[1 .] Jt takes in a sight and sense of sin. Men must first see their sins, they must be sensible of their sins, before they can repent of their sins. Ephraim had first a sight of his sin, and then he repents and turns from his sin. ' After I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh,' Jer. xxxi. 18, 19. A man first sees himself out of the way, before he returns into the way. Till he sees that he is out of the way, he walks still on, but when he perceives that he is out of the way, then he begins to make inquiry after the right way. So when the sinner comes to
• Augustine, a great sinner, wrote twelve books of repentance, and walked most cross to the particular sins he had most lived in.
' This was the great sin of Israel, but after their return out of captivity, they never set up idols more, but were wonderful zealous to keep their temple from such defilements, both in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, and of the Romans, and do account them as a menstruous cloth, to this \ery day.
' The Jews were willing in the Romans' time, rather [to] die than to suffer the eagle, the imperial arms, to be set upon the temple.
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see his- way to be a way of death, then he cries out, *0h lead me in the way of life, lead me in the way everlasting,' Ps. cxxxix. 24.^
[2.] For I shall but touch upon these things. That repentance that accompanies salvation, doth include not only a sight and sense of sin, but also confession and aclcnowledgntient of sin.^ Ps. li., and Ps. xxxii. 3-5, ' While I kept close my sin, my bones consumed ; but I said, I will confess my sin, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin ;' Job xxxiii. 21-27. The promise of remission is made to confession. 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.' So Pro v. xxviii. 13, 'He that hideth his sin, shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh it, shall find mercy.' If we confess our sins sincerely, seriously, humbly, cordially, pardon attends us. Homo agnoscit, deus ignoscit. Confession of sin must be joined with confusion of sin, or all is lost, God is lost, Christ is lost, heaven lost, and the soul lost for ever.^
The true penitent can say, with Vivaldus, ' I hide not my sins, but I shew them ; I wipe them not away, but I sprinkle them ; I do not ex- cuse them, but I accuse them.' Peccata enim non nocent, si non placent, ' My sins hurt me not, if I like them not ;' the beginning of my salvation is the knowledge of my transgression.
[3.] That repentance that accompanies salvation doth include, not only confession of sin, but also contrition for sin ; Ps. li. 4, 1 Sam. vii. 2, Zech. xii. 10, 11, Ezra x. 1, 2, 2 Cor. vii. 11, &c.* It breaks the heart with sighs, sobs, and groans, for that a loving Father is offended, a blessed Saviour crucified, and the sweet Comforter grieved. Penitent Mary Magdalene weeps much, as well as loves much. Tears, instead of gems, were the ornaments of penitent David's bed ; and surely that sweet singer never sung more melodiously than when his heart was broken most penitentially. How shall God wipe away my tears in heaven, if I shed none on earth ? And how shall I reap in joy, if I sow not in tears ? I was born with tears, and shall die with tears ; why should I then live without them in this valley of tears ? saith the true penitent. The sweetest joys are from the sourest tears ; penitent tears are the breeders of spiritual joy. When Hannah had wept, she went away and was no more sad, 1 Sara. i. 18. The bee gathers the best honey off the bitterest herbs. Christ made the best wine of water ; the strongest, the purest, the truest, the most permanent, and the most ex- cellent joy is made of the waters of repentance. If God be God, ' they that sow in tears shall reap in joy,'* Ps. cxxvi. 5.
But that no mourner may drown himself in his own tears, let me give
* It was so with Paul, who thought himself in as good a way for heaven as any ; Acts ix. and xxvi. compared.
* Acts xix. 18. Confessio peccati est vomitus sorditim animcB. — Augustine.
* Non dico ut confitearis conservo tuo peccata tua, dicitoDeo, qui cureiea. — Chrysostom, in Ps. 1.
* Jer. xiii. 17 ; Joel ii. 13. David cries, not Perii,hut Peccavi ; not, I am undone, but I have done foolishly. Basil wept when he saw the rose, because it brought to his mind the first sin, from whence it had the prickles, which it had not while man continued in innocence, as he thought. You know how to apply it.
* Ti?ue repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is offensivum Dei, aversivum d, Deo. Peter's was for sin, Judas his for punishment. Peter grieves because Christ was grieved, Judaa grieved because he should be damned, Ps. xlii. 5.
466 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
this caution, viz. that there is nothing beyond remedy but the tears of the damned. A man who may persist in the way to paradise, should not place himself in the condition of a little hell ; and he that may or can hope for that great all, ought not to be dejected nor overwhelmed for anything.
[4.] That repentance that accompanies salvation doth include not only contrition for sin, but also a holy shame and blushing for sin: Ezra ix. 6, Jer. iii. 24, 25, xxxi. 19; Ezek. xvi 61, 63, ' And thou shalt be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.' When the penitent soul sees his sins pardoned, the anger of God pacified, and divine justice satisfied, then he sits down ashamed : so Rom. vl 21, ' What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed V Sin and shame are inseparable com- panions. A man cannot have the seeming sweet of sin but he shall have the real shame that accompanies sin. These two God hath joined together, and all the world cannot put them asunder.'
It was an impenitent Caligula that said of himself ' that he loved nothing better in himself than that he could not be ashamed.'
Justinus's motto was, Quod pudet hoc pigeat, That should grieve most which is shameful in itself, and done against conscience.
And doubtless those things are only shameful that are sinful. Asoulthat hath sinned away all shame is a soul ripe for hell, and given up to Satan. A greater plague cannot befall a man in this life than to sin and not to blush.