SaoT.IX. of Cooverfiwn, or Tamingmoo God, 489 _ fpirit;for betides that Homer makes his Heroical fpiritseierdus ;uisaeafie toweep, who morewarlike andpotent then David?yet how manypenitential andmourn- ful Pfalms cloth hemake forfm. ArtItIt44.444:444144444A:kitat SERMON LXX.Xi I, Tbe C4tureand ecejs-it) of qodly Sorrow and Weepingfor Sinne, as accompanying ConTér- JOe L. 2.13. .Ánárentyour hearts, and net yaw' garments. WEV are arrived to the fourth Obfervable pafiage in the Prophets Ear Y hortation, and that is the formor nature wherein this turning toGod cloth confih. Thevery being and (sibilanceofconverfon to God, is expreffed in this phrafe, Rentyour hearts, and not your garments. To Rentthe heart, is a Metaphor from bodies or garments, as in the Dodrine is tobe Phew- ed : Onely two things may be taken noticeof in this phrafc.To rent thegarments, was a cuftom among the Jews, whereby they did declare their exceffrveand im- patient forrow or detellation : Thus the High Priell rent his cloathes, when he charged Chrift with Blafphemy ; and Ahab rent hisdoadies, when there was fearof fome great judgements coming upon them: ThusPaul and Silas rent their garments with indignation, when the people of Lyftra would have facri- fired ro them as Gods, Alts 14. 14. Thus you fee it was a cu-ftomamong the Jews,in apprehenhion ofgreat grief, either forfins or judgements, to renttheir garments; as they ufedalfotocover their heads with afhes and togo in lack- cloath, which outward forms ofmourning, are not to be drawn into pradice a- mong us, becaufe all Nations have their feveral ways of publique mourning. The next thing obfervable is, the expreffion by way of negation, Rent your hearts, and notyourgarments; its ufual with theHebrews, toeáprefsacompara- tiveby a negative, Rent your hearts, and not your garments, that is, rather then yourgarments; fo, IWauldhave mercy, andnot facrifcce; i.e. rather then facri- fice : God by this teaching ùs, that all external duties of Worthip andReligi- on arenothing atall, without thegracious and godly frame ofthe heart. That Converfion untoGod is aceompanyed ?reith a tearing or rending of the Ohferv, heart. Of rending. It is with as mach grief and agony, as ìf thevery heart were torn afunder. He the heart. trikus, thatturning to God lothnot confdi inoutward adsofhumiliation and furrow; ifthis were fo, hypocrites would be very diligent in it; no, there mull bea cuttingor dividing the heart afunder, from all thofe former fins, that were fo conftantly committed. This point is worthy theMinifters earneft zeal, for people generally are not in earneft about this work ; they will hearmuch, yea, itmay be, faymuch aboutit ; but to havethe heart thus wrought upon, is very rare. Rrr To
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