CLXI. 66 SERM." went forth and wept bitterly." David also was abundant in this expreffion of his grief. In the book of Pfalms he speaks frequently of his fighs and groans, and of "watering his couch with his tears:" yea fo fenfibly was he affected with the evil of fin, that he could fhed tears plentifully for the fins of others, Pfal. cxix. 136. "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law." In like manner Jeremiah tells us, that "his foul did weep "in fecret places, for the pride and obftinacy of the Jews; that his eye did weep fore, and run "down with tears;" Jer. xiii. 17. And fo likewife St. Paul, Philip. iii. 18, 19. "There are many "that walk, of whom I have told you often, and "now tell you, even weeping, that they are enemies "to the crofs of CHRIST." And there feems to be this natural reafon for it, that all great and permanent impreffions upon the mind, all deep inward refentments have ufually a proportionable effect upon the body, and the inferior faculties. 66 But though this happen very frequently, yet it is not fo conftant and certain: for all men have not the fame tenderness of fpirit, nor are equally prone to tears; nay though a man can weep upon natural accounts, as upon the lofs of a child, or near relation, or an intimate friend, or when he lies under a fharp bodily pain, yet a man may truly repent, though he cannot exprefs his forrow for fin the fame way, provided he give teftimony of it by more real effects: and therefore the rule, which is commonly given by cafuafts in this case, seems to be more enfnaring than true and useful: namely, "That that man that can "fhed tears upon account of any evil less than that "of fin, (as certainly all natural evils are) ought "to question the truth of his repentance for any fin "that "that he hath committed, if he cannot fhed tears SERM "for it." This I think is not true, because there is CLXI. fcarce any man of so hard and unrelenting a spirit, but the lofs of a kind father, or a dear child, or other near relation, will force tears from him: and yet fuch a man, if it were to fave his foul, may not be able at fome times to fhed a tear for his fins. And the reason is obvious; because tears do proceed from a fenfitive trouble, and are commonly the product of a natural affection; and therefore it is no wonder, if they flow more readily and easily upon a natural account; because they are the effect of a caufe fuitable to their nature. But forrow for fin, which hath more of the judgment and understanding in it, hath not it's foundation in natural affection, but in reafon; and therefore may not many times exprefs itfelf in tears, though it may produce greater and more proper effects. So that upon the whole matter, I fee no reason to call in question the truth and fincerity of that man's forrow and repentance, who hates fin and forfakes it, and returns to GOD and his duty, though he cannot shed tears, and exprefs the bitterness of his foul for his fin, by the fame fignifications that a mother doth in the lofs of her only fon. He that cannot weep like a child may refolve like a man, and that undoubtedly will find acceptance with GoD. A learned divine hath well illuftrated this matter by this fimilitude. Two perfons walking together efpy a ferpent, the one fhrieks and cries out at the fight of it, the other kills it: fo is it in forrow for fin; fome express it by great lamentation and tears, and vehement tranfports of paffion; others by greater and more real effects of hatred and deteftation, by forfaking their fins, and by mortifying and fubduing SERM. their lufts: but he that kills it does certainly beft CLXI. exprefs his inward displeasure and enmity against it. The application I fhall make of what hath been faid upon this argument, fhall be in two particulars. I. By way of caution, and that against a double miftake about forrow for fin. 1. Some look upon trouble and forrow for fin, as the whole of repentance. 2. Others exact from themselves fuch a degree of forrow, as ends in melancholy, and renders them unfit both for the duties of religion, and of their particular calling. The first concerns almost the generality of men; the latter but a very few in comparifon. 1. There are a great many, who look upon trouble and forrow for their fins, as the whole of repentance, whereas it is but an introduction to it. It is that which works repentance; but is not repentance itself. Repentance is always accompanied with forrow for fin; but forrow for fin does not always end in true repentance: forrow only respects fins paft; but repentance is chiefly preventive of fin for the future. And GoD doth therefore require our forrow for fin, in order to our forfaking of it. Heb. vi. 1. Repentance is there called "repentance from "dead works." It is not only a forrow for them, but a turning from them. There is no reason why men fhould be fo willing to deceive themselves, for they are like to be the lofers by it but fo we fee it is, that many men are contented to be deceived to their own ruin; and among many other ways, which men have to cheat themfelves, this is none of the leaft frequent, to think that if they can but fhed a few tears for fin upon a death-bed, which no doubt they may easily do, when they fee their friends weeping about them, and and apprehend themfelves to be in imminent danger, SERM. not only of death, but of that which is more terri- CLXI. ble, the heavy displeasure, and the fiery indignation of Almighty GoD, "into whofe hands it is a fear"ful thing to fall," I fay, they think that if they can but do thus much, GoD will accept this for a true repentance, and hereupon grant them pardon and eternal life. And upon thefe fond hopes, they adjourn their repentance, and the reformation of their lives to a dying hour. Indeed if I were to fpeak to a man upon his deathbed, I would encourage him to a great contrition and forrow for his fins, as his last and only remedy, and the best thing he can do at that time; but on the other hand, when I am fpeaking to thofe that are well and in health, I dare not give them the leaft encouragement to venture their fouls upon this, because it is an hazardous, and almoft defperate remedy; especially when men have cunningly and defignedly contrived to rob GoD of the fervice of their lives, and to put him off with a few unprofitable fighs and tears at their departure out of the world. Our SAVIOUR tells us, that it is "not every one, that shall fay un"to him LORD! LORD! that fhall enter into the kingdom of heaven ;" and that there is a time, when "many fhall feek to enter in, but fhall not "be able." The fum of this caution is, that men fhould take heed of mistaking forrow for fin for true repentance, unless it be followed with the forfaking of fin and the real reformation of our lives. Ahab humbled himself, but we do not find that he was a true penitent. Judas was forry for his fin, and yet for all that was "the fon of perdition." Efau is a fad type of an ineffectual forrow for fin, Heb. xii. where the apofile SERM. apostle tells us, that "he found no place for repen CLXI. tance," that is, no way to change the mind of his father Ifaac, "though he fought it carefully with "tears." If forrow for fin were repentance, there would be ftore of penitents in hell; for there is the deepest and most intenfe forrow, "weeping and "wailing and gnashing of teeth." 2. Another mistake which men ought to be cautioned against in this matter, is of those who exact from themselves fuch a degree of forrow for fin, as ends in deep melancholy, as renders them unfit both for the duties of religion, and of their particular callings. But because there are but very few who fall into this mistake, I fhall need to fay the less to it. This only I fhall fay, that those who indulge their forrow to fuch a degree, as to drown their fpirits, and to fink them into melancholy and mopifhnefs, and thereby render themselves unserviceable to God, and unfit for the neceffities of this life, they commit one fin more to mourn for, and overthrow the end of repentance by the indifcreet ufe of the means of it. For the end of forrow for fin, is the forfaking of it, and returning to our duty: but he that forrows for fin, fo as to unfit him for his duty, defeats his own design, and destroys the end he aims at. II. The other part of the application of this difcourfe fhould be, to ftir up this affection of forrow in us. And here, if I had time, I might represent to you the great evil of fin, and the infinite danger and inconvenience of it. If the holy men in fcripture, David, and Jeremiah, and St. Paul, were fo deeply affected with the fins of others, as to fhed rivers of tears at the remembrance of them; how ought we to be touched with the fenfe of our own fins, who are equally concerned in the difhonour brought 4 |