is nothing else but the horrour of conscience apprehension of the wrath of God for the same Now godly sorrow indeed may be occasioned by our sinnes but it springs properly of the apprehension of the grace and goodnesse of God in Christ Iesus 2. Worldly sorrow is a griefe for sinne onely in respect of the punishment but godly sorrow is a liuely touch and griefe of heart for sinne because it is sin though there were no punishment for it 3. This is godly sorrowe when wee loue the man that rebuketh vs Act. 2.37 and reuerence the word the more beeing by it reprooued in our conscience but this is worldly sorrowe when we hate him that reprooueth in the gate 4. If our sorrow doe driue vs to prayer or to seeke comfort in the word of God it is good but when men to put away sorrowe will go sleepe will go play will goe sport themselues get to merry companie and passe away the time and so as they tearme it will purge and driue away the rage of melancholie neuer go to preacher neuer respect praier nor seeke comfort in the word of God this sorrow is not good To conclude S. Paul hath set downe seuen signes whereby this godly sorrow may be discerned 2. Cor. 7.10.11 which when a man doth find in himselfe he hath no doubt godly sorrow in him Signes of godly sorrowe A care to avoide euill past and not to sinne againe Ioh. 5.14 Sinne no more least a worse thing come vnto thee And this care is signified by watching and waking Apoc. 2.2.3 A confession of our sinnes to God and comdemning our selues for them Thus the prophet taught the people Hos 14.2 to say Take away all iniquitie c. and holy Daniel the man beloued of God did practise this rule Dan. 9.18.19 O God incline thine eare open thine eyes and behold c. Prou. 28.13 he that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh them shall haue mercie A holy and inward anger against our selues for our carelesnes in looking to our owne wayes Iob. 42.6 I abhorre my selfe So when Ephraim repented this was the effect of her repentance Ier. 31.19 She smote vpon her thigh A feare not so much of Gods iudgements as least we fall into the same sinnes againe and so offend our mercifull father Psal 130.4 with thee is mercie that thou mayst be feared Pro. 28.14 blessed is the man that feareth alwaies A desire euer after to please God with all our hearts This was in Dauid Psal 119.11 I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee ver 60. I made hast and delayed not to keepe thy commandements ver 106. I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements ver 5. O that my waies were directed to keepe thy statutes A zeale for Gods glorie and worship with sorrow for the defect in himselfe and others Apoc. 3.19 zeale and repentance are coupled as the cause and effect This zeale was in Dauid Psal 119.139 my zeale hath euen cōsumed me ver 135. I saw the transgressors and was greiued because they kept nor thy word ver 136. mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy law A reuenge or punishing of our selues for our offences committed against God which is when we denie some things vnto our selues to free vs thereby from sin which otherwise we might vse lawfully for our comfort Thus Dauid would not drinke 1. Chro. 11.18.19 of the water of Bethelem and thus hauing offended in gluttony and drunkenesse let vs reuenge our selues by fasting and abstinence Now hast thou found these worthie fruites in thy selfe then certtainly as they said vnto Peter Math. 26.73 that his speach bewrayed him to be a Galilean so these gratious signes will assure thee that thou hast sorrowed with a godly sorrow for thy sinnes Vnto these things I may adde the iudgement of that reuerend Diuine Mr. Grenham whose speach was that the oftner sinne and the lesse greife is a note of the childe of the deuill but contrariwise the oftner sinne and the more greife is a note of the child of God If a man be not troubled for sinne here it is the way to hell if he troubled here it is the way to heauen And as they which haue not beene troubled hauing had a little ioy shall haue eternall paine so they which here haue had a little paine shall afterward haue euerlasting ioy Luk. 16.25 They that are corrected here and profited by it are afflicted of the Lord in mercie but they that be vexed and amend not receiue a token of Gods further wrath Therefore we must not looke to feele comfort in the remission of our sins vnlesse we also haue sorrow for commiting of out sinnes For neuer were any of Gods children comforted throughly but they were first humbled for their sinnes Deut. 32.39 I kill and giue life I wound and make whole saith the Lord. For shal Christ haue his heart pricked with a speare and shall not we haue ours pricked with sorrow we can neuer without the knowledge and feeling of sorrow for our sinnes heartily long for Christ In all their sacrifices of the law wherein Christ was perfigured was also manifested vnder darke signes the contrition of the heart and acknowledgement of their vnworthines Psal 4.5 Tremble and sinne not saith Dauid where he sheweth that this is an effectuall thing to true repentance to quake and tremble for feare of Gods iudgements Therefore we must feare and humble our selues because before terror and quakeing at the iudgements of God we will neuer be brought to offer our selues to Christ alone Dauid Psal 32. intituled a Psalme of instruction concerning the free remission of sinnes teacheth how we shall find the same where he sheweth vntill trouble of minde did driue him to God he found no comfort Manasses 2. Chron. 33.12.13 which did eate the bread of sorrow and drinke the water of griefe vntill he had lamented and sorrowed felt no rest nor peace in his soule This godly sorrow is well pleasing to God Psal 51.18.19 the sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not dispise Isa 66.2 To him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit Matth. 9.13 I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance not euery sinner but that sinner which condemneth sinne in himselfe and is weary and laden with his sinnes Mal. 11.28 Christ preferreth the harlotts and publicanes before the Pharises Matth. 21.32 for they being pricked for their sinnes and convicted did sorrow So then Christ giueth righteousnesse to them that feele themselues sinners ease to them which are burthened light to them which are in darkenes life to them which are dead and saluation to them that condemne themselues To conclude that we may the better get this holy affection of sorrow into our hearts wee must vse all helps needfull for this purpose
faith by the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 To this effect maketh excellently that worthie speach of Christ Matth. 11.12 saying that the violent take the kingdom of heauen by force that is the true Israelites though they endure bitter conflicts yet by faith hold fast God apprehēded in his word and through the same faith and patience obtaine the promises Heb. 6.12 To conclude therefore we are not to build our assurance vpon our owne sense and feeling but vpon Gods vnchangable and gratious promises made vnto vs in Christ Iesus And if at any time our sense and feeling telleth one thing that is that God hath withdrawen his loue from vs Ps 77.7.8.9 and forsaken vs Esa 54.7 and the word of God assure vs of an other thing that is that God will neuer forsake vs Heb. 13.5 but continue his loue vnto vs vnto the end Esa 49.8 wee are not to trust our owne feeling but vnto Gods promise for otherwise what doe wee else but preferre our deceiuing sense before Gods infallible truth and make God a lier because we beleeue not the truth of his written promise 1. Ioh. 5.10 After that we haue attained to faith and haue felt some effectuall working of Gods spirit in vs commonly in many of Gods children succeede not long after some deadnes and dulnes and they think in themselues that they haue lost the spirit of God as we haue before shewed Here we are to search the cause whether it be for some sinne committed or for some present duty not practised for leauing and neglecting the meanes of our saluation or for for some sinne not repented of or for not vsing the meanes of saluation vprightly To which purpose the Lord commandeth vs to take knowledge of our sinnes Ier. 3.13 and to remember from whence we are fallen Apoc. 2.5 The meanes to attaine to a sight of sinne is a diligent examination of a mans own selfe Lament 3.40 and Dauid giueth the same counsell to Sauls courtiers Psal 4.4 examine your hearts This examination must be made principally by the law of God and namely by the ten Commandements which ransaketh the heart to the very quick Rom. 3.20 for by the law commeth the knowledge of sin this was the meanes of Pauls better knowledge of himselfe Rom. 7.7 I knew not sinne but by the law And as this comparing the life with the law of God made the vnbeleeuer 1. Cor. 14.24.25 to fall downe on his face and to worship God and the Psalmist being a man after Gods owne heart to say Psal 130.3 if thou O Lord straitly markest iniquities who shall stand and therefore to begge of God saying Psal 143.2 O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liue be iustified So will it be the meanes to worke in vs a sight of our sin and to repent of the same as we haue example Acts. 2.37 who vpon Peters sermon being pricked in their hearts said Men and brethren what shal we doe To whom Peter prescribed the remedie ver 38. requiring them to amend their liues Thus by his repentance did Dauid recouer Psal 52.5 and thus Peter recouered weeping bitterly after the Lord looked vpon him Luk. 22.61.62 for if we repent God will forgiue Ier. 18.8 who after he hath spoyled vs will heale vs and hauing wounded vs will bind vs vp Heb. 6.1 for he came to seeke and to saue that which was lost Luc. 19.10 and he came not to call the righteous but the sinners vnto repentance Math. 9.13 to whom he promiseth ease and comfort Cap. 11.28 To him therfore let vs pray and say Hos 14.3 Take away all iniquity and receiue vs graciously so will we render the calues of our lippes Another remedie to recouer and stay vs in this distresse that we sinke not into the gulfe of destruction is in calling to our remembrance the times past in which we haue enioyed the loue mercie and goodnes of God and in which we in token of thankfullnes haue glorified God by a iust holy and sober conuersation Dauid being grieuously afflicted could not receiue in his soule any true comfort Psal 77.3.4 for howsoeuer he did thinke vpon the Lord yet he was still troubled what helpe did he then finde in this his present distresse he tells vs ver 5.6 that he considered the dayes of old and the yeares of auncient times he communed with his owne heart and his spirit searched diligently he remembred the workes of the Lord and his wonders of old Iob apprehending and conceuing of God as of his enemy in respect of his present sense and feeling and being moued by his freinds to doubt of his grace which he had receiued and also to condemne himselfe for an hypocrite comforteth himselfe and strengtheneth his faith in the midst of all these greiuous temptations by calling to his remembrance his fruits of faith works of sanctification which he had discerned in himselfe informer times Iob. 31.1 c. Thus we see that the faithfull feare for a time but they gather their spirits againe and recouer warm'th at the sun-shine of Gods mercies their feete were almost gone Psal 73.2 but not altogether they went into the sanctuary of the Lord ver 17. a proppe to keep them vp at length they confesse against themselues This is my infirmitie they reprooue themselues for their diffidence and howsoeuer they say in their hast that all men are liars and perhaps God himselfe not true yet by leasure they repent it and remembring Gods mercies receiue comfort Psal 119.52 The Apostle doth pithily expresse my meaning 2. Cor. 4.8 Staggering but not wholy sticking Ionah was a prisoner in a strange dungeon without light without companie without comfort in a whales belly where he accounteth himselfe as cast out of Gods sight Ion. 2.4 saying I am cast away out of thy sight but behold presently hee giueth the checke to himselfe hee recouereth in the instant when hee was in the pits mouth readie to sinke eternally and said that he would looke againe towards the Lords holy Temple This then is the fruit of beleeuing and calling to remembrance the sweete mercies of our Sauiour that in the day of sorest triall it is able to keepe vs vpright who else should fall down groueling vnto death This dulnesse and deadnes and doubtfulnesse is commonly incident vnto Gods children beeing at the same time in the estate of grace and is a part of that inbred corruption and fleshly old man which before our calling wholly possessed and ouerruled vs and after also beareth some sway in vs euen when wee are regenerate till with all other corruptions we lay this aside also by death But worldly and carnall men do neuer discerne how dull and drowsie they are in Gods seruice nor feele the huge masse of inbred corruption but fondly flatter thēselues imagining that they are in exceeding good case and verie deuout in Gods seruice which indeede as they performe it
And first of all we must be carefull and conscionable hearers of the word of God because by the power of Gods word this godly sorrow is wrought in our hearts Heb. 4.12 for the word of God is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword Mens affections are cold neither are they touched and displeased with their sinnes so long as they be in ignorance but when the word of God peirceth into the deepest bottome of their heart and telleth them that they haue to doe with the Lord then they are touched with sorrow and begin to feare and to come to the knowledge and feeling of that whereof before they were ignorant Ioh. 16.8 For he reproueth the world of sinne that is the spirit of God by the word awaketh our consciences that those sinnes which before were hid should be made manifest It was a good while before Dauid openly confessed his cruell sinnes to Nathan or to God neither did he find comfort of conscience vntill he had thus confessed 2. Sam. 12. Iosephs brethren were thirteene yeares and neuer remembred their sinne vntill after such time as the Lord laide it out before them Gen. 42.21 The woman of Samaria was pleasant and iested with our Sauiour Christ vntill her sinnes were opened and then she beganne to answere with more reuerence for vntill she was willed to call her husband she thought all was safe but after she was told she had played the Adultres she acknowledged him that he was a prophet The Iewes cared not for the Apostles nor made any conscience of their sinnes but after they had heard Peter preaching against their sinnes then they left off mocking were pricked in their hearts Act. 2.37 Paul 1. Cor. 14.24.25 saith If all doe prophesie and there come in one that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all men and is iudged of all men and so are the secrets of the heart made manifest and so will he fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainely that God is in you in deed where he sheweth that the word of God citeth and sommoneth our consciences before the tribunall of God and woundeth vs with a liuely feeling of Gods iudgements and sense of our sinnes Because it is a supernaturall worke we must intreate the Lord according to his promise Zach. 12.10 to put his spirit into vs and thereby to mollifie our stony hearts as he hath couenanted Ezech. 36.26 Otherwise we may toile out our selues in vaine and after a long and tedious strife be as farre nay further from a tender and sorrowful heart then we were at the beginning The Apostle Iam. 4. requireth vs to draw neare vnto God to witte by the ministerie of the word by partaking of the holy Sacraments and by faithfull and feruent praier and then he saith that God will draw neare vnto vs namely in his mercie and goodnes and in all the fruits and effects thereof Now ver 9. marke what the Apostle addeth Afflict your selues sorrow and weepe c. The griefe signifieth that heauines which is ioyned with a certaine shamefastnesse as appeareth in the countenance And if we thus begin to cast downe our selues before the Lord he will assuredly raise vs vp ver 10. We must aggrauate our sinnes by calling to our minds our many and great offences against his Maiestie and by laying before our eyes in as particular manner as we can our corruptions both originall and actuall before and since our callings here consider how grieuous they haue beene many of them being committed against our knowledge and consciences yea against those promises and couenants that we haue made vnto the Lord for the resisting and forsaking of them Further we are to thinke with our selues of how long continuance they haue beene how offensiue how pernitious and infectious to others how many we haue poysoned by them of whose recouery we are altogether vncertaine some of them for ought we know to the contrarie being alreadie in torments in hell fire for the sinnes whereinto we haue drawne them and others perchance likely enough to goe the same way after them if the Lord doe not in mercie preuent them by his grace These and the like meditations will cause our hearts if they be not past sense and feeling somewhat to relent Thus Nehemiah aggrauateth their sins that liued in his time Neh. 6.7 c. And so did Dauid his owne corruptions endeauouring in many words to make them odious in his owne eyes Psal 51.5 acknowledging that he was conceiued in sinne which was the fountaine of all and brought forth in iniquitie that God required truth in the inward parts ver 9. but he had beene hypocriticall and false-hearted that God had taught him wisedome in the secret of his heart but he had put that out of his consideration and cast it behind his backe when it should haue restrained him from all those ill courses that he tooke Thus holy Dauid labours to set out the haniousnes of his offenses that his owne soule might abhorre them and all the world might see his vtter detestation of them We must not onely with patience endure but with earnestnes entertaine the admonitions and reproofes of those which haue beene and are acquainted with our behauiour For we are so full of selfe loue that others may easily discerne more euill in vs then we can espie in our selues and those of all other are the best and most faithfull freinds that will mercifully and wisely though sharply and roundly tell vs of our faults as Nathan dealt with Dauid when his heart had bin withdrawne by lying in sinnes vnrepented of 2. Sam. 12. which priuate admonition of his as we may obserue was then a more effectuall meanes for his rowzing out of that dead slumber then the publike ordinances of God which is not spoken as if this priuate dealing were to be preferred before Gods publike ordinances but that we may haue each of them in due estimation When we by our owne searching and examination and by the plaine and faithfull admonitions of others haue found out our manifold corruptions and sinnes then in the next place let vs inwardly and seriously meditate vpon the infinit mercy of God in giuing vs his Sonne and also consider the incomparable loue of the Sonne in submitting himselfe to become a ransome for vs 1. Ioh. 4.10 Rom. 5.8 when as we neuer intreated or desired it on our part nay euen then when wee were children of wrath Ephes 2.3 and his mortall enemies Rom. 5.10 This was the thing that caused the Iewes Zach. 12.10 so to mourne and lament because they considered what Christ had suffered in their behalfe And this should breake and bruise our hearts as it did others that we wounded and pearced Christ our Sauiour by our transgressions For the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and by his stripes we were healed Isa 53.5 Looke as the blood followed the nailes that were stricken through