After Confession (which may well serve thee for another days work) the next duty thou must labour for, is to seek for true sorrow and mourning for thy sins: Seek thou must, and never leave seeking, till thou feel thy heart melt within thee. To this purpose read some tracts of death, of judgement, of hell, of Christs passion, of the joys of heaven: Last of all (and I take it best of all) resolve to set every day some time apart to beg it of the Lord: When Daniel set himself to pray, the Lord came in to him, Dan. 9.3. When Peter had gone apart to pray; and when Paul had prayed in the Temple, then the Lord came in to them, Act. 10.6. and 22.17. And why may not I bid thee pray, as well as Peter bid Simon Magus, yet being in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity? Act. 8.22, 23. and at the time appointed fall down on thy knees, spread thy Catalogue, confess, ⟨p. 61⟩accuse, judge, condemn thy self again; which done, beg, beg of the Lord to give thee that soft heart he promised, Ezek. 36.26. 1A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Say then to thy self, Is this the Lords promise? O Lord perform it to my heart; take away my stony heart, give me an heart of flesh, a new heart, a new spirit, &c.—[here make thine own prayer, be not careful of words, only let the words be the true voice of thy heart:] and the more to work softening, thou mayest sob, and sigh, and beat thy breast, above all thou must pray, and call, and cry with vehemency and fervency not to be uttered. When thou hast done, if the Lord do not yet hear thee, pray again the next day, and the next day, yea put on this resolution, that thou wilt never leave praying till the Lord hear thee in mercy, till he make thee to feel thy heart melt within thee, yea (if it may be) till thou seest thy *tears trickling down thy cheeks, because of thy offences. The Lord will (perhaps) hear thee at the first time, or at the second time; or if he do not, persist thou, thy suit is just, and importunity will prevail; yea I can say, thy desire to sorrow being resolute, it is a degree of godly sorrow it self, and no doubt the Lord will increase it, if thou beggest hard a while.
AFter Confession (which may well serve thee for another days work) the next duty thou must labor for, is to seek for true sorrow and mourning for thy sins: Seek thou must, and never leave seeking, till thou feel thy heart melt within thee. To this purpose reade some tracts of death, of judgement, of hell, of Christs passion, of the joys of heaven: Last of all (and I take it best of all) resolve to set every day some time apart to beg it of the Lord: When Daniel set himself to pray, the Lord came in to him, Dan. 9.3. When Peter had gone apart to pray; and when Paul had prayed in the Temple, then the Lord came in to them, Act. 10.6. and 22.17. And why may not I bid thee pray, as well as Peter bid Simon Magus, yet being in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity? Act. 8.22, 23. and at the time appointed fall down on thy knees, spread thy Catalogue, confess, ⟨p. 61⟩accuse, judge, condemn thy self again; which done, beg, beg of the Lord to give thee that soft heart he promised, Ezek. 36.26. 1A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Say then to thy self, Is this the Lords promise? O Lord perform it to my heart; take away my stony heart, give me an heart of flesh, a new heart, a new spirit, &c.—[here make thine own prayer, be not careful of words, onely let the words be the true voice of thy heart:] and the more to work softning, thou mayest sob, and sigh, and beat thy brest, above all thou must pray, and call, and cry with vehemency and fervency not to be uttered. When thou hast done, if the Lord do not yet hear thee, pray again the next day, and the next day, yea put on this resolution, that thou wilt never leave praying till the Lord hear thee in mercy, till he make thee to feel thy heart melt within thee, yea (if it may be) till thou seest thy *tears trickling down thy cheeks, because of thy offences. The Lord will (perhaps) hear thee at the first time, or at the second time; or if he do not, persist thou, thy suit is just, and importunity will prevail; yea I can say, thy desire to sorrow being resolute, it is a degree of godly sorrow it self, and no doubt the Lord will increase it, if thou begst hard a while.
- 1Ezek. 36.26.
- *Ut hoc modo confring as capita draconum tuorum in aquis.
