. The DoFrine of Repentance. a voice, P/al. 6.8. Hear the woice of &y Peeping. ices to God. That is Gods ſavoury meat, hich is ſeaſoned with the b:#ter hearbs of podly forrow. Hearing of the word s then good, when we are pricked the heart, 4G.2.37. Prayer is de-
tghtful to God, when it aſcends from #he Altar of a-broken heart. The Pxbl;- Ear {mote upon his breaſt, ſaying, God e mercifu-to me a ſimmer ; this prayer diexced Heaven; He went away juſtified ather than the other, Luke 18,14. No prayer toucheth Gods ear, but what
?
q
} - Fomes from an heart touched with the = Henfe' of fin. 9
d
4. Without Repentance, nothing will
vail us. Same bleſs themſelves thar
| Shey have a ſtock of knowledge, but e Tyhat is knowledge good for without Re-
zentance? Lf is better to mortifie one
; in, than to wnderſiand all myſteries. Too h pure {peculatiſts do but reſemble Satan, d Rransformed into an Angel of /zght, Learn- r ]Wg and a bad heart, 1s like a fair face rs Fvitha cancer in the breaſt. Knowledge e Frithout Repentance, will be buta torch >, Ya light-men to Hell. |
M*\ H 4 5- Repent»
3- Repentance commends all our ſer- 3 Motive.
, , . = G m f "7 . | . . %
4+
104 The DoArine of Repentance.
5, _ 5. Repenting tears are delitiousz they
, may be compared to myrrhe, ety
though it be bitter in taſte, it hath a
ſweet {mel], and refreſheth the ſpirits ;
| So Repentance, though it be bitter init
| ſelf, yet it is ſweet in the effects;it brings
; inward peace. The ſoul 1s never more
/ enlarged, and inwardly delighted, than
-_when it can kindly melt. Alexander up-
oy t " ſafe ——— his Cry Near-
* Camerari» chys from a long voyage wept for joy *.
_— ' Howoftdo che” Saints fall a Cn
Joy | ' The Hebrew word to repent, fig-
Conſriar? nifies to take comfort.* None ſo joyful
in pyhel as the penitent, Tears (as the Philoſo;
pESSTre, hex notes) haye four ualities 3 they
* are moiſt, ſalt, hot, bitter, Tistrue ofre;
penting 'tearsz they are bot, to warm :
rozen con({cience; moiſt, to ſoften at hard heart; /a/t, to ſeaſon afoul putrif!
10g 1n fin; bitter, to. wean us from the
love of the world. And I will add a fifth they are ſweet, 1n that they make the
heart. inwardly rejoyce, 70h. 16. 224 Tour ſorrow ſhall be turned into joy... Let
* Visergo man (ſaith Aſtin) grievefor his fin, anc ES reJoyce for his grief. Tears are the be
palace, IWeet-meats* David.who was the grea
ſemper re- WEEPer 1n Iſrael, was the ſweet ſinger 0
Gpilce. Iſs yo
The DoFrine of 'Repent ance. Iſrael. Theſorrows of the penitent are like the ſorrows of a travelling woman,
all Joh. 16.21. A woman in travel hath ſorrow, 8: but 45 ſoon 5 ſhe is delivered of the child, ſbe 1th remembreth no more the anguiſh, for joy that gs aman is born into the world. So the ſor- ref} rgws''of humbled ſinners bring forth an} grace, and what joy is there when this Þ-S manchild 1s born ! 3- | ar-E ::6..Great-ſins' repented of, ſhall find mercy. Mary Magdalen, a great inner, orf wheni ſhe waſhed Chriſts- feet with her 6: tears, 'obtained pardon. Some of the ulf Jews, - who. had an hand in crucifying of . Chriſt, upon their Repentance, the very ey blood they ſhed was a ſoveraign balm to rel healthem, Jſa. 1. 18. Though your ſims be 1 4 @sſearlet, they ſhall be as white as ſnow. an -Scarlet 1a the Greek 1s called Gif«go, be- vj cauſe ic is twice dipt, and the art of man hag cannot waſh-out-the dze again. But though thy --our '{5ns are ofa (ſcarlet colour, Gods
x6 51a waſh:them away. This may 24 comfort ſuch whom the thainouſneſs of t findiſcourageth,asif there were no hope na forthem; yes, upon their ſerious turn- elY -ing'to God, their fins ſhall be expunged eall and done away. 1 0 Oh but my fins are out of meaſure- = eels 11, ul!
" + ME . 3 'M 3% ' I Ny . oY
The DoFrine of Repentance, ful! donot make them greater by not repenting. Repentanceunravels fn,and makes it as if it had neyer been, | O but I have relapſed into fin after pardon, and fure.there is no * mercy for me ! I know the Novatzars held, that..afr ter a relapſe there was no renewing Repentance : But doubtleſs that was an |. errour. The children of God have re-
lapſed into the ſame ſin. Abrabam. did 5;
twice equivocate. Lot committed inceſt twice. 4ſa, a good King, yet | ſinned
twice by creature-confidence. Peter twice by carnal fear, Matth, 26.70. Gel. 2. ba.
But for the comfort of ſuch as have: te» bh?
lapſed into fin more than onee, if they ſolemnly repent, a white flag of mercy ſhall be held forth to them. Chriſt com mands us to forgive our treſpaſling bro- ther ſeventy times ſeven in one day, in caſe he repent, at. 18. 22. If the Lord bids us doit, will not he much more be _ ready to forgive upon our Repentance?
What is our forgiving mercy to his ? this Ifſpeak notto encourage any impenitent finner, but to comfort a deſpondent fin- ner, that thinks, 'tis in vain for him-ta repent, and that he is excluded from MEICYz« - 4 - 7+ Repen- :
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