Compare Hof. vi. 6. ing. And to this purpose it is, that we are to interpret that Phrase of Renting the beart, and not the garments; not to forbid the latter, but (according to the propriety of the Hebrew Language) to prefer the former. So much to prefer it, that, if One must be undone, the former is of fo great confequence; and that, provided this be done effectually, it matters not, comparatively speaking, whether the latter be done or not. Thus Turning to the Lord with all our heart is fet to denote a serious and unfeigned Repentance; Such a thorough and total Change of Defires and Affections, as the Scripture calls a new Heart, a new Spirit, and that which renders the Perfon, in whom it is found, a new Creature. When we do not only leave off to commit, but even to love Sin; When we find an inward Complacency in God and Goodness; and perform our Duty with Appetite and Delight. Without this we may have the Form, but not the Power of Godlinefs. Nor could fuch Converfion be lafting. For nothing is fo, that does not proceed from Inclination and Principle. Nature will foon return, and break loofe from its Conftraint. And therefore, till that Nature be corrected, till the Heart it felf be changed; No change of Actions and Behaviour, however artfully put on for a while, can ever avail to the Ends of this Command, or deferve the Name of Repen tance. Again, As thefe outward Appearances alone can be of no Service to our Selves, fo neither can they poffibly be pleafing to Almighty God. They cannot please him for this very reafon; because they are unprofitable to our Selves, and ineffectual for compaffing the very End he aims at, which is no other, than our Change and Amendment. But there are other Confiderations, which must render them highly difpleaT 2 fing fing and abominable in his Sight. For all Diffimulation whatsoever is, in its own Nature, fo odious and vile; that nothing could prevail for the practice of it upon any account, except the hope of going undifcovered. We allow our Selves too great Liberties of this kind, in common intercourfe with one another; and make an ill ufe of the Certainty we have, that Men cannot enter into our Thoughts, and confequently may be deceived, by Management and Ceremony, fair Carriage, and large Profeffions. But, if at any time this Mask be pluck'd off or feen through, no Affront is more highly, or more juftly refented; no Body more detefted or defpifed, than the Flatterer or fawning Hypocrite. The Reason is, because this does not only betray Falfhood and Baseness in his own Temper, but it is a plain Reproach to the Perfon he labours to put upon, argues a mean Opinion of his Judgment, and that he was believed weak and defpicable enough, to be abufed and deceived without dif cerning it. Now, if the Cafe ftands thus in all Tranfactions between Man and Man; If We can fo ill bear any Advantage to be taken of the Frailties and Infirmities, we are fenfible, belonging to us; How impious and infufferable a Mockery muft that be, which thinks any double dealing can pafs upon God, who hath them not? How do they bring him down to our poor Level, rob him of his nobleft Perfections, forget those Characters given of himself, that he is a Searcher of hearts, a difcerner of fecrets, that there is Pfal. cxxxix. not a word in our tongues, but he knows it altogether, nor a thought in our breasts, but he underftands it afar off? How dare any Man entertain a Thought of trifling with fuch a God? A God, who hath declared himfelf jealous of his Honour, in this point particularly? For, therefore is the Ungodly threatned with utter Deftruction, for taking God's covenant covenant into his mouth, when at the fame time he hated to be reformed, caft his words behind him, Pfal. 1. 16,--21. and, because not speedily punished for Ifai. xxix. 13, 14, 15. fuch Hypocrify, concluded God to be fuch a one as himfelf. Therefore are the People of Judah given over to an amazing Destruction, such as the Wisdom of their wife Counsellors fhould not be able to prevent; becaufe, though they honoured God with their lips, and drew near to him with their mouth, yet their heart was all the while far from him. This rendred all their Worship vain, and all their Endeavours of Escape fruitless, that they fought to hide their counsel from the Lord, and wrought in the dark, and faid, Who feeth us, and who knoweth us? There were no end of expofing the Abfurdity, the Weakness, the Danger; of diffembling with God, or imagining, that the cunningest Disguise can fhelter the moft lurking Corruption from his all-piercing Eye. Let David fuffice to convince us of the Folly, and our Saviour, to fhew us the Confequence of it: The One reminding Men, that He, who made them, muft needs have perfect Knowledge of them; The Other, by forewarning us, that where the portion of Hypocrites is, there fhall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Pfal. xciv. Matth. xxiv. 51. These things are fo exceeding manifest, both from exprefs Declarations of Scripture, and from the Reafon of the thing; that one would stand amazed at the Commonnefs of a Crime fo heinous, a Delusion fo fenfelefs. And yet how generally it hath prevailed in the World, the Examples of many among the Heathen, of the Pharifees among the Jews, and of Multitudes among Chriftians in every Age, and Place, are too melancholy, and too fenfible, an Evidence. This must be attributed to the cunning Craftinefs of Designing Men; contriving, for private Advantage, to cheat the Souls under their Care, with falfe Notions of Religion; and to the Folly of People, favouring this Deceit, by giving into fuch Schemes, as flatter their favourite Vices; and fubmitting to fome Aufterities as meritorious, which, how mortifying and rigorous foever they appear, are yet in truth lefs grievous to Flesh and Blood, than a thorough Change of Affections and Manners. A juft Indignation against thefe Corruptions hath driven many into a contrary Extreme; and tempted them to reject all thofe outward Marks of Repentance, fo wretchedly abufed by ignorant or ill intending Men, as not only needless, but fuperftitious. Whereas indeed Thefe ftill continue neceffary; and, when not made to fupply the place of, but to exprefs and promote, Converfion of Heart, continue to oblige us. Such are the Particulars that follow here; Without a Change of the Mind and Actions, nothing, worse than nothing; but with it, decent in Themfelves, profitable to Us, and acceptable to Almighty God. And therefore, having enlarged thus far, to fecure the First and main Point, Our Sincerity; I proceed to confider the Reft, which the Portions of Scripture now in hand enjoin; and which this Day, and the Seafon ushered in by it, do more efpecially call for, in order to our more effectual Repentance. 2. The next Thing then to be spoken of is Sorrow for our paft Faults. A Chriftian must confider the Concerns of his Soul very partially, or very flightly, not to fee, and be fully convinced, that provoking God's Displeasure, rifquing the Lofs of Heaven, and lying liable to the Damnation of Hell, are Calamities to be dreaded and lamented, infinitely above any, that the Croffes or Difappointments of this World can ever expofe us to. The more, because in One Cafe we are often purely paffive, but whatever befals us in the Other, we bring upon our Selves; and if we deal righteously, muft at once lament, and condemn, the Sufferer. Let Men Men but think at all of this Matter, and they will find no need for my labouring to perfuade them, that they ought to be Sorry for their Sins. But in regard every Sort of Sorrow may not be proper or effectual, I shall endeavour to fay fomewhat, that may be ufeful upon this account. Concerning the Motives, the Degree, and the End of, that Sorrow commanded here: So far as the Scripture, I am treating of, furnishes occafion and hints for it. Deut. x. 17. Jerem. xxxii. 19. I. As to the Motive, First; The Connexion may feem a little ftrange, that fo Solemn an Exhortation to weeping, and mourning, and rending the heart, fhould be inforced with this Argument, That God is gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Would not one have expected the Prophet, at this time, to have reprefented God by thofe other Characters elfewhere given of him; A great God, a mighty, and a terrible, that will by no means clear the guilty; whofe eyes are open upon all the ways of the fons of men, to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings? Should not this rather have been preffed upon them, Turn ye unto the Lord your God, for, if a man will not turn, he will whet bis fword, he hath bent his bow, and made it ready: He prepareth the inftruments of death: He repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them; He will not be flack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his fece? Such a Method of reafoning had no doubt been very agreeable to the Temper of hardned Sinners, to awaken them out of their Security, and admonifh them, whom they have to deal with. But yet the manner of the Prophet's proceeding was certainly moft Seafonable at that, and may easily be proved very instructive and useful at Any time, upon Thefe two accounts. T 4 Pfal. vii. 12, 13. 1. Be |