my weak Abilities Not doubting but your Noble Disposition will be satisfied with such ordinary Acknowledgments I commend you to the Blessing of Heaven and remain Your Servant in Christ W. CROMPTON ADVERTISEMENT The Author being very remote from the Press and not having seen the Sheets 't is likely some Errata's have escaped which the Reader is entreated to Correct or Pardon HOSEA 2.14 Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her THis with the rest of the Chapter is no National History limited to the Body as some temporal Felicity conveyed in a Promise to that People but an Evangelical Prophecy extended to the Soul discovering the means and assuring everlasting Beatitude to the Church as under Grace True it is and from the Letter of the Text we may gather that God was good and bountiful to Israel but ungrateful Israel abused God's bounty As the fed Hawk forgets his Master and as the Full Moon gets farthest from the Sun so they forgat God and wickedly departed from him like ill Grounds they cast up Thorns where Roses were planted they printed the steps of Sin upon Divine Clemency Which moved the Lord to deprive her of his Blessings and to send her into Captivity by absence to learn the worth of his Presence and to take good leave and leisure to bewail her own Folly What can he do less than forget them so they may remember him Where being oppress'd and disconsolate as a mourning Widow bereft of Friends and means to relieve her she returns upon her self and complains unto God who saw her Tears heard her Cries and brought her from Babylon to Canaan turned all her sighing into singing and made her rejoice on that Bed which had soaked in Tears and made to swim again like David Psal 6.6 Repentance can turn Crosses into Comforts and like the Philosophers stone make Golden Afflictions But all this was for a further intent and purpose even to set forth their Sin spiritual Bondage and the manner of Conversion Under that this was meant And so the words are to be taken with the best Interpreters of the manner of God's dealing in the dispensation of his Grace to all in Covenant with him The ordinary Method which he observeth in bestowing Grace upon Men converted after actual Sins is here fully discovered First He convinceth all those of their Sins that distinctly and throughly whom he intends to convert as the skilful Chirurgeon searcheth that Wound to the bottom which he labours to heal This may be gathered from the 2 4 5 vers Plead with your Mother plead for she is not my Wife neither am I her Husband Let her therefore put away her Whoredoms out of her Sight c. As if the Lord should take a Prodigal aside and say These and these O Man are thy Sins thy Wantonness and Uncleanness thy Oaths and Lies thy Pride and Covetousness thus it is with thee thou art the Man that hast abused my Blessings profaned my Ordinances and mis-pent thy time and which is worst of all hast often refused Grace so seriously offered stay now and consider it what will be the end hereof God's Word is not like a Shadow which representeth obscurely and confusedly but as a Glass or rather a Picture which setteth forth things in their distinct Lineaments Which Conviction is begun and finished in part by the Law and in part by the Gospel as in the Sequel will appear Secondly He threatneth and denounceth deserved Judgments if they still persist and go on in their sinful Practices in vers 6 9 10 11 12 13. Therefore behold I will hedge up thy Way with Thorns and make a Wall that she shall not find her Paths Therefore will I return and take away my Câ—rn in the time thereof c. i. e. Except thou accept of Grace now in this thy day except thou repent and turn to me I will pursue thee with variety of Rods both privative and positive and will never leave thee till thou be amended or confounded It is Sin and Obstinacy that putteth Thunderbolts into God's hand and provoketh him to do his Work his strange Work and to bring to pass his Act his strange Act. Thirdly He proceedeth to some melting Promises in the 14 vers and others following like Sun-shine after a boisterous Storm or some purling Dew after a wasting heat or refreshing Spring after a nipping Winter The Sun of Righteousness never loves to set in a Cloud I will give her the Valley of Achor for a Door of Hope I will make a Covenant for them with the Beasts of the Field c. The meaning whereof is thus much If both the former ways viz. of Conviction and Affliction shall prove ineffectual as indeed they would if the Lord should leave them there and go no further if neither prevail to bring thee home unto me rather than thou shouldest remain still in the State of Nature or in the Wilderness of Legal Terror but almost converted or else after thy Confirmation of a League and Covenant with me should'st totally and finally apostatize I will take the whole Business into my own hand and go one step further with thee using such means as work infallibly and never fail I will allure her into the Wilderness c. Wherein are three things to be explained all tending to the Confirmation of the Proposition laid down in the beginning viz. I. The Certainty of the Work here intended I will allure her and I will speak to her The Lord is serious in his Offer of Grace and infallible in working it at one time or other for the Conversion of all those in Covenant with him Though it be full of difficulty yet it is certain for success It is difficult therefore the Lord undertakes it when no other means is able to do it and certainly it shall be done in his time and way Therefore he promiseth and annexeth certain binding Particles the more to assure it in our apprehension 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore behold which Particles are diversly construed by divers great Divines not unskilful in the holy Tongue causing some obscurity about the meaning but more touching the Connection of these with the former words what dependance they have and what Grammatical Construction they may admit Some take and understand them here casually only as if their profaneness and stubborness in Idolatry had been the moving cause to this Evangelical Work but then it would follow Let us sin that Grace may abound Which Devils Logic the Apostle confuteth Rom. 6. Others take them illatively thus Seeing she is grown to that height of Wickedness so vile and so proud that there is no hope nor possibility of her thinking or willing by any strength of her own to return therefore I will make her mindful and willing to come home O the never enough adored Depth of God's free Grace and super-abundant Love to his People I will heal them and
the Great Rich Learned Stars of the first magnitude or the greatest Letters of the Alphabet and civil Formalists of the World to pitch on poor mean and ignorant Wretches Where Sin hath abounded Grace doth super-abound Surgunt indocti rapiunt Coelum c as Augustin speaks the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence from the poor lost Sheep while others puffed up with their conceited Riches of Knowledg and Holiness dreaming of Self-sufficiency are kept out and thrust down into Hell If he should do otherwise and call only those in whose Policy and Life could be seen some outward Goodness to shine forth Men would believe what some cannot forbear to say that it is the work of Men that obliges God to call them and if in rigour they be not worthy of this Favour they merit it at least in a seemliness of Equity and Congruity as they speak of it in the Schools of Rome And therefore further we may conceive it is to proclaim the Freeness of his Grace no natural Abilities can merit it nor any Sin hinder the bestowing of it The Wind bloweth where it listeth Nos solemus eligere digniores at Deus ut ostendat suam electionem non ex nostris meritis sed ex solâ sua gratiâ fieri solitus est indigniores eligere Zanch. i. e. Men chuse the most worthy but the Lord chuseth the most unworthy to shew that his Choice is not grounded on our Merits but on his own free Grace Secondly It is for the Instruction of the Church And so 1. That no Flesh should glory in his Presence but that the Glory might be wholly ascribed to the Lord whose only work it must needs be acknowledged in such Libertines There is nothing to merit nor any preventing Abilities stirring to share with the Lord in this Work And indeed the Lord's power is most manifest in reclaiming such wild Prodigals in washing such Blackmoors changing such Leopards Digitus Dei All that see and hear may wonder and say It is the Finger of God or as Protogenes said of a curious Line which he saw drawn in a Painter's Shop None but Apelles could draw this none but God could do this It is a Work worthy of none but of him who can do what he will and will do what he hath purposed This is indeed the great Miracle of the World to change Lions into Lambs Sinks into Fountains Thorns into Roses Mercy is never so resplendent as over Misery The Ice of Winter makes the Beauty of the Spring Darkness contributes to the Lustre of Light nor is the Sun more bright than after an Eclipse Thus Grace which is the Splendor of Eternal Light makes it self to be seen in more triumph where it hath subdued most Iniquity And Praise will be more fully ascribed to him by such as could deserve no favour both occasionally and practically Occasionally in regard of others who are stirred up thereby to admire his Power to magnify his Love and to hope for acceptance upon their unfeigned submission And practically in respect of themselves who are commonly more humble and thankful zealous and watchful ever after Observe such as have drank deep of the deceitful Cup of Rebellion and Prodigality and after come to taste of the bitter Potion of sound Humiliation and say whether you do not find them of an excellent temper Paul being made sensible of himself as the greatest of Sinners how passionatly doth he break forth to admire the Love and Mercy of God! I was a Blasphemer a Persecutor and injurious but by the Grace of God I am what I am And this Grace bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly c. Where you see his diligence in redeeming the Time and ascribing his Change wholly to the Grace of God 2. That none in the Church should despair especially among those in whom the Offer of Mercy hath stirred up any desire after Grace This Reason is rendred by the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained Mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all Long-suffering for a Pattern to them which should after believe on him to Life everlasting He that seemed to be an Epitome an Abridgment of all Wickedness obtained Mercy for this cause that Jesus Christ might shew forth all Long-suffering i. e. evidence by full demonstration so that all might see and say There is Mercy with Christ that he may be feared yea Mercy rejoycing over Judgment Though your Sins be in number like a Cloud and for quality like Crimson or Scarlet Yet come let us reason together saith the Lord and I will make them white as Snow or Wooll Yea they shall be as tho they had never been Sin is finite in respect of matter but Divine Mercy is infinite The Consideration of this Disproportion should be a powerful Loadstone to draw Sinners to Repentance it should be as a Cork to the Net to keep the Heart from sinking into despair it should be an Antidote to keep that Poison from entring or at least from lodging in the Heart If Manasses Saul Mary Magdalen and some of the adulterous drunken Corinthians were remembred in Mercy converted sanctified and saved why should any despair When Man hath withstood his Good and the Gates of Hell have prevailed a long time even then the Lord's hand hath done it for many blessed be his Name We had never heard of these Examples had it not been for our encouragement With this let the penitent Heart be encouraged God can turn noisom Dunghil into a Mine of Gold Brands of Hell into lightsom Stars in hi◠Firmament Slaves of Doemons into Angels But without presumption lest abused Mercy give place to rejecting Fury and the Lord say Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out mine hand and no Man regarded Therefore now tho you call upon me I will not answer and tho you seek me early you shall not find me 3. That the Hearts of all reasonable Creatures capable of such a Mystery might be enlarged to rejoyce in God for his Goodness and to praise him who by plucking such Brands out of the Fire doth manifest such Love and Power to free and defend his chosen Ones from the devouring Mouth of the roaring Lion The lost Sheep being found the wild Prodigal returned first home to himself and after to his Father occasion Joy in the Families to teach us what we should do upon the Conversion of any prophane Person Son Daughter Servant or Neighbour Was he once proud and is he now humble Was he once intemperate and is he now sober was he dead in Sin and is he now alive through Grace It is most singular Mercy rich Love it is meet we should be merry The Lord hath doth and will deliver that the Church may be encouraged Satan enraged by the loss of his Prey and the Name of Christ glorified and magnified so much the more A second Doctrine to be
judgment While Men are Drunk with Pleasures and besotted with delightful Objects commonly they are not sensible of any danger but being once brought into the Wilderness of fear and solitary Silence they have leasure to consider and ability to discern that Sin is treacherous as a Jesuit bitter as Gall Ugly more ugly than the Devil And then they loath and fly it then they cry out Lord what wouldst thou have us to do When before they would not be ruled nor persuaded by any reason The Jews will not part with their Idols till they bring them into Captivity nor Sampson with Dalilah till she betray him into the hands of the Philistines then away Idols and let Dalilah be burned alone Sampson repenteth The Viper beaten casteth up her Poyson The Traytor on the Rack will confess and forsake all The burnt Child dreads the fire and the Wormwood upon the Brest weans the Child from it Secondly It is to humble the Soul and cause her to set a right Estimate upon Christ hitherto undervalued Christ would not be so sweet if Sin were not so bitter The Man upon whom the Law hath not passed Sentence will not say Gramercy for a Pardon Besides it is necessity that endears any thing to us Extremity of pain makes us to prize a little ease and extremity of want to admire a little plenty Darius being vanquished by Alexander and in flight being in extremity of Thirst drank Water out of a Puddle mingled with much Blood of slain Souldiers and said It was the sweetest Drink that ever he tasted in his Life The Prodigal that disregarded all the Dainties of his Father's House did highly value the Servants Bread there when he was reduced to feed upon Husks in the Wilderness As it is with a weary Swimmer floating in the restless Sea ready to sink every moment how welcome is a bough to him when as if he had been upon the shoar he would not have regarded it So it is with such a wearied Man brought into the Wilderness of great distress and danger he is so humble and gentle that a Child may lead him He cried out and looked about him but few hear none can help him O how welcome then is the Thought the Sight the Presence of Christ that Tree of Life He will part with all Sins Goods Liberty Life or any thing if he may but touch the hem of his Garment Only then and to all such he is a Jesus indeed Thirdly It is that they may be the better ever after More zealous and serviceable to God who hath some great Work commonly for such to do and therefore their preparation is answerable A high Building must have a low Foundation Luther observed of himself that when God was about to set him upon any special Service he either laid some fit of Sickness upon him before-hand or turned Satan loose upon him For he was much exercised and beaten from his tender years with Spiritual Conflicts as Melancthon testifieth in his Life And this was in all likelihood to fit him for the great Work the Lord had cut out unto him There is no whole Heart to the broken None so sound to hold Grace as that and the more it is broken the more it contains A Paradox in Nature but not in Grace Besides they are hereby made more compassionate and helpful unto others Hence it was that God gave Luther such a Grace that in his Sermons all that heard him thought every one his own Temptations had been toucht and noted by him and when signification thereof was made to him by his Friends and being demanded how it could be answered Mine own Temptation and Experience are the cause thereof As a Physician that trieth the virtue of some sovereign composition upon his own Body he is the better able to Cure another with that Receipt It is a great invitation to Mercy to see one in the same condition that we our selves have been in As he said Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco As a Woman that hath had a Child can more pity such as are in Travel because she hath suffered the like pain When Christians by their own experience know the Way like old Travellers they can lead others and bring them into and guide them through this Spiritual Trouble saying Thus and thus were I brought in and so came I off this course I took and this success I found c. Experienced Learners are the best Teachers These are some of many Reasons which might be given of the Lord 's proceeding in this manner towards his People The Sum of all is for their good He casteth them down very low that he might lift them up the higher he leads them through a Wilderness to convey them into Canaan As hereafter will appear So much by way of Doctrine The Application follows which is a principal part of this Discourse And Vse 1. It condemneth such first as are frequently in the Wilderness of Sin and wanton Prodigality but never in the Wilderness of sorrow and saving Fear much under Worldly but never under Spiritual Trouble How far are such from Grace who have not past this Preparation How far from Christ from Comfort from true Happiness As far as the East is from the West Darkness from Light Belial from Christ in point of Communion Such have cause to fear that Sin sits like a Queen in her Regency that the strong Man keeps Possession and that they are slaves to Satan subjects of the Kingdom of Darkness A Man may have some Trouble and yet not be Converted but he cannot be Converted without some Trouble The Heart cannot be broken for Sin without the sight of Sin The Sun looketh upon the Earth thence draweth up Vapours and distilleth them down again so doth the Sun of the Understanding which till it be Convicted the Heart cannot be Compuncted Sight of Sin must necessarily precede sorrow for Sin An Infant in the Womb cries not because it seeth not but as soon as it comes into the Light sets up its note The blind Eye and the hard Heart go together as unseparable Companions Men will never loath themselves till there be a remembring of their ways and doings that have not been good Ezek. 36.31 Quest It may be demanded who are they and how they are kept out Answ Who they are that were never yet in this Wilderness may easily be known by what hath been spoken already in the description of this preparative Work let any one bring himself and compare his present estate with it and the truth will readily be discovered especially if he consider and impartially answer to such like demands 1. Whether he doth not retain in his Heart the love of some Sin which either he knoweth or might know to be a Sin Though he do many things yet hath he not an Herodias that he will not part with Though with the Vintner he pull down the Bush yet hath he not as much Heart to his Sin
that are meanest in their own apprehensions Such shall understand this secret and partake in it to sit on Thrones as crowned Kings and Queens for evermore Vse 3. Lastly What transcending Comfort doth this Truth and Text afford to all troubled Minds Such I mean as have been stayed by Divine Power when they were running towards Hell in all sorts of Vanity and Prodigality and had been there ere this had not God in Christ been more merciful to them than they were careful about their own safety If the King should vouchsafe to speak to a mean Person before many what an honour would it be what ravishing thoughts would arise and what applause would it procure How much more should it be so here when the King of Kings speaks and that unto the Heart of a forlorn Creature comfortably I have heard thy Prayer I have seen thy Tears behold I will heal thee c. so the Lord spake unto the Heart of Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.5 Thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a memorial before God c. so the Lord spake unto the Heart of Cornelius Acts 10.4 And how often did our blessed Lord and compassionate Saviour Jesus Christ raise up disconsolate Souls with such words as these Son be of good chear thy Sins be forgiven thee Daughter great is thy Faith go in peace thy Faith hath made thee whole Yea all the precious Promises are such Cordials See Prov. 28.13 Who so confesseth and forsaketh his Sins shall find Mercy Job 33.27 28. He looketh upon Man and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not he will deliver his Soul from going into the Pit c. Isa 1.18 Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow c. Chap. 55. ver 7. Let the Wicked forsake his way and the Righteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our Iniquities and cast all their Sins into the bottom of the Sea Hos 14.4 5. I will heal their Back-slidings I will love them freely Mal. 4.2 To them that fear my Name shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his Wings Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Rom. 8.1 Now therefore there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ c. 1 John 1.9 Rev. 21.6 So almost in every Book of that holy Volume may be found such Stars of Light such pieces of Treasure such Bezar-stones to keep sick Souls from fainting under their Sins and Sorrows Promises wherein the Lord speaks something to the Hearts of believing Penitents to this effect The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head Whatsoever Christ did or suffered was for you by his satisfaction God is reconciled to you all your Sins are pardoned and your Souls shall be saved This is to speak to the Heart of a poor Sinner Now as some Artificers after long poring upon a piece of Black Work and finding a dimness in their Eyes are wont to refresh themselves with the beholding the Verdure of Meadows or lustre of Emeralds so let poor Penitents wearied and heavy laden with the consideration of their Sins for their refreshment make use of those Gospel-Cordials the Promises they will be chearing to the Eye of Faith But 't is sufficiently known that those to whom this Comfort belongs are most ready to put it from them as none of their Portion The troubled Spirit makes Darts of every thing it can to fight against Reason and kill it self not suspecting its own Poyson The conclusion therefore of this subject shall endeavour to prevent that mischief by proposing and answering some Cases which may contain the complaints of such troubled Spirits Object 1. My Sins have been so many and great that I fear to apply any Promise Answ Nay therefore you should be the more ready and willing to apply this Lord come unto me for I am a sinful Man and have most need of help Save me Lord or I perish Greater Sins should hasten all to the Mercy Seat the greater Wounds to the Physician No Man flies his Counsel because his Cause is great and intricate but plies him the more Especially while you consider the extent of his Power and Love who speaketh His Power passeth the nature and number of your Sins whatever they be Christ is a great Saviour He is called a Mighty Saviour and the Salvation in him is called Great Salvation and the Redemption in him Great Redemption 1 John 2.1 If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And for his Love that extends to all sorts of Penitents to Manasses Mary Magdalen to the Romans and Corinthians to foul Sinners griping Oppressors sharp Persecutors Sinners in the highest form 1 John 2.2 And he is the Propitiation for our Sins c. In the Levitical Law there were Sacrifices for all sorts of Sins and what did they prefigure but the ample efficacy in Christ's Death which was an Atonement for Sins of all kinds and was as the daily Sacrifice for the Expiation of the continued and augmented number of Transgressions Even where Sin hath abounded there Grace hath after much more abounded So if you consider the nature of those Promises made unto distressed Souls both for Constitution and Condition For Constitution they are absolutely free no Foreign Power to enforce them from him that made them nor any Natural Abilities in Man to reserve them And for Condition they are Evangelical bringing with them what they require of you Be of good comfort when he calleth you fear not refuse not to receive what he offereth Say rather Speak Lord and speak home for thy Servant desireth to hear Object 2. But alas it is pleaded my Corâ—â—ptions have been and are strong and abominaâ—â—â—â— that I know not what to do Answ The sense of Sin 's strength is no â— hopeful symptom nor prejudice to Faith â—f all tempers the hardned is most dangeâ—â—us and Sin hath the greatest strength â—here there is the least sense When a Patiâ—â—t is deadly sick he saith and thinks he is â—ell and feels no pain but when he is reâ—â—vering he is full of sense and complains â—s Head is weak his Stomach sick his Bones â—me all is amiss every thing is too hard â—â— him There is more hope of one sensible â—â—nner than of a thousand presumptuous â—â—rdned Wretches Sense of Sin doth ever â—â— before sense of Christ Besides the powâ—â— of God's Voice will weaken them and â—â—e Efficacy of his Spirit mortifie and subâ—â—e them Here it may be said as it was of â—â—thage a little before it was taken Moriâ—â—ium bestiarum violentiores esse morsus dying â—asts
I hear and that all others should hear Husbands accusing me of Wrong and Injustice Virgins and Wives complaining of a Stain brought by me to their Beds and Bodies my Neighbours muttering out my breach of Wedlock band yea all my Folly and Prodigality What shall I say Or whither shall I go My Sins are ever before me Speak no word of comfort raise me not up but rather trample me under Feet as unsavoury Salt cast me out of Company as unworthy to live or breath O ye Heavens why do ye shine upon me O thou Air why do'st thou refresh me O thou Earth why do'st thou bare me up It is I that have rebelled against our Soveraign Lord it is I that have playâ—d the Beast it is I that have been so ungrateful and forgetful My Sins are ever before me Droop O my Soul and weep abundantly hang down the Head and weep and mourn in deep bitterness It is better to lose the sence of Seeing by weeping than always to see Sin Resolve never to look chearfully much less to entertain a thought of Joy till thou hearest Christ saying to thee Son be of good cheer thy Sins are forgiven thee No more of this here the second Point comâ—s to hand viz. 2. Doct. That whosoever is thus mindful of Sin and troubled about it to him it is a good sign of the pardon of it and of his being in the state of Grace Multitudes of Scriptures may be produced proving this Conclusion by just Consequence and easie Deduction Some are noted in the Margin * 2 Chron. 33.12 Job 13.26 Psal 32.5 Rom. 7.24 Examples to illustrate you have in all the Saints of God of whose Conversion and being in a â—tate of Grace we ought to be assured evidenced to our Faith by the Word recording it and to our knowledg â—y this following trouble for and about Sin As in David here and in many other Psalms * Ps 25.7 32.5 38.4 Isa 38.17 Luk. 7.38 Mat. â—6 ult 1 Tim. 1.13 Act. 2.43 16.30 In Hezekiah Mary Magdalen St. Peter and S. Paul the two great Apostles the latter of which was a furious Persecutor of Christianity till subdued by the Spirit of God and of a Ravening Wolf was made a Lamb of the Fold with those mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and many others of our own Knowledg who have and do speak out of experience and most comfortable assurance that it was good for them that ever they were thus troubled and I believe never any read or heard of any that miscarried who once came to this kindly sight of Sin And there are two Grounds of this truth Reason 1. The First is God's Order which he observes in the Conversion of a Person and Sanctification of our Natures by discovering the Maladies and setting Sin before the Eye of that Sinner whose safety he desires and intends Partly to stay him from running on further towards Hell partly to prepare him for the receipt and exercise of Regenerating Grace and partly to keep him humble and weaned from an immoderate love of Worldly Glory as from the former Discourse will more fully appear Reason 2. Secondly The other Reason is God's free Promises annext to the second Covenant and presupposing this Condition Only Faith is the condition of the Covenant but this trouble of Mind is the condition and companion of Faith As legally considered it is a condition Preparative and preceding Faith as Evangelically it is an unseparable Companion ever following Behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you c. 2 Cor. 7.10 11. Faith is in us first in order of Nature at least though Godly sorrow is apt first to appear as sap and life are first in the Root yet Buds Leaves and Fruits first discover themselves in the Branches They shall look upon me whom they have pierced there is Faith for Christ crucified can be beheld with no other Eye and they shall mourn for him c. Zech. 12.10 There is brokenness of Spirit Spiritual trouble resulting from it It is an hard question in Divinity Whether Faith be no part of Repentance Which some resolve thus * Synops purio Theolog. Disp 32. §. 40. If Repentance of which this Trouble is a branch be consider'd largely for the whole work of Conversion so Faith is comprised in it if strictly so it is the cause thereof However it is apparent they are nearly allied they are Sister-Graces where the former is there is the latter also Reason 3. To which a third Ground may be added When Man approacheth near unto God he seeth both himself and Sin better Sin appears to be greater and himself lesser The Divine Light and Purity represents both as they are in deed and not as Satan's-Jesuits Pleasure and Profit do misreport As it is with the Moon the further off it is from the Sun the greater it is but by near approaching it appears lesser It is St. Austin's allusion in one of his Epistles Thus it is with Man in respect of God Quò propius ad Deum aceedit Homo eò melius sentit quà m miserae sit abjectae conditionis saith Rivet The nearer Man cometh to God the better he seeth his own miserable Condition According to that of Gregory in his Morals Quanto magis internae Divinitatis conspiciunt omnes Sancti tantò magis se nihil esse cognoscunt When the Saints by Faith come to apprehend Spiritual Mysteries then they clearly see their own nothingness that glorious Sun discovers all their Dust they are ashamed of their droppings when they stand before that Ocean As the great Doctor of the Gentiles who was immediately inspired by the Holy Spirit and of great Sanctity no less then a Cherubim scorched with Celestial Ardours and who pitched his Feet upon the front of the Sun became most vile in his own Eyes when he was carried up nearest to God Such poverty of Spirit such trouble of Mind such a sight of Sin is an infallible sign of our Conversion to God and of obtained Pardon Object It may be objected May not a Natural Vnregenerate Man such as have no renewing Grace have a sight of Sin May not they be troubled about Sin and yet never return to amend and procure Pardon Answ Doubtless they may not only see Sin with some trouble and distaste but also leave the exercise thereof they may see Sin and be brought I say to some trouble about it by the inward light of Natural Conscience by the use of outward means while they live within the bounds of a Visible Church by the fear and force of Humane Laws or by some heavy Judgment falling upon them in their Bodies and Estates all or any of which may force open their Eyes to see and acknowledg their own evil ways as it fell out with Pharaoh who sighed at every Plague and seemed to be willing to turn to God And so did