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self, and his goodness unto us. In the former respect, it standeth in adoring and extolling the great name of God, ascribing in our hearts and mouths blessedness unto him, acknowledging his infinite majesty in himself, and his sovereignty over his poor creatures ";-and so covering our faces, and abhorring ourselves in his sight, not daring to question any of his deep, absolute, and most unsearchable counsels; -but because all things are of him, to acknowledge that all things ought to be for and to him, and are to be reduced to the ends of his glory, by the counsel of his own will P. the latter respect, as he is the God in whom we live, and move, and have our being, and hope for our blessedness; so it importeth, First, A glorying and rejoicing in him as our alone felicity-Secondly, A choosing and preferring him above all other good things, making him our end and aim, in life, in death, in doing, in suffering.-Thirdly, A thankful acknowledgment of all his mercies, as most beneficial unto us, and most gratuitous and free in regard of him.— Lastly, A constant endeavour of a holy life, so to bring forth fruit, to do the will of God, and to finish his work which he hath set us; so to order our conversation aright before him, as that he may have ascribed unto him the glory of his authority over the consciences of men, and of the power of his love shed abroad in their hearts; and that all that see our conversation, may say, " Doubtless, the God whom these men serve after so holy a manner, for whom they despise all outward and sinful pleasures, is a holy and blessed God; infinitely able to comfort, satisfy, and reward all those, that so conscionably and constantly give themselves up unto him ".”

o Isai. vi. Job xlii. 5, 6.

n Exod. xv. 11. Mic. vii. 18. P Difficultatem quæstionis, 'Cur alius sic, alius vero sic mortuus est,' velut non solvendo solvit Apostolus-Et hujus profunditatis horrorem usque ad hoc perduxit, ut diceret, Etiam cujus vult miseretur, et quem vult obdurat.' Aug. contr. 2. ep. Pelag. 1. 4. c. 7. et l. 4. c. 6.—Cur in diversa causa idem judicium nisi 'Hoc volo ;' -de Dono Persev. c. 8.-De peccat. meritis et remiss. 1. 2. c. 5.-Rom. ix. 20, 21. xi. 33, 36. Matth. xi. 25, 26. Psalm cxxxv. 5, 6. Job ix. 12. Ephes. i. 11. Phil. iv. 4. r Rom. iv. 7, 8. t Justinus Martyr de se fatetur se, conspecta Christianorum in morte constantiâ, collegisse veram esse quæ apud ipsos vigeret, pietatem. Apol. 1. Illa ipsa obstinatis quam exprobratis, magistra est: quis enim non contemplatione ejus concutitur ad requirendum quid intus in re sit? Quis non ubi requisivit, accedit? ubi accessit, pati exoptat? Tert. Apol. c. ult. u John xv. 8. xvii. 4. Psalm 1. 23. Deut. iv. 6, 7. Matth. lii. 16. 2 Cor. ix. 13. 1 Pet. xii.

q Psalm xxxiii. 1. Hab. iii. 18. vii. 18. Lam. iii. 22, 23.

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SECT. 12. The second particular in their covenant is, Amendment of life, and a more special care against those sins of carnal confidence, and spiritual adultery, whereby they have formerly dishonoured and provoked God. From whence there are two observations which offer themselves:

1. That true repentance and sound conversion, as it makes a man thankful for the pardon of sin past, so it makes him careful against the practice of sin for the time to come; especially those particular sins, whereby he had formerly most dishonoured God, and defiled his own conscience. This doctrine consisteth of two parts, which we will consider asunder.

And first, Of this care and purpose of amendment in general. When the poor converts, who had been guilty of the most precious and innocent blood that ever was shed, began to be convinced of that horrible sin, and found those nails wherewith they had fastened the Lord of Glory to a cross, pricking and piercing of their own hearts,-with what bleeding and relenting affections did they mourn over him! with what earnest importunities did they require after the way of salvation, wherein they might serve and enjoy him! Never were their hands more cruel in shedding that blood, than their hearts were now solicitous to be bathed in it, to be cleansed by it. The poor prodigal, who is the emblem of a penitent sinner, when he came to himself again,' or bethought himself,' as the phrase is, (for we do never depart from God, but we do withal forsake and lose ourselves, and are transported with a spiritual madness from our right minds), immediately grew to a resolution of arising out of that base and brutish condition, and of going home to his father, and, by that means, to his wit and senses again. So when by John's preaching of repentance, men were turned to the wisdom of the just' (for all unrighteousness is folly and madness), and were prepared for the Lord, we immediately find what a special care they had to be informed in the ways of duty, earnestly enquiring after that new course of obedience, which they were now to walk in. All true peni

* Oportebat quidem, si fieri posset, revivere me (ut ita loquar) denuo, quod male vixi; sed faciam recogitando, quod reoperando non possum. Bern. Ser. de Cant. Ezek. y Acts ii. 37. * 1 Kings viii. 47. a Luke iii. 10, 12. 14.

tents are of the mind of these in the text, "We will not say any more, And what have I to do any more with idols?" or as Ezra in his penitent prayer, "Should we now again break thy commandments?" When Christ rose from the dead, he died no more:' and when we repent of sin, it must be with a repentance, that must never any more be repented of. The time past of our life must suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles".

This care ariseth from the nature of true repentance, which hath two names usually given it, μTávora, a change of the mind:' the heart is framed to have other and truer notions of sin, of grace, of heaven, of hell, of conscience, of salvation, than it had before: for the mind of wicked men being defiled, they can frame to themselves none but impure apprehensions of spiritual things, as a yellow eye sees every thing yellow, and a bitter palate tastes every thing bitter. 2. Merauéλea, a change of the cares and endeavours of life,That whereas, before, a man made provision for the flesh, and his study and care was how to satisfy the lusts of his own heart, what he should eat, what he should drink, wherewith he should be clothed ;-now his care is how he may be saved, how he may honour and enjoy God, The first question in repentance is, "What have I done?" and the next question is, "What shall I do?" And this care repentance worketh ;

SECT. 13. First, By a godly sorrow for sin past. It brings into a man's remembrance the history of his former life; makes him, with heaviness of spirit, recount the guilt of so many innumerable sins, wherewith he hath bound himself as with chains of darkness; the loss of so much precious time, mispent in the service of such a master, as had no other wages to give but shame and death;—the horrible indignities thereby offered to the majesty and justice of God; -the odious contempt of his holy will, and sovereign authority; the daring neglect of his threatenings, and undervaluing of his rewards;-the high provocation of his jealousy and displeasure;-the base corrivalry and contesting of

b Ezra ix. 13.

e Rom. xiii. 14.

c Rom. vi. 9, 12. 1 Cor. vii. 10. f Acts ii. 37. xvi. 30.

i Consilium futuri ex præterito venit. Sen.

d 1 Pet. iv. 3.

8 Jer. viii. 6.

h Acts ix. 6.

filthy lusts with the grace of the gospel, and the precious blood of the Son of God;--the gainsaying, and wrestling, and stubborn antipathy of a carnal heart to the pure motions of the Spirit and Word of Christ;-the presumptuous repulses of him that standeth at the door and knocks, waiting that he may be gracious;-the long turning of his back, and thrusting away from him the word of reconciliation, wherein Christ, by his ambassadors, had so often beseeched him to be reconciled unto God:-The remembrance of these things makes a man look with self-abhorrency upon himself, and full detestation upon his former courses.-And he now no longer considers the silver or the gold, the profit or the pleasure of his wonted lusts :-though they be never so delectable or desirable in the eye of flesh, he looks upon them as accursed things to be thrown away, as the converts did upon their costly and curious books *. Sin is like a painted picture on the one side of it, to the impenitent, appeareth nothing but the beauty of pleasure, whereby it bewitcheth and allureth them;-on the other side, to the penitent appeareth nothing but the horrid and ugly face of guilt and shame, whereby it amazeth and confoundeth them. Thus the remembrance of sin past (which they are very careful to keep always in their sight'), doth, by godly sorrow, work especial care of amendment of life for the time to comeTM.

Secondly, By a present sense of the weight and burden of remaining corruptions, which work, and move, and put forth what strength they can, to resist the grace of God in us. As the time past wherein sin reigned, so the present burden of sin besetting us, is esteemed sufficient, and makes a man careful not to load himself wilfully with more, being ready to sink, and forced to cry out under the pain of those which he unwillingly lieth under already. A very glutton" when he is in a fit of the gout or stone, will forbear those meats which feed so painful diseases :-a penitent sinner is continually in pain under the body of sin; and therefore dares not feed so dangerous and tormenting a disease. The more spiritual

: Πεινώντι γὰρ ἀνδρὶ μάζα τιμιωτέρα Χρυσοῦ τε καλέφαντος. Achæus Eretri ens. apud Athenæum, 6. c. 20. k Acts xix. 19. Isai. xxx. 22. xxxi. 7. 1 Psalm li. 3. m2 Chron. vi. 37. 38. Psalm cxix. 59. Ezek. xvi. 61, 63. ο Εἰ τοῖς μεθυσκομένοις ἑκάστης ἡμέρας, ̓Αλγεῖν συνέβαινε τὴν κεφαλὴν πρὸ τοῦ πιεῖν Τὸν ἄκρατον, ἡμῶν οὐδε εἷς ἔπινεν ἄν. Clearchus apud Athenæum, 1. 14. c. 1.

xx. 43.

any man is, the more painful and burdensome is corruption to him P. For sin to the new man is as sickness to the natural man. The more exquisite and delicate the natural senses are, the more are they sensible and affected with that which offends nature 9. Contraries cannot be together without combat. The spirit will lust against the flesh, and not suffer a man to fulfil the lusts of it. The seed of God will keep down the strength of sin.

Thirdly, By a holy jealousy, and godly fear of the falseness and backsliding of our corrupt heart', lest, like Lot's wife, it should look back towards Sodom; and, like Israel, have a mind hankering after the flesh-pots of Egypt, the wonted profits and pleasures of forsaken lusts. A godly heart prizeth the love of God, and the feelings of spiritual comfort, from thence arising, above all other things; and is afraid to lose them. It hath felt the burnings of sin; the stinging of these fiery serpents; and hath often been forced to befool itself, and to beshrew its own ignorance, and, with Ephraim, to smite upon the thigh. And the burnt child dreads the fire, and dares not meddle any more with it; considers the heaviness of God's frown,-the rigour of his law, the weakness and fickleness of the heart of man,-the difficulty of finding Christ out when he hath withdrawn himself, and of recovering light and peace again, when the soul hath wilfully brought itself under a cloud and therefore will not venture to harden itself against God. fear keeps men from sin ".

Thus godly

Fourthly, By a love to Christ, and a sweet recounting of the mercies of God in him. The less a man loves sin, the more he shall love Christ. Now repentance works a hatred of sin, and thereupon a love of Christ; which love is evermore operative, and putting forth itself towards holiness of

s 1 John iii. 9.

P Rom.

• Conflictus miserabilis. Aug. de nup. et concup. 1. 2. c. 1. vii. 22. q Quo quis pejus se habet, minus sentit. Sen. ep. 52. iii. 16, 17. 1. 2. c. 5.-Solicitus incipit ambulare cum Deo suo, et ex omni parte scrutatur, ne vel in levissima re tremendæ illius Majestatis offendatur aspectus. Sic ardens et lucens nondum in domo se esse confidat, ubi, sine omni timore ventorum, accensum lumen soleat deportari, sed meminerit se esse sub die, et utrâque manu studeat operire quod portat, &c. Bernard. Serm. 3. in vigil. nativ. u Job xxxi. 23. Psalm cxix. 120. Prov. xxviii. 14. Eccles. ix. 2. Jer. xxxii. 40. Phil. ii. 12. Psalm iv. 4.

r Gal. ι Φόβος βουλευτικούς ποιεῖ. Arist. Rhet.