g ® Chap. 42. ° 'vánExpefition uponthe Book of j o s. - Verf. 6y There is joy in heaven when a (inner repenteth (Luke 15.7.) As he that found his loft fheep brought it home, and re. joyced in it more than over the ninety and nine that did not go affray : So(faith Chrift) there is joy an heaven over one fanner that repenteth, more than over ninety andnine fu,(t perfons that need no repentance.. True forrow onearth maketh joy inheaven. Secondly, There is joy in the Church ; The godly on earth rejoyce at the known repentance of a finer. When the prodi- gal fon came home, his father Paid to his difcontentedbrother, is wat meet that we fhosaldmake merry and be glad; for thisthy bro. ther was dead, and is alive again, he was loft, and is found. The Apoftle greatly rejoyced au the 'repentance of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 7. 9.) Now !rejoyce,not that ye were made lorry, but that you forromed torepentance. Their forrow occafiond his joy, yet not chat,but their repentance was the caufe of ir. There is no better joy on earth,thanthat which arifeth out of the duff of re- penting forrows. As the Apoltle John hadno greater joy than to bear that hie (fpiritual) children walked in thetruth (Ephef. 3.4.) So, what greater joy can we have, than,to fee any who had gone affray from,returnìng to the truth? Thirdly, Repentance iffueth in joychiefly to the foul repent- ing. If other mens repentance caufeth our joy, our own will caufe it much more ( 2 Cor. 7. To.) Godly forrow woeketb repen- tance to falvation, not to be repented of. The Apoftles meaning is more than he (peaks ; repentance not tobe repented of, is repen- tance to be rejoyced and gloried in. We cannot take comfort in our ins, but we may take much comfort in repenting for our fins, as that repentance is joyned with faith in Chrift, who bath given uspower to repent, and who is for bimfelf to be rejoyced nn. Laftly, Take thisgeneral note from the whole matter. The fpeakings of God to man, whether mediate or im»eediate, are mighty and effetlual. The fpeaking of man to man barely can do, nothing, but the fpeaking of man toman in the power of Godwill do much ; how much more if God himfeíf fpeak á God finite to fob, and there mighty effects followed, Firft% Selfabhorrence; Secondly .
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