| — — The Doctrine of Repentance

Our (ins are mountains, and how ſhall theſe ever be caſt into the Sea? Where unbelief repreſents fin in its bloody co- lours, and God in his Judges Robes, the ſoul 'will ſooner fly trom him, than to him: This is dangerous : Other finsneed mercy, but deſpair rcjed&s mercy 3 it

ys L throws

I45

* Inveni: in Viri: Can. Vuirus COe

7 Imp:d.

* Deſpera- re eſt in infernum | deſcende- re. Iþ1or.

146

The Doftrine of Repentance.

throws the cordial of Chriſts blo6d 'on the ground. Jadas was not damned only for his treaſon and murder, but it was

. his diſtruſt of Gods mercy deſtroyed

him. Why ſhould: we entertait ſuch: hard thoughts of God ?: he hath bowels: of love to repeting ſinners'*,.

* 3 Commiſe- rans <x intimis viſceri- bus , @oaveatC. $1 mulra funr p2ccata,mul- ta ct miſericordia, & adhuc de ſpe decidis O peccator > Puiſtoypins. > Quanta efler vis mel- lis quz fel dulcorarer ? longe major Vis Conita- tis Dei, &cs

* 31161425 eft miſeri- cordia Vviſceralis, cum ſcilicer q is alrerius mi- Ceriaex intimis medullis jca rangitur, ut Videatur vellc ſua viſcera in eum «Fandere,

Joel 2.13.' Mercy rejoyceth Over juſtice. Gods anger is not ſo hot, but mercy can cool it nor ſo ſharp, but mercy -can iweeten it*. God counts his mer- cy his glory, Exod. 33.18, 19. Wehave ſome drops of mercy our ſelves, but God is the Fa- ther of mercies, who begets al] the mercies that are in us. He 1s the God of bowels *, No ſooner do we mourn, but Gods heart melts: no ſooner do our tears fall, but Gods repentings kindle, Hof. 11.8. Say not then, there

i5no hope. Diſband the army of thy fins, and God will ſound a retreat to his

jucigements.

Remember, great fins have

been ſwallowed up in the Sea of Gods

1n finite compaſſions. 'treets run_ with blood.

Manaſſeh made the 7et when his

':ead was a fountain of tears, God grew

©rOpItiOus.

Hope

| —

, ver ſee it. The Lord indeed is long-ſuffer-

-will oor be :run out;

- Gads Arrow 1s drawing, the deeper +t

The DoFrine of Repent ances

t47 __ » $.Hopeof impunity. Men flatter-them- ®.lmped. , felves ih fin, and think God having;tpared

them all this while, he never 1ntends-;to * tmpii

puniſh ; becauſe the Afſizes are-put off benign: therefore, ſurely there will be no Afſizes, 1,;cences P/al. 10. 11. He hath ſaid in his heart,God gaudent . ath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will ne- Pn ing towards ſinners, and would- by his -patience bribe them:to Repentance, ' but :. > * Here is their-wretchedneſs , becauſe he * * '''7 forbears to puniſh,: they forbear to re- ' -pent. © Know, that. the leaſe of Patience There-1s-a time when God ſaith, Ay Spirit ſhall no longer

irive. A creditor. may forbearhis debtor,

but-- forbearance::'doth not {excuſe the payment. God'takes notice how long tlie glaſs of his patience hath been run-

ning, Kev. 2. 21: Veave ber ſpace to repent,

but ſhe repented not,. Jezabel added to her 1ncontinency, impenitency , and what follows ? werſ. 22. Bebold I will caſt her

-into «bed - Not | abed of pleaſure, but a

bedof. languiſhing; where the ſhall con- ©, ſume away in her iniquity. The longer: * +»

wounds. Sins againſt patience,will make, ..'.- a mans Hell ſo much the hotter... _. L.. cr: 04 | L 2 The

faceretin

| 148 The DoQrine of Repentanc (£ | $5 Imped. The next Impediment of Repentance, F is, fear of reproach : It I repent, I ſhall

expoſe my ſelf to mens ſcorns. The Hea- ©

then man could fay, when thou applieſt

thy ſelf ” _ ſtudy of =o Mrepero

Eau Bo 5 But conſider well who they

—— - are that reproach thee : they ; are ſuch as are ignorant. of

* Quid enim iniquiuss God *, and ſpiritually phran-

| quamur oderint homi- tick 3 and art thou troubled

Hr —_—_ to have them reproach thee.

who are not well1n their wits?

who minds a mad mans laughing at him? -

What do the wicked reproach thee

for? is it becauſe thou repenteſt 2 thou

art doing thy duty; bind their reproaches

as a Crown about thy head. 'Tis better

that men ſhould reproach thee for re- penting, than that Gad . fgould damn

thee for not repenting. -* nd:

3. If thou canſt not bear a reproach

for Religion, never call.thy ſelf Chrt-

" Lurher. ft;an 5 Chriſtianus quaſi cructanss *, Suf-

« Quidifie fering is a Saints livery 5 and alas what

g1S A IY 5 a$ ies , qui ATE reproaches ? they are but the chips hriſtum gf the. Croſs; which are rather to be de-

—_ _ ſpiſed, than laid to heart *. 20. Imped. 10. The laſt Impediment ot Repentance, | | is,