A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

2. And many of them are mistaken about the use of sorrow for sin, and about the nature of hardness of heart they think that if their sorrow be not so passionate as to bring forth tears and greatly to afflict them they are not capable of pardon, though they should consent to all the pardoning Covenant, and they consider not that it is not our sorrow for it self that God delighteth in, but it is the taking down of pride, and ⟨p. 277⟩that so much humbling sense of sin, danger and misery, as may make us feel the need of Christ and mercy, and bring us unfeignedly to consent to be his Disciples, and to be saved upon his Covenant terms. Be sorrow much or little, if it do this much, the sinner shall be saved.

And as to the length of Gods sorrow, some thinks that the pangs of the new birth must be a long continued state, whereas we read in the Scripture, that by the penitent sinners, the Gospel was still received speedily with joy, as being the gift of Christ, and pardon, and everlasting life; humility and self-loathing must continue and increase, but our first great sorrows may be swallowed up with holy thankfulness and joy.

And as for hardness of heart, in Scripture it is taken for such a stiff rebellious obstinacy, as will not be moved from their sins to obedience, by any of Gods commands or threats, and is called oft an Iron sinew, a stiff neck, &c, but its never taken from the mere want of tears or passionate sorrow in a man that is willing to obey; the hard hearted are the rebellious; sorrow even for sin may be overmuch, and a passionate woman or man may easily grieve and weep for the sin which they will not leave, but obedience cannot be too much.

And as for hardness of heart, in Scripture it is taken for such a stiff rebellious obstinacy, as will not be moved from their sins to obedience, by any of Gods commands or threats, and is called oft an Iron sinew, a stiff neck, &c, but its never taken from the meer want of tears or passionate sorrow in a man that is willing to obey; the hard hearted are the rebellious; sorrow even for sin may be overmuch, and a passionate woman or man may easily grieve and weep for the sin which they will not leave, but obedience cannot be too much.