1 . First, is contrition w grief of heart for sins committed. Now this is called sometimes godly sorrow, 2 Cor. vii. 10 ; and sometimes a contrite spirit, Isa. Ixvi. 2 ; and sometimes a broken and contrite heart, Ps. li. 17 ; and sometimes the afflicting of our souls, Lev. xvi. 29 ; and sometimes the humbling of the heart, 2 Chron. vii. 14, Lam. iii. 20 ; and sometimes a mourning, Zech. xii. 10 ; and sometimes a weeping, Mark xiv. 72. All repenting sinners are mourning sinners. David repents, and waters his couch with his tears, Ps. vi. 6. Hezekiab repents, and humbles himself for the pride of his heart, 2 Chron. xxxii. 26. Ephraira repents, and Ephraim bemoans himself and smites upon his thigh, and is even confounded, Jer. xxxi. 18, 19. Mary Magdalene repents, and Aveeps, and washes Christ's feet with her tears, Luke vii, 38. The Corinthians repented, and they were made sorry after a godly manner, 2 Cor. vii. 9. Repentance in the Hebrew is called Dm, an irking of the soul ; and in Greek, /j^sra/MsXna, after-grief, and /j.sTa.voia, after-wit ; and in the Latin, poenitentia ; all which do import, that contrition or sorrow for sin is one part of true repentance. Oh the sighs, the groans, the sobs, the tears, that are to be found among repenting sinners, &c. Luther hit the mark when he said, ' What are all the palaces of the world to a contrite heart ; yea, heaven and earth, seeing it is the seat of divine majesty ?''
2. Secondly, It is very observable, that all mourning persons for their sins, are ivithin the comi^ass of the p>romise of forgiveness of sins : Zech. xii. 11, ' In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jeru- salem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo.' Zech. xiii. 1, ' In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for unclean- ness.' Jer. xxxi. 18, ' I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning of him-
1 Luther, torn. iii. 457.
S92 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. III.
self,' &c. Ver. 20, ' I will surely have mercy on him ;' or, as the Hebrew has it, I will, having mercy, have mercy on him. As soon as Ephraim's heart is troubled for his sins, God's bowels are troubled for Ephraim ; as soon as Ephraim, like a penitent child, falls a-weeping at God's foot, God, like a tender indulgent father, falls a-bemoaning of Ephraim. Ephraim could not refrain from tears, and God could not refrain from opening his bowels of mercy towards him. So Isa. Ivii. 1.5. And how can the contrite heart be indeed revived and cheered without forgive- ness of sins, without a pardon in the bosom? Melancthon makes mention of a godly woman, who having upon her deathbed been in much conflict, and afterwards much comforted, brake out into these words : Kow, and not till now, did I understand the meaning of these words, ' Thy sins are forgiven.' There is no comfort to that which arises from the sense of forgiveness : Isa. xl. 1,2,' Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God ; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her iniquities are pardoned.' And why is the mourning soul pro- nounced the blessed soul : Mat. v. 4, ' Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted :' but because the mourning soul is the par- doned soul ?
Quest. But what is that sorrow or mourning for sin, that is a part of true repentance ? The resolution of this question is very necessary for the preventing of all soul-deceits and mistakes, and for the quiet- ing, settling, and satisfying of souls truly penitent, and therefore I shall give these eig:h.i following answers to it.
[1.] First, It is a sorroiu or grief that is spiritual, that is, super- natural. No man is born with godly sorrow in his heart, as he is born with a tongue in his mouth. Godly sorrow is a plant of God's own planting ; it is a seed of his own sowing ; it is a flower of his own set- ting ; it is of a heavenly offspring ; it is from God, and God alone. The spirit of mourning is from above ; it is from a supernatural power and principle. There is nothing that can turn a heart of stone into flesh, but the Spirit of God, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26. Godly sorrow is a gift from God : Job xxiii. ] 6, ' God makes my heart soft.' No hand but a divine hand can make the heart soft and tender under the sight and sense of sin. Nature may easily work a man to mourn, and melt, and weep, under worldly losses, crosses, and miseries, as it did David's men, 1 Sam. xxx. 4 ; but it must be grace, it must be a supernatural prin- ciple, that must work the heart to mourn for sin.
[2.] Secondly, Godly sorrow is a sorroiu for sin as sin, it is a mourn- ing rather for sin than for smart ; it is not so much for loss of goods, lands, wife, child, credit, name, &c., but for that a holy God is offended, a righteous law violated, Christ dishonoured, the Spirit grieved, and the gospel blemished, &c. Peter's sorrow was godly, but Judas his sorrow was worldly ; Peter mourns over the evil of sin, but Judas mourns over the evil of punishment. David mourns over his sin, ' Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight,' Ps. li. 4. And so 2 Sam. xxiv. 10, ' And David's heart smote him after he had num- bered the people; and David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done, and now I beseech thee, O Lord ! take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done foolishly.' David dots not cry out. Take awavthe threatened famine, but, Take away the iniquity of tliy
Chap. III.] a cabinet of jewels. 393