.

1. This resolution of repentance is nothing but what, under the influence of God's grace and Holy Spirit, is in your power. It is a power which every man is naturally invested withal, to consider, and judge, and choose. As to spiritual things, every man hath this power radically. He hath the faculties of understanding and will, but these are hindered in their exercise, and strongly biassed a contrary way, by the power of evil inclinations and habits; so that, as to the exercise of this power, and the effect of it on spiritual things, men are in a sort as much disabled as if they were destitute of it. When we persuade men to repent, and change their lives, and resolve upon a better course, we do not exhort them to anything that is absolutely out of their power, but to what they may do, though not of themselves, yet by the grace of God.

2. Consider what it is that you are to resolve upon; to leave your sins, and to return to God and goodness. Consider what sin is. Consider what it is to return to God and duty.

3. How unreasonable it is to be unresolved in a ease of so great moment and concernment. There is no greater argument of a man's weakness, than irresolution in matters of mighty consequence.

4. How much resolution would tend to the settling of our minds, and making our lives comfortable.

VI. DIRECTIONS CONCERNING THE MANAGING AND MAINTAINING OF THIS HOLY AND NECESSARY RESOLUTION.

1. What an argument it is of vanity and inconstancy, to change this resolution, whilst the reason of it stands good, and is not changed.

2. If we be not constant in our resolution, all we have done is lost.

3. We shall by inconstancy render our condition much worse. Application —

(1)  Let us do all in the strength of God, considering our necessary and essential dependence upon Him.

(2)  We ought to be very watchful over ourselves.

(3)  Let us frequently renew and reinforce our resolutions.

(J. Tillotson, D. D.)

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KJV: Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

WEB: "For has any said to God, 'I am guilty, but I will not offend any more.