- -- __ $ a c T. IX. ofConverfton, a Turning unto God. 45'1/ deteftationof fin; this isabfolately tobepretled : No man can think he is con, vetted that bath not this, But then for (enfible and bodily tears; praelical Di- vin4s give thefedirect#ions : firft that in the pangs of our converfion, and while the foul is in its firfalabour, thenmany timesfuch Tears abound t whereas afterwards in the progreffeof fan@ification, they arenot powred out eafily. Benot then pre- featly difcouraged, as if thy heart werea rock, and an hard Milfaone, becaufe thou finds no affedtion, no melting, no rears faynot, Thyheaven. is made Brallè or Iron ; for it may be the time pathbeen, that thy two eyes have been as the Chur. ches in the Canticles are Paid, tobe like the Fi(h-pools of Hefhben, Remember then the bottlesoftears thou thendidftfill.Its not probable that MaryMagdalen could alwayes-weep fo plentifully as (hedid at her firft Converfion toChM}, and recon- ciliation withhim. Secondly , Divines giveanother goodRule, which is to regard thyTut- pole , and well advifed forfaking of finne, fo as never to returnto it , more thanany tears whacfoever ; for Hypocriteshave flied tears, and they many times antefrom the bodily Confaitution t Some can weepwhen they lift ; as there were women hired tomourn a and experience eelsus, of many that will weep and cry for their fins, and yet forall that commit themagain. Daft thou therefore finde that thy foul loatheth fin, and that thou claret} not, or canft not entertain any fin in thy life? never then quefaion thy condition, becaufe thou cants not flied tears, for theft areaccidental and feparable, but the otheris effencial tograce ; and this dif- covers the hypocrifie of manie, that becaufe they can fometimes weep and crie, when they fpeakof their fins, they therefore conclude all is well,though they goon in the pra@ice of fin. No, its inward hating, andoutward forfakingof them upon fpiritual grounds, will more teflifie thy Canverhoq then rivets of water flawing from thy eyes. Thirdly, If thou haft mourning and lighing,becaufe thou cantt not befo paffïo- nately affeaed with thy fins, as with temporal evils Thismay alto flay thy heart, thoutauft not go out and weep bitterly, thou can[f not water thy bedwith tears, as Ibaviddid. Oh,but dolt thou groan and fighafter moredegrees of godly for- row ? thismay fatisfic thee : for they that hunger and thirft are ble(fed ; and if the Spirit of Godwork in thee groans unutterable, this is greater forrow than weep- ing ; Groans of heart, are more than tears in the eye. When one Tfannenitaa an Heathen lawhisfriend put todeath; hewept abundantly ; but afterwards, when his Sonswere brought to execution, hedid not weep. The reafon was asked, and this wasreturned ,Levescureloquuntur,ingentes fiupent, Lightgriefmaybe vented, but infinitegrieffiupifetb; and to many times the godly heart is in fuch an amazement' and a(toni(hmentthat ftupifieth it. Laftly, Then onely is wantof Tears for fin, matter of trouble,when it is becaufe of want of hatred to fin, want of meditation, orwant of love to God. Asfor ex= ample, Thou haft loft thyhusband, thy friend, fuch an eftate,and thy daily thoughts of thisaggravating every circumftance, makes thee weep many fhowrs. Now if thou diditferioufly letthy felf to meditate about fin and all the aggravationsof ir, thy heart would melt as abundantly alto; but thy negligence,thy worldly cares; thy hard heart, thy carelefneffe that makes thee fo fenfele(fe. Know in this cafe, thewant of fears is thy fault, and thou dolt not meditateand pierce thyheartwith £harp confiderations that water may gufh out. Nowlet us fee, why Converfaon is to be with mourning and weeping: And Why maaín Firfa,Becaufe the*viaoffents far greater both in the loffeit brings too, and thepofitive!ngmoc-P. damageitplungeth tss into,than any ootwardevillwhatfoever, What a flume then is còinpany cou ir,eo fee peopleweep over theirdeadfriends?,Oh none have lucha lofsas they have; ecban. andnot toweepover their dead fouls, for there is no fuch loffe as that byfin : Shall ;` that fuperfhtions man make fuch a waiting forhis Idols that were taken away,and (halt not thola mournbitterly, becaufe thou lofeft God and heaven by fin. Its the bitterevill of fin, that makes all otherafflidtions bitters there had beenno other eviki
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