A care-cloth

Desperation and horror without Grace, may procure tears for ones own faults, nothing but holiness can procure them for others. A man may lament his own sins, and not hate them; he cannot lament the common sins, but out of an hatred of them. Wherefore let the people of God make much of these tears, and preserve them (as it were some hot and comfortable liquor) for their use, against the day of temptation; that when the weak faith shall be assaulted with manifold objections, it may have this token of truth to allege for it self, against which, there can be none exception; and let the people of God endeavour to be frequent in this exercise o mourning for the common sins, that they may abound in comfort afterwards, and be filled with joy, in stead of sorrow; for always holy sorrow ends in joy. We may not make our selves so careless of our spiritual estate, as to lose a good duty, but must put all the Graces that God hath given us, and the effects of them to the best use, improving them all to the increase of our faith in God, and our spiritual rejoicing in the assurance of his love. It will make us constant in good duties, if we shall find them to do us much good. Let these sorrows be much profitable and comfortable unto them (O Christian soul,) as indeed they ought, and out of these ⟨p. 261⟩weeping promises, gather these gladsome conclusions. I am sure I am Gods child: I am sure I am a member of the same body, that David was a member of: I am sure, I partake of that Spirit that dwelt in him: I am sure, that sin shall not mortally infect me; that I shall not be drowned in the public Judgements; that God will either spare the Land for the sake of my self, and other like mourners; or at least, that himself will make provision for my welfare in the common woes. I shall laugh, when others are punished for sin, because I wept, when they committed sin. God will be my shelter and refuge in the time of trouble, and he will not give me over to the destroyer; for often have I caused, and often do I purpose hereafter to cause, that streams of tears shall descend from mine eyes, because the sons of men do tread his Statutes under-foot. I have not only wept for mine own sins (which fear of shame in the World, or damnation in Hell, hath made many a dissembler do:)

Desperation and horror without Grace, may procure teares for ones owne faults, nothing but holinesse can procure them for others. A man may lament his owne sinnes, and not hate them; hee cannot lament the common sinnes, but out of an hatred of them. Wherefore let the people of God make much of these teares, and preserue them (as it were some hot and comfortable licour) for their vse, against the day of temptation; that when the weake faith shall bee assaulted with manifold obiections, it may haue this token of truth to alleage for it selfe, against which, there can bee none exception; and let the people of God endeuour to be frequent in this exercise o mourning for the common sinnes, that they may abound in comfort afterwards, and be filled with ioy, in stead of sorrow; for alwaies holy sorrow ends in ioy. Wee may not make our selues so carelesse of our spirituall estate, as to lose a good dutie, but must put al the Graces that God hath giuen vs, and the effects of them to the best vse, improouing them all to the encrease of our faith in God, and our spirituall reioycing in the assurance of his loue. It will make vs constant in good duties, if wee shall find them to doe vs much good. Let these sorrowes be much profitable and comfortable vnto them (O Christian soule,) as indeed they ought, and out of these