Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

2. It may be more difficult at such a time to discern the principle from which their repentance proceeds; whether from Faith in Christ, love to God, and hatred of sin, or only from fear of Wrath and Hell; whether they mourn as Children under a Fathers hand, or only as slaves under a Masters whip. When they lie upon the brink of the grave, and expect every moment to drop into it; their Souls are dislodging, leaving their bodies, and by and by to appear naked before their Judge; this may affect them, fill them with fear, and fear with sorrow for sin, whereby they have exposed themselves to the danger of damnation; and both together put them upon resolutions against sin, which is usual in such cases. Now though there may be something else at the bottom, yet this lying uppermost, and most obvious to their view, they may fear that it is the only prevailing argument, and great cause of their repentance; which can then be no better than merely legal, as having no better a foundation. Principles are usually latent, and discoverable only by their workings, and that too more easily or difficultly in proportion to the intenseness or weakness of these workings; and in this case the more weak and feeble stirrings of Faith or Love may be so outdone and overtopped by the vehement and strong motions of fear, that themselves can hardly be perceived, much less the principles they flow from. A dying sinner may feel his fear when he cannot perceive his Faith, and suspect he hath no Faith because he is so full of fear; and consequently question his repentance which cannot be Evangelical without an Evangelical principle.

2. It may be more difficult at such a time to discern the principle from which their repentance proceeds; whether from Faith in Christ, love to God, and hatred of sin, or only from fear of Wrath and Hell; whether they mourn as Children under a Fathers hand, or only as slaves under a Masters whip. When they lie upon the brink of the grave, and expect every moment to drop into it; their Souls are dislodging, leaving their bodies, and by and by to appear naked before their Judge; this may affect them, fill them with fear, and fear with sorrow for sin, whereby they have exposed themselves to the danger of damnation; and both together put them upon resolutions against sin, which is usual in such cases. Now though there may be something else at the bottom, yet this lying uppermost, and most obvious to their view, they may fear that it is the only prevailing argument, and great cause of their repentance; which can then be no better than meerly legal, as having no better a foundation. Principles are usually latent, and discoverable only by their workings, and that too more easily or difficultly in proportion to the intenseness or weakness of these workings; and in this case the more weak and feeble stirrings of Faith or Love may be so outdone and overtop'd by the vehement and strong motions of fear, that themselves can hardly be perceived, much less the principles they flow from. A dying sinner may feel his fear when he cannot perceive his Faith, and suspect he hath no Faith because he is so full of fear; and consequently question his repentance which cannot be Evangelical without an Evangelical principle.