called sometimes godly sorrow, 2 Cor. 7:10; and sometimes a contrite
1. First, is contrition or grief of heart for sins committed. Now this is called sometimes godly sorrow, 2 Cor. 7:10; and sometimes a contrite spirit, Isa. 66:2; and sometimes a broken and contrite heart, Ps. 51:17; and sometimes the afflicting of our souls, Lev. 16:29; and sometimes the humbling of the heart, 2 Chron. 7:14, Lam. 3:20; and sometimes a mourning, Zech. 12:10; and sometimes a weeping, Mark 14:72. All repenting sinners are mourning sinners. David repents, and waters his couch with his tears, Ps. 6:6. Hezekiah repents, and humbles himself for the pride of his heart, 2 Chron. 32:26. Ephraim repents, and Ephraim bemoans himself and smites upon his thigh, and is even confounded, Jer. 31:18, 19. Mary Magdalene repents, and weeps, and washes Christ's feet with her tears, Luke 7:38. The Corinthians repented, and they were made sorry after a godly manner, 2 Cor. 7:9. Repentance in the Hebrew is called נחם, an irking of the soul; and in Greek, μεταμέλεια, after-grief, and μετάνοια, after-wit; and in the Latin, pœnitentia; all which do import, that contrition or sorrow for sin is one part of true repentance. Oh the sighs, the groans, the sobs, the tears, that are to be found among repenting sinners, &c. Luther hit the mark when he said, 'What are all the palaces of the world to a contrite heart; yea, heaven and earth, seeing it is the seat of divine majesty? '
2. Secondly, It is very observable, that all mourning persons for their sins, are within the compass of the promise of forgiveness of sins: Zech. 12:11, 'In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo.' Zech. 13:1, 'In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness' Jer. 31:18, 'I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning of himself,' &c. Ver. 20, 'I will surely have mercy on him;' or, as the Hebrew has it, I will, having mercy, have mercy on him. As soon as Ephraim's heart is troubled for his sins, God's bowels are troubled