Remains of that reverend and learned divine, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in…Remaines of that reverend and learned divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in…

But the cause of godly sorrow is the apprehension of sin, as it is contrary unto the nature, purity and perfection of God, as also of Gods love towards a man; he hath an eye given him whereby he sees into the riches of Gods love unto him, and then reflects upon himself, and sees his carriage towards God for such mercy, and finding no proportion between them, hence grows his sorrow that he should thus requite God with sin for mercy.

But the cause of godly sorrow is the apprehension of sinne, as it is contrary unto the nature, purity and perfection of God, as also of Gods love towards a man; he hath an eye given him whereby he sees into the riches of Gods love unto him, and then reflects upon himselfe, and sees his carriage towards God for such mercy, and finding no proportion betweene them, hence growes his sorrow that hee should thus requite God with sinne for mercy.

The third difference is in the effects, for as they ¹do proceed not from one and the same ground: so they bring not forth the same, but contrary effects, and they are three fold: First, worldly sorrow, it draws the affections of the heart from God, because they see him as a judge, they cannot love him as a Father: he takes God to be his enemy, and therefore doth what he can to fly from him, because he expects no good from him, this we see as before in Adam, Cain and Judas: but the godly sorrow, it makes a man cleave faster unto Christ, to stick faster unto grace, it whets the affections, to love Christ, to prize Christ more, it works a willing readiness in the soul to obey, it puts by that which would make him fly from Christ; Secondly, worldly sorrow, it hurts ⟨p. 197⟩the body, it breeds diseases, it wastes and consumes the Entrails, breeds and brings consumption of the body, it dulls, and makes dead the soul, it takes away the relish of spiritual things, it makes a man careless to good, it dulls and makes a man unwilling unto any good. But the godly sorrow, it is the life of the soul, it is the health of the body, it quickeneth the soul of man unto good, it puts a new life into it: it works a readiness in the will, and love in the affections to Christ, grace, and holiness. Thirdly, worldly sorrow, it makes a man of a hot, and a fiery spirit, it stirs him up after evil, to reproach and disgrace his neighbour, it fills him full of hatred, revenge, and envy: but godly sorrow, it breeds another kind of Spirit in him, it makes him of a meek, and a quiet spirit: worldly sorrow will not put up reproach disgrace and wrong, but this will put up all injuries and wrongs, and whatsoever else he meets withal for Christ: thus you see the difference between these.