2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 3. 39
hardly be comforted in this, for it will upbraid. Aye, now, now you would have mercy.
We see by many that have recovered again, that have promised great matters in their sickness, that it is hypocritical repentance, for they have been worse after than they were before (/■■'). It is not a sufficient matter to yield thee comfort, that thou art much humbled in thy sickness, and at the horn- of death ; for it is hard for thee to determine whether it be true repent- ance, or mere sorrow for sin as it brings judgment. Fear of damnation is not sufficient to bring a man to heaven. Thy nature must be changed before thou come to heaven. Thou must love righteousness because it is righteousness. Thou must love God because he is good. Thou must hate sin because it is sin.
How canst thou tell, when thou hast been naught before aflSiction, whe- ther affliction have wrought this, that thou repentest only out of hatred of judgment, to shun that, or out of hatred of sin, because it is sm ? There- fore now a little repentance in thy health, and in the enjoying of thy pro- sperity, a little hatred of ill ways now, will more comfort thee than a thousand times more prayer and striving will then. Although, if thou canst do it truly then, yet the gate of mercy is open, but thy heart will scarce say it is truly done, because it is forced.
Then, again, perhaps thou shalt not have the honour of it, thou shalt not have the mercy. Thou that hast refused mercy, and lived in a loose, profane course, thou that hast despised mercy all the while, God will not honour thee so much as to have a good word, or a sorrowful word, that even veiy grief shall not extort it from thee. But as thou hast forgotten God m. thy life, and wouldst not own his admonitions, thou shalt forget thyself in death, and be taken away suddenly, or else with some violent disease that shall take away the use of the parts that God hath given thee, as in- flammation of the spirits, or the like, that shall take away the use of sound reason. It is madness, and no better, to live as the most live, to cxy God is merciful, &c. Thou mayest go to hell for all that. Repentance must be from a true hatred of sin ; and that that must comfort thee, must be a dis- position for the present, for then it is unforced.
Therefore all these sweet comforts are to you that come in and leave your wicked courses. If you have been swearers, to swear no more ; if j'ou have been deceivers, to deceive no more ; if you have been licentious, to be so no more, but to break off the course of your sins as God shall enable you. Or else this one thing, think of it, that you now daub your conscience withal, and go on in sin with that, will be most terror to you, even mercy. Nothing will vex you so much as mercy afterward. Then thou shalt think mth thyself, I have heard comfortable [tidings] of the promises, and of the natui'e of God, but I put off and despised all, I regarded my sinful courses more than the mercy of God in Chi'ist, they were sweeter to me than mercy. I lived in sins, out of the abundance of profaneness that did me no good ; I Hved in sins, out of the superfluity of profaneness that I had neither profit nor pleasure by, and neglected mercy. The con- sideration of mercy neglected, with the continuing in a wretched com-se, it will more aggravate the soul's torment.
Let us be encouraged to come in. Such as intend to leave their sinful courses, let them remember that then they come to a Father of mercy that is more ready to pardon than you are to ask it, as you see in the prodigal son, which I instanced in before ; it is a notable, sweet story. I have a Father, saith he, when he had spent all, and was come to -husks, Luke
40 COMMENTAKY ON
XV. Ifi. Affliction is a notable moans to make us to taste and relish mercy. I have a Fallior, and there is plenty in his house ; and he conies and confessolh his sin. He had no sooner resolved, but his Father, he doth not stay for him, hut ho meets him, and kisseth him, Luke xv. 20, scq.
Let us consider of this description of God, the Father of mercy. It should move any that are in ill and lewd courses before, ' In my Father's house there are good things,' and in his heart there are bowels of mercy. I have a Father, and a Father of mercy. I will go home, and submit myself to him, and say to him, I have been thus and thus, but I will bo so no more. You shall find that God, by his Spirit, will be readier to meet you than you are to cast yourselves at the feet of his mercy, and into the arms of his mercy. He will come and meet j^ou, and kiss you. You shall find much comfort upon your resolution to come in, if it be a sound resolution.