A Golden Chain

The fifth temptation is a fall into some great sin,⁵ as Noah into drunkenness, David into Adultery, and murder, Peter into the denial of Christ. The exercise of a Christian in this temptation is this: 1 At the first his heart is usually dulled and made secure with sin. 2 Yet after a while there by some means ariseth in his heart a godly sorrow: which is when he is grieved for this only cause, that by his sin he hath displeased. God, who hath been to him so loving and merciful a father, ⟨p. 610⟩whose favour he would be content to purchase, (so he might have it and obtain it) even with the damnation of his own soul. 3 ⁿThen he begins to repent himself of his sins, renewing afresh his former repentance. 4 This repentance he showeth by seven signs. 1 A care to leave that sin into which he is fallen. As they which crucified our Saviour Christ, when they were pricked in their hearts at Peters sermon, they showed this care in saying, ^oMen and brethren, what shall we do to be saved? 2. An Apology, which is when a man in the heaviness of his heart, shall not excuse or defend his sin, but confess it to the Lord, and utterly condemn himself for it: acknowledging withal that there is no way to escape the wrath of God, but by having Gods free pardon in Christ. 3 Indignation which is an inward anger and fretting against his own self, because he was so careless in looking to his own ways. Peter when he had denied his master, he wept and that bitterly, which showeth that with sorrow, he had also an anger against himself. 4