~·If·'· Otl:neRe· pentance? ~rjf.2· Dirtll. I• Direll. 2• InftruBions to tiJe Unconwrted i11 Sicknefs. ~· 9· The[e four Directions truly praCbfed, will ytt fc::t you on Cafe giound, as f:td and dange– rous as your condition is ; But it is not the hearing of th,m, or the hue approbation of rhcm rh:1t will fervc the turn: To fir:d out your finful miferable ftatt, and to be truly humbled for it, and to difcern rhc Remedy which you havr: in Chri11, and penitently and belitving to r.nrer inro his Covc– nanr, ~nd to fee that ycur H:tppinefs is whoHy in the Love and fruition of God. and t() believe rhe Glory prepued for the S.1ints, and to prefn it before all the prcfpttity of rhc \\orId, and Love ic and ft:t your hearts upon ir, and to rcfolvc 011 a hol)' life if you !lJould recover, forfaking eh is de~ ceirful world a.nd.flt~l; all this is a work r.hat i5 nor fo calily_ done as mentioned,_and rrquircrh rour ~ofl fenOUS flxed thoughtS ; and mdeEd h~d been ht!er for yuur youthful vigor, than _tor aplmlul weak dilkmperrd Hue. Bur mCiffity 1S upon you : lr mujf nud1 be yet done and throi.1ghly a11d iil;ccrdy done, or you are Jolt tor ever. And then:.fore do ir as well as you' can and (ee that your hc.nrs do not trifle and deceive you. In fome rcfpect you have greater hdp; than ever }'I)U h:1J b~;.forc: You cmnot now keep up ymu· hard-heartcdnefs and fecumy, by look– ing ar dt:adJ :;.s a great way otl: You havt: now fuller experitncc than tver you llld before, what the fl.fh and all i1s pltafuns will come to, and what good )'OUr flnful fports aud rccrc:ll ions and merrirnents will do you; and what al~ the rich's and grc:ltncfs and gallantry, and honours of the world are worrh, and what they will do for you in the d<r.y of your neaflicy: You fland fa neer another world, and mut1 fo quickly appear before the Lord, thar merhinks a dead and fenJidS hea"rt fllould no longer be abl.c to 1n1keyou fl.eight, your God, your Saviour and yom cndlefs IifC: And on~ would think that the flL(h and world fhould never be ablc: to dcctivc you any more. 0 bappy fo~o~l if yet at laO:, you are nor only frightened into an unfound Rep.:ntance, but C.tn b.J.U! all fin, and Love the Lord, and trutl in Chrifi, and give up your felf entirely to him, and fer your heu t upon rhac bldfcd life, where you may fce and Love him perfeCtly for ever! 9· IO· Q:ltO:. But wiU folate Rtptntance {ervl! the turn, for oue tb.Jt hatb bre1Z (o long ungodly? An[w. Ye1, if it bcfincere: But there'J all the doubt; and that's it rhat your falvuiou now dc– pcndeth on. Qut::ll. But how may I k,.~-tow whether it be fincere? A11[w. 1. If you be not only frightened into it; but your very beart and wiU and Love is changed. 2 . If it t'xtcnd both to the c_nd and the necrffary mu;tJ: lo rhat you Love Gocl and the Jvjru of Hcavm above all earthly profpenty and pleafure :, and alfo you had rJtbcr be perfeWy HJ/y, ttlan live in all'the ddights of fin: and if ) 10U bateevery known fin, and l.Jove the holy wayes and fcrvanrs of God, and this unfeignedly, thii is a true change. 3• And if this Repentance and change be fuch as wiU hold, if God fhould recover you, and would thew it felf in a new and holy and [elf-denying life: (which certainly it will do, if it come not on)' horn fear, but from L ove): But i£ you re– nounce the world and the Adh againtl your wi!b, bccaufe you know there is no remedy, and if you hid farewell to your worldly finful pleafures, not becaufc you love God better, bur becaufe you cau1tot keep them though you would, and if you take nor God and Heaven as your Btjl, but only. for Better than HeY, but not as Better than worldly profperity, wh!ch yet you would choofc if you had your choice:, This kind of Repentance will never fave you, and if you ll1ould recover, ir would vanith away, and come to nothing, as foon as your fearrof death arc over) and you are returned to your worldly delights again. Though now in your extremity you. cry our nev~r fo confi– dently, 0 I had rather have Heaven than Earth, and I had rather have Chri!l and Holinefs than all the pleafures and profpcrity of Gnners, yet if it be not from a renewed fanct-itied Heart, that hJd rather be fuch indeed, bur from meer 1ttceffiryand fear, and agaioft the bhbic of your Hearts and wlflr this is but fuch a Rrpentanceas JudJflnd, that is neither tincere ac prefcnr, nor if you t·ccover wili hold you to a holy lite. ll. DirtUionJio the San/1ijied, for a Cafe departure. ~· ·I· Whm tl1e foul is truly Co~verted and San6lified, the principal bufinefs is difparched, that is ncce1Tary to afafe departure; But yet I cannot fay that there is no more to be done. 'fhey were Godly perfCns that are exhorted, 2 Pt:t. I. to. to give diligence to mak,.e tbcir c.;Uing a~d elettion fore; which being (as the G1e.:k importeth) not only tO make it l{:JVwnor certai1z, but to make it firm, doth fignifie more than barcJy to difcern it. The[c: following duties are yet further necef– fary. §. 2- Direct. I· SatiJfie 1t0t your felvu that once yeu f vund _ymtr frlvu fincert, but, if yo:tr un· derft<IndingJ he clear and free, renew the try:zl, and ifyou are infufficiem f'r it of your {cif, mak_.c ufe of the help of afaitbful judiciortJ Miniftlr o: friend. for when a man is go:ng to the bar of God, ic concerneth him to make all as fure as poJ1Jbly he can. 9· 3· Direct. 2· Review your live~, aitd renew your rmiverj:Jl Repentanct_, for aU the finJ tbat evr:r you committed: and alfo let your p:~rticular Rtpentance txtend to every particular fin which you remember : but r:fpecially Repent ofyo~tr mojf aggravated foul-wounding fht!· For if your Repentance be ttniverjjl and true, it will alfo be p.:zrtimlar; and you will be fpccially humbled for your fpecial fins. And fearch deep and fee that none efcape you. And think not that you are not called to Repent of them> or ask forgivencfs, becaufe you have Repented of them long agoe, and received apardon: For this ii a thing to be done even to th~ !all.
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