But I will now speak to those, who feel indeed in themselves a Desire to repent , and yet cannot come to acknozvledgc and bewail their committed Sins. The Flesh saying continually to the Soul, Stay a-while , it is zvell enough ; or it is Lime enough Tomorrow ; and when To-morrow is come, then the Flesh saith again To-morrow ; the Soul in the meanwhile, sighing and fainting, conceiveth neither any true Sorrow for the Sins it hath committed, nor any Comfort . Unto such a one, I say, I will write a Process or Way, which I myself have gone, that he may know what he must do, and how it went with me, if peradventure he be inclined to enter into and pursue the same, and then he will come to understand what he shall find here afterwards written.
A Prpcess of Repentance ;
Or Way to Conversion.
W HEN any Man findeth in himself by^he former or any other Considerations, pressed home upon his Mind and Conscience, a Hunger, ox Desire to repent, and yet feeleth no true Sorrow in himself for his Sins which he hath committed, but only an Hunger , or Desire of such Sorrow ; so that the poor captive Soul conOf 'True ‘Repentance. 9 tinually sigheth , fcareth , and must needs acknowledge itself guilty of Sins before the Judgment of God. Such a one, I say, can .take no better Course than this, namely, to wrap up his Senses , Mind, and Reason together, and make to himself instantly, as soon as ever he perceiveth in himself the Desire to 1'epent , a mighty strong Purpose and Resolution that he will that very Hour , nay that Minute , immediately t enter into Repentance , and go forth from his wicked Way, and not at all regard the Power and Respect of the World. Yea, and if it should be required, would forsake and disesteem all Things for true Repentaiice sake; and never depart from that Resolution again, though he should be made the Fool and Scorn of all the World for 'it. But that with the full Bent and Strength of his Mind he will go forth from the Beauty and Pleasure of the World, and .patiently enter into the Passion and Death of Christ in and under the Cross , a^id set all his Hope and Confidence Upon tfie Life to come. That even now in Righteousness and Truth he will enter into the Vineyard of Christ , and do the Will of God. That in the Spirit and Will of Christ he will begin and finish all his Actions in this World, and for the sake of Christ 1 s Word and Promise, which holds forth to us an Heavenly Reward ’ willingly take up and bear every Adversity and Cross, so that he may but be admitted into the Communion or Fellowship of thb Children of Christ , and in the Blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ be incorporated and united unto His Humanity .
He must firmly imagine to himself, and wholly wrap up his Soul in this Persuasion, that in such his Purpose he shall obtain •the Love of God in Christ Jesus , and that God will give unto him, according to His faithful Promise, that noble Pledge, the Holy (jhost, for an Earnest ; that, in the Humanity of Christ , as to the Heavenly Substance , he shall be born again in himself, and that the Spirit of Christ will renew his Mind with His Love and Pqper , and strengthen his weak Faith. Also that in his Divine Hunger he shall get the Flesh and Blood of Christ for Food and Drink , in the Desire of his Soul, which hungereth and thirsteth after it as its proper Nutriment ; and with the Thirst of the Soul drink the Water of eternal Ufe out of the sweet Fountain of JesuS Christ , as Christ's most true and steadfast Promise is.
He must also wholly and firmly imagine to himself, and set Before him, the gteat Love of Qod. That Qod willeth not the Death of a Sinner , but that he repent and believe; that Christ calleth poor Sinners vefy kindly and graciously to Himself, and ‘will refresh them ; that 4 God hath sent His Son into the World, "to seek and save that which is lost/ viz., the poor Repentant and returning Sinner ; and that for the poor Sinner’s Sake ib The VPay to Qhrist.
He hath given His Life unto Deaths and died for him in our
Humanity which He took upon Him.
But I will now speak to those, who feel indeed in themselves a Desire to repent , and yet cannot come to acknozvledgc and bewail their committed Sins. The Flesh saying continually to the Soul, Stay a-while , it is zvell enough ; or it is Lime enough Tomorrow ; and when To-morrow is come, then the Flesh says again To-morrow ; the Soul in the meanwhile, sighing and fainting, conceives neither any true Sorrow for the Sins it has committed, nor any Comfort . Unto such a one, I say, I will write a Process or Way, which I myself have gone, that he may know what he must do, and how it went with me, if peradventure he be inclined to enter into and pursue the same, and then he will come to understand what he shall find here afterwards written.
A Prpcess of Repentance ;
Or Way to Conversion.
W HEN any Man finds in himself by^he former or any other Considerations, pressed home upon his Mind and Conscience, a Hunger, ox Desire to repent, and yet feels no true Sorrow in himself for his Sins which he has committed, but only an Hunger , or Desire of such Sorrow ; so that the poor captive Soul conOf 'True ‘Repentance. 9 tinually sighs , fcars , and must needs acknowledge itself guilty of Sins before the Judgment of God. Such a one, I say, can .take no better Course than this, namely, to wrap up his Senses , Mind, and Reason together, and make to himself instantly, as soon as ever he perceives in himself the Desire to 1'epent , a mighty strong Purpose and Resolution that he will that very Hour , nay that Minute , immediately t enter into Repentance , and go forth from his wicked Way, and not at all regard the Power and Respect of the World. Yea, and if it should be required, would forsake and disesteem all Things for true Repentaiice sake; and never depart from that Resolution again, though he should be made the Fool and Scorn of all the World for 'it. But that with the full Bent and Strength of his Mind he will go forth from the Beauty and Pleasure of the World, and .patiently enter into the Passion and Death of Christ in and under the Cross , a^id set all his Hope and Confidence Upon tfie Life to come. That even now in Righteousness and Truth he will enter into the Vineyard of Christ , and do the Will of God. That in the Spirit and Will of Christ he will begin and finish all his Actions in this World, and for the sake of Christ 1 s Word and Promise, which holds forth to us an Heavenly Reward ’ willingly take up and bear every Adversity and Cross, so that he may but be admitted into the Communion or Fellowship of thb Children of Christ , and in the Blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ be incorporated and united unto His Humanity .
He must firmly imagine to himself, and wholly wrap up his Soul in this Persuasion, that in such his Purpose he shall obtain •the Love of God in Christ Jesus , and that God will give unto him, according to His faithful Promise, that noble Pledge, the Holy (jhost, for an Earnest ; that, in the Humanity of Christ , as to the Heavenly Substance , he shall be born again in himself, and that the Spirit of Christ will renew his Mind with His Love and Pqper , and strengthen his weak Faith. Also that in his Divine Hunger he shall get the Flesh and Blood of Christ for Food and Drink , in the Desire of his Soul, which hungers and thirsts after it as its proper Nutriment ; and with the Thirst of the Soul drink the Water of eternal Ufe out of the sweet Fountain of JesuS Christ , as Christ's most true and steadfast Promise is.
He must also wholly and firmly imagine to himself, and set Before him, the gteat Love of Qod. That Qod wills not the Death of a Sinner , but that he repent and believe; that Christ calls poor Sinners vefy kindly and graciously to Himself, and ‘will refresh them ; that 4 God has sent His Son into the World, "to seek and save that which is lost/ viz., the poor Repentant and returning Sinner ; and that for the poor Sinner’s Sake ib The VPay to Qhrist.
He has given His Life unto Deaths and died for him in our
Humanity which He took upon Him.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.