1 in the general. 327. .of it ; with full ,purpofe to refiil: the motions of it h1 our heart, and the outbreakings thereof in our life : and, ·if we. turn not unto Go&, as our rightful Lord · and .Mafier, and return to our duty again, If we are indeed true penitents, we'll turn from fin, , not only becaufe 'ris dangerous ·and ~e!huCl:ive to us; but be· caufe 'tis offenfive to G~d, difhonours his ·son, grieves his Spirit,tranfgreffeth his Jaw,and defacethhisimage: and we'll cafi away a,ll 'our tranfgreffions, not only as one would cail: away a iive-coa,l out of his bofom, for that it burns hi-m; but as one would cail: away a lothfome and filthy thing, for that it defiles him. But withal, it is to be remembred, 'that the true way to deal with a hard heart, to bring it to this temper, is to believe the gofpel. As, ravenous fowls firfi fly upward, and then come down on their prey; fo mull: we firfr foar aloft in believing, and then we · fhall come down, in deep humiliation, fincere and free confeffion, and true repentance, Zech. xii. 10. Th~y lhalllook upon me whom they have pierced. · and lhall mourn.' Therefore the Scripture propofeth . the objeCl: of faith, in the promife of grace, as a mo– tive ,to r~pentance, that by a believing apprication t hereof, the hard heart may be moved and turned~ Joel ii. 13. 'Turn ,unto the Lord your God; for he is grac~ous. One may' oth~rwife toil long with it : ' ,.bu,t all in vain. ' Without fa ith it is impoffible to pleafe God,' Heb. xi. 6. and therefore, impoffible to reach true humilia tion, right confe!liori, and fincere repentance, which are very pleafing to him, Jer. xxxi. 18, 19,_ 20. The, unbelieving finner may be brought t o roar under law horror ; but one will never be a kindly mourner, but under gofpel-influences• .When g uilt frares one in the face, unbelieflocks up the heart, c.1s a keen frofi cloth the waters ; but faith in the Re· ~eemer's blood, melts it, t~ flow in tears of godly 1orrow. Hard thoughts ofGod, which unbelieffug– gefis to a foul Hung with guilt, alienate that foul more and·
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