The Soul's Conflict with Itself

It is one of Satan's policies, to hold ¹us in a dead and barren condition, by following us with conceits, that we have not sorrowed in proportion to our offences. True it is, we should labour that our sorrow might in some measure answer to the heinousness of our sins: but we must know sorrow is not required ²for it self in that degree as faith is; If we could trust in God without much sorrow for our sins, then it would not be required, for God delights not in our sorrow as sorrow, God in mercy both requires it and works it, as thereby making us capable vessels of mercy, fit to acknowledge, value, and walk worthy ⟨p. 371⟩of Christ; he requires it as it is a means to embitter sin, and the delightful pleasures thereof unto us, and by that means bring us to a right judgement of our selves, and the creature, with which sin commits spiritual adultery, that so we may recover our taste before lost. And then, when with the Prodigal we return unto our selves (having lost our selves before) we are fit to judge of the baseness of sin, and of the worth of mercy; and so upon grounds of right reason, be willing to alter our condition, and embrace mercy upon any terms it shall please Christ to enjoin.

It is one of Sathans policies, to hold ¹us in a dead and barren condition, by following us with conceits, that wee have not sorowed in proportion to our offences. True it is, we should labour that our sorow might in some measure answer to the haynousnesse of our sins: but we must know sorrow is not required ²for it selfe in that degree as faith is; If we could trust in God without much sorow for our sins, then it would not be required, for God delights not in our sorow as sorow, God in mercy both requires it and workes it, as thereby making us capable vessels of mercy, fit to acknowledge, value, and walke worthy ⟨p. 371⟩of Christ; he requres it as it is a means to imbitter sin, and the delightfull pleasures thereof unto us, and by that meanes bring us to a right judgement of our selves, and the creature, with which sinne commits spirituall adultery, that so we may recover our taste before lost. And then, when with the Prodigall wee returne unto our selves (having lost our selves before) we are fit to judge of the basenesse of sin, and of the worth of mercy; and so upon grounds of right reason, bee willing to alter our condition, and embrace mercy upon any tearmes it shall please Christ to injoyne.