1. Because being Sorry for our Sins implies and prefuppofes a Senfe of the Heinoufnefs of our Sins. Men never mistake this Matter more unhappily, than when they imagine Sorrow to be, either the finifhing, or the first, Act of Repentance. In order to come to it regularly, we muft examine into, and get fome tolerable Knowledge of, the Number, the Quality, the feveral aggravating Circumftances, of our Faults; the Majefty of the Perfon offended by them, the Juftice of his Anger, the difinal Confequences of it to our Selves, the Vilenefs of the Facts that have provoked it. All which, when duly weighed, will be fuch an Humiliation, as might rather tempt us to defpair of Pardon, than leave any ground for Security or Prefumption. And therefore, to Perfons thus affected, all poffible Affurances of God's Mercy, and Readiness to forgive, are the Balm fit to be poured into thefe Spiritual Wounds. The Jews, addreffed to by Joel, had felt fome, and lived in fear of more and greater, Judgments. His bufinefs therefore was to encourage, rather than to terrify; to reprefent their Cafe as not quite defperate, and God, though incenfed, yet not implacable. The Condition of all Sorrowing Penitents is thus far the fame, that they need Reftoratives and Supports; they have already fufficient feeling of their Difeafe; they mourn and languifh under it; and do not want violent means to rouze them into a Senfe of their Danger, but gentle Applications, to raife and comfort their Spirits, and fhew their State not paft all Hope and Remedy. 2. This of the Prophet is a proper Motive of Sorrow, because fixing it upon a Principle, the most likely to render our Converfion fincere and durable. To grieve merely for fear of Punishment, is what the moft carnal and worldly Mind-is capable of. Almost every common Malefactor does thus much, when the Scourge Scourge or the Gibbet comes in fight. But, that the Villany of the Fact, and Concern for Juftice, have no part in that Sorrow, the frequent Examples of Wretches, fpared in the very Article of Death, and continuing ftill incorrigible, too plainly demonftrate. And I know not to what elfe fhould we impute the many fruitless Remorfes, and broken Vows of Affliction and Sick-beds; than that, proceeding purely from the fmart of the Rod, and defigning to get quit of prefent Fear and Pain; the Cause no fooner ceases, but the Effects of their Sorrow vanifh with it. Such Sorrow proves, we love our Selves, not that we love God. But he, that turns with his whole heart, must love God; And love God he cannot, without a Perfuafion of his Goodness; Goodness in his own Nature, Goodnefs to Him in particular. These Attributes then are fo many Charms to attract our Hearts. The greater Sense we have of Them, the more we fhall loath our felves, for having dealt fo difingenuously and unworthily heretofore. The better we think of Him, and the worse of our Selves, upon this occafion, the lefs apt we shall be to relapfe. For, though Repentance often begin with Fear, yet it seems hardly poffible to conceive, how it fhould be perfected, and perfevere, without Love. Thus much for the Motives. Next for the Degree of the Sorrow, we are upon; described here by Weeping, and Mourning, and Renting the Heart. These plainly teach us, that it ought to be very great. And indeed, if at all fuitable to the Cause that provokes it, how is it poffible to be otherwife? But then we must be careful to distinguish, between the Sorrow it felf, and the outward Significations. For our Paffions, upon Religious, as well as other Occafions, will have their Natural Courfe, and work differently upon Men, as their Tempers and Complexions differ. Some are fo very tender, that the leaft Con cern cern will melt them into Floods; Some again fo hard and tough, that the heaviest Calamities cannot extort one Tear. Some find their Grief fudden and violent, but foon overcome and forget it; Others bleed inwardly, feed upon their Mifery, and lie under long and heavy Oppreffions. So vaft a difference there is fometimes, between what Men feel, and what they exprefs. And by confequence, fo liable are we to Mistakes, when judging, either of Sorrow by its Appearances, or of the Effects afterward by the prefent Suffering, could even that Suffering be perfectly understood. Thefe Confiderations I would recommend to thofe, who give themselves difquiet, because they cannot, like David, wash their Bed in the Night, and water their Couch with Tears. That, from the Examples of fuch mourning Penitents, they may do their utmost to be seriously and fadly fenfible of their Mifery and Folly; That, if this Senfe affect them in the manner, ufual with that of other great Troubles and Adverfities, though it come not up to the Standard of fome eminent Patterns in Scripture, it is what they may very well be fatisfied with. But efpecially, that they fhould remember, how deceitful Marks all these are, to pronounce one's State by; and that neither any vifible Teftimonies, nor any inward Extremities and Anguifh of Heart, are valuable upon their own Accounts. For the Degree, though never fo great, is then, and never but then fufficient, when it answers the Purposes expected from thence; fo that, the main Thing to be attended to, in this Matter, is, 3. The End of fuch Sorrow. For which we need go no farther than that Text of St. Paul, Godly forrow worketh repentance to falvation, not 2 Cor. vii. 10. to be repented of. Sorrow then is not Repentance, but produces it. Confequently, like all other Means and Inftruments, it is not ufed, or to be valu ed ed for its own fake, but for the fake of that which comes of it. Joy and Grief are the two great Springs of Human Actions. In proportion as we feel each of thefe arifing, our Defire or our Averfion is excited to the thing that caufes it. In regard therefore, that Sin corrupts us by its treacherous Delights, and by thus bribing the Senfual, draws over the Rational Part into compliance: We cannot more effectually cut off those Attacks, to which we are too much inclined to yield; than by fo ordering Affairs, that thofe very Tranfgreffions, whofe Bait is Pleasure, fhall be found by our own Experience, when rightly understood, to carry fo much Pain and fuch terrible Stings about them, that the Honey in the Mouth must be acknowledged too dear, too foolish a Bargain, when we are sure to be afterwards upbraided, by fo great a Quantity of Gall in the Stomach. Since then our Afflictions for having offended God, like all others, will, fhould, more than any elfe, be very grievous to us; It is fit we balance the Pleasure of the Sin, with a Sorrow, that may make us feel the Folly of being feduced by it. And, in regard no Man cares to create his own torment; it follows, that, the more painful Wickedness is, the lefs danger there will be of relapfing into it. But ftill it is not the Anguifh, but the Healing, of the Heart, that these Wounds and cuttings of it are directed to. Deep let them be, because they muft go to the bottom of the Sore, and fetch out the Corrup tion in order to a Cure; But if the Cure be wrought, the End is obtained, be the piercing and the pain more or lefs. To be plain, the most inconfolable Grief, if it change not the Man, in his Affections, and Purpofes, and Actions, is altogether useless; and that which hath lefs of Smart, may be of happy effect. For, to be fure, He, and He only, is forry for Sin as he ought, who is fo forry, as to fin no more. III. What III. What hath been faid upon the Laft Particular, is in many refpects applicable to the following, That of Abftinence, or Fafting. Another Help to, and Inftrument of Repentance: and only fo far of any Confideration with God and wife Men, as it contributes to fpiritual and holy Purposes. Now by this is not meant, merely a Change in the kind of our Meats, or in the ufual time of taking them, not a quitting grofs for delicious, though lefs nourishing, which is but a more refined Luxury. But it is a denying our felves in the Quantity and Quality of our Refreshments: Departing from the ufual Comforts, and Hours of receiving them, in fuch manner, as may be a real Punishment and Humiliation to the Body, and its Appetites; and answer to the true import of thofe Phrases in Scripture, which call it an afflicting, an bumbling, a chaftening of the Soul, which join it with Sackcloth, and Ashes, and Earth on the Head, and every the moft fignificant Teftimony of bitterness and dejection of Spirit. Ifa. lviii. 5. Nehem. ix. I. Dan. ix. 3. Acts xiii. 2. Matth. iv. John iii. The Practice of this Duty comes recommended to us, by the Examples of Prophets, and Apostles, and our Bleffed Saviour himfelf; of Jews, and Chriftians, nay, of the very Heathens. So great an Appearance there is, of this being a branch even of Natural Religion. The greater reafon have we to enquire what are the Reafons and Ufes of it. The principal whereof it shall fuffice to touch upon, in the following Particulars. 1. It is a very Natural Expreffion of Sorrow. Nothing is more common, than for Perfons in Grief to neglect themselves, to find no Relifh in, and lofe all Appetite to, the usual Refreshments and Comforts of Life. Hence this kind of Humiliation hath always been thought proper, for Times and Circumftances of Melan |