8 I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea,
Sacramental Meditations.
THE EIGHTH
UPON PSAL . xl . 8. I delight todo thy will O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.
Cafting ed and darkned with variety, yea, contrariety ofexpofitions. TheJews and Socinians generally refer allto David, denying Chrift to bethe perfon here ſpokenof. Others refer the whole Pfalm to Chrift ; but the beſt expoſitors refer it partly to David, and partlyto Chriſt, that this paragraph inwhich my text lies, refers to Chriſt, is plain from the apostle's allegation of it in Heb. x. 5, 6, 7. In this and the two former verſes there lie threegreat points of truth, which you may take up inthisorder.
First, The infufficiency and rejection ofall legal facrifices, as things of no virtue in themselves to fatisfy God, or ſave men, ver. 6.
These thou wouldst not ; i. e. thou never didſt appoint them to be the means of falvation, farther than they fignified and pointedatme, andnow muſt vaniſhwhenIcome in abody of flesh ; according to that, Col. ii. 17.
Secondly, The introduction of a complete and ſufficient means of redemption, ver. 7. Lo, I come.
/ Thirdly, The ſuitableness and agreeableness ofthis work of redemption to the heart and will of Jeſus Chriſt, ver. 8. " I de- " light to do thy will, O myGod ; yea, thy law is withinmy
"heart;" or, as it is inthe Hebrew, in the midst of my bowels.
In the words we are to note two things ; viz . iſt, The riſeand ſpring ofman's redemption.
2dly, The acceptablenefs and fuitableness of itto the heart of Christ .
{ 1st, The rife and firſt ſpring ofman's redemption, the will andpleaſure ofGod. Soitpleaſed the Lord to appoint and order it, that a remnant of poor loft finners ſhould be faved.
The execution and accomplishment ofthis good pleaſure of God, was that partwhich by agreement and conſentwas committed to the Son, and is here called a law, or command laid upon him ; and, anſwerably, the death of Chriſt is repreſented as an act of obedience, Phil. ii. 8. and reſpectedGod's com- . mand for it; John x..18. " This commandmenthave I receiv
Sacramental Meditations.
" ed from myFather;" referring to the covenant of redemptionwhich was betwixt them from everlasting: And this was the rife and firſt ſpring of our redemption by Chrift.
2dly, You have here the gratefulneſs and ſuitableness of this work to the heart of Chriſt Idelight to do it ; it is in my heart : Lo, I come.
TheHebrew wordsnote not ſimple conſent or willingness, but the highest pleaſure and complacency that can be ; awork which raviſhes his soul with the delights of it, Idelight todo thy will; and that other expreſſion, Thy law is within my heart, or bowels, hath as deep a ſenſe and fignification as the former ; it notes the greatest care, ſollicitude, and intention of mind, in keeping the moſt precious treaſure that was committed to him ! for ſo the phrase is uſed in Prov. iv. 21. and fodid ourRedeemer eſteem and reckon this work, which wasby the Father demandated andcommitted to him. Hence the note is,
Doct. That the will of God to redeem finners by the incarnation and death ofJesus Christ, was most grateful and pleasing to the very heart ofChrist.
It is faid, Prov. viii. 31. When hewas folacing himſelf in the ſweetest enjoyment of his Father, whilst he lay in that bleffed boſom of delights, yet the very profpect of this work gave him pleaſure, Then were his delights with thefons ofmen.
Andwhenhe was come into the world, and had endured many abuſes and injuries, and was even now come tothe moſt difficult part of the work ; yet, how am Istraitned, or pained,
(faithhe) tillit be accomplished, Luke xii . 50 .
Two things call our thoughts to stay upon them in this point.
First, The decency of it, why it ought to be ſo.
Secondly, The reasons of it, whence it came to be fo.
First, Why it ought to be a pleasant and grateful thing to Chrift to take a body of flesh, and lay it down by death again for the redemption of finners .
1. It became Chrift to go about this work with chearfulneſs anddelight, that thereby he might give his death the nature and formality of a facrifice.
In all facrifices you fhall find thatGod had still a regard, a ſpecial reſpect, to the will ofthe offerer.
See Exod. xxxv. 5 .
21. and Lev. i. 3. the voluntarineſs and chearfulneſs with which it is given, is of great regard with God.
2. It ought to be ſo, in regard ofthe unityofChrift's will, with the Father's.
The work ofour redemption is called the
Sacramental Meditations. pleasure of the Lord, Ifa. liii. to. and what was the Father's pleaſure, could not be diſpleaſing tohim who is one with the Father.
Itis impoſſible their wills can claſh, whoſe nature is one.
3. This was neceſſarytomagnifyandcommendthelove of Jeſus Chrift to us,forwhom hegavehimself.
That he came intotheworld to die for us, is a mercy ofthe firſt magnitude, but that he came in love to our souls, and underwent all his ſufferings with fuch willingness for our fakes, this heightens it above allapprehenfion. O, this is the moſttaking, the moſt raviſhing, themoſt aſtoniſhing confideration ofall: "Heloved me, and gave himself for me," Gal. ii. 20, " He loved us,
" and washed us from our fins in his own blood," Rev. i. 5.
Herelove is in its highest exaltation.
4. Itwas neceſſary tobeſo, for the regulating of all ourobe dience toGod according to this pattern,thatſeeingand ſetting this great example of obedience before us, we might never grudge norgrumble at anydutyor fuffering thatGodſhould callusto; " You knowthe grace of our Lord Jesus Chriſt ;
" how, that though he was rich, yet for our fakes he became 66 poor," faith the apostle, when he would preſs the Corinthians to their duty, 2 Cor. viii. 9. And when he would effectuallyurge the Philippians to theirduty,this isthe argument,
" Let this mind be in you, which alſowas in Chrift Jeſus,"
Phil. ii. 5. Sothat itbecame and behoved Chriftthus to undertake this great ſervice.
Secondly, Next let us confider and examine whence it came tobe ſo pleaſant and acceptable to Jeſus Chriſt, to come into the worldanddie for poor finners.
Andwe shall find although the ſufferings ofChrift were exceeding ſharp, and the cup ofGod's wrath unspeakably bitter, yetthatwhich made itpleaſant anddefirable to Jefus Chriſt, was the profpect he had of the ſweet reſults and iſſues of his fufferings, Ifa. liii 10, 11. " He shall fee ofthe travailof his
" foul and ſhall be fatisfied," (i. e.)he ſhall havegreatcontent and pleaſure from the iſſues and fruits of his fufferings, as Pfal. cxxviii. 2. " Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands,"
(i. e.) the fruit of thy labours.
So here, " He shall fee the " travail ofhis foul," ( i. e,) the fruit and effects of his travail ; andtofee this thallbe tohim the reward and recompence of all his fufferings. Now, among the ſweet reſults of the fufferings of Chriſt there are eſpecially theſe three, which he foreſawwith fingularcontent and delectation.
First, That in his fufferings therewould be made aglorious
Sacramental Meditations.
diſplayand manifeftation of the divine attributes ; yea, ſuch a gloriousdiſplayof them, as was never made before to angels or tomen, nor ever ſhall be any more in this world.
For though, 1. Thewiſdom of God had made itſelf viſible to men in the creation of the world, yetthere itſhonebut in a faint and languiſhing beam, compared with this. Heredivine wisdom put itſelf as itwere into a viſible form, and repreſented itſelf to the life.
See 1 Cor. i. 24. and Eph. iii. 16. Behold, in the death of Chrift, the wisdom of God in its highest exaltation andglory : O the manifold wisdom of God! O the depth of his unſearchable wiſdom ! which I touched inſome particulars before.
Behold herethewisdom ofGod, raiſing more glory to himſelfbyoccaſionof the breach of the law, thancould everhave riſen to him from the moſt punctual obſervation of its commands, or the moſt rigorous execution of its threatenings; from theoccafionof the fall, which was our undoing, raiſingus to a far better eftate, and with amuch better ſecurityto enjoyit, than that from which we fell.
Yea, behold andwonder, God bythedeath of Chriſt recovering his elect from allthe danger and miſchief of fin, and yet making the way and manner of their recovery the faireſt glaſs to repreſent the horror and evil of finto them, that everwas ſhewn them in this world.
Oh, the triumph of divine wisdom.
2. Thoughthe love ofGodhadappearedbefore inour creation, protection, and proviſion, yet nothing towhat itdoth in our redemption by the death of Chriſt.
Lo, here is the love ofGod in its ſtrength and glory, 1 John iv. 10. "Herein is "love, notthatwe lovedGod, but that he lovedus, and ſent
" his Son to be the propitiation for our fins."
Herein is love, i. e. Here is the highest expreſſion of God's love to the creature; not onlythat everwas, but that ever can be made; for inloveonlyGod acted to the uttermoſt ; whatever his power hathdone, it cando more; but for his love, itcan go no higher, he hath no greater thing togive than hisChriſt. It is true, ingiving us a being, andthatinthe nobleſt rank and order of creatures on earth, hereinwas love.
In feeding us all our life longbyhis affiduous tender providence,herein is love.
Inprotecting us under hiswings from innumerabledangers and mifchiefs, herein islove : much love ; and yet fet all thisby his redeeming love inChriſt, and itseems nothing. When we have faid all, " herein is the love ofGod, thathe ſent his Son," &c.
VOL . VIHI.
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This was free love to undeſerving, to ill-deſerving ſinners : preventing love ; not that we loved him, but that he loved us.
Juſt as an image in the glaſs, faith Ficinus, that is imprinted there by the face looking into it; the image does not look back uponthe face, except the face look forward upon the image ; and in that the imagedoes ſeem toſeetheface, itisnothing elſe but that the facedoes ſee the image. O the inexpreſſibleglory of the love of God in Chrift !
3. ThoughGod hadgivenſeveralfadmarks of his juftice before, both upon the angels that fell, clapping upon them the chains of darkness ; in the overthrow of Sodom and the neighbouring cities, turning them toaſhes, as you mayread in Jude, ver. 6, 7. yet never was the exactness and ſeverity of justice fo manifeſted before, nor ever ſhall be any more, as it was at the death of Chriſt.
Chriſtdid not only fatisfy it fully, but he alſo honouredithighly, making that attribute which was once a bar, now tobeabottom of our peace, Rom. iii. 25. Neverdid ſuch aperſon as Chriſt ſtandatthebar of justice before: the blood ofGodwas poured out to appeaſe and fatisfy it. When Chrift fuffered, he did both give and take fatisfaction ; he gave it to the juſticeofGod indying; he took it, in ſeeing juſtice ſo honoured in his death .
Secondly, Another delightful proſpect Chriſt had of the fruit ofhis fufferings, was the recoveryand ſalvation of all the elect byhis death ; and though his ſufferings were exceeding bitter, yet ſuch fruit of them as this was exceeding fweet : upon this account he affumed his name Jeſus, Matth. i. 21. yea, and his humannature alſo, Gal. iv. 4, 5.
Souls are of great value in his eyes ; one foul is of more worth in his account than all the world, Mark viii. 36. What a pleaſure then muſt it be to him, toſave ſo many fouls from the everlasting wrath of the great and terribleGod ! Add to this, Thirdly, The glory which wouldredound tohimfrom his redeemedones to all eternity; for it willbe the everlasting pleafant employmentof the faints in heaven, to be aſcribing glory, praiſe, and honour, to the Redeemer : " To him that loved us,
" andwaſhed us from our fins in his ownblood, and hath made uskings and prieſts toGod and his Father ; to him be glory
"and dominion for ever and ever," Rev. i. 5, 6.
The im provement of all this willbe in a word or two.
Use 1. for conviction.
This truth then, in the firſt place, mayconvince, ſhame, andhumble the very best of Chriſtians,who find ſolittle delight inthe moſt eaſy, ſweet, and ſpiritual duties of obedience, when
Sacramental Meditations.
Chriſt undertook andwent through the moſt difficult task for them with ſuch chearfulness and readiness. " Lo, I come, thy
" law is in myheart, I delight todo thy will ; " and yet the work he ſo applied himself to, was a work full of difficulty, attended with reproach and ſhame, as well as anguiſh and pain.
Did Chriſt find pleaſure inabaſement and torment, in ſuffering and dying for me, and can I find no pleaſure in praying, hearing, meditating, and enjoying the ſweetduties of communion with him ? Did he come ſo chearfully to die for me, and do I go ſo dead-heartedly to prayers and facraments, to enjoy
fellowship with him ?
Was it a pleaſure tohim to ſhed his blood, and is it none tome to apply it, and reap the benefits of it ?
Oh, Lord, what an heart have I? How unſuitable is this frame of heart to the nature of God, whoſe eſſential excellencies make him the ſupreme delight,the ſweet repoſe, ſolace, and reft of fouls ! Pfal. xvi. 11 .
How unſuitable to the principlesof regeneration and holiness, purpoſely plantedin the foul, to make ſpiritual performances a pleaſure to it !
How unſuitable to the future expected ſtate of glory, which brings the ſanctified ſoul to a ſweet complacential reſt and fatisfaction inGod!
In a word, how unſuitable is this temper of ſpirit to the heart of Jesus Chriſt !
O, methinks I hear Chrift thus expoſtulatingwith me thisday :
Is this thy zeal and delight in thedutiesof obedience ? Is it rather the awe of confcience than the pleaſure of communion that brings thee to this duty ?
Doth thy hard heart need fo many arguments to perfuade it, even tothe ſweeteſt, eaſieſt, and moſt pleaſant duties in religion ?
Well, Idid not love thee at that rate ; my heart readilyechoed to the Father's call, todie forthee, to drink the verydregs of the cup of trembling for thee: " I come, I come, Idelight todothy will, thylaw is in " the midst of mybowels."
2. Ufe, of exhortation.
If it be ſo, how great a motive have the people ofGodbefore them, to make them apply themſelves with all chearfulneſs and readiness of mind to allthe duties of active and paſſive obedience ! O, let there be no more grumblings, lazy excuſes, thiftings of duty, or dead-hearted and liſtleſs performances of them, after fuch an example as this. Be ready todo the will ofGod; yea, be ye alſoready to ſuffer it.
Let the ſame mind be inyou, which alſowas in Chriſt Jeſus.
The more pleaſure and delight you find indoingor fuffering the will of God, the :
Pp2
Sacramental Meditations. more of Chriſt's ſpirit is inyou, and the more of his image is upon you. Arenot all holy duties expreſſed in ſcripture by the ſaints walking withGod ? Gen. xvii. 1. And is not this an angelical life ? Can it be aburden to the ear to hear ſweet raviſhing ſtrains of melody; or to the eye, to behold variety of pleafant and livelycolours ; or to the palate, to reliſh the delicious ſweetness of meats and drinks?
Oh, reader, werethy heart more ſpiritual, more deeply ſanctified, and heavenly, itwould be no more pain to thee to pray, hear, or meditate on the things ofGod, than it is to a bird to carryanduſe his own wings ; or to a man, to eat the moſt pleafant foodwhen he is an hungry; " I have rejoiced, (faithDavid)
" inthewayof thy commandments, as much as in allriches,"
Pfal. cxix . 14.
And as to ſufferings for Chriſt, they ſhould not be grievous toChriſtians, that know how chearfully Chriſt came fromthe boſom of the Father to die for them.
What have we to leave or loſe, in comparison with him ?
What are our fufferings to Chriſt's ? Alas, there is no compare; there was more bitterness in onedrop of his ſufferings, than in a fea of ours.
To conclude, Your delight and readineſs inthe paths of obedience, is the very meaſure of your ſanctification.
THE NINTH
MEDITATION,
UPON زا ZECH. xii. partof ver. 10. Andthey shall look upon me, whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for bim, as one mourneth for his onlyfon ; andshall be in bitterness for him, asone that isin bitterness for bis first-born.
THIS promife is confeſſedtohave a ſpecial reſpect to the Jews converſion to Chriſt : It was in part accomplished intheapoſtle'sdays, Acts ii. 37. yet thatwas but a ſpecimen or handſel, ofwhat ſhall be, when the body of thatnationſhall be called.
But yet it cannotbedenied, that all Chriſtians find the ſame piercingforrows, andwounding fenſe offin,whenGod awakens themby convictions, andbringsthem to ſee theevilof fin, and1
Sacramental Meditations.
J. thegraceofChriſt, that is here expreſſedconcerning them at their converfion.
Thewords preſentus with three very remarkable particulars inevangelical repentance ; viz.
First, The ſpring and principleof it.
Secondly, The effects and fruits of it.
Thirdly, The depthandmeaſure of it.
First, The ſpring and principle of repentance, expreſſedin theſe words, They shall look upon me, whom theyhave pierced.
This looking upon Chriſt, is an act of faith; for ſo it is deſcribed in ſcripture, John vi. 40. Ifa. xlv. 22. and it reſpects
Chriſt crucified, as its proper object : Yea, and that by them, notonly as their progenitors involved them in that guilt, by entailing it onthem, but as theirown fins were the meritorious cauſe of his death and sufferings; theyshalllook upon me, whom theyhavepierced.
Secondly, The effects and fruits of ſuch anaſpect of faith uponChrift, is here alſo noted ; They shall mourn, and be in bitterness : i.e. it ſhall melt and thaw them into godly forrow; it ſhall break their hard and ſtony hearts to pieces : The eye of faith ſhall affect their hearts. For indeed, evangelical forrows are hearty and undiſſembled tears, dropping out of the eyeof faith.
Thirdly, and lastly, The depth and meaſure of their forrow is here likewise noted. And it is compared with the greatest and moſt piercing forrows men are acquainted with in thisworld, even the forrow of a tender-hearted Father, mourning over adead fon, yea, anonly fon, and his firſt-born; than which, no earthly forrow is morepenetrating and ſharp; Jer. vi. 26.
Hence the note will be, Doct. That the sufferings of Chriftare exceeding powerful, to. melt believers hearts intogodly forrow.
The eye of faith is a precious eye ; and according to its various aſpects upon Chriſt, it produceth various effects uponthe hearts of men.
Eying Chriſt as our complete righteousness ; ſo it pacifies and quiets the heart: Eying him as our pattern; ſo it directs and regulates our actions : Eying him as a ſacrifice offeredup todivine juſticeforour fins; ſo it powerfullythaws. theheart, and melts the affections.
By meltings, Ido not only underſtand tears ; as ifthey only were expreſſive of all ſpiritual forrow : For it is poſſible, the waters of forrowmay rundeepinthe heart, whenthe eye cannotyieldadrop.
There be two things in repentance; trouble and tears. The
Sacramental Meditations. firſt is eſſential, the laſt contingent. The firſt flowsfrom the influence of faith upon the foul; the laſt much depends upon the temperand conſtitution of the body.
It is amercy, when our tears can flow from an heart filled with forrow for fin, and love to Chriſt ; yet it often falls out, that there is an heavy heart, where the eyes are dry.
But that there is efficacy in faith to melt the heart, bylookinguponthe ſufferings of Chrift for fin, is undoubted: Andhow it becomes ſo powerful an inſtrument to this end, I will ſhew you in the following particulars.
First, Faith eyes the dignity of the perſon of Chriſt, who was pierced for us ; how excellent andglorious aperſon he is.
Inthe captivity, itwas for a lamentation, that " princes were " hanged up by the hands, and the faces of elders were not " honoured," Lam. v.
12.
We read alſo the lamentation of David, 2 Sam. iii. 38. as he followedAbner's hearſe, "A " prince, and a great man, is fallen in Iſrael to-day."
But what was Abner, andwhat were the princes of Ifrael to the Son of God ?
Lo, here, by faith, the believer ſees the Prince of thekings of the earth, the only begotten of the Father, equal toGod, in nature and dignity, He, whom all the angels worſhip, hangingdead upon the curſed tree.
Faith fees royal blood, the blood ofGod, poured out by the ſword of juſtice, for fatisfaction and reconciliation; and this cannot but deeply affect the believing foul .
Secondly, Faith repreſents the ſeverity of divine juſtice to JeſusChriſt, and the extremityof his fufferings ; and this ſight isamelting fight.
The apostle tells us, Gal. iii. 13. he was made καθαρα, 2 curſe and execration for us .
It relates to the kind and manner ofhis death upon the croſs, which was the death of a ſlave ; fervilefupplicium : A freeman was privilegedfromthat punishment.
It looks upon, and well confiders the ſad plight and condition Chriſt was in, in the days of his humiliation for us.
It is faidof him, Matth. xxvi. 28. He was Περίλυπος, undequaque triftis, furrounded with griefs ; exactly anſwerable tohis name,
Iſa. liii. 3. a man offorrows.
Let him look which way he would, outward or inward, upward or downward, to friends or enemies ; he could behold nothing but forrow, and what might increaſe his misery.
Another evangelist faith, he was fore amazed; Mark xiv. 33. Εκθαμβεισα, : It notes ſuch a conſternation, as makes the hair ofthe head ſtandupright ; Horripilatio. A third tells us, his foul was troubled, John xii. 27. ψυχη με Τελαρακιαι, undetartarus, a word from whence hell is
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derived; anddenoting the anguiſh and troubles of them that are inthatplace of torments.
And the fourth tells us, he was in an agony ; Luke xxiii. 44. allexpreſſing, in ſeveral emphatical notions and metaphors, the extremity of Chriſt's anguiſh and torment. This cannot but greatly affect andbreak the believer's heart.
Thirdly, But then that which moſt affects the heart, is Chriſt's undergoing all this, notonly in love tous, but in our roomand ſtead. He ſufferednot for any evil hehaddone, for therewas noguile found in his mouth, Ifa. liii. 4, 5. But the juſt ſuffered for the unjuſt, Pet. iii. 18.
It was for me, a vile, wretched, worthleſs ſinner.
It was my pride, my earthlineſs, the hardness of myheart, the corruption of mynature, the innumerable evils of my life, that brought him down to the duſt of death : "He was made fin for us, whoknew no fin,"
2Cor. v. 21 .
Who can believingly eye Chriſt, as fuffering fuch pains, ſuch wrath, ſuch a curſe, in the room of fuch a finner, ſuch arebel, ſo undeſerving, and ſo ill-deſerving a creature, and not mourn as for anonlyfon, and be inbitterneſs as for a firſtborn?
Fourthly, Faith melts the heart, by confidering the effects and fruits of the ſufferings of Chriſt, what great things he hath purchaſedby his ſtripes andblood for poor ſinners ; a full and final pardon of fin, a well-fettled peace withGod, a fure title and right to the eternal inheritance ; and all this for thee, a law-condemned, aſelf-condemned ſinner.
Lord, what am I, that ſuch mercies as theſe ſhould be purchaſed by fuch a price for me? For me, when thousands andten thousands of ſweeter diſpoſitions muſt burnin hell for ever !
Oh, what manner of love is this !
Fifthly, Faith melts the heart, by exerting a threefold act upon Chriſt crucified :
1st, A realizing act, repreſenting all this in the greateſt certainty and evidence that can be.
Theſe are nodeviſed fables, but the fure and infallible reports of the gospel.
2dly, An applying act ; " Helovedme, andgave himſelf for " me," Gal. iii. 20. " He loved us, and washed us from our
" ſins in hisown blood," Rev. i. 5.
3dly, and lastly, By an inferring or reaſoning act.
If Chriſt died for me, then I shall never die : If his blood were paid down for me, then my fins, which are many, are forgiven me :
Ifhewas condemned in myroom, I am acquitted, and hall A
Sacramental Meditations. beſavedfromwrath to come, through him. O how weighty do theſe thoughts prove to believing fouls !
1. Ufe, for information.
Thenfure there is but little faith, because there is somuch deadness and unaffectedness among profeffors. Abelieving fight
: of Chriſt will work upon a gracious heart, as adead fon, abelovedandonly fon, uſes todouponatender father's heart.
Reader, was itever thy ſad lot to look upon fuch anheartrending object ? Didſtthouever feelthe pangsandcommotions inthybowels thatſomehave felt upon fuch a fight ? Why, fo will thyheart work towards Chriſt, if ever thou believingly lookeſt on him whom thou haft pierced.
Infer. 2. Then the acting and exercising offaithisthe best expedient togeta tenderheart, and raisethe dead affections.
We are generally fullof complaints how hard, howdead and ſtupid our hearts are ; we areoften putting fuch caſes as theſe, how ſhall I get a broken heartfor fin: How ſhall I raife mydeadheartin duty ? Why this is theway, no expedient in all the world like this; look upon him whom thou haft pierced; it is the meltingargument.
2. Ufe, of examination.
But that which I eſpecially aim at in this point, is for the trial and examination of thy heart, reader, in the point of true evangelical repentance, which is thy proper buſineſs at this time; and I will go no further than the text for rules to examine and try itby.
Rule 1. Allevangelical repentancehathaſupernatural ſpring, " I will pour out the Spirit of grace, and they ſhall mourn."
Till the Spirit be poured out uponus, it is as easy to preſs water out of a rock, as to make our hearts relent and mourn.
There are indeed natural meltings, the effects of an ingenuoustemper, but theſe differ in kind and nature from godly forrow.
Rule2. Godly ſorrows are real, ſincere, andundiſſembled; " they ſhall mourn, as for an only fon."
Parents neednot any naturalhelps to drawtears on ſuchaccounts; O ! their very hearts are pierced, they could evendie with them; fighs, groans, and tears, are not hanged out as falſe ſigns of what is not tobe found in their hearts .
Rule 3. Evangelical forrow isverydeep; ſo much the mourning for anonly fon, a firſt-born, muſt import. Theſe waters, how ſtill foever they be, run deep, very deep, inthe bottom channel of the foul.
See Acts ii. 37. They were cut to the heart.