The marrow of the oracles of God. Or, divers treatisesThe marrovv of the oracles of God. Or, diuers treatises

The third thing thou must labour for distinctly, is to conceive ¹true mourning and sorrow for these sins thus confessed. This is that sacrifice is so well pleasing to God, and this is every where in Scripture expressly required, and the promises fastened (divers of them) upon this condition, as these places manifestly show, Mat. 5. 4. Jam. 4. 9. Joel. 2. 12, 13. Zach. 12. 12. Isai. 1. 16. Psal. 31. 9, 10. Isai. 61. 1, 2, 3. Jer. 50. 4. Jer. 31. 18, 19. Now that thou ²mayest attain unto softness of heart, I advise thee to take this course: Resolve with thy self to set some time apart, at least once every day for this business; and when thou doest stand before the Lord with thy former mournful indictment, & while thou strivest to judge thy self, ⟨p. 25⟩and to keep an assize upon thy own soul, beg of God to give thee that soft heart he promised, Ezech. 36. 26. beg it (I say) of God, but let thy prayers be without limitation for the time. If the Lord hear th•e not the first time, yet pray for it the next time again, and so the third day, and so still, till the Lord do hear thee, and make thee feel thy heart to melt, and (if it may be) tears to trickle down thy ch•kes before the Lord; yea, put on this resolution, that thou wilt never stand before the Lord for any request while this course lasts, but thou wilt remember this Petition, to beseech him to give thee secret sorrow and sensible for thy sins. It may be, the Lord will hear thee at the first, or in the beginning, while thou art preparing thy self to speak unto him, or while thou callest upon him at the first or second time; but yet if he do not,